Ever-present in a consulting and advisory business, is the ongoing challenge of balancing business development (BD) with delivery activities.  Common among the myriad of consulting and advisory firms out there, regardless of industry sector, they all need to ‘win’ the work, then ‘deliver’ the solution, and keep this cycle going. 

Different Approaches

In some firms the roles are split, across two, three, four or even five teams with dedicated Business Developers responsible for the origination of new business, Pre-Sales for technical advice prior to sale, Account Managers and Customer Success Managers for relationship management throughout the engagement, and Delivery Experts or Project Managers who lead implementation of the solution or delivery of the project. 

In other firms, especially smaller companies, where the trusted customer relationship is personalised, individual Consultants will be responsible for both business development and delivery.

Whatever model you deploy, here are common themes to consider for the best outcomes.  For this article, I’ve used the term “Consultant” to represent the roles noted above and focused on the two core disciplines of BD and Delivery in a B2B environment.

The Activities

• Business Development:
  • Customer Calls and Meetings: Initiating, building and maintaining relationships with potential customers.
  • Proposals and Pitches: Developing and delivering pitches to win new business.
  • Market Research: Researching industry trends and understanding customer needs and the nature of their business (including competition).
  • Branding and Networking: Promoting the company by attending events and seminars to network with potential customers.
• Delivery:
  • Client Engagement: Delivering high-quality services to meet or exceed customer expectations.
  • Project Management: Ensuring projects are completed on time, within budget, to the quality standard required.
  • Team Management: Collaborating with team members to ensure smooth implementation of deliverables.
  • Continuous Improvement: Improving service delivery processes, through analysis and customer feedback.

The Challenges

• Time Management:
  • Urgency vs. Importance: BD often feels less urgent compared to the pressing deadlines of current projects, especially when there is ample work in hand for the time being. There’s nothing like a dry pipeline, to spur BD action, but the time-lag to the next phase of Delivery may be substantial. Unfortunately, this often leads to redundancies to reduce overhead costs.
  • Interruptions: Jumping between BD and Delivery can be disruptive. Consultants need to be skilled and disciplined in managing their time and prioritising tasks effectively.
• Skills:
  • BD activities require strong sales, networking and negotiating skills, while Delivery demands technical expertise, project management, and client relationship skills.  Not everyone has the capability, nor interest, in doing both.  However, training and development can ensure Consultants are equipped to excel in both areas.
• Resource Allocation:
  • Limited Resources: Small and medium-sized firms often struggle with allocating limited resources effectively between BD and Delivery.
  • Over Utilisation: High utilisation rates on delivery can lead to burnout and too little focus on BD activities.
• Client Expectations:
  • Maintaining long-term client relationships while pursuing new business can be challenging.

Ideas to Balance BD with Delivery

• Allocate Time:
  • Dedicated BD Time: Allocate specific times in the week for BD activities and make this time sacrosanct… no excuses.
  • Planning: Incorporate BD activities into project planning to ensure there is always a focus on business origination.
• Cross-Functional Teams:
  • Specialisation: Have dedicated BD and Delivery teams to allow specialisation (depends on the type of company and service offering).
  • Collaboration: Encourage collaboration between BD and Delivery teams to ensure what is “sold” and what is “delivered” is the same thing.
• Training and Coaching:
  • Skill Development: Provide regular training to enhance both BD and Delivery skills. Consultants often prefer one over the other, so it depends on your model, as to whether you train consultants on both, or specialise in one.
  • Coaching: Pair less experienced Consultants with “old masters” to ensure transfer of knowledge through on-the-job demonstrations of top performance.
• Technology and Tools:
  • Utilise your technology systems and tools to streamline BD and Delivery processes and drive discipline through lead generation, reminders, task deadlines etc.
• Performance Metrics:
  • Set and monitor clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for both functions to drive accountability and link achievement to rewards.

Enjoy the sunshine, but always be ready for those rainy days

Balancing business development with delivery in a consulting or advisory business over a long period of time is tricky.  Yet many companies, small and large have successfully navigated decades of economic fluctuations.  The key lies in creating a culture that values both BD and Delivery equally and fosters an environment where a regular flow of incoming work, marries nicely with successful delivery, and ultimately, happy customers who keep coming back.  There is no magic formula for success, and sometimes it just comes down to hard work.  You can “make hay while the sun shines”, whilst also ensuring there is sufficient work for those inevitable “rainy days”.

BEN WALSH
General Manager – Recruitment

Ben is General Manager – Recruitment at Optimum Consulting Group, an Australian employment advisory firm.  He has been actively recruiting and managing teams for over twenty years, with industry experience gained in Australia, Canada and Ireland.