There comes a time in every business’s life when good work alone isn’t enough to keep growing. That’s when business development and marketing need to start setting the pace, writes Michael Green.
I had some great conversations at Global Offshore Wind last month. One theme came up again and again: the sense that, for many in the sector, business development and marketing haven’t really had to be a focus. The sales pipeline has largely come through networks, referrals, and reputation. That’s starting to change.
With competition growing and more pressure to stand out, some businesses are beginning to shift gears. They’re getting clearer on what makes them different, more intentional in how they position themselves, and more strategic in how they take products and propositions to market.
It’s opening up a gap, and those who move first are already pulling ahead.
Why clarity beats speed every time
For others, the question is where to start. And while the temptation is often to jump straight into campaigns, content or a new sales deck, the risk is building on shaky ground, especially when your product story isn’t clear or agreed internally.
We’ve seen it before. Sometimes there’s a marketing team, but they’re tasked with launching or promoting something without the clarity, tools or internal agreement they need. Sometimes there isn’t a team at all, just people doing their best to fill the gaps around everything else. And often it’s sales carrying the weight: good people with strong instincts, but not much to go on beyond their own experience.
Without a shared story to build from, it’s hard to scale. Conversations stay reactive. Momentum falters.
And when things don’t go well, it’s easy to blame the comms — the website, the deck, the messaging. But more often, the real issue is further upstream: a confused proposition, a vague target audience, or a strategy that lives in someone’s head but hasn’t made it onto paper.
In our experience, the most effective teams get five things right:
- Making sure your positioning and go-to-market approach are aligned with your commercial goals
- Getting everyone on the same page about what you’re saying, who you’re targeting, and how it all connects
- Proactively shaping how you’re perceived in the market, rather than letting your audience make their own minds up
- Equipping product, sales and marketing teams with the tools and messages they need to succeed
- Creating consistency across every touchpoint — from decks to demos to conversations
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. But from the conversations I had last week, it’s clear many teams are ready to move — they just need the right starting point. By the time we’re back at GOW26, the ones who did will be out in front.
So, if you’re thinking about that shift too, now’s a good time to take control.
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