• Practice Management - QuickRead Top Story

    The Changing World of Business Development

    Rethinking the Role of Your BD Team (Part II of II) In the November 2020 post, an alternative way to structure your firm’s BD efforts that relies less on a central “rainmaker,” and more on an integrated team. In this post, the focus is on how to execute the various activities involved in BD, such as hiring, outsourcing, or cross-training existing staff. For this exercise, do not get hung up on specific titles; in reality, team members’ skills and interests are more important than their titles. Your BD team structure might look something like what is discussed here. Rethinking Activities…

  • Practice Management - QuickRead Top Story

    The Changing World of Business Development

    Turning Traditional Business Development on Its Head (Part I of II) Business development (BD) used to be simple: do good work for existing clients, be active in your local community, and watch the referrals roll in. To be a successful rainmaker for a firm, all a professional needed was a little confidence, some networking skills, and perhaps the occasional educational presentation. But BD has changed, driven by changes in the behavior of professional services buyers. Rather than ask a colleague about a business question, they began using search engines. In one industry after another, including professional services, digital transformation has…