An opportunity can look promising and still remain stuck between people, teams or organisations.
- Everyone is interested.
- Another meeting is suggested.
- Yet the decision is no closer.
Sometimes the missing piece is the person who can commit resources, the partner who understands the customer, or the colleague who will have to make the solution work.
The right conversation starts with knowing who needs to be involved — and why.
For me, this is an important part of business development: connecting an opportunity with the people who can help assess it and take responsibility for what follows.
A senior title alone does not tell us who those people are.
The person who approves the investment may need input from someone who understands the technical requirements, the local market or the day-to-day work.
Bringing those perspectives together early can reveal what a decision actually depends on.
A useful introduction therefore needs context.
- What is the opportunity?
- Why is it relevant to each side?
- What needs to be decided?
- And what should everyone know before the conversation begins?
That preparation shows respect for people's time. It also gives them a reason to engage beyond a polite exchange of contacts.
Imagine a potential partnership where both sides see value, but neither is clear about who would support the first customer. An early conversation with the people responsible for delivery can establish what is feasible before the commercial discussion moves further.
The outcome may be a next step, a condition that needs to be met, or a clear decision to stop.
All three can be useful progress.
What matters is leaving with a shared understanding:
- What happens next?
- Who takes it forward?
- By when?
The value of a connection becomes visible in what it enables people to do.
That is the kind of business development I want to build: thoughtful introductions, prepared conversations and a next step that someone owns.
A valuable connection creates a clearer path forward.
I build trust before I build business.