Playing the long game
Why business development takes time, focus and consistency
Business development (BD) is not a quick fix. It’s a strategy, a mindset, and a, long-term commitment to building relationships, refining your offer, and staying at the forefront of your ideal clients' minds.
Business development is a marathon, not a sprint
When time is tight, it’s tempting to chase short-term wins. But relying solely on instant results rarely leads to long-term, productive relationships and can have a detrimental impact on your lead generation and pipeline. Successful business development is about playing the long game, building meaningful connections and relationships, nurturing leads, and earning trust over time.
The key is discipline. Like any long-term goal, it requires patience, resilience and the willingness to keep going even when results feel slow.
Great relationships take time
Strong relationships are at the heart of successful business development, and they take time to build. Developing a trusted network isn’t just about collecting contacts, it’s about creating genuine connections. That means giving as much as you take: sharing useful ideas, offering introductions, checking in without an agenda, and showing an interest in people beyond the professional. The more you authentically give back to your network, the more likely you are to build the kind of trust that leads to opportunities down the line. It’s a two-way street, and while progress might feel slow at first, investing time in building and maintaining these relationships can pay off in a big way. Over time, you’ll find yourself surrounded by advocates who know your value and want to open doors for you.
Focus on the right measures
Turning leads into paying clients is a great success metric. But if that’s all you measure, you’re missing out on the bigger picture.
Alongside conversion rates, businesses should track:
New leads generated – Is your activity bringing new people into your network?
Lead development – Are you seeing progression in your pipeline, from awareness to meaningful conversations?
Engagement touchpoints – How often are you checking in, sharing insight or offering value?
These indicators help you spot early momentum and guide where to invest your time and energy next.
Make BD a habit, not an afterthought
We see it all the time, BD gets squeezed out when things get busy. But when you build it into your daily or weekly routine, it becomes part of how you manage client and referrer relationships, not just something you do when you need more work.
Whether it’s dedicating an hour a week to check in with prospects, carving out time to create new connections on LinkedIn, doing some research using press and media, or reviewing your BD strategy regularly, the key is to make it manageable and repeatable. Small steps over a long period build real momentum and will deliver the right results.
Stay consistent, stay visible
It’s easy to lose heart when leads don’t convert straight away. But remember, visibility builds credibility. Consistent business development activity and using marketing channels like social media help to keep you front-of-mind, and when the timing is right, your name will be the first they remember.
Whether you’re a business owner, a senior leader or part of an in-house team, staying consistent with BD activity over the long term is one of the most powerful things you can do to drive growth.
Need help building a business development habit that sticks?
At Stephen Alexander, we help our clients embed BD into their culture, so it’s no longer a scramble, but a part of their growth strategy.
We work with them to create focused, achievable BD plans, lead generation strategies and long-term growth frameworks that deliver. Get in touch with Alex or Stephen to find out more.