HOW TO: Land a Business Development Job So you want to be a business development professional? The job title has certainly become a coveted one of late, especially in the tech sector where the business guys and gals are the ones forging newsworthy partnerships. The question is, do you know what the job entails? Even then, do you know how and where to start on this newfound career path? Or better yet, do you have the qualities that make for success in these always-on positions? Mashable interviewed six experts in the field at various stages in their careers to get their tips on what it takes to become a business development professional at technology companies and startups. Biz Dev Pros Here is some background information on these six seasoned business development professionals. Charles Hudson: Newly turned entrepreneur Charles Hudson was the vice president of business development at Serious Business, a top social game developer acquired by Zynga in February. Education and Internships What undergraduate school should I attend?
LinkedIn: The Beginner's Guide Update: This post was updated October 2013 to reflect current statistics and tools. LinkedIn is considered the non-sexy, sleeping giant of social networks. It keeps a low profile, perhaps due to the professional nature of its users. Nonetheless, LinkedIn continues to exert a powerful influence on connected job seekers, brands, recruiters and industries. Founded by Reid Hoffman in 2002, LinkedIn has grown to 225 million members in over 200 countries, making it the world’s largest professional network on the Internet (by comparison, Twitter has more than 500 million registered users, and Facebook has surpassed one billion). Currently available in 20 languages, LinkedIn remains a relevant platform the world over. That being said, we doubt you spend 20 minutes on LinkedIn per day, like Facebook’s power users do. SEE ALSO: The Beginner’s Guide to Facebook Have you used LinkedIn to find a job, network with professionals or research hot topics in your industry? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
An Update on LinkedIn Member Passwords Compromised We want to provide you with an update on this morning’s reports of stolen passwords. We can confirm that some of the passwords that were compromised correspond to LinkedIn accounts. We are continuing to investigate this situation and here is what we are pursuing as far as next steps for the compromised accounts: Members that have accounts associated with the compromised passwords will notice that their LinkedIn account password is no longer valid.These members will also receive an email from LinkedIn with instructions on how to reset their passwords. It is worth noting that the affected members who update their passwords and members whose passwords have not been compromised benefit from the enhanced security we just recently put in place, which includes hashing and salting of our current password databases. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused our members.
A Guide to Business Development 2.0 At least once each day I get a call from someone trying to sell me outsourced development services. It's difficult to not be frustrated with these calls and it is increasingly hard to be polite, because they come so frequently. Yet, more than frustrated, I am just puzzled. Does this tactic still work? Who in this day and age would give business based on a cold call? Because of these calls, for a while I have been thinking about the impact of the modern age on business development. Cold Calling is Dead The reason we all hate cold calls so much is because they are very intrusive. Besides being annoying, cold calling is no longer effective. Warm Calling via LinkedIn LinkedIn is a business network that has emerged as a substitute to the rolodex. Say you're interested in talking to Acme Co. about your new product. An introduction received via LinkedIn is much warmer than a cold call, because it comes with a bit of trust. Creative Calling via Social Media Transaction 2.0 Conclusion
DOWNLOAD Get Into Google+: A Guide For Everyone Curious about Google+, but don’t know where or why to start? Check out “Get Into Google+: A Guide For Everyone”, the latest free Google Plus guide from MakeUseOf. This guide, by author Maggie Marystone, teaches you everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Google Perhaps you were a founding member of MySpace. The answer is simple: Google. Google Plus Guide Table of Contents §1 – Introduction §2 – What is Google+? §3 – Creating a Google Account §4 – The Google+ Sign-up Process §5 – Circles §6 – Chat §7 – Stream §8 – Sharing Content §9 – Searching and Browsing §10 – Photos §11 – Hangouts §12 – Advanced Features §13 – Mobile Apps §14 – Tops and Tricks §15 – Conclusion 1. The answer is simple: Google. You may have heard that Google+ is on its way out. “Not only is Google Plus not a ghost town,” Vic Gundotra, Google’s vice president for engineering, said to the New York Times, “we have never seen anything grow this fast. 2. 2.1 Is Google+ just another social media network? 2.2 How is Google+ different? 3.
