Review of The Business Development Playbook

[Nenye Charles]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Business Development Playbook" by Neal Bryant.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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“The Business Development Playbook” by Neal Bryant is a practical guide that helps readers navigate through the hurdles encountered in business development. It is a toolkit used to solve real-world problems, develop relationships, and close deals like an expert. Business development is all about finding ways to expand the company’s reach, entering new markets, building strategic partnerships, or identifying future opportunities.

The author gives great insight into his business development journey. I like how one does not have to read the book’s chapters sequentially to understand the message it attempts to pass across. I also appreciate how the author uses casual language to communicate to readers. While reading this book, readers get to ask introspective questions to land high-impact prospects.

Following a systematic qualification framework in turn enhances one’s team’s focus, increases efficiency, and strengthens one’s integrity and image in the market. The two-step qualification process outlined in the book helps business developers invest only in leads with real potential, saving time and resources in the process.

This book has helped me learn more about how the business world works. I got to understand what the acronym ‘BANT’ stands for, which is budget, authority, need, and timeline. ‘BANT’ helps one focus only on willing and able prospects. Furthermore, the importance of clarity in one’s business was properly emphasised in the book. Understanding the difference between sales and business development is equally necessary to become successful in the field. There are also other aspects the book discusses in-depth, such as the importance of goals and measurements, basics of presentation, crafting proposal documents, prospecting objections, revenue, CRM (Customer Relationship Management), and so on. At the end of most chapters, there are chapter checklists that recap all that have been discussed.

I have nothing negative to point out in the book. The author meticulously and sufficiently explains concepts and topics in a brief, yet detailed manner. In addition, the book is error-free and indicates professional editing. For these reasons, I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.

It is a perfect recommendation for readers in the field of business development. Again, those who manage a business development team will find helpful tips from this book. Furthermore, readers who are new to this field and wish to begin a career in business development will greatly benefit from it, as the lessons learned will prevent them from making unnecessary mistakes in the future.

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The Business Development Playbook
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[Mark Lazarus]

I appreciate a business book that gets straight to the point and offers actionable strategies rather than just theory. It sounds like this one provides a clear framework for identifying valuable prospects and streamlining business development efforts, which is essential for anyone looking to grow a company efficiently.

The BANT framework is a great tool, and I like that the book emphasizes the difference between sales and business development—two areas that often get lumped together but require distinct approaches. The inclusion of checklists at the end of chapters is a nice touch, making it easy to revisit key points without having to flip through pages searching for them.

I’m not directly involved in business development, but I can see how this could be useful for entrepreneurs, managers, or anyone in a sales-adjacent role. It seems like a solid read for someone looking to refine their strategy and avoid common pitfalls.