One of the primary reasons The Business Development Guild was established was due to the fact that the profession was misunderstood and underrepresented. It starts with the basic questions “What is Business Development and What does a BD professional do?” One would think by the eve of 2020 there would be broad based agreement. That is debatable. So the BD Guild developed definitions that shall become the industry standard.
Brooke Vink, CBD, Business Development Manager for Wood Patel, and Rebecca Timmer, CBD, Business Development Manager for Wilson & Company, both Advisory Board Members raised their hand to take on the challenge. “It’s so basic but oh so important for all team members to have the same understanding of what the BD position is and what the professional is there to do” says Ms. Vink. “Having an industry standard definition is one step towards that.”
The research and review took all by surprise. “There is so much to capture but we thought it necessary to be concise.” Ms. Timmer acknowledged. “We didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into until we were in the middle of it. The Advisory Board certainly helped by reviewing and making critical suggestions.”
So after thorough research and thoughtful review, the Business Development Guild proudly states the following definitions:
The Profession
Business Development is the function of creating long-term value for an organization from customers, markets, and relationships.
The Professional
A Business Development Professional creates long-term value for an organization through customers, markets, and relationships to achieve business goals.
The BD Guild mission is to be the premier source of education, coaching, and support for the Business Development profession. Learn more about events, membership and sponsorship at www.businessdevelopmentguild.com.