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It isn’t exactly a secret that business development requires a lot of patience, resilience, coffee, and enthusiasm. If you’re at your wit’s end and want some tips on how to grow and improve your strategy, you’ll probably wind up on LinkedIn, reading AI-generated posts by supposed thought leaders who are just trying to Trojan horse their own businesses.
But now, it seems, you’ve ended up in the right place. I used to operate at director level in the recruitment sector, where the slog for new business was an everyday part of my job. I’ve done the rounds online and have seen plenty of tips out there, and the main problem that I keep on seeing is how badly people keep dropping the ball on the basics. So here, in this article, I’m going to go back to basics and take you through some practical ways to apply them to get the best possible results.
Building Relationships
Before we dive into the technical aspects of BD, let’s just talk about the thing that lies right at the heart of it: building relationships. If a prospective client gets to know you, likes you, and is in need of the service that you’re great at offering, then who will they choose: you, or an anonymous competitor? Once you’ve established a relationship with a client, you will likely have repeat business to look forward to, as well as recommendations via word of mouth to other clients.
No one likes a pushy salesperson, so when you’re interacting with a potential client, please don’t force your branding onto them. First, ask them questions about themself, and seek out areas of common ground. By all means, demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and professionalism when the time comes, but don’t bombard anyone with it. You’ll just come across as arrogant.
How to Network
Networking is a circle. There is no beginning and no end; just an ever-expanding list of contacts in your phone. Never depend on any one method to drum up business; instead, keep those plates spinning. Connect with people on LinkedIn, dedicate time to email and phone-based campaigns, while also keeping an eye on the calendar for any industry award shows, networking events and trade shows. All of these methods should come together to give you a strong starting point for your strategy.
Throughout the month, ensure that you have enough time put aside for each method, no matter how much one or two of them might be a comfort zone for you. Don’t just hide behind emails and Linkedin requests. Pick up the phone and dial out. Meet new clients face-to-face at events, or go against the grain by offering to stop by and visit. Your competitors probably aren’t doing that, so why not differentiate yourself?
Be Consistent
This is the hard part. Throughout my career, I’ve always said “BD while you’re busy”. But for a lot of folks out there, it’s all too easy to focus on the parts of the job they really enjoy while times are good and for the vast majority, this doesn’t include business development. To make sure you don’t wind up struggling through a dry spell, keep that BD conveyor belt loaded. Email campaigns. Phone calls. LinkedIn connections. Client visits. Events. Commit a few hours to each of these every month, and you’re far more likely to experience consistent success.
Reflect and Adapt
But the world doesn’t stand still. Your industry will definitely change, and you’ll have to adapt with it, whether that’s because of seasonal changes, a shift in economic circumstances, or technological advancements that change the way people access your service. For example, a design agency in Leeds will adapt to the ways in which AI has affected commercial design, and a commercial chimney sweeper will need to adapt to those quieter Spring and Summer months.
Even if there haven’t been any major shifts in your sector, I would still recommend reflecting on your BD strategy once every 3 months, just to make sure you’re capitalising on what’s working, and whether you can make improvements to methods that haven’t been as fruitful. A few tweaks here and there every few months should put your business development strategy on the path to continuous improvement.
Closing Thoughts
We all know that business development is a lot of hard work, so that makes it all the more important that we minimise wastage and make our BD as efficient as possible, and maximise our chances of success by exhausting all avenues at our disposal and building strong, organic relationships.
By Toby Patrick
who is a freelance writer who covers a range of topics.
Member since June, 2026
View all the articles of Toby Patrick.
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