WRITE A DETAILED, CLEARLY DEFINED JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE NEW POSITION
Young design firms sometimes use outside sales people on an independent contractor basis, similar to the way photographers and illustrators work with agents. Established firms bring the responsibilities in-house, allowing business development to happen in a more integrated and sustained way. Don’t hesitate to give the staff position a very impressive-sounding job title. It can help to open doors at an executive level within client organizations. Next, write out a detailed job description that explains required duties and personal responsibilities. In a design firm, a new business development person usually …

• Conducts industry research
• Identifies and qualifies leads
• Initiates contact to make potential clients aware of services
• Follows up with all prospects through systematic mailings, phone calls, appointments, and correspondence
• Gives capabilities presentations
• Maintains a contact tracking database
and produces periodic reports on activities and opportunities
• Reviews requests for proposals and collaborates with other team members to develop project schedules, budgets, and pricing
• Drafts proposals that clearly define each project’s scope of work
• Obtains internal approval before releasing proposal documents
• Negotiates signed acceptance by clients
• Transitions new projects to the creatives
• Represents the design firm in the business community through business and civic organizations
• Writes press releases and manages ongoing public relations efforts
• When necessary, acts as an internal client, working with the founder and creative team to develop new marketing materials for the firm

Put your best efforts into the development of this job description and be as specific as possible. It’s important to present a very clear set of initial responsibilities. At the same time, you need to reserve the right to make future changes. Your firm is going to evolve, and you need to be able to redefine this position when necessary.

(Next issue: Part 2—Decide on a sales compensation structure.)