More Than a Sales Role: The Misunderstood World of Business Development

Are you in it? Thinking about it? Or working with someone who is in it?

This article is for anyone navigating the world of Business Development - whether you're already in the role, considering stepping into it, or working alongside someone and wondering, “What do they actually do?”

Business Development is one of the most misunderstood roles in business. It sounds impressive. It shows up on org charts. But ask five different people what it means, and you’ll get five very different answers. And if you are the one doing the job, chances are you’ve had to define it more times than you can count.

Let’s be honest - Business Development sounds fancy. Strategy Leader? Even more so. They’re the kind of titles that sound important, but often leave people asking: “But what do you actually do?”

Every time I’ve joined a new organisation, I’ve encountered the same puzzled expressions. It’s a familiar moment - often said with genuine curiosity, sometimes with a hint of confusion and to be fair, I understand why.

Business Development isn’t as easy to define as, say, Finance or Engineering. It’s not always obvious what we do because much of the work happens behind the scenes, and over time. And the confusion isn’t just internal. It exists outside the organisation too, among clients, industry peers, even professional networks where the title “BD” means different things to different people, depending on their past experiences and expectations.

These days, I just smile when I’m asked the question. Not because it’s simple to answer, but because I find myself wondering: what’s the best way to describe something so nuanced, so layered, and so different from one organisation to the next? Often, the person who held the role before me had a completely different interpretation of what Business Development meant shaped by their background, their goals, their leadership style. And that’s part of the complexity. Business Development doesn’t come with a universal playbook. It evolves depending on the person in the role, and the context in which they operate. 

It reminds me of another question I often get: “Where are you from?” And my reply is usually: “Have you got time?” Because I come with a story, a history, a journey that’s shaped by diversity and somehow, all of that seems to have woven itself into my professional world too. 

Business Development is like that. It’s complex, but intriguing. There’s always more under the surface than what first appears. And maybe that’s the real point: Business Development is never one-size-fits-all. It’s shaped by the values you hold, the skill set you bring, and how you naturally connect with people. For me, it draws on my ability to observe, ask the right questions, and build trust over time. It’s about aligning those strengths to create value whether for a single organisation or across an entire sector.

Not Just “Sales in Disguise”: The Quiet Tension of Being Misunderstood

There’s a lingering assumption that Business Development is just a glorified sales function. And while sales is absolutely a critical component of any business, Business Development is about creating the conditions for future sales to happen not just closing the current deal.

We’re often working on projects or partnerships that might not bear fruit for five or even ten years. The value we create is cumulative and deeply embedded in the long game of the business. But because the results aren’t immediate, they can be easily overlooked.

That’s the thing about Business Development. It doesn’t sit neatly in one box. It’s not sales, though we work closely with sales teams. It’s not marketing, though we support brand and positioning. And it’s not just strategy, though every conversation we have is steeped in long-term thinking.

It’s a unique intersection of insight, timing, trust, and influence.

It can sometimes create tension; especially with sales teams. Who’s doing what? Are we doubling up? Why is Business Development speaking to a customer the salesperson already has a relationship with? Are we over-servicing? And most importantly—what does the customer see?

The truth is, Sales and Business Development are two distinct roles with different skill sets, responsibilities, and rhythms. There are many articles out there that attempt to define the differences and perhaps I’ll write one of my own, but what’s most important to remember is this: alignment matters. Without it, you risk internal confusion, fractured messaging, and missed opportunities. The distinction shouldn’t be an afterthought. It should be made clear from Day One.

For those in the thick of it - is how to navigate within a business that doesn’t fully understand these complexities. When Business Development is misunderstood, it can be a challenging and sometimes confusing space to operate in. I don’t have a secret formula. But what I can share is this: your values, integrity, work ethic, and discipline can remain steady. What must evolve is how you adapt to shifting expectations, corporate restructures, new team dynamics, changing leadership, and external perceptions.

In Business Development, constancy of character paired with flexibility of approach is a quiet superpower.

Strategy is a Marathon: Patience, People, and Post-COVID Realities

Long-term vision is a hallmark of Business Development. It’s not fast, and it’s not linear. It’s a marathon, a careful, deliberate process of building credibility, trust, and opportunity over time. And like any marathon, there are pauses; for a breather, a water break, or a moment to regroup. There are hard stretches too. Moments where progress feels slow, where it would be easier to stop than to keep going. But those are the same moments that build resilience. They remind us that going slow and going far are not mutually exclusive. In fact, in Business Development, they often go hand in hand. 

