Business Development, dark art to team sport

In today’s competitive landscape, effective business development hinges on your entire team representing your brand with conviction and clarity.

Simple right?

Well… not really. The challenge is, many leaders aren’t confident business developers themselves, so empowering their teams to ‘do BD’ is often goes in the ‘too hard’ basket.

Here’s a few quick tips for leaders to get more comfortable with business development and, in turn, create a culture of business development that empowers everyone in the business to hunt down new opportunities and bring them through the door.

So, what is a culture of business development and how do you create one?

I’ll let you into a little secret…it’s not a one-page cheat sheet with the core messages you want your team to parrot out to whoever will listen.

Creating a culture of business development begins with your team possessing a deep understanding of your organisation’s identity – its vision, purpose and core values – and genuinely buying into it.

Everyone should be clear on your long-term growth objectives and the type of clients and projects you are targeting. And everyone should be equipped with the skills to identify opportunities and convert prospects into clients – regardless of how tenuous those opportunities may appear.

With all these components in place you have the basis for a thriving and exciting business development culture.

The dreaded Elevator Pitch

Even as a leader, initiating conversations aimed at generating positive outcomes can be daunting.

How comfortable are you at succinctly introducing yourself and your business? Are you confident your team could do the same?

If the thought of this makes you squirm, it’s time to take action!

Opportunities to connect can arise unexpectedly – whether in a social setting or casual encounter, your ability to articulate your role and introduce your company succinctly is essential. The most coined phrase for this interaction is an elevator pitch – and no, you don’t have to be in an elevator to do it!

So, what are the components of a good intro elevator pitch?

Be succinct: you have 30 seconds max to give a quick overview of who you are (in a professional capacity – we’re not interested in star signs at this point!), your role, your company and the challenges you solve or value you create. Don’t get too specific at this stage, we’re looking for a brief overview, nothing more.
Body Language Matters: Maintain open and confident body language. Make eye contact and adopt a posture that invites trust and engagement – no arms crossed!
Authenticity is Key: Be genuine. People prefer to engage with those who come across as relatable rather than overly scripted.
Cultivate Curiosity: Conclude your introduction with an open-ended question to encourage dialogue. Listening attentively allows you to tailor your responses effectively.
Aim for an Outcome: Every interaction should lead to a tangible result, whether it’s exchanging contact details, scheduling a meeting, or identifying a potential project, try and come away with something useful.

First impressions matter

In a world where first impressions count, the art of confidently introducing yourself and engaging others in genuine dialogue is imperative.

When you have the opportunity to initiate contact, a warm greeting can pave the way for a quicker outcome because you can tailor your intro (elevator pitch) to your audience, leading with elements about your role or organisation which are more relevant.

A warm intro can literally be as simple as, “Hi, I’m XYZ, what’s your name?”, then be curious and ask some open questions to continue the conversation. If you’re at a networking event I can guarantee that you’re not the only person in the room feeling daunted, so be bold, break the ice and say hi, you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

You don’t need to have all the answers

So, you’re in full flow having a great chat with a new or existing contact and they ask you a question about something you don’t know the answer to, don’t panic!

Don’t try and fudge the answer if you don’t know it. It’s much better to respond with something like, “I’m not 100% on that but I would love to introduce you to XYZ person in the office who could provide that insight for you”, or simply “I don’t know the answer to that off of the top of my head but I’ll find out and either drop you an email or we can meet up and I can go through it with you”. Either of these responses can still generate a positive outcome.

Don’t let your guard down, loose lips sink ships

You might be having a lovely chat with someone and be well on your way to generating a positive outcome but don’t get complacent. Sometimes there are confidential things you should never share outside of your organisation, so you need to be conscious of what you’re divulging.

For example, if you’re working on a top secret project that’s under NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement), it is imperative that you keep that under wraps, no matter how much someone may probe you for intel or how much you’d love to share your excitement about it. One slip and you could ruin your client relationship, damage your company reputation or even face legal ramifications.

Another example might be around some company news which hasn’t yet been announced externally, for example, promotions/expansion/lay-offs, by sharing this information in an unplanned way can be detrimental both internally and externally.

But how do you know what you can/can’t say? Again, this is down to the leadership team to clarify. If you’re not sure, ask your boss before discussing outside of your organisation.

Diversion tactics

But what do you do if you’re being relentlessly quizzed by someone on something you know you can’t disclose?

Well, there are some simple rebuffs. For example, you could simply say, “I’m not at liberty to discuss that”, or, “I’m really not sure, but I can put you in touch with XYZ leader who may be able to provide some insight on this for you” thereby passing the tricky question to your leadership team who should be well-versed in dealing with diverting away from sensitive information.

No matter what, if you know you can’t share something, don’t share it. It is not worth yours or your company’s reputation.

Final Thoughts

Fundamentally, your team is already representing your business with every interaction they have with contacts and clients. Business development happens everywhere, and everyone is playing their part. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to ensure you support and guide them in this vital endeavour.

When you create a company where purpose is clear, culture and values are lived, and your people understand their roles, you position yourself for success.

By empowering your team with the knowledge of what they can and cannot share outside your organisation, you lay the groundwork for proactive business development.

In this environment, every team member becomes an ambassador for your brand, driving growth and forging meaningful connections. Embrace this potential, invest in your people, and watch as they turn everyday interactions into powerful opportunities for engagement and success. The future of your business depends not just on strategies and goals, but on the collective efforts of a motivated and informed team empowered to support your organisation to thrive.