Why Business Development is no longer needed?
If you’re working in business as long as I do or longer, you’ve noticed a number of changes in everything related: marketing, sales processes, sales channels, tendencies, companies structure, business start principles, niches… and many other ... As well as all the company’s positions functions.
But here, I want to mention another one big change made through the past year or two: sales team, marketing team, structure, processes and hiring policies.
What actually happened? Connection lost, terms lost, everything considered differently. Thus, classical business development is not really needed any more because it simply lost its meaning, differentiation.
If not so far — about two years ago the classical structure has been marketing+sales+business development, adding PR, strategy, other customer care related positions sometimes, etc.
Than today what we have is: sales — Nr. 1 point, and marketing as an additional functionality, plus business development as a function is not a business development as was before and the term can be easily replaced, because is no longer understood by business owners.
Why does it happen? Simply...two reasons caused this change:
- Growing number of outsourcing options
- Growing number of startups and entrepreneurs who’re simply don't make any difference
In a result companies today don't really make a difference between sales, marketing, strategy and business development.
Classical for today:
Company's are looking for…
- business development management = sales manager
- country manager = sales manager
- marketer = sales manager + PR + marketing + strategy
- customer relation manager = account manager+sales manager+customer care operator
- strategist = mostly considered as business development manager or marketer, or even two-in-one
Thus old meaning of business development is lost and I don't think it should be the thing to stick to, because new modern structures as strategy-marketing-sales-customer care are often working better.
The gap between old and new can be only filled by the new systems and principles acquisition. And if you still have an old business development manager on board trying hardly to stick you to old principles — that's a important point to change. Nothing old can work for new without change!
If you or your old-fashioned manager (any bus.dev., marketing, sales) resisting change — your competitor will definitely use this against you!
For the employee: It’s the mix we are facing today, thus be ready coming to the new company to work for/with that internal processes, responsibilities and processes are quite different from what you’ve probably seen before and it will be different for every new company you join.
And it’s really even more interesting to build and optimize processes with new principles, knowing that every next client/project/company will differ from previous one, …and it will be fun again!
You cant stay same when everything changes around!
