It’s January. That means the calendars are wiped clean, the KPIs are freshly minted, and somewhere, your principals are saying the same thing they say every year:
“We need to be more proactive about BD.”
And if you’re a seller-doer reading this, you’re probably already in that familiar cycle:
“How do I actually do this?”
“Where do i find the time?”
“What am I supposed to say?”
Here’s the truth: you can’t just hope for better outcomes without better systems and better training.
Too many firms still fall for the same trap—handing sales responsibility to someone just because they’re likable, connected, or “good with people.”
But business development isn’t a personality trait.
It’s a process.
Let me show you what I mean.
Meet Tom.
A retired public sector leader—salt of the earth, trusted by all. A consulting firm hired him to open doors. Great guy, no sales training.
Then there’s Ben.
A beloved PM, tapped for a seller-doer role because he “had the relationships.” He didn’t ask for sales responsibility. It was just expected.
And Maria.
A communications lead, stretched into BD because “marketing and sales are basically the same, right?” She knew the firm inside and out but had zero tools to go out and sell.
All smart people. All well-intentioned. But they weren’t set up for success.
No CRM. No documented buyers journey. No clear process. Just a vague directive to “go get work.”
This happens every day.
Modern BD starts online and moves offline.
So, if your 2026 sales goals look suspiciously like last year’s, but your approach hasn’t changed… ask yourself:
- Are we building a system—or relying on personality?
- Have we actually trained our seller-doers?
- Are we teaching people how to move relationships from fuzzy to funded?
Here’s your chance to start the new year strong.
On January X, 2026, we’re kicking off our SmartSKILLS training with a powerful session:
LinkedIn for Seller-Doers: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What Actually Builds Pipeline for AEC Firms
This isn’t theory. It’s the real-world stuff that’s working right now inside AEC firms just like yours. Can’t make it? That’s ok, if you register, you will have access to the recording.
👉🏼 Click HERE to register.
Until next time,
Judy