Director of Business Development. Where to get the best?
Previously, my business actually went with the flow and, despite this, developed dynamically. Now, the current has become weak, if I may say so, so if you just swim, you won't get far. I want to go far, so I decided to take on a business development director. I thought it would be easy to find the right candidate, so I just posted the vacancy on the relevant sites.
Offers poured in. There are a lot of them, a huge number of them, and this suggests that there is some kind of nuance. It is unlikely that a good business development director would be left without a job, and I definitely don't need a bad one. Even in difficult moments, I personally would be the last to fire the development director. I tend to think that the candidates are weak, and I need a strong one. How can I find it? Is it possible to do this on your own or is it better to turn to specialists?
Alexei
Why business needs to be developed
You are right that a strong business development director is unlikely to be out of work long enough to look for it through the websites. Strong specialists are usually closely monitored, and as soon as they are about to leave, other companies immediately make an offer to them. But anything can happen, so it is quite possible that among those who sent you their resume, there is also a suitable candidate.
For example, a candidate could have been made an offer, but it did not suit him. Or a person wants to change the field of activity, and he simply does not have access to its representatives. It is possible that a person gave his all to the company, developed it, did not acquire acquaintances on the side, and the leadership that came with his team changed in it, and he was no longer needed. It may be that the development of the business has reached a certain point, and then he simply disagreed with the owners, who took on a person who thinks like them.
This is the riskiest approach, but if you use it, you can skim off the thickest cream in the end.
In general, there are three approaches to business development. The first approach is “business”. Under him, there is an observation of the businesses of competitors and borrowing the successful moves that they made. With this approach, the risks are minimal, because what is checked is done, but the earnings are also minimal, because the cream has already been skimmed off and only “leftovers” remain. The second approach is “marketing”. Under him, the markets are monitored and a quick response to his needs and requirements is carried out.
This approach assumes medium risks, but earnings also become not minimal, but average due to the fact that you can be the first to offer a product or service that is in demand on the market and skim off the cream. The third approach is pioneering. With him, you don’t look at competitors and markets, you don’t follow trends, but on the contrary, you create them. This is the riskiest approach, but if you use it, you can skim off the thickest cream in the end.
There are three types of business development director
It can be said that there are three types of business development director: a businessman, a marketer, and a pioneer. Accordingly, before you start looking for a specialist, you first need to decide which type suits you best, because your business is a reflection of your personality. You yourself can be a businessman, a marketer or a pioneer at heart, well, or there may be some mixed options, but still there will be some kind of dominant and on its basis you need to select a specialist.
If you are more of a pioneer at heart than a marketing or business person, then you need a director of development – a pioneer. If you are a marketer at heart, then you need the same specialist. Otherwise, constant conflicts are possible and the business will not develop. There are situations when it is appropriate to take a specialist with the opposite vector so that you balance each other with him and make fewer mistakes. But keep in mind that this option is not for everyone.
What does a Business Development Director do?
The business development director is a key specialist of the company. A lot depends on him, so taking just someone is too risky. Of course, any specialist in any case will lead the company from point “A” to point “B”. The only question is whether point “B” will be better than point “A” or worse. Any business owner wants point “B” to be better than point “A”.
For this to happen, before starting the search for a development director, it is logical to understand yourself, in business, in the market, in the product, having determined which idea underlies your personality, which idea underlies your business, your products and the basis of the market. Ideas can be defined using the appropriate leggrams.
By identifying ideas, you will be able to determine with 100% accuracy which type of development director will suit you best. After you decide on the type, you will greatly simplify the task of finding a specialist for yourself.