Application Directory Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) provide a vast array of technical assistance to small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. By supporting business growth, sustainability and enhancing the creation of new businesses entities, SBDCs foster local and regional economic development through job creation and retention. As a result of the no cost, extensive, one-on-one, long-term professional business advising, low-cost training and other specialized services SBDC clients receive, the program remains one of the nation’s largest small business assistance programs in the federal government . The SBDCs are made up of a unique collaboration of SBA federal funds, state and local governments, and private sector resources. SBDC assistance is available virtually anywhere with 63 Host networks branching out with more than 900 service delivery points throughout the U.S., the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the U.S.
Twitter for Beginners: 5 Steps for Better Tweeting Twitter is immensely useful as a utility for joining in the global conversation and sharing thoughts, opinions, information, and media. But for new users, there's also a fairly steep learning curve. For many people new to Twitter, the site doesn't immediately "make sense" and it can be a bit daunting. Below are five steps for new users to take in order to make the Twitter experience more enjoyable from the beginning. STEP ONE: Find People You Already Know I joined Twitter later than most early adopters, but once I finally became a Twitter newbie in early 2008, it was much easier to jump into the conversation when I was following some people I already knew — people who I was sure were already talking about things I was interested in and would value my input. The best tool available for new users directly on Twitter is the Find Friends on Other Networks tool, which lets people allow Twitter to scan their AOL, Yahoo! STEP TWO: Find Like-minded Users STEP THREE: Find People in the Area
Was ist LinkedIn? Business Development Job Description, Salary, and Training Information The ultimate aim of a business development professional is to improve an organization’s profitability by generating new prospects. These can be in the form of possible partnership ventures, a potential segment of the market, or a shift in the company’s overall business operations. The confidence needed to accomplish this entails familiarity with other disciplines related to business, such as finance, market research, sales, and planning. Jobs related to business development can range from supervisory to executive levels. Because of the role it plays in the growth of a business, it is rarely offered as an entry-level position. Sales and marketing professionals with years of experience should have the advantage of progressing to business development officers and managers, given excellent credentials, extensive professional network, and proper certifications. Business Development Job Responsibilities Business Development Training and Education Requirements Business Development Certifications
Build a Robust Profile - LinkedIn Career Services Overview Your LinkedIn profile represents your definitive professional image on Web and is discoverable through millions of searches on LinkedIn or from search engines like Google. You are in complete control over what others see on your profile, so leverage this to showcase your skills and talents so the right people and opportunities find you. This guide will step you through how to build an outstanding LinkedIn profile. So what goes into a profile? A LinkedIn profile is more than just a resume. Let’s look in detail on how to build your profile. Headline This blue section will indicate who you are and the degrees of separation between that visitor and yourself. Give your visitors to your profile a short, punchy way to quickly understand who are with your profile headline. Most prefer to highlight their current title and company, but a best practice is to highlight unique skill sets or competencies, like “Technology careers expert with 10 years of experience”. Summary Experience Education
Business Development Strategy for Consultants, Lawyers, Accountants and other Professionals Many professional firms struggle not because they lack the capabilities that clients need, but because they’re not targeting the right clients via the right channels with the right messages about the right offers. Even within the same sector, different firms have different goals, different clients, different competitors and different capabilities. Each of these has an impact on what the most effective strategies, tactics and approaches will be for that firm. I will work with you to develop a clear, compelling strategy and action plan which will ensure you and your team are focused in the right areas to achieve your goals. This will involve: Example: for a medium-sized firm facing stagnant sales, I identified new ways of segmenting their customer base and focusing on profitable niches being underserved by the large players. If you are interested in this service, or feel I may be able to help you with some of the challenges you’re facing, then why not contact me for an informal discussion.