Chief Growth Officers, before you approve another business development training program, this is a question to consider:
How will this investment create organic revenue and long-term results, and create the right business development culture in the firm?
If there’s one challenge firms face, it’s the trap of single-mode learning experiences for business development. That might be a one-time workshop, or a one-time virtual program, or self-serve platforms. They all have value, and I’ve designed, facilitated, and launched all of these for professional services firms. These one-time or self-serve options can make learning more accessible, provide reinforcement or quick information, or help a firm to more easily scale.
One-time learning experiences often seem easier logistically, or less expensive upfront. But in the long term, they’re usually more expensive – because they don’t meet your sales pipeline and organic growth goals.
In professional services, growth depends on consultative selling: asking better questions, making the business case, building trust, creating opportunities, and moving quality opportunities forward through the sales pipeline. Those skills are higher level, and they take time to develop. They require practice, feedback, coaching, and repeated use in real client and prospect situations.
Why One-Time Business Development Training Falls Short
If you’re a Chief Growth Officer or Chief Business Development Officer, this article offers strategies to consider as you’re planning your next business development program.
How to Build a Business Development Program That Supports Organic Growth
- Take a Hybrid Programmatic Approach to Business Development Training.
It can take anywhere from 12-18 months to build and master key business development skills.
Many firms are making the shift to thinking and investing programmatically. The programmatic approach includes thinking at the methodology level, giving business development or staff professionals a big-picture approach along with tactical sales activities.
For example, in-person “bookend events” for skill development are highly valuable. They provide the environment for rapport building, being present, and focusing on critical skill development. They also provide internal relationship building, which is a significant lead generation strategy for cross-selling or a firm’s niche offerings (business valuation is a common example). When those in-person experiences lead to the virtual elements of a program, that relationship with their peers and me is already in place. This leads to better results more quickly because there is a noticeable level of improved engagement and coming to group or individual coaching prepared.
- Define Revenue, Skill, and Business Development Culture Outcomes.
Some of your outcomes will be tangible, and some will be intangible. For example, tangible outcomes can be tracked in CRM. Are professionals creating more qualified opportunities? Are opportunities moving forward in the pipeline? Are conversion, cross-selling growth, and revenue improving?
Just as important are the intangibles. When I have a CEO or Chief Growth Officer tell me that they are hearing program terminology being used consistently within the firm, or staff members are actively contributing to industry teams, those are wins. It tells me that skill progression is occurring and healthy business development culture is growing within the firm.
These types of outcomes have a higher probability of happening when combining both in-person experiences and virtual reinforcement. They won’t come from a single mode of learning, or virtual environments alone.
- Select the Right Participants for Business Development Training.
The right people need to be in the room, no matter what formats you use. I’ve seen many times where people are nominated and they either don’t understand why or they are too early in their career. That creates engagement problems and program success. In virtual environments this is amplified because engagement is already challenging, especially in larger virtual environments. If your firm does decide on a virtual-led approach to business development, smaller groups (8 or less) are ideal. This likely means more delivery for your facilitator to be budgeted for, but it will improve engagement and skill progression.
Questions CGOs Should Ask Before Investing in Business Development Training
So, as you plan your next investment, ask:
- What revenue priorities will this program support?
- What skills and behaviors will best lead to those revenue priorities?
- Where and how can they be applied?
- Who will coach and reinforce the work?
- And how will you measure the results?
- Who will most benefit from participating?
- How can I create an end-to-end experience that leverages more than one learning mode?
- Am I willing to make the case to invest?
Smart and sustainable business development programs think beyond a point-in-time course. Hybrid business development training programs build capability over time and turn your firm’s organic growth priorities into revenue.
Build Sustainable Organic Growth with the Right Business Development Program
There’s no better time to take a programmatic approach to business development. Amy Franko can help you build the skills, behaviors, and business development culture that turn your firm’s growth priorities into measurable results through my business development training, coaching, and consulting services.
Let’s talk. Contact Amy Franko to schedule a discovery conversation about building a business development program that supports long-term organic growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hybrid business development training combines in-person skill development with virtual coaching, reinforcement, and application over time. The goal is to use each format where it is most valuable rather than relying on a single workshop or virtual course.
Business development in professional services depends on skills such as asking strong questions, uncovering client needs, building trust, and moving opportunities forward. These skills improve through practice, feedback, coaching, and repeated use in real client and prospect situations. Event execution: Balance structured meetings with openness to spontaneous opportunities. Post-event follow-up: Track attendees, document conversations, and nurture relationships for long-term ROI.
Yes. Virtual learning can be valuable for reinforcement, coaching, peer discussion, and sharing information. It becomes less effective when firms use it as a catch-all or expect a series of virtual sessions alone to create lasting skill development and revenue results.
There is no single timeline that fits every firm. In my experience, a 12- to 18-month program gives professionals time to learn, practice, apply, and strengthen important business development skills while working with actual clients and opportunities.
Measurement should include both revenue-related outcomes and signs of skill progression. Firms can look at qualified opportunity growth, opportunity movement, conversion, client expansion, and revenue, along with the use of common business development language, stronger participation in industry teams, and greater confidence in client conversations.
Participant selection should be intentional. Firms should choose professionals who will benefit from the investment, have opportunities to apply the skills, and are prepared to participate fully. Nomination alone does not create engagement or accountability.
The people responsible for business development should participate so they understand what professionals are learning and can reinforce it consistently. They should also receive separate coaching on reviewing opportunities, coaching others, reinforcing expectations, and connecting skill development to pipeline and revenue.
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