Selling Research

Business development skills are still in short supply in the UK MR industry, for reasons examined in the forthcoming October MRWho supplement. Researchers are now expected to get involved in the area at an earlier stage of their career, and opinion is split over the pros and cons of using dedicated 'bus dev' staff who are not researchers.

With the help of some of the sector's specialist recruitment consultants, the article looks at whether business development needs to be a team job, with more than one person contributing separate skills - for example, a more sales-oriented person going in first and bringing in technical experts soon after - or whether individuals can have all it takes. CSA's Clive Warren says that those who are basically well suited to sales can learn some of the more complex skills involved in a relatively short time, and that 'in fact what good business developers universally possess is a thick skin and the knowledge that you must be philosophical and expect knock-backs in order to achieve sales'.

Agencies may have some hard lessons to learn before business development is part of the company culture, as some are now trying to make it. 'Everyone should be geared to spotting opportunities with new clients or ways to increase business from existing ones' says Debby Robson of SLS Services. 'As it is, this does not tend to be instilled into young researchers from an early stage. A lot of them must think business grows on trees. Even much more experienced researchers must hope it does, judging by the many 'limp' responses we get to 'what experience do you have of / do you enjoy BD?''

We also look at the age old argument about researchers not being cut out for sales, with an attempt at a new and more critical perspective. We float the idea that research actually spoils you for sales. In other words, it's not just that people who choose careers in MR are generally not sales-y types, but that doing MR turns them into even less sales-y types. Meanwhile Kate Dann of KD Consulting points out that 'more researchers would be good salespeople if only they would let go of the idea that selling means foot in the door, closing techniques, flashy ties and Del Boy tactics. People who sell themselves and their company are those who have done their homework about a client so that, coupled with reasonable research skills, they are confident and, most importantly, enthusiastic about being able to offer something of value'.

Undoubtedly the last few years have seen a greater emphasis on business development skills, both through encouraging the involvement of more junior staff and bringing in more specialist people at senior levels. The article attempts to pull the common thread out of the diverse views expressed, both in terms of the implications for staff development and establishing current 'best practice' for development work.

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All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.