Business Development Fundamentals
Lasting growth depends on finding the right opportunities, building strong relationships and turning ideas into agreements.
About this course
Lasting growth depends on finding the right opportunities, building strong relationships and turning ideas into agreements. This four-day course gives you a practical framework for business development in any sector.
You will learn to research markets, profile ideal customers, shape a clear value proposition, build and track a pipeline, and structure partnerships that work for both sides. Sessions on pitching, proposals and negotiation build your confidence, and you will finish by preparing a business development plan with measurable targets for your organisation.
What you'll learn
- Explain the role of business development and how it differs from sales and marketing
- Identify and assess new market, customer and partnership opportunities
- Research target markets and build an ideal customer profile
- Build and manage a business development pipeline
- Develop a value proposition and present it persuasively
- Negotiate and structure partnerships that benefit both sides
- Prepare a practical business development plan with measurable targets
Curriculum
- What business development is
- Business development, sales and marketing compared
- Skills of an effective business developer
- Business development and organisational strategy
- Sources of growth opportunities
- Market and customer research
- Ideal customer profiles
- Screening and prioritising opportunities
- Understanding customer needs
- Crafting a clear value proposition
- Differentiating from competitors
- Testing the proposition
- Pipeline stages
- Prospecting and lead generation
- Qualifying opportunities
- Tracking and forecasting
- Building professional networks
- Managing key relationships
- Professional use of LinkedIn and events
- Maintaining trust over time
- Types of partnerships
- Finding and assessing partners
- Structuring win-win agreements
- Managing partnership performance
- Preparing a business pitch
- Writing effective proposals
- Negotiation principles
- Handling objections
- Setting growth targets
- Activity and resource planning
- Measuring results
- Presenting your plan
Who it's for
Business development, sales and marketing staff, entrepreneurs and managers responsible for growing their organisation's business.
Before you start
- Some experience in sales, marketing, management or client-facing work is helpful
Part of these Alalamia diplomas
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