Biz Dev 3.0: Changing Business As We Know It
Brad Keywell
www.bizdev3.com

"Because Biz Dev starts as a mindset, successful Biz Dev experts can come from a variety of backgrounds, as long as they understand how Biz Dev differs from all the jobs they've held before. 

My friend Ted Martin, who's an executive recruiter, tops in his field, says that marketers, consultants, business lawyers, and venture capitalists can usually transfer their skills to Biz Dev -- with a little work.

• Marketers often need to acquire tougher negotiation skills, but at least they are used to living with the results of their deals, long-term.
• Consultants often are great at vision and passion, but short on negotiation and follow-through.
• Lawyers and VCs are amazing, awesome negotiators, but they usually collect their fees on the way out the door.  The challenge for them is to learn patience, to live with and continue to evolve the partnerships adn alliances they fought hard to reel in.

Regardless of his or her immediate background, Martin says that the single most valuable asset a Biz Dev executive brings is a golden Rolodex.  Martin asks Biz Dev job candidates to outline the best deals they've done and name the players -- the stars can do that.  Their best deals are the ones that are more than the sum of the relationships, in win-win partnerships. 

To find out what Ted Martin, the number one recruiter for venture capitalists is up to, go to his site, http://www.martinpartners.com"