Supercharge your business development results by learning to delegate

Business development is the lifeblood of your firm. It’s the engine that identifies new opportunities, cultivates relationships, builds market presence and, ultimately, drives revenue. But, for many professionals, particularly those in small to medium-sized firms, business development is a solitary and lonely activity that results in a reactive and inconsistent approach.

Why?

Because it’s not the only thing the professional is doing. In any typical day, their focus is on client work (obviously!), management of their practice (such as billing clients for work done), operations (increasingly IT but will likely also include compliance with client service level agreements), supervising and mentoring junior staff, as well as everything else that demands their attention (such as bad debt collection, which typically gets left to last!).

The result?

Business development just doesn't get done. Not because the professional doesn't value business development. Quite the contrary. It doesn't get done because it’s not being resourced properly.

If this all sounds eerily familiar, the solution to your problems may be found in delegation.

Why delegation will improve your business development

Delegating business development tasks strategically and effectively can dramatically improve your business development performance and results.

Here’s a look at how delegating can work and how to do it right.

1. It creates capacity for high-value activity

One of the biggest myths in business development is that it’s all about networking, pitching or closing deals. In reality, successful business development involves many moving parts: research, content creation, outreach, follow-up, reporting and nurturing relationships over time.

Delegating these operational or preparatory tasks frees up your time to focus on the high-value activities that only you can do: meeting clients, building trust and closing deals.

2. It enables consistency

Successful business development is rarely found in the one-off. Like keeping fit, business development thrives on consistency.

Frankly, even though a one-off LinkedIn post that gets 50,000 views might super-charge your endorphins, it won’t move the needle much on the results of your business development efforts. What works is sustained effort over weeks, months, and years, consistently staying visible, nurturing your pipeline, following up and keeping momentum.

Delegation ensures that your business development activity doesn’t grind to a halt when you're busy with client work. It keeps the wheels turning, even when your schedule gets full.

3. It brings in specialist skills

You don’t have to be a marketing expert, CRM guru or data analyst to be good at business development. But you do need access to these skills if you want to succeed.

All too often, though, you won't know how to do many of these tasks. Delegating to people with the right expertise (in-house or external) allows you to elevate the quality of your business development activities and avoid the amateur-hour trap.

Whether it’s outsourcing your content writing, using a virtual assistant for follow-ups, or bringing in a business development coach to help you shape your pitch, smart delegation gives you access to skills that complement your own.

What you can delegate in business development

The good news is, a lot of business development tasks are highly delegable. 

Here are some examples:

1. Research and intelligence gathering: Market scans, competitor reviews, target client profiling.
2. CRM and pipeline management: Updating contact records, tracking deal stages, and setting reminders.
3. Content and communication: Drafting LinkedIn posts, case studies, blogs or email campaigns.
4. Follow-ups and admin: Scheduling meetings, confirming appointments, sending thank-you notes.
5. Proposal and bid support: Gathering credentials, formatting documents, and reviewing for compliance.
6. Event logistics: Organising seminars, managing RSVPs, preparing materials.

Delegating these business development tasks doesn’t mean abdicating responsibility. You still lead the relationship and make the key decisions, but others handle the prep and execution that support your success.

How to delegate business development effectively

Delegation isn’t about dumping tasks. It’s about smart collaboration. Here are some ideas on how you can get this right.

1. Clarify your BD priorities

Before you delegate anything, know your goals. Are you trying to break into a new market? Win a key account? Raise your profile?

Business development only works when it’s in service of a clear strategy. Delegating tasks does not change that truth.

2. Map out your BD process

List all the steps in your typical business development cycle, from identifying a lead to signing the deal. Highlight which steps require your direct involvement and which can be done by someone else. This should help you build a delegation plan with purpose.

3. Choose the right support

Delegation doesn’t always mean hiring someone full-time. You can delegate to:

• • a colleague or team member;
  • an outsourced BD or marketing provider;
  • a virtual assistant or freelancer;
  • a dedicated sales or client development resource.

Choose based on your budget, capacity and the skills you need support with.

4. Set clear expectations

Good delegation relies on communication. Be specific about what’s needed, when it’s due and what success looks like. Use templates, checklists and examples to make it easier to get things right the first time.

5. Review and improve

Delegation isn’t “set and forget.” Build in feedback loops. At least once a quarter, review what’s working and what’s not.

Overcoming the psychological barriers

Many professionals resist delegating their business development because they think:

“It’s faster to do it myself.”

“No one else can do it as well as I can.”

“This is my reputation on the line, I can’t afford mistakes.”

These are all understandable. However, delegation is a skill, and like all other skills, it improves with practice.

Final thought: do less to achieve more

If you want to improve your business development results, you don’t always need to do more. Sometimes, you just need to be smarter about the way you're approaching it.

In delegating your business development tasks strategically, you will find you create more time, more consistency and more impact. Your business development will become smarter, focused, and you'll build a stronger pipeline without burning yourself out.

Delegation will transform your business development from a dreaded chore into a team sport, and that's when the wins really start to multiply!