We navigate complex ecosystems to find the right stakeholders, understand emerging market needs, and design pathways for collaboration and communication. Sometimes that means identifying infrastructure projects that may not take shape for years. Other times, it’s about aligning with shifting government priorities or recognising early signs of industry transformation. None of it happens overnight. 

And let’s not forget the human side: figuring out who to talk to. When you’re new to a sector, this takes time. It’s not always the person with the title who drives the real decision, it’s the person behind the scenes, the quiet influencer. Finding them requires patience, listening, observation, and often, a willingness to start from scratch. 

Then came COVID-19. 

The shift was immediate face-to-face meetings, impromptu coffees, and organic connections gave way to Zoom calls and LinkedIn messages. And while digital tools made some conversations easier to initiate, they made authentic relationship-building harder. Reaching out online can feel transactional. There’s always the risk that your message is mistaken for a pitch.

And it raises the question: do we really get to the heart of things in a virtual setting? In-person conversations have a fluidity—an ease of body language, tone, timing. Trust builds faster when we can read the room, pick up on cues, and allow the discussion to flow without a hard stop. Online, things are more scripted. Time is limited. People prepare their responses. And that’s where another layer of complexity enters the mix: cognitive dissonance.

Sometimes, the words being spoken don’t quite match the feelings behind them. People may agree in the moment but hesitate to commit. They nod on screen but don’t follow through. Without the cues we rely on in person, it’s harder to assess alignment, build confidence, or know when to push deeper.

In this new landscape, building trust was taking even longer. But I’m pleased to say it is changing. People are slowly adapting, and digital relationships are becoming more meaningful. That said, we’re still not quite there. It still demands consistency, thoughtfulness, and the kind of steady presence that only time can validate.

It also isn’t just about who you know, it’s about how patiently and intentionally you show up over time, taking these challenges into consideration and learning how to navigate through them with empathy, clarity, and purpose.

So What Do We Measure?

This is the crux of the issue.

How do you measure trust? Or rapport? Or the fact that someone from another business called you first when they were ready to collaborate because of a conversation you had 18 months ago?

Traditional KPIs like deals closed, revenue generated or leads created don’t capture the full scope of Business Development. The impact is broader: market intelligence, brand perception, cross-sector collaboration, strategic influence, pipeline development and so much more.

Yes, it’s slower. And yes, it’s sometimes frustrating to report on progress when there’s no neat graph to show. And no, AI doesn’t have the answers here either. Because what truly drives Business Development forward is what’s said, heard, and shared through human connection. That’s the essence we capture; and it’s how we choose to respond that sets the tone for future opportunity.

The ripple effect is real. And it often shapes the future direction of the business, quietly, gradually, but powerfully.

The Investigator, the Connector, the Voice – And the Work That Makes it Real

Sometimes I’m invited to speak on panels or at university forums, and I’m asked: “What exactly do you do in Business Development?” 

“Can you describe it in one word?” 

My answer? “I’m an investigator.” 

Others have called me a detective - and they’re not wrong. We ask questions, listen closely, read between the lines, and uncover what others might miss. We observe how things work and more importantly, where they don’t. It’s not just about selling a product. It’s about identifying gaps, understanding how they formed, and helping to close them in a way that’s sustainable and strategic.

We talk about language, branding, industry trends, sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility, because these are no longer separate from business. They are the business. Building partnerships in that world isn’t transactional. It’s almost like a personality match. You must really understand the customers: their corporate strategy, their sustainability roadmap, their marketing voice. Then you create the systems, processes, and connections that help them grow. 

Business Development is also about refining the voice of the customer and the voice of the sector; and bringing it back into the business. 

What do they want to know to help them plan for the next five to ten years? 

What risks might disrupt their growth? 

What insights could unlock something new? 

We build strong networks to stay ahead of market dynamics. We share that intelligence not just with leadership, but with frontline teams, because everyone benefits from insight. And yes, we’re often the face of the brand: always at networking events, always putting up our hand to showcase what our company stands for.

But this isn’t just about partnerships. It’s about credibility, visibility, authenticity and quietly planting strategic ideas that take root over time. It’s about creating conversations, shaping perception, and yes attracting talent. Because when done well, Business Development becomes more than outreach. It becomes influence.

There’s also a discipline behind the scenes: CRM systems, opportunity pipelines, customer engagement records. The work may seem ambiguous, but we make it tangible by logging conversations that happen infrequently, sometimes just once a quarter. In some cases, it’s even less - just once a year - depending on contract timelines, procurement cycles, or the customer’s willingness to engage.

