At its annual Build Business conference, the Society for Marketing Professional Services continued to grapple with the changing roles of marketers and business developers. Almost 700 members gathered in Los Angeles Aug. 19-21.
With technical staffs shifting to the role of the "seller-doer," the business developer is needed now for market research, client development planning, coaching, mentoring, and training, says SMPS President Barbara Shuck, who is marketing communications manager at Wilson & Co. Inc. "The non-technical business developer can help technical colleagues stay ahead of client opportunities, understand the spectrum of client needs and help conduct the process to a project win."