Don’t Try to Eat the Business Development Elephant in One Meal
Business development success rarely comes from one major initiative. It is built through consistent, repeatable actions that compound over time. Learn how small steps can create significant growth.
We’ve all been there. You’re looking at next year’s business development and plan and the task list is massive. The pipeline is uncertain. The possible number of tenders keeps climbing.
You’re overwhelmed.
Here’s a truth: Business development fails not because the work is hard, but because people try to swallow the elephant all in one go.
Small Steps Win the Long Game
Firms that grow consistently aren’t operating with superhuman discipline. They’re just doing the right things, at the right times, in small, repeatable increments.
You don’t need a full-day business development workshop every week: You need 15 minutes of pipeline review on a Monday.
You don’t have to build 20 case studies in one go: You need to do one good case study each month that is aligned to your ideal client / target work.
You don’t need to reconnect with 100 past clients in a week: Start with 3 conversations this week.
Momentum is built through tiny, deliberate actions - not grand gestures.
Why This Matters
As you plan ahead, your the natural instinct is to “go big.” But the most sustainable business development is built one bite at a time.
As we have said many times here on BD Tips Wednesday:
Showing up every day is far more productive than doing one BIG thing once a year.
The fix?
Break your business development goals down into small, consistent, high-leverage actions. Try:
🟦3 relationships per week, not 30.
🟪15 minutes of pipeline review, not a 3-hour “business development strategy day.”
🟧1 improvement to your pricing/positioning, not a full reinvention of your go to market pricing offer.
🟩1 case study refreshed at a time, not a whole bid library overhaul.
🟨One conversation with an existing client, because retention beats acquisition every day of the week!
Consistency > Intensity
Remember: business development isn’t a sprint. It’s stacking small actions that compound quietly…
… until they don’t feel small anymore.
Takeaway
If this is to be your year of business development successes, start with one bite:
Reach out to one client.
Update one capability statement.
Follow up one dormant lead.
Get a peer review of one tender response.
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.
Business Development Requires That You Be Informed
Successful business development starts with awareness. Understanding your clients, industry trends, competitors and market changes allows you to have more relevant conversations and identify opportunities before others do.
Most professionals think business development is about actions: send an email here, post on LinkedIn there, attend a few events every now and then. But the truth is, while these are crucial components of your business development strategy, they are not what dictates "success".
To be successful at business development you need a different superpower: Awareness. Because to grow your pipeline, you first need to be informed.
So for this BD Tips Wednesday post I thought I would do a whistle-stop tour of what it means to be aware and informed, and how this will help supercharge your business development efforts.
Know Your Clients Deeply
Being informed begins with understanding the people you serve. This means staying close to what’s happening in their world; not just their business, but their industry pressures, upcoming projects, regulatory changes and emerging challenges.
When you walk into a conversation with your client already aware of what’s going on in their world, you don’t need to “sell.” You simply connect what you offer to what they already care about.
This transforms your communication. Instead of generic check-ins, you send timely insights. Instead of hoping they remember you, you demonstrate relevance.
Informed advisers stand out because they see change before their clients do and help them navigate it.
Know Your Market and What’s Changing
Great business development stems from understanding the economic landscape. Industries shift. Procurement rules tighten. Competitors innovate. Technology reshapes expectations. Clients explore new models of buying and engagement.
When you pay attention to these signals, your business development efforts naturally become more strategic. You frame conversations differently. You position your offers more confidently. You anticipate needs before they are expressed.
In an environment where clients value foresight, simply being informed elevates your value.
Clarity Leads to Better Decisions
When you’re informed, everything becomes easier: choosing which opportunities to pursue, saying no to the wrong ones, prioritising the conversations that matter and directing your time toward the highest-value actions.
You start to make fewer reactive decisions and more proactive ones.
Crucially, your business development efforts stop being chaotic and start to become more strategic and focussed.
Being Informed Makes You More Valuable
Clients gravitate to people who help them see what’s ahead. When you consistently bring insight - market awareness, early warnings, relevant trends - you become more than a service provider. You become a trusted guide.
Informed professionals open more doors, build stronger relationships and convert opportunities with less friction.
Know the Signals Before They Become Opportunities
Being informed is ultimately about spotting the subtle cues others miss:
the promotion of a key instructor,
an organisational reshuffle,
the shift in a client’s internal and external language,
sudden silence where there used to be momentum.
These small signals often appear long before a formal opportunity does. When you learn to notice them, you place yourself ahead of the curve.
Most business development success isn’t won in the big moments; it’s won by noticing the quiet ones that nobody else is paying attention to!
Takeaway: The Bottom Line
You don’t need to simply “do more” business development. You need to know more so the actions you take are smart, timely and aligned with opportunity.
As my first partner said to me:
Read the financial press every day and pay attention to what’s going on in your clients’ world.
Because in business development, the professional who stays informed is the one who stays in demand.
Further Reading
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.