Business Development - Science

The Significance of Business Development for Science Companies

Small to medium-sized companies often do not establish procedures for business development, instead relying on their existing contacts. Other times they assume that because they know people in high places that their business development problems are solved and that somehow new business will come to them.

The ramifications of such thinking can be significant in the event they are unable to leverage those relationships, which very often are personal or weak. Then they will have no new business in the pipeline (source - Wikipedia).

The cost of hiring an expert Business Development Director can be very high. SL-Freelance provide you with a hands-on business development approach at a fraction of the cost of employing a full-time business development expert.

The Head of our Freelance Telemarketing (Stephen Law) has successfully helped a number of Science based organisations in terms of Business Development.

Although University educated in the Arts, the Head of SL-Freelance went on to work with a number of Science Departments within UK Universities including:

University of Bath - Centre for Pharmacy & Pharmacology
University of Luton - (whilst based at the Research Centre) numerous departments including Chemsitry and Enviornment
University of Swansea - departments of Chemistry, Biology and Physics.
Government Scientific Defence Departments covering Chemistry, Biology and Physics

The key is in extracting the salient sales points and delivering them in a manner to Buyers, in a format so that they can comprehend the benefits.

What is Business Development - Science?

Business Development spans all areas of a company including Administration, Legal, Finance, Marketing and Operations. As a former Executive Director of a number of SME's, I understand the 'eagle-eye-view' necessary to help develop your sales.

Most CEO's or MD's would say that 'only a fool would trust their accounts or legal affairs to a novice'. Yet how many would appoint a full-time accountant or solicitor as an employee? Working with SL-Freelance, you gain all the experience of a Business Development Director, just as you would appoint an accountancy firm or a legal firm - only when you need them!

The big difference between an accountant, a solicitor and a business development person - is that only one of these roles will create cashflow for your enterprise. An accountant could save your company a fortune, but only if you've made sales. Likewise, a solicitor can defend your enterprise, but only if your sales have created the bank balance to do so.

The Head of our Freelance Telemarketing specialises in complex scientific offerings, having worked with Doctors and Professors of Science across the UK.

Case Study

A bio-technology company had gained the rights to develop and market a unique scientific process.

The sceintific process was encased in a metal box and was visually unexciting. Likewise the science behind the process was unstimulating for the target market - Facilities Management Buyers.

Success was achieved in selling to the largest Facilities Mgt Company in the UK by:

Researching, formulating and distributing an exciting PR story.
Setting up a cut-away demo unit
Consultative Telemarketing appointment generation and setting up a Product Launch attended by buyers and the media.

How do SL-Freelance provide Business Development for Science companies?

The main thrust of SL-Freelance Business Development is in creating sales opportunities for your science business. The key difference between success or failure will be in achieving sales.

When approaching Freelance Telemarketing, every business is at a different stage of the business life-cycle from seed or start-up to growth and expansion. So the first step is identify where you are and where you are seeking to take your enterprise.

Once understood - we can apply your goals and aspirations to the most pragmatic business development approach.

Nine times out of ten, our clients can benefit from a 'Consultative Telemarketing' approach. Without doubt, this can be the fastest method of communicating with senior decision makers, and driving both immediate and pipeline growth of sales.

The Head of SL-Freelance has helped a number of companies in conveying highly complex offerings to senior decision makers.

Selling Science

The top scientists have all spent time at University, whether studying or acting in a professional capacity. Whilst 'selling' is certainly a part of gaining further furnding for research, it tends to take place within an academic setting.

Selling scientific breakthroughs to commerce and industry requires a different approach. Whilst they are highly intelligent people, Scientists themselves often become bogged down in assuming that Buyers want to know everything. How often have you seen a scientific brochure that resembles a catalogue?

Outsourcing the Business Development can often be the best financial move ever made by a science based company. It is often easier for an external expert to extract the salient points of the science, and to convert these in to an appropriate sales language - a language that is aimed at buyers gaining interest, not sending them to sleep.

SL-Freelance do not claim to be science experts, but we do know how to convert science breakthroughs in to marketable commodities - via Freelance Telemarketing.