Business development is a complex process that requires a comprehensive understanding of three essential elements: customers, markets, and relationships. To ensure success, it is important to create buyer personas that provide insight into customer needs and challenges. According to research, 71% of companies that exceed their revenue goals have documented buyer profiles that include demographic and psychographic data, as well as an explanation of the person's motivations and frustrations. Having a clear vision of the company's evolution over the next 12 months is essential to achieve your goals. This includes a summary of the 3 to 5 key achievements that will set you apart and help you anticipate and prepare for success.
It is also important to recognize that the B2B buying process has been transformed into a process that now involves multiple stakeholders, so it is essential to make sure your buying process reflects this. The basis of your business development plan is to define the high-level objectives you want to achieve in the next 12 months. These goals should be big, ambitious, and bold. Once these objectives are established, you can then move on to the granular aspects of the process. It is also important to analyze past performance in order to develop a business development plan for the future. The three key components that are considered during the business development phase are the market, customers, and relationships.
The market is an important consideration in business development, as the company refers to current market conditions when making decisions and creating strategies. It is also important to consider whether to use the DIY (do it yourself) approach or the DIFM (do it for me) approach. Small and medium-sized businesses need to focus their limited resources on those leads and opportunities that are most likely to become profitable customers. A well-thought-out business development plan with appropriate measurement and review protocols is the best way to achieve your objectives. Additionally, it is beneficial to join business organizations, industry associations, or other groups where you can find potential customers and increase your visibility as a trusted advisor. The meaning of business development can take different forms, depending on the company's objectives or the perspective of its investors.
For example, a successful company that is expanding into another niche may also consider this implementation as business development, even though the company is already established. Kevin Thomas Tully is a globally recognized social sales and big data strategist who employed the principles of social selling long before the term entered popular business language. To ensure success in business development, it is essential to understand all three elements: customers, markets, and relationships. Creating buyer personas with demographic and psychographic data can provide insight into customer needs and challenges. Additionally, having a clear vision of your company's evolution over the next 12 months with 3-5 key achievements will help you anticipate and prepare for success.
Finally, analyzing past performance and developing a well-thought-out business development plan with appropriate measurement protocols will help you achieve your objectives.
