Business Development

The ability to identify market opportunities and drive organizational growth through strategic partnerships and alliances

Business Development encompasses market research, opportunity identification, partnership building, deal structuring, negotiation, and relationship management. It goes beyond simple sales, focusing on designing sustainable organizational growth through strategic alliances and revenue diversification.

Business & Management

7 Levels

Published: Mar 13, 2026 · Updated: Mar 13, 2026 · v1

Levels

Can understand the basic concepts and terminology of business development, and use market research tools to investigate potential customers and opportunities. With guidance from supervisors or senior colleagues, can compile lead lists and gather foundational market intelligence.

Can explain the definition of business development and how it differs from sales
Can research the market size of a specific industry using public databases
Can compile a list of 20 or more potential leads with their basic information
Can compare and summarize the key products and market positions of 3 competitors
Can use the SWOT analysis framework to identify company strengths and opportunities
Can distinguish between a lead and an opportunity and explain the difference

References

AIBM (American Institute for Business Management)Certification

Professional(0-4.9년)→Manager(5년+) 2단계 인증 + 6개 역량 도메인으로 L4/L5 중간 경계 설정의 공인 근거 제공

AIBM CBDP/CBDM Certification — 6 Competency Domains

BDA (Business Development Association)Certification

14개 핵심 역량(행동 7개 + 지식 7개) BoCK 체계와 CP→SCP 2단계 인증으로 도메인 특화 레벨 경계의 최고 권위 소스

BDA Global — BDA-CP / BDA-SCP Certification & BoCK

European Commission (ESCO)Competency Framework

EU 공인 직업·역량 분류에서 BD를 cross-sector skill로 분류하여 18개 필수 직업군과의 매핑으로 범용성 근거 제공

ESCO — Business Development Skill Classification

U.S. Department of LaborCompetency Framework

BD 인접 직무의 22개 스킬, 14개 능력 중요도 점수로 체크리스트 항목의 객관적 중요도 서열 제공

O*NET — Sales Managers Skills & Knowledge

McKinsey & Companyacademic_research

파트너십 성공률(JV 50%만 수익 초과), 명확성·사전관리·책임·민첩성 4대 성공 요인으로 중급-고급 레벨 체크리스트 설계 지원

McKinsey — Improving the Management of Complex Business Partnerships

Harvard Business Reviewacademic_research

제휴 실패율 60-70%, 연 25% 성장, 5대 보완 원칙(관계·이중지표·차이활용·협업행동·내부정렬)으로 L4-L6 제휴 역량의 산업 맥락 근거 제공

HBR — Simple Rules for Making Alliances Work (Hughes & Weiss, 2007)

Business Development

Levels

Level 1#MarketResearch#OpportunityMapping#LeadGeneration#CompetitorAnalysisBeginning to learn the fundamentals of market research and opportunity identification in business development

Level 2#ProspectQualification#ValueProposition#ColdOutreach#CRMPipelineCan qualify prospects, articulate value propositions, and independently conduct initial outreach

Level 3#PipelineManagement#ProposalWriting#DealExecution#BDA-CPCan independently write proposals and lead standard deals through to completion

Level 4#StrategicPartnerships#NegotiationTactics#AccountPlanning#BATNACan design strategic partnerships, lead complex negotiations, and develop key account strategies

Level 5#AllianceArchitecture#JointVenture#RevenueModel#BDA-SCPCan architect strategic alliances, lead BD teams, and diversify revenue models

Level 6#EcosystemDesign#MandADueDiligence#PartnershipPortfolio#GlobalComplianceCan design industry-level partnership ecosystems and lead growth strategies including M&A

Level 7#MarketCreation#BDMethodology#CrossIndustryFramework#CertificationDesignCan create new markets, contribute to BD theory and frameworks, and leave a lasting cross-generational impact

References