Expanding the Team’s Role in Business Development
Yesterday I worked with a small specialty firm that brought me in for a very specific reason, and I left genuinely impressed with their leadership’s thinking. Their situation is one many AEC and professional services firms will recognize: leadership doesn’t want to be the only group responsible for business development. They want to broaden that responsibility across the team.
They already have a marketing leader who has stepped up and said, “I can play a more active role in BD,” which leadership loves. But they want more than one person raising their hand. They want the entire team to begin seeing themselves as contributors to business development—not just the people with BD in their title.
Shifting the Team Mindset
This is a young, small firm whose team currently views themselves strictly as part of delivery. They think of themselves as cogs in the machine—valuable, but separate from BD. Leadership sees the opportunity: if the team understands how their presence, communication, and relationship-building affect clients, then business development becomes easier for everyone responsible for landing work.
So they brought us in for a session on confident presence, leadership communication, and business development communication training—designed specifically for people who don’t see themselves as “salespeople.” Many were smart, introverted, technically minded, and unaware of how much influence they already have with clients and partners.
Presence as the First Step
The session focused on confident presence—both virtual and in-person—and how team members can represent the firm well in front of architects, owners, GCs, and project stakeholders. These individuals already interact with clients daily. Leadership realized that improving presence was the fastest way to strengthen relationships, support shortlist interview preparation, and expand the firm’s BD capacity from the inside out.
This was a brilliant first move. It opened the conversation. It shifted self-perception. Instead of seeing themselves as “just delivery,” the team began to see themselves as contributors to client relationships, seller-doer culture, and overall business development success.
Growing BD Awareness, Step by Step
From here, we’re taking things intentionally. These team members already excel at their technical roles. Now the journey is about helping them communicate more confidently, show stronger leadership presence, and represent the firm in ways that support BD without forcing them into a “salesy” identity.
If you’re thinking, “Our team could contribute so much more, but I don’t know where to start,” this is the first step: put presence on their radar. It’s a small, simple shift that opens the door to a broader business development culture.
If that resonates, talk to us. We’d love to help.
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