Breaking BizDev

Is your firm measuring the return on thought leadership just by looking at immediate leads and revenue? For doer-sellers and professional services BD pros, true thought leadership isn't just regurgitating AI-generated content—it's establishing an original point of view that works as a 24/7 salesperson for your firm.  In this episode of Breaking BizDev, John and Mark break down the often-...

Asking an existing client for a price increase is one of the most stressful, sweat-inducing conversations a consultant can have, often catching the client off guard and triggering defensive reactions. So instead of presenting a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum, professionals must treat these fee increases with the exact same rigor and discovery process as a brand-new sales opportunity.  In this episo...

Stop sending your sales proposals as PDF email attachments and crossing your fingers for a "yes." For doer-sellers and sales/marketing professionals in the B2B services world, the quest for the "perfect" proposal template is a distraction. Instead of relying on a document filled with firm resumes and boilerplate text, winning new business requires an obsessive focus on the clie...

Burnout in business development isn't a personal failure—it’s a system failure. Nowhere is this more obvious than with "doer-sellers;" technical experts who are expected to act as an entire business unit on top of delivering their actual client work. In this episode of Breaking BizDev, John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright break down the root causes of burnout in sales and marketing, and...

eaning too hard on AI for sales and marketing, and you risk any trust and credibility built with prospective clients. So where does AI actually belong in creating and winning new business? In this episode of Breaking BizDev, John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright break down the good, the bad, and the ugly of using AI in sales and marketing. They explain why relying on AI to replace human connection is a...

Unbillable time is often treated as an afterthought—but it shouldn’t be. In this episode of Breaking BizDev , John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright reframe unbillable hours as one of the most important investments you can make in your future pipeline. They discuss how professionals can move beyond simply “filling time” and instead use those hours with intention—focusing on the activities that actually...

Doing great work isn’t enough to generate referrals. In fact, relying on that alone might be exactly what’s holding you back.🤨 In this episode of Breaking Biz Dev , Mark and John take a diagnostic approach to one of the most powerful yet underutilized growth strategies in professional services: referrals  Drawing from real-world coaching experience, they uncover why so many professionals fail to...

In this episode of Breaking Biz Dev, John and Mark go deep into the mechanics of three option pricing tables —how to actually build and present them in professional services. They walk through several practical frameworks for structuring options, including levels of involvement, entree engagements, compensation models, and payment structures. Along the way, they unpack the pros, cons, and real-wor...

Most professional services firms present prospects with a single proposal and hope it sticks. But the best firms structure their pricing differently. In this episode of Breaking BizDev , John Tyreman introduces a powerful concept used across industries—from SaaS to consulting to consumer products: the three-option pricing table . Why three? Because the way options are presented dramatically shapes...

In this episode, Mark and John take aim at the traditional pitch deck — and explain why it no longer works in modern business development. From distraction overload to one-sided broadcasts, they outline five reasons slides don’t sell and why leading with a deck often undermines real sales conversations. They also explore what to do instead: Shifting from presentation mode to dialogue Reflecting an...

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...

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...

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 ar...

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 soci...

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 proces...

 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...

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....

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....

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:...

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...

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...

"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 bu...

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 S...

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 thi...

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...