Few rules govern business development.
Find opportunities.
Close opportunities.
You have the freedom to win. The freedom to lose.
Primarily the freedom to learn what works. How are others winning? What can you take from them and make your own?
There are no new ideas. Just someone new doing something old in their own way.
Many other jobs require structure and dependencies. There are repeatable processes for building houses and software. Policy positions evolve out of established companies. It’s not going to be one of the early hires.
Sales is a part of every business. Easy to measure. Hard to fake. Either you close or you don’t.
No selling means no revenue. Stores will run dry. Costs will overrun.
If you can bring money in, you guarantee your meal ticket. Your current employee wants to keep you as others want to lure you away. And you can also go do it on your own.
BD is not easy. There is more rejection than acceptance. Doubt besets weeks, even months. Perseverance is key. Maybe more important than being a good negotiator.
Even if you’re in a post-USG role outside of the BD world, make an effort to learn. Reach out to your BD colleagues to see how you can help. What is it about your work that allows them to bring in more business?