It might seem that business development roles have become obsolete.
But we believe business development has a distinct and extremely relevant role in our current workplace.
While marketing professionals are still primarily responsible for getting the right proposition out to prospects and sales specialists are predominantly responsible for converting them into paying clients, business development experts are essential for connecting them.
Businesses need business development people to build and nurture these key relationships, which in turn make our marketing and sales functions work. We need them to communicate the value of a product or service. We need them to build trust.
While business development is arguably everyone’s responsibility, it’s a business development manager or director who enables employees to enact this responsibility effectively. Without them, marketing and sales have the added burden of developing the strategic, mutually-beneficial partnerships which provide much of the long-term value to most businesses.
By focusing solely on building and sustaining client relationships, a business development professional with their expert knowledge can enable the rest of the business to strengthen its offering and become truly client-orientated. Marketing can use business development’s insights into client pain points and requirements to create more targeted services and messaging. Sales can benefit through increased conversion and repeat business. Business development can be a fantastic facilitator and help synchronise internal functions.
By building relationships, business development can also make HR’s job much easier. Loyal clients are an asset for referrals and employer brand, which both make it easier to reach out to new prospects and attract top talent. It’s often these relationships that make or break a business.
Another key strength of having a business development professional on board is being able to grow sustainably; they can ensure relationships are nurtured at the right pace in the right volume to ensure you meet your service agreement.
Far from being obsolete, business development professionals are vital for improving productivity, generating business growth and increasing profitability. While it’s not always feasible to have a dedicated role for business development, if resources allow it can be an extremely worthwhile investment.
At Sitka, we specialise in finding leading business development professionals for ambitious Welsh based organisations. Please get in touch to find yours.
The recruitment process was easy, and after our initial conversation with Ita she advised us on how to fine tune the job specification and tailor to to attract the right candidate for our needs. The delivery and recruitment service was swift and Ita kept us informed at every stage of the process.
The candidate we chose in the end was the right fit for our business. They have just passed their probationary period with flying colours and have fitted in like they have always worked for us.
The experience of working with Sitka has been fantastic. They provide an excellent service with a professional and friendly approach. Karen kept me informed every step of the way, even sending through interview technique tips.
Sitka was honest all the way through and went above and beyond to make me feel prepared and ready for the interview. Everything went really smoothly and I had regular communication from Ita who made sure I knew everything I needed to along the way. I felt equally as important to the agency as the client and knew I could trust Sitka to represent me as a candidate.
I just want to say a big thank you to Ita for believing in me and being so supportive from the first LinkedIn message until I started my first week!
My recruitment experience with Sitka has been brilliant. I was dealing with Karen who is so friendly and attentive. She really listened to what it was I was looking for and put me forward for a role I am now in and love.
I felt like they truly cared and weren’t just trying to fill vacancies as quick as possible. Other agencies kept suggesting roles I had already said I wasn’t interested in. This wasn’t the case here, and they really wanted to find the right person.
I felt Ita really understood my skills and experience and the service I received was great. I felt that Ita was invested in my future career and did everything she could to help me land my new role.
I’d have no problem recommending Ita and the Sitka team to anyone entering the job market. They made the whole process much easier for me.
This was the most professional recruitment processes I have experienced as a candidate. I felt really well prepared for the hiring process. Ita took the time to understand my experience and align my skills and values with those of role that I was applying for. This meant that I felt really prepared for the interview process and confident that I understood the role, culture and values of the organisation.
I would recommend Sitka and I would also consider using them as a client in the future. Having experienced their service as a candidate I have seen the effort that is made to ensure there is a good fit between candidate and client. Thank you Ita!