Business development is a broad term applied to the
process of strengthening ties with existing clients as well as
cultivating customers in other sectors of the consumer
market. In order to accomplish this goal, business
development normally crosses the traditional barriers
between sales, marketing, customer care, operations and management in order to promote this process of expansion on more than one level. This means the business development specialist must exhibit a degree of competence in many different areas in order to identify and capitalize on growth opportunities.
One of the foundational aspects of(busdev), or business development, is to assess the current assets of the company as they relate to the maintenance and expansion of the business. To this end, the business development specialist will work closely with sales and marketing professionals to identify the degree of penetration already enjoyed by the company in various sectors of the consumer base.
At the same time, the specialist will also work with customer care professionals to assess the feedback gathered from existing clients on the perception of the company and its products. This type of activity can often identify ways to refine current sales and marketing techniques in order to capture a wider share of consumers within sectors where the business already has a presence. At the same time, the addition of the data acquired through customer care contacts may help identify applications for the product line that are not promoted at present and could lead to capturing new markets if marketed properly.
It is important to note that the successful business development specialist is not focused solely on making sales or keeping current customers happy. While those aspects are part of the overall picture, the development specialist will also be concerned with making the best use of the company’s resources, refining the process and function of management and various departments, and addressing any legalities that must be observed as the company continues to move forward. In many organizations, this gives the business development specialist a wide range of authority to solicit information from anywhere within the corporate structure and to influence every aspect of company function.
The process of business development can be applied to just about any corporate situation. Even companies that are small need this type of activity in order to remain stable and to achieve growth over time. Often, the inclusion of at least one person who is focused on the activity of business development makes it possible to capture a view of the company that is hard for people with responsibility for specific functions with the organization to achieve without help.
Business development may take place by creating an arm or department of the corporation that carries out these functions. It is also possible to contract with a business development consultant in order to evaluate current circumstances and identify strategies for the creation of future growth.
