It is often said that the business development team forms the backbone of a company. From forging lasting relationships to bringing in revenue, every successful company has a strong business development team. This is no different in the social sector.
As part of a growing business, it’s not just your negotiating skills that matter. Shrisha Shetty, Head Of Campaigns at Donatekart, throws light on some of the most important qualities to have as a business development associate or manager.
“The business development team is the bridge between the company and the NGO, and this takes a fair amount of patience and people skills. Another skill that really adds an edge is knowing different regional languages — this always helps in connecting to many more NGOs and broadening your horizons at a company. A multilingual person definitely adds value. It’s about forming relationships with people at the grassroots level.”
From sourcing NGOs from across the country to converting those leads, business development associates/managers do play a role in bringing in the revenue even in the social sector, especially in crowdfunding platforms.
“But more than numbers, they need to have an eye for powerful stories. It’s these stories that make all the difference. A powerful story will strike a chord with people,” Shrisha says while adding that any campaign needs to connect with the audience at a fundamental level, and it’s the responsibility of the BD team to source such stories.
Needless to say, a business development associate/manager works closely with several cross-functional teams and is the first point of contact for NGOs.
But all of this is not without its challenges.
“There are a lot of people who don’t view the social sector as a business, I think we have a little while to go before this is accepted and understood as a business model as well. Another challenge is compassion fatigue, and this can catch you off guard sometimes. Constantly being exposed to stories and pictures of struggles can take a toll on one’s mental health.”
Shrisha also adds that the pandemic has brought field visits to a halt — an effective way to connect with a cause and the people behind it. With the shift to everything digital and online, business development managers have also had to learn to build these relationships virtually.
It just goes to show that adaptability and empathy play an important role in the social sector.
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