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What does "business development" mean anyways?
On Breaking BizDev, John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright break down, beat up, and redefine that nebulous term 'business development' for the modern professional services firm.
Subscribe to this podcast to get sales and marketing advice that you can actually put into practice right away. Whether you're an expert doer-seller, firm owner, or a dedicated sales/marketing pro, each episode will help you understand your buyers and win new business.
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71 Episodes
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Most professional services firms approach growth the same way: copy what their competitors are doing, refine it slightly, and hope for better results. In this episode of Breaking BizDev, we explore why that mindset creates stagnation—and why the firms that grow fastest often look outside their industry for better strategies. We talk about the “professional services echo chamber,” why benchmarking can backfire, and how borrowing ideas from other sectors can unlock differentiation, stronger pos...
Most business development conversations don’t fail in the meeting—they fail in the follow-up. In this episode of Breaking BizDev, John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright unpack the DOs and DON’Ts of follow-up and explain why it’s one of the most critical—and most mishandled—parts of business development. They frame follow-up as a link in the chain that either moves opportunities forward or quietly pulls them backward. Through real examples from sales and marketing, they show how effective follow-up ...
Most professional services firms depend on doer-sellers—but few take the time to examine how sales responsibility is actually distributed across the organization. In this episode, John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright introduce The Doer-Seller Bell Curve, a simple framework for firm leadership to understand the breakdown of people “doing the work” and “winning the work.” They discuss why many firms are skewed toward doers, why mid-career professionals often represent the greatest opportunity (and ...
Some of the biggest threats to your firm aren’t competitors or market conditions—they’re internal “black holes” that quietly consume time, focus, and profit. In this episode of Breaking BizDev, John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright unpack the everyday practices that feel productive but actually limit growth. From utilization tracking and meeting bloat to hourly billing, shiny object syndrome, and social media overuse, these black holes pull firms away from what matters most: client outcomes and re...
Sales doesn’t fail because of bad stages—it fails because of missing behaviors. In this episode, John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright break down the eight elements of sales choreography that help professional services sellers build trust, maintain momentum, and guide opportunities forward without being pushy. From curiosity and synchronous conversations to mirroring, permission, and guiding the process, this episode focuses on the actions you can control—regardless of where a buyer is in their jo...
The AEC world is full of brilliant engineers, architects, and builders—yet many firms still struggle to grow the way they should. In this episode, John and Mark break down what’s actually broken in AEC business development by bringing in three guest voices who see the problems up close every day. First up is Aaron Moncur, founder of Pipeline Design & Engineering and host of Being an Engineer. Aaron shares why so many engineers hesitate to market themselves, why “humble brags” feel i...
Everyone knows trust is the currency of professional services—but most firms are trying to earn it in the slowest way possible: one lunch/coffee/zoom chat at a time. In this episode, John and Mark break down how to scale trust using the Trust Equation, parasocial relationships, and modern content channels that build credibility, reliability, and intimacy long before a prospect ever speaks to you. If you want more pipeline without doubling your lunch budget, this one’s for you. Special...
Most consultants say they’re “too busy doing the work” — as if that’s a badge of honor. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: you never stop to ask “are we still doing the right work?” In this episode, John and Mark break down the concept of the engagement meeting; a deliberate, structured conversation designed not to move a project forward, but to make sure everyone is aligned with its direction. It’s where you zoom out, recalibrate priorities, and turn reactive “fire drills” into proac...
Saying yes feels good. It’s helpful, it’s human—and it’s how your firm quietly bleeds to death. 😵 In this episode, John and Mark dive into the real power of saying NO: qualifying hard, protecting your pipeline, and choosing clients and marketing efforts that actually move your firm forward. Plus, they explore the cognitive traps (hello, sunk cost fallacy and FOMO) that keep you from doing it. 00:00 Introduction 02:06 Welcome 03:21 Qualification 08:16 Cognitive Biases 10:48 FOMO 14:25 No Kee...
