I like account management. I like closing. But I love business development.
Since my background is in engineering and consulting, you would be forgiven for not expecting me to love this role so much. Even though it might not seem obvious at first, when you take a closer look it actually makes a lot of sense. Both engineering and consulting are, at the heart of it, about solving problems.
A big part of my job is sales recruitment, and I’ve decided to take that experience and analyze key aspects of the hiring success formula.
It’s an exciting time to be in Sales, as the evolution of the role has never been more pronounced. As this evolution grows, it’s important for businesses to evaluate their hiring practices. Sales and management training has become a key differentiator for successful businesses. Further to that, it’s important to remember that certain qualities can be more important over experience. In order for that to happen, you need the right Business Development leader to advance your company’s sales goals.
What should you be looking for in your BizDev recruits?
Creative Solutioning – with so much available information at the client’s fingertip today, transactional sales is a thing of the past. We need to think outside the box to deliver true value to the client. Creativity is needed to stand out among the pack and show them that you truly understand their needs. No two clients are alike, so why would the solution be universal across the board?
Be Highly Curious – I like people. I want to know everything about the make-up of the person across from me. Do they like cats over dogs? Are they a 2nd generation Canadian? This natural curiosity is essential to advancing new areas of growth, whether it be finding new markets to penetrate or discovering relationships that can advance the company’s goals. Only when you are curious are you able to uncover the true value of your sales proposition and where the possible alignments and strategic partnerships will fit.
Find Partnership Opportunities – Always be looking for synergies. Always deliver value to a conversation. Always be helpful. These are the basis of a being a good partner. I can’t stress enough how important good partnerships are for creating long-term value. This is such a vital part of Bizdev that I suggest you be wary of anyone who minimizes its importance to company and sales development.
Hitting the Numbers – Like all parts of sales, it’s a numbers game. It needs to have its relevant metrics, and it might or might not be revenue driven. Sometimes we forget that great sales is good math – make sure you are using this understanding to further your numbers goals.
In Good to Great, Jim Collins says, “The most important decisions that business people make are not What decisions, but Who decisions.” Getting the right business development leader onboard is laying the foundation for success for years to come. Are you having a hard time filling this critical role? It’s time to make the Change Connect call. Drop us a line. Tag #CCRecruit.
