You’ve probably heard the term thrown around in meetings or seen it on a LinkedIn profile. “Business Development.” It sounds important, official.
And you just nod, pretending you know exactly what they do. Is it sales? Is it marketing? Is it just… making friends for the company?
Well, yes and no. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, and a lot of people get it wrong.
The thing is, business development, or “biz dev” as people in a hurry call it, is a bit of a confusing job title.
So let’s just break it down. Plain and simple. This is your 2025 guide to what business development really is, without the corporate jargon.
So, What in the World is Business Development, Really?
Alright, let’s get straight to it. Business development is the big-picture game of creating long-term value for a company.
It’s not just about making a sale today. That’s sales. Sales is about closing the deal that’s right in front of you.
Business development is about setting up the deals for next year. And the year after.
Think of it like this. A salesperson is like an apple picker. Their job is to go out and pick all the ripe apples from the tree right now. It’s direct, it’s immediate, and you get a result today.
A business development person is the gardener.
They’re looking at the whole orchard. They’re thinking, where can we plant new trees? Do we need to partner with the beekeeper down the road for better pollination? Should we try growing pears next season?
It is the work that leads to more and better apples in the future.
So while sales focuses on the “now,” biz dev is all about the “next.” It’s a hunting job, not a gathering one.
You’re hunting for new opportunities that will help the company grow in a lasting way. It’s more strategic.
The Main Jobs of a Business Development Person
So what does a biz dev manager actually do all day? It’s not just long lunches, though those can sometimes be part of it.
Normally, their work falls into a few main buckets. They are responsible for looking outside the company to find new ways to make money.
Finding New Friends (Partnerships)
A huge part of business development is about making strategic partnerships. This is basically teaming up with other companies.
But it has to make sense for both sides. It’s not just a random connection.
For example, a company that makes amazing coffee could partner with a local bakery. The coffee shop sells the bakery’s pastries, and the bakery sells the coffee shop’s beans.
Both companies get access to new customers they wouldn’t have reached alone. That partnership idea? That was probably cooked up by a biz dev person.
They spend their time finding companies that are a good fit, figuring out what a deal might look like, and then making it happen.
Exploring New Playgrounds (New Markets)
Another big job is figuring out new markets to enter. A market can be a new location. Like a business that only sells in the US figuring out how to start selling in Europe.
Or, a market can be a new type of customer.
Imagine a software company that sells its product to big corporations. A biz dev person might do some homework and realize that small businesses could also use their product.
That’s a whole new market. It is their job that involves a lot of research. They have to understand the new market, its needs, and how the company’s stuff could fit in.
Thinking Up New Stuff to Sell (Product Expansion)
Business development people have their ears to the ground. They talk to partners, potential customers, and people in the industry.
They hear about problems that need solving.
Sometimes, they bring those ideas back to the product team. They might say, “Hey, everyone I talk to in the healthcare industry says they would buy our software if it just had this one feature.”
This information helps the company decide what to build next.
They act as a bridge between the outside world (the market) and the inside world (the company’s product teams).
How Business Development Has Changed for 2025
The job isn’t what it was ten years ago. Just like everything else, technology has completely shaken things up. The old-school way of just playing golf and shaking hands is not enough anymore.
For 2025, biz dev is much smarter.
First, data is everything. Business development pros now use a ton of data to find opportunities. They don’t just go with a gut feeling.
They look at market trends, competitor information, and customer behavior to decide where to focus their energy. It’s less guesswork, more science.
Second, AI is a massive helper. There are smart computer programs now that can scan the internet for potential partners or flag companies in a new market that are growing fast.
This automates a lot of the boring research part of the job. It lets the biz dev person focus on the human part, building the actual relationship.
But the personal touch is still super important.
Even with all the tech, business development still comes down to people trusting other people. You can’t automate a real connection. So video calls, messaging, and yes, sometimes even an old-fashioned phone call, are still at the center of the job.
Is a Career in Business Development for You?
So, who makes a good business development person? It’s a specific kind of personality, for sure.
You don’t have to be the loudest person in the room. In fact, many of the best biz dev people are great listeners.
They are naturally curious. They like learning about different industries and figuring out how things connect. It is a role that generally requires you to be a dot-connector.
You have to be persistent. A lot of doors will get shut in your face. A partnership idea might take a year to come together. You can’t get discouraged easily.
And you have to be a creative thinker. You’re not just selling a product. You’re often creating a new solution or a new relationship from scratch. It’s a very forward-looking job for people who like building things.
Got Questions? We Got Answers
What is the main difference between business development and sales?
The simplest way to put it is that sales is focused on closing deals and meeting short-term revenue targets. Business development is focused on creating long-term opportunities, like partnerships or new markets, that will generate revenue in the future.
Do you need a special degree for business development?
Not really. People come into biz dev from all sorts of backgrounds—sales, marketing, project management, even engineering. What’s more important are the skills: communication, strategic thinking, and being good with people.
What does a typical day look like for a BD manager?
It’s a mix. A day could involve researching new companies, having video calls with potential partners, working with lawyers and product teams to structure a deal, and networking on professional social media sites. There’s a lot of variety.
How is business development success measured?
It’s not as simple as a sales quota. Success is often measured by things like the number of new qualified leads passed to the sales team, the number of strategic partnerships signed, or the revenue generated from a new market that was opened. It’s about long-term growth metrics.
Can a small business do business development?
Absolutely. And they should. For a small business, a single good partnership or entering a new niche market can completely change their trajectory. It’s how small companies become big companies.
Key Takeaways
BD is About the Future: Business development is all about creating long-term growth, not just closing today’s sale.
It’s Not Sales: Sales picks the apples, biz dev plants the orchard for future harvests.
Core Activities: The job usually involves finding partners, opening new markets, and giving ideas for new products.
Tech Has Changed the Game: Data and AI are now standard tools, but the human relationship part is still central.
It’s a Role for Builders: Good BD people are curious, persistent, and enjoy connecting the dots to build something new for the company.