Your CRM is haunted. Not by ghosts...but by cold leads, stalled proposals, and “maybe next quarter” conversations that never saw the light of day. In this episode, John and Mark take you on a guided tour of the Pipeline Graveyard—where dead deals lurk, and second chances await. Despite the Halloween theme, this one’s evergreen. Because let’s be honest: deals go dark year-round. We’ll show you how to diagnose the truly dead, spot signs of life, and—when the timing’s right—resurrect opportunit...
Go ahead, put all of BD on the shoulders of your most expensive asset. What could possible go wrong? In this episode, John and Mark explore the pros and cons of partner involvement in business development. They look at the benefits and drawbacks of a firm partner's role in both marketing and sales. Identify actionable strategies for helping your firm's partners engage in the right kind of business development efforts. CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome + Listener shoutouts 03:18 Episode Rundown 04...
"You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you." - Dale Carnegie In this episode, Mark and John explore the importance of understanding clients better than they understand themselves. The conversation focuses on how actively listening to understand client needs can transform your business success, highlighting key concepts such as the empathy gap, the empathy map, and how this level of ...
Before you pitch slap that prospect, listen to this episode. John and Mark tear down some terrible 'pitch slaps' from their LinkedIn DMs and offer a better way to approach social media. Shift your social media marketing from spammy sales tactics to authentic relationship-building. Listen to this episode to learn more. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Welcome 00:59 Origins of the Pitch Slap 03:20 Social Selling 10:47 Pitch Slap Examples 19:50 A Different Way to Do Social Selling 30:48 Connect Instead of Crea...
What kind of buyer did you talk to on your last sales call? When it comes to buying professional services, there is usually more than one buyer. Some refer to this as a 'buying committee.' So what different roles do each of these buyers play? How should you engage them? What should you watch out for? These are the kind of questions that John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright will answer in this episode of Breaking BizDev. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Intro 03:00 The Buying Committee 04:32 The Three Diff...
Why expand existing accounts when you can chase new logos forever? 😵💫 On this episode, John and Mark break down the concept of 'account expansion' — growing revenue from existing client accounts: • The difference between upsell and cross-sell • 3 common mistakes firms make in account expansion • Identifying key decision-makers and organizational triggers • The importance of curiosity in building trust in relationships • How to frame your services in the context of what the client values C...
For consulting firms that have exhausted their network and the referral well has run dry, a digital marketing strategy is essential to attract new clients. But how? In this episode, Mark and John walk through a step-by-step framework perfect for experts and firms who need to reach a broader audience to generate new business opportunities. This doesn’t mean you need to become a well-known celebrity or go ‘viral’ at a Coldplay concert. Instead, build visibility within a tight, focused slice of ...
Professional Services. It's in the name. If you're in professional services, you're in the business of SERVING clients. On this episode of Breaking BizDev, John and Mark take a look at the transformative power of adopting a client-centric mindset in marketing and sales activities. Listen to this episode and you'll hear: From selling to serving—an overview of the core mindset shiftWhere firms get it wrongWhat a client success mindset looks like in practiceHow to build the culture that support...
*Trust* is what wins new business in professional services...but your ideal clients can't trust you if they don't *like* you, and they can't like you if they don't *know* about you. On this episode of Breaking BizDev, John and Mark break down "the mere exposure effect," also referred to as the "familiarity bias" and how firms and experts can take advantage of this cognitive bias and leverage psychology in their business development strategies. This episode also features guest voi...
Say goodbye to feast and famine. In this episode of Breaking BizDev, John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright tackle the elusive concept of monthly recurring revenue (MRR) for professional services firms. Tired of the roller coaster of income highs and lows? We unpack why MRR isn't just for SaaS companies and how your firm can apply it to smooth out those wild fluctuations in revenue. Along the way, we discuss the sneaky benefits for both you and your clients, and provide some realistic, not-s...
In this episode of Breaking BizDev, John and Mark dive into the complexities of business development within the accounting industry, like the steep challenges of differentiation, pricing models, and the annual scramble leading up to tax day. John shares his extensive experience with accounting firms and highlights insights gathered from the 2025 Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) Summit Conference in Phoenix, AZ. The episode features quick interviews with sales and marketing profess...
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