Business Development is not Marketing

What is Business Development

1/10th of a second...

That's how long it takes for you to determine trust and attraction.

That's why marketing's brand guidelines are so important for BD.

Business Developers might think brand guidelines are a drag.

"Why can't I just copy and paste the logo off our website?"

Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov found that humans subconsciously determine trust and attraction within 1/10th of a second.

Unfortunately, most prospects don't buy within 1/10th of a second.

1. Repetition Sells...

The "Law of 29” says prospects must see content twenty-nine times before purchasing.

It's a rule of thumb and not scientifically proven but...

Forrester found 50% of buyers consumed 8 pieces of content,
and 82% of buyers consumed 5 pieces of content before purchase.

Law of 29 leverages the Mere Exposure Effect cognitive bias where Prospects are more comfortable with familiar people, products, and concepts.

2. Consistency is Critical...

Human brains subconsciously process millions of signals a second.

Immediate trust is critical so, brains use Cognitive Bias to determine trust.

Brand guidelines enable Brand Awareness and Brand Salience.

* Brand Awareness = portion of a target audience that can identify a brand

* Brand Salience = Top of Mind = if audience recalls your brand versus others

The optical nerve is controlled by the subconscious brain. Visual inputs are processed 40X faster than hearing.

Consistent images, like logos, are critical for fast recognition.

3. Emotions Move...

Emotional content performs 2X better than informative content.

Semiotics (color, shapes, etc.) help trigger subconscious emotions.

The sum of all of these experiences create a positive Brand Experience.

4. Marketing Is Linear...BD is Exponential

If you double your ads, you the double exposure and performance.

But, the modern world is congested with marketers bombarding prospects.

Word Of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) cuts through the noise.

WOMM is the primary factor behind 20% to 50% of all purchasing decisions and a 2010 McKinsey study showed WOMM increases revenue 6X more than paid media.

The mission of Business Development is, "Customer and Community advocacy that creates Corporate growth."

In other words, our mission is to create raving fans.

Prospects are 2.4X more likely to consider User Generated Content (UGC) as authentic. Authenticity builds trust. Trust is critical for conversion.

So, Marketing + BD = Exponential Growth

One raving customer tells two friends, who tell two of their friends, etc.

Like my post?

Tell a friend.

Tony Gray, BDP


P.S. learn more in the “Business Development Body of Knowledge”
Get your copy on Amazon today!

Boost your BD career with the Business Development Professional (BDP) certification from the Global Business Development Association (GBDA).

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