Breaking BizDev

John Tyreman & Mark Wainwright
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What does "business development" mean anyways? On Breaking BizDev, John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright break down, beat up, and redefine that nebulous term 'business development' for the modern professional services firm. Subscribe to this podcast to get sales and marketing advice that you can actually put into practice right away.  Whether you're an expert doer-seller, firm owner, or a dedicated sales/marketing pro, each episode will help you understand your buyers and win new business.Subscribe today and connect with us on LinkedIn.

  1. 3D AGO

    Follow-Up DOs and DON'Ts for Business Development

    Most business development conversations don’t fail in the meeting—they fail in the follow-up. In this episode of Breaking BizDev, John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright unpack the DOs and DON’Ts of follow-up and explain why it’s one of the most critical—and most mishandled—parts of business development. They frame follow-up as a link in the chain that either moves opportunities forward or quietly pulls them backward. Through real examples from sales and marketing, they show how effective follow-up builds clarity, trust, and momentum—and how bad follow-up (or none at all) derails deals. You’ll learn: What good follow-up actually does in sales and business developmentCommon follow-up mistakes that break momentumWhy “just checking in” often does more harm than goodHow follow-up supports choreography from conversation to contractThe difference between sales follow-up and marketing follow-upA must-listen for consultants, firm owners, doer-sellers, and anyone responsible for generating and closing professional services work. Past episodes mentioned: The Psychology of Familiarity: Building Trust With Mere ExposureChecking In, Ghosting, and the Magic EmailShare your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

    35 min

  2. JAN 19

    The Doer-Seller Bell Curve

    Most professional services firms depend on doer-sellers—but few take the time to examine how sales responsibility is actually distributed across the organization. In this episode, John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright introduce The Doer-Seller Bell Curve, a simple framework for firm leadership to understand the breakdown of people “doing the work” and “winning the work.” They discuss why many firms are skewed toward doers, why mid-career professionals often represent the greatest opportunity (and risk), and why relying too heavily on long-tenured sellers can undermine long-term growth and succession. You’ll hear insights on: Why excellent delivery rarely guarantees future workThe cultural and structural forces that shape selling behaviorCommon pitfalls of the doer-seller modelHow firms can intentionally shift the curve over timeThis episode is for firm leaders who want to build a healthier, more sustainable approach to business development—without forcing everyone to “be in sales.” Past episodes referenced: Mastering BizDev In Your Career: From Junior Practitioner to Managing PartnerShare your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

    30 min

  3. JAN 5

    5 Business 'Black Holes' Draining Your Time, Culture, and Profit

    Some of the biggest threats to your firm aren’t competitors or market conditions—they’re internal “black holes” that quietly consume time, focus, and profit. In this episode of Breaking BizDev, John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright unpack the everyday practices that feel productive but actually limit growth. From utilization tracking and meeting bloat to hourly billing, shiny object syndrome, and social media overuse, these black holes pull firms away from what matters most: client outcomes and real business development. You’ll hear: Why utilization and billable hours distort decision-makingHow internal meetings quietly drain leadership capacityWhy new tools don’t fix broken processesHow hourly pricing caps scalability and creates misalignmentWhen social media is an asset—and when it becomes a trapThis episode challenges long-held assumptions inside professional services firms and offers a clearer way to refocus on impact, value, and growth. Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

    30 min

  4. 12/22/2025

    8 Elements of Sales Choreography: Turn That 'Maybe' Into a 'Yes'

    Sales doesn’t fail because of bad stages—it fails because of missing behaviors. In this episode, John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright break down the eight elements of sales choreography that help professional services sellers build trust, maintain momentum, and guide opportunities forward without being pushy. From curiosity and synchronous conversations to mirroring, permission, and guiding the process, this episode focuses on the actions you can control—regardless of where a buyer is in their journey. If you’re tired of stalled deals and vague “maybes,” this conversation will change how you think about sales execution. Past episodes referenced: Create, Choreograph, Contract: A Business Development FrameworkPart 2. Choreograph Your Sales ActivitiesBuilding Trust At Scale (Without 1,000 Coffee Chats) Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

    31 min

  5. 12/08/2025

    Why AEC Firms Struggle with Business Development (and How to Fix It)

