A career in Business Development and Sales

What is Business Development….

Business development in summary is delivering tasks and processes to develop and implement growth opportunities within and/or between organizations. Business development is the creation of long-term value for an organization from customers, markets, and relationships, so not just about selling. It can be can be taken to mean any activity by either a small or large organization, non-profit or for-profit enterprise which serves the purpose of ‘developing’ the business in some way. Think of it as building relationships with people or companies, to create future sales and growth opportunities. It is very much about people and relationship building, and most employers in all sectors will have a business development function.

What is Sales….

Sales is the profession concerned with the selling of goods and services. Sales form the core of every business: whether it produces a physical product, such as shoes or clothing, or offers a service, such as physical testing or consultancy, a link between the producer and the customer is necessary so that the customer is aware of and has access to the product.
Sales is a rewarding, challenging career. Creating the most appropriate solution for your customer and then giving them the tools and motivation to buy from you needs detective skills, team work and an understanding of human nature – not to mention grit and determination. Why is it usually a good fit for athletes?

1. Sales is a performance-based career. The more you sell, the more bonus you earn. This works well for the competitive mindset.

2. You work with your customers to improve their businesses. This kind of work puts salespeople in front of lots of different people in a company; you rarely get the same day twice.

3. Working in sales means understanding psychology. What is your customer thinking? What can you do to motivate them to complete the deal?

4. For most sales jobs, you success is determined by your passion and enthusiasm for learning. The skills required for success are more often learned on the job or through bespoke training rather than years of education.

5. You can become your own boss. Salespeople often travel to meet customers face-to-face, as well as to maintain relationships with existing customers.
Managing your own time and being responsible for the revenue you generate is as close as any professional will get to running their own business.

6. Let’s face it, the money is good. Salespeople earn commission based on results. That’s what athletes are used to doing.