That doesn’t mean we disappear in the interim. It means we stay purposeful. We observe. We reflect. We pay attention to what’s happening in the market, sometimes through a conversation at a networking event, sometimes through a published article, or a government policy update. And when it matters, we capture it.

While Business Development may not be about entering data every day, it is about maintaining a thoughtful, evolving record of what’s changing; because those breadcrumbs, over time, reveal the path to opportunity.

And truthfully, Business Development can be isolating. You're often expected to simply get on with it, to operate independently, lead in your own right, and navigate a space without clear boundaries or daily check-ins.

At times, it feels like running a long-duration research project. You're designing your own methods, setting up your own experiments, and scanning endless journals searching for insights that will eventually form your "thesis" of strategic value. And like any good research, things don’t always go to plan. Sometimes what you thought would work, doesn’t. Sometimes you hit a wall, banging your head trying to figure out why it didn’t work, and how to make it better. But you keep going. Because the process of finding the right answer, however frustrating, is what leads to progress. That’s the discipline behind the creativity. And it’s what makes Business Development both exhausting and exhilarating.

Some days, you won’t have much to report back to the business. There are stretches where your work is reading, researching, watching, and waiting. Activity is fluid and unpredictable you can go from weeks of quiet groundwork to a sudden flurry of activity when tenders are released or contracts awarded.

But it's the relationship-building and researching during those quieter moments that often makes the biggest difference. That’s when trust is formed, insights are gathered, and groundwork is laid for future opportunity.

Still, this work can feel lonely. You’re often navigating the grey space between departments, expectations, and timelines. And in organisations that are highly sales-driven, it can feel even harder to explain where you fit or for others to fully understand the value you’re creating. Because sometimes, you’re hidden. You’re not on calls or in front of customers instead you’re reading, analysing, mapping patterns, and quietly investigating. You’re in the background, pulling threads together that no one else sees yet. And while it may not be visible, that deep thinking is what lays the groundwork for the opportunities that eventually emerge.

Owning the Role Before It’s Defined

So, I write this not to prescribe a definition of Business Development but to share one perspective. To bring a little clarity for those working in ambiguity whether you’re in the role yourself or working alongside someone who is.

 If you're thinking of stepping into a Business Development role—think carefully. It requires a certain level of maturity, self-motivation, self-discipline, and the ability to keep going even when the direction isn't entirely clear. Sometimes, there’s no brief. No roadmap. No daily tasks lined up. You have to find the work, and then do the work.

It’s a role where you're not just executing a strategy; you’re often building it as you go. It takes confidence. Curiosity. And a quiet kind of leadership. Because in Business Development, you’re a leader in your own right, even if no one’s telling you what to do.

You’re also building your own brand. Refining your message. Reciting your elevator pitch like it’s second nature because it has to be. You are the brand. Your presence, your insight, and your credibility are often the first impression someone has of the business. And in that moment, your personal IP and how you carry it matters just as much as the product or service you represent.

If you're in this role, it's because you bring something unique. You were chosen because you were the right fit. And those quiet moments you have so often - what are they, really? They’re not a sign of inactivity. They’re thinking space. They’re the time when strategy takes shape, when patterns start to emerge, when creative ideas are born and sharpened. They’re moments to reflect, to observe, to plan ahead without the noise of urgency. And in Business Development, those moments matter more than most people realise.

Business Development isn’t just about action. It’s about direction.

Final Thoughts

Business Development isn’t easy to define and it’s even harder to do. 

Maybe that’s the point. It requires patience, resilience, intuition, and a deep understanding of people. We’re not just driving numbers, we’re building futures.

Business Development is about building a community one that spans across functions, organisations, and industries. It’s about collaboration, not just competition. We work with internal teams, external stakeholders, and cross-disciplinary experts. We bring together diverse individuals with different goals and perspectives and align them around a shared vision: to meet the evolving needs of our customers.

It’s strategic. It’s inclusive. And when it works, it’s incredibly powerful.

So, the next time someone asks me, “What exactly do you do?” 

I might just smile and say: “I connect the dots no one else sees - yet. And then I help bring everyone along for the journey.”

And if you’ve ever asked that question - thank you. 

Not everyone knows what Business Development is. But that’s okay. Let it unfold. Let it evolve. Allow the space for success to happen - even if it takes time. Because the impact of Business Development is rarely instant, but when it lands, it lasts....