Most of the time when people tell us they are “not good at business development”, that’s not necessarily true.

More often, they simply don’t enjoy doing it because they’ve never been given the right tools, structure, or support to succeed.

In many cases, when people are given a clearer framework, better market insight, and the confidence that comes with preparation, they actually start to enjoy it.

As a leader, it’s your responsibility to equip your team with the tools they need.

If your team doesn’t have some of the following in place, it’s probably time to start there:

• Clear market mapping: so consultants know exactly which companies and decision-makers to target.
• A structured business development approach: who to call, when, and why.
• Access to the right tools: CRM systems, LinkedIn Recruiter, and good data sources.
• Strong value propositions: so consultants can clearly articulate why a client should work with you.
• Coaching on commercial conversations: pricing, positioning, and handling objections.
• Shared market intelligence: so the team understands trends, hiring patterns, and opportunities.
• Consistent leadership support and accountability: not just a target and “go figure it out.”

The reality is most people aren’t bad at business development, they’ve just never been properly equipped to do it well.