THE BD EDGE
If you knew a way to do BD better and grow your business, would you implement it?
bd101 guide
Tired of feeling frustrated and confused about business development? This guide will change your mind.
Is your business growing how you planned?
Australian construction and heavy industry contractors are up against it.
Rising supply and labour costs, burdensome red and green tape, low productivity, skilled labour shortages, inflation, AI disruption, pipelines of competing projects.
The growth pathway to next level performance, break into an identified growth geography, or bring a new service to market is confusing. Efforts are often haphazard, reactive, unproven.
Most contracting firm owners, uncertain of what BD system is required for growth, make reactive discrete investments that on their own don’t work. The BD challenge is real, but few contractors solve it.
The business growth you know is possible comes from implementing a robust, structured BD system, encompassing strategy to project close out and everything in between. It brings in the right leads, converts the opportunities you want to win, with the clients you want to work with.
The cycle keeping contractors stuck
We help construction and heavy industry contractors build a BD system that grows their business.
Operating without a BD system leads to chaos, not growth
Few activities can support sustainable business growth in the way strategic focused business development and marketing can, but business owners spend too much working in the business rather than on it.
BD is reactive, unplanned, and not budgeted because it’s not valued or understood
Cold calls, pricing anything, and a reliance on referrals are common tactics
There is no process for sourcing new clients beyond owner’s network or existing clients
BD is a tap on, tap off activity when delivery and business-as-usual take priority
Lack of BD know how and expecting a technical team to fulfil a BD function.
Despite being the engine room for driving opportunities, very few contractors adopt a structured approach to business development. When the pipeline looks empty and tenders drop off they default to predictable standard reactions.
The bottom line is, there are clients who have the exact problem you solve on the exact projects you specialise, and they are looking for reliable, trusted delivery partners. But how you build their trust requires a well designed business development ecosystem, not a handful of panic tactics.
About us
We’re on a mission to help construction and heavy industry contractors grow sustainably through great BD.
our ideal clients
Specialist consulting firms like project management firms and independent project advisors
Individual contractors and engineers who have specialist knowledge, skills, and experience
why clients call us
Construction and heavy industry contractors - both large and small - reach out to us because they appear successful on the outside - some have achieved multimillion dollar revenue - but they struggle to put in place a structured BD system that powers profitable growth sustainably.
When it comes to BD, they ‘wing it’.
Going by gut feel and instinct alone, they never invest the time or do the work required to design and implement a long term strategy. Instead, they remain stuck in the weeds of BD and marketing tactics implemented in panic and isolation.
Revenue is the only success metric and BD investment is ad hoc, leaving the business lurching from project to project rather than managing a pipeline. Client relationships are concentrated in one or two key people - usually the owners or directors - making it hard to scale.
In this environment, another BD rainmaker or expensive marketing platform won’t fix the problem. What will create the platform for long term change is the willingness to take a step back, review the BD landscape, and open up to a better way.
a smarter way forward
The opportunity to do BD your way, with a system that actually works.
That's where we come in.
Is your business stuck in a cycle where BD doesn’t work? Complete the Scorecard to find out.
This platform has completely transformed how we manage our marketing campaigns. The ease of use and powerful features have made a significant impact on our ROI.
The automation capabilities are incredible. We've saved countless hours and improved our customer engagement significantly.
The analytics and reporting features give us insights we never had before. Our conversion rates have improved by 40%.
Our BD improvement programs
BD Capability & Capacity Assessment
A structured four to six week assessment of a contractor’s BD capability and capacity to deliver BD. In the Think space, we analyse the suitability and effectiveness of the BD strategy, resources, and tools in place, as well as messaging, differentiators, quick wins, and long term service market opportunities.
Best for
Large specialist contractors ready to bed down an effective BD system to support the next stage of growth
Large trade subcontractors ready to professionalise their approach to market
BD Readiness Program
A 10 to 12 week intensive program designed to define, strengthen, and set up the contractor’s BD system. With a Build mindset, we work with you across the BD ecosystem from strategy and planning through to setting up the systems for sourcing leads, pursuit, and implementation.
Best for
Specialist contractors who have doing ad hoc BD and are ready to invest in BD as a core function
Trade contractors without a BD system who recognise this is needed for their next level of growth
Industry consultants who have relied on founders / directors for BD and want to build out the BD capability of the business and their team.
BD Starter Program
A comprehensive and cost effective one to one program that creates the foundation for new independent consultants operating in construction and heavy industry.
Best for
Independent consulting contractors going out on their own and have limited or no BD support
Contractors who have been in the market for some time but need additional support to refine their approach
Are you a good fit?
If you fit the ideal client profile and are ready to seek support for your BD, reach out directly.
The Latest Insights
BD Strategy: The thinking required to create a strategy that works
Regardless of the time of year, it's always a good time to be reviewing strategies and plans.
While there are many aspects to strategy, where growth is concerned, strategy almost without exception encompasses business development activity.
What form this takes will vary according to the maturity of the business' approach to BD and its specific needs. In very few contracting firms or consultancies in construction or industry, however, is BD thought of as an ecosystem. Instead, BD is misunderstood as discrete, disconnected activities, undertaken reactively and ad hoc.
Depending on where you are in the cycle of sourcing, pursuing, or delivering work, BD looks like:
Calls to previous clients
Cold calls to prospects on your radar
Meetings to gather intel and talk things up
Targeted, sponsored marketing
Hiring a 'rainmaker' or two.
In and of themselves, each of the above - and there are many more - are useful, important, and will even move the BD needle a bit.
But they have limitations too.
There are only so many previous clients. If your plan is growth, there's a chance those clients, well they're not on that trajectory.
Yes, cold calls are part of BD, but they're a 'ground zero' approach and the yield? It has a long horizon.
Intel gathered in person is vital, but meetings demand a time investment not every MD owner / CEO can make to build momentum.
And the rainmaker hire? Well, in many instances that hiring decision is seeded in hope and denial. Hope they really will be the BD silver bullet you're paying and praying for. And denial you still haven't built the BD ecosystem your business needs. What starts well, often ends in disappointment.
What does a functioning BD ecosystem look like?
There are many elements, but here are a few for starters.
A clear, shared vision and strategy based on where growth is. It's that intersection between the clients' problems you solve and your expertise.
Skilled, inspired people who genuinely own the strategy. They've 'gotta want it' as much as you. Maybe even more. BD is a team sport, and BD capability across multiple resources limits the key man risk of rainmakers.
Repeatable systems for consistently identifying, pursuing, and converting the right opportunities.
A tendering team hungry for wins. You've seen the type. They live and breathe an 'always better' attitude.
Know-how that closes all gaps, from a perfectly timed call that nudges a maybe to a definite, to being visible onsite on the right day, to challenging the team to go beyond what they think is possible.
Really great marketing that aligns, supports, and amplifies every BD thing.
The reality is it takes a bit to get this right.
Strategy, expertise, an investment of people and funds, patience and time.
But before all this, it requires a little willingness. And a decision, a real commitment. To build solid BD foundations on which to grow your business.
If you think there's scope for refining your strategy, reach out. I'm always open to talk it through.
The BD Edge provides BD consulting services for specialist and trade contractors in the Australian construction and heavy industry sectors.
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