    The AEC world is full of brilliant engineers, architects, and builders—yet many firms still struggle to grow the way they should. In this episode, John and Mark break down what’s actually broken in AEC business development by bringing in three guest voices who see the problems up close every day. First up is Aaron Moncur, founder of Pipeline Design & Engineering and host of Being an Engineer. Aaron shares why so many engineers hesitate to market themselves, why “humble brags” feel impossible, and how he built a media ecosystem—podcasts, community, events—to escape the expensive black hole of traditional trade shows. Then, Leslie Blaize makes the case that AEC firms dramatically underuse one of the most powerful tools in business development: storytelling. She explains why technical expertise alone can’t win a project, how emotion drives buying decisions, and why firms should be capturing, curating, and reusing their best project stories instead of letting them disappear after a single proposal. Finally, Perryn Olson brings a construction-focused lens to what’s broken—namely, over-reliance on founder-led sales and a lack of clear ideal client profiles. He unpacks why these habits choke growth, destroy succession value, and leave firms trapped in a cycle of “sell only what the founder can sell.” John and Mark tie all three conversations together, highlighting themes across engineering, architecture, and construction—from cultural reluctance around marketing to the chaos of co-opetition to the structural challenges of building a scalable BD function. If you’ve ever wondered why AEC firms struggle to tell their story, stand out, or build a real sales engine… this episode brings the receipts. Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

    28 min

  6. 11/24/2025

    Building Trust At Scale (Without 1,000 Coffee Chats)

    Everyone knows trust is the currency of professional services—but most firms are trying to earn it in the slowest way possible: one lunch/coffee/zoom chat at a time.  In this episode, John and Mark break down how to scale trust using the Trust Equation, parasocial relationships, and modern content channels that build credibility, reliability, and intimacy long before a prospect ever speaks to you. If you want more pipeline without doubling your lunch budget, this one’s for you. Special guest appearance from Melina Palmer, host of The Brainy Business podcast, with perspective on parasocial relationships. 00:00 Welcome 01:20 Trust 02:48 The Trust Equation 10:00 Parasocial Relationship 14:24 Reaction to Melina 21:49 Next Steps 22:15 Organize Your Thoughts 23:05 Find a Vehicle For Your Authentic Voice 25:23 Build A Habit Of Creating And Publishing 26:59 Expand Beyond Your Core Channel 28:35 Social Evidence 30:54 Engage With Your Audience In Scalable Ways Connect with Melina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melinapalmer/ Connect with Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhwainwright/ Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johntyreman/ Learn more about the Trust Equation from Trusted Advisor Associates: https://trustedadvisor.com/ Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

    34 min

  7. 11/10/2025

    The Engagement Meeting: Take a Step Back and See The Big Picture

    Most consultants say they’re “too busy doing the work” — as if that’s a badge of honor. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: you never stop to ask “are we still doing the right work?”  In this episode, John and Mark break down the concept of the engagement meeting; a deliberate, structured conversation designed not to move a project forward, but to make sure everyone is aligned with its direction. It’s where you zoom out, recalibrate priorities, and turn reactive “fire drills” into proactive strategy. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why most client relationships fall apart between meetings, not during themHow to use engagement meetings to surface red flags before they become infernosThe subtle difference between being a vendor who delivers and a partner who steersHow this simple practice can increase client retention, expand accounts, and raise your lifetime value per clientIf you’ve ever felt like a client relationship is fine but something’s off, this episode will show you how to fix it before your client ghosts you for the next shiny firm. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Welcome 01:46 Listener Feedback Survey 02:24 Engagement Meeting 04:13 Being Proactive Instead Of Reactive 08:01  Meeting Regularity 09:19 Have A General Set Agenda 11:30 Balancing The Scorecard 12:55 Ideal Meeting Length 15:12 Practical Tips 20:03 Next Steps? 21:36 When To Introduce The Concept 23:36 How Many Participants? 24:20 Conclusion Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

    26 min

  8. 10/27/2025

    The Power Of Saying 'No': Turning Down Opportunities May Actually Be a Good Thing

    Saying yes feels good. It’s helpful, it’s human—and it’s how your firm quietly bleeds to death. 😵 In this episode, John and Mark dive into the real power of saying NO: qualifying hard, protecting your pipeline, and choosing clients and marketing efforts that actually move your firm forward. Plus, they explore the cognitive traps (hello, sunk cost fallacy and FOMO) that keep you from doing it. 00:00 Introduction 02:06 Welcome 03:21 Qualification 08:16 Cognitive Biases 10:48 FOMO 14:25 No Keeps The Buyer's Interest In Mind 15:31 Saying 'No' To The Wrong Types Of Clients 22:36 People Over Projects 27:38 Saying No To Marketing Overload 34:27 Wrap Up Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

    43 min
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About

What does "business development" mean anyways? On Breaking BizDev, John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright break down, beat up, and redefine that nebulous term 'business development' for the modern professional services firm. Subscribe to this podcast to get sales and marketing advice that you can actually put into practice right away.  Whether you're an expert doer-seller, firm