What is business development?
Business development (BD) is an under-represented role within publishing, making it a perfect starting point for those looking to get into the industry or move departments. If you have an interest in sales and marketing, this is a great position to target when applying for jobs.
The difficulty, however, can be in spotting BD roles and also deciphering what ‘business development’ actually means. This is because BD positions look different depending on the size and structure of the publishing company. For example, BD roles can be specific, such as (junior) business development manager, or can be incorporated into other roles, such as account manager. Other BD titles include sales manager or marketing manager.
However, some key aspects of any BD role may indicate whether it’s a good fit for you. Generally, business development is about strategic partnerships, widening business awareness and pursuing new revenue streams. This could either be in a B2B (business-to-business) or B2C (business-to-consumer) capacity, or both.
For example, a B2B business development position could mean creating a partnership with a large retailer that wishes to supply your books. Or it could mean getting corporate sponsorship from an existing client.
B2C might mean finding ways to increase consumer subscriptions or retail sales through promotional content and creating an excellent outreach strategy. You could be targeting potential customers through marketing campaigns or creating enticing offers that retain existing customers.
Therefore, BD is about knowing the industry, leveraging your commercial awareness to drive new business and retaining important customers. In this blog, we will be exploring what skills you need for a business development job in publishing, and how you can get it through similar roles.
Here are three key skills:
- Communication
- Strategic
- Industry knowledge
Bonus:
- Bilingual
Communication
In BD, whether B2B or B2C, you are consistently talking to people; whether that be pursuing a new lead, developing existing relationships or presenting your strategy internally. You may also need to leverage your connections with clients or other stakeholders as part of your role, ensuring the best outcome for both parties. Being a personable, strong communicator is key to being a good salesperson, as a lot of sales roles rely on the way you come across to others.
Similarly, being an excellent communicator also means being able to navigate difficult conversations. For example, if you are in contract negotiations with a client, a good communicator may be able to persuade a favourable deal while maintaining a strong commercial relationship.
You can gain this skill in numerous ways. For example, through presenting to internal and external people, networking, creating ambitious sales/marketing strategies and public-facing outreach. You may also wish to pursue projects in relationship management or lead generation, which rely on interpersonal communication and show employers how your current experience translates into a BD role.
Strategic
Being a strategist means thinking in ways that are both big-picture and analytically specific. In any BD role, you will be producing data-backed research that informs your plans for sales revenue, company outreach and team targets. Your commercial awareness will put you in good stead to make logical and accurate decisions regarding your approach to individual clients as well as larger projects. This, paired with a skill for data analysis, will allow you to turn ambitious ideas into practical strategies for a thriving business.
You can gain this skill through working in sales or marketing, which often require larger strategies and goals for you and your team to meet. Whatever your seniority level, you will be learning how to interpret data, present figures, create proposals and contribute ideas for growth. As BD roles can often be high-pressure and target-oriented, showing an employer you are familiar with the demands of the role is key.
Industry knowledge
This is a skill that sometimes goes unacknowledged within BD job descriptions, but is of the utmost importance. Often, this is a skill built over time through industry experience and networking. In BD, B2B industry knowledge might mean having an awareness of competing publishing houses and understanding retail buying cycles, as well as the international publishing calendar. In B2C, this might mean knowing the latest book trends and reader demographics, which inform customers’ buying habits.
You can gain this knowledge through networking, going to book fairs and subscribing to The Bookseller. You may also wish to conduct market research, either independently or through your current role, to highlight your knowledge of the book trade. In Junior BD roles, you will have the opportunity to learn about the industry on the job, but it certainly makes you stand out to have this knowledge already.
Bonus:
Bilingual
In domestic-only imprints, there may be less demand for this specific skill. But for most large publishing houses, having a second language in your arsenal is a great asset. As you will often be chasing international or global markets, being bilingual is a truly indispensable skill. Your knowledge of international customs, cultures and an interest in international market trends will help you build relationships and sell your product. While there may not be a specific language that is favoured above all, popular languages including Spanish, Mandarin or French may give you a competitive edge over other candidates.
Are you interested in business development jobs within publishing?
On Jobs in Books, we have a wide range of business development roles from across the publishing industry, at a range of seniority levels.
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