“Business Development Executive,” “Manager of Business Development,” and “VP, Business Development” are all impressive job titles often heard in business organizations. Sales, strategic initiatives, business partnerships, market development, business expansion, and marketing – all of these fields are involved in business development but are often mixed up and mistakenly viewed as the sole function of business development. 

The following information explores the nitty-gritty of business development, what it encompasses, and the standard practices and principles to which business development adheres.

What Is Business Development?

In the simplest terms, business development can be summarized as the ideas, initiatives and activities aimed towards making a business better. This includes increasing revenues, growth in terms of business expansion, increasing profitability by building strategic partnerships, and making strategic business decisions.

However, it's challenging to boil down the definition of business development. First, let's look at the underlying concept and how it connects to the overall objectives of a business.

Business Development Across Departments

Business development activities extend across different departments, including sales, marketing, project management, product management and vendor management. Networking, negotiations, partnerships, and cost-savings efforts are also involved. All of these different departments and activities are driven by and aligned to the business development goals. 

For instance, a business has a product/service which is successful in one region, such as the United States. The business development team assesses further expansion potential. After all due diligence, research and studies, it finds that the product/service can be expanded to a new region, such as Brazil.

Let’s understand how this business development goal can be tied to the various functions and departments:

  • Sales: Sales personnel focus on a particular market or a particular (set of) client(s), often for a targeted revenue number. In this case, business development assesses the Brazilian markets and concludes that sales worth $1.5 billion can be achieved in three years. With such set goals, the sales department targets the customer base in the new market with their sales strategies.
  • Marketing: Marketing involves promotion and advertising aimed towards the successful sale of products to end-customers. Marketing plays a complementary role in achieving sales targets. Business development initiatives may allocate an estimated marketing budget. Higher budgets allow aggressive marketing strategies like cold calling, personal visits, road shows, and free sample distribution. Lower budgets tend to result in passive marketing strategies, such as limited online, print and social media ads and billboards.
  • Strategic Initiatives or Partnerships: To enter a new market, will it be worth going solo by clearing all required formalities, or will it be more sensible to strategically partner with local firms already operating in the region? Assisted by legal and finance teams, the business development team weighs all of the pros and cons of the available options and selects the one that best serves the business.
  • Project Management/Business Planning: Does the business expansion require a new facility in the new market, or will all the products be manufactured in the base country and then imported into the targeted market? Will the latter option require an additional facility in the base country? Such decisions are finalized by the business development team based on their cost- and time-related assessments. Then, the project management/implementation team swings into action to work towards the desired goal.
  • Product Management: Regulatory standards and market requirements vary across countries. A medicine of a certain composition may be allowed in India but not in the U.K., for example. Does the new market require a customized - or altogether new - version of the product? These requirements drive the work of product management and manufacturing departments, as decided by the business strategy. Cost consideration, legal approvals and regulatory adherence are all assessed as a part of a business development plan.
  • Vendor Management: Will the new business need external vendors? For example, will shipping of a product need a dedicated courier service? Will the firm partner with any established retail chain for retail sales? What are the costs associated with these engagements? The business development team works through these questions. 
  • Negotiations, Networking and Lobbying: A few business initiatives may need expertise in soft skills. For example, lobbying is legal in some locales, and may become necessary for penetrating the market. Other soft skills like networking and negotiating may be needed with different third-parties, such as vendors, agencies, government authorities, and regulators. All such initiatives are part of business development.
  • Cost Savings: Business development is not just about increasing sales, products and market reach. Strategic decisions are also needed to improve the bottom line, which include cost-cutting measures. An internal assessment revealing high spending on travel, for instance, may lead to travel policy changes, such as hosting video conference calls instead of on-site meetings, or opting for less expensive transportation modes. Similar cost-saving initiatives can be implemented by outsourcing non-core work like billing, accounting, financials, technology operations and customer service. Strategic partnerships needed for these initiatives are a part of business development.

    The business development scenario discussed above is specific to a business expansion plan, whose impact can be felt by almost every unit of the business. There can be similar business development objectives, such as development of a new business line, new sales channel development, new product development, new partnerships in existing/new markets, and even merger/acquisition decisions.

    For example, in the case of a merger, significant cost savings can be accomplished by integrating the common functions of the housekeeping, finance, and legal departments of the two firms. Similarly, a business operating from five different offices in a city can be moved to a large central facility, resulting in significant operating cost savings. However, would this lead to employee attrition, if the new location isn't convenient for everyone? It's up to the business development team to assess such concerns.

    In essence, business development involves high level decision-making based on a realistic assessment of all potential changes and their impact. Through new ideas and initiatives, it aims to improve the overall business prospects, which drive the functioning of the different business units. It is not sales; it is not marketing; it is not partnering. Instead, it is the eco-system encompassing the entire business and its various divisions, driving overall growth. 

    The Right Fit for Business Development

    A business developer can be the business owner(s), or the designated employee(s) working in business development. Anyone who can make or suggest a strategic business change for a value-add to the business can contribute towards business development. Businesses often encourage employees to brainstorm innovative ideas, which can help in improving the potential of the overall business.

    Businesses also seek help from external incubator firms, business development companies (BDC) and small business development centers (SBDC). However, these entities assist in business establishment and the necessary fine-tuning only during the early stages of business setup. As a business matures, it should aim to build its business development expertise internally.

    What Should a Business Developer Know?

    Since business development involves high-level decision making, the business developer should remain informed about the following:

    • The current state of the business in terms of SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats). (For more, see: "Executing a SWOT Analysis.")
    • The current state of the overall industry and growth projections
    • Competitor developments
    • Primary sources of sales/revenues of current business and dependencies
    • The customer profile
    • New and unexplored market opportunities
    • New domains/products/sectors eligible for business expansion, which may complement the existing business
    • The long-term view, especially with regards to the initiatives being proposed
    • The cost areas and the possible options of cost-savings

    What Drives Business Development Activity?

    Due to the wide open scope of business development and activities, there are no standard practices and principles. From exploring new opportunities in external markets, to introducing efficiencies in internal business operations, everything can fit under the business development umbrella.

    Those involved in business development need to come up with creative ideas, but their proposals may prove to be unfeasible or unrealistic. It's important to be flexible. Employees charged with business development should try to seek out and take constructive criticism, and remember that it's a process. 

    The Bottom Line

    Business development may be difficult to define concisely, but it can be easily understood using a working concept. An open mindset, willingness for an honest and realistic self-assessment, and the ability to accept failures are a few of the skills needed for successful business development. Beyond the ideation, implementation, and execution of a business development idea, the end results matter the most.

    The brightest minds in business development should be ready to accommodate change in order to achieve the best results. Every approval or disapproval is a learning experience, better preparing these professionals for the next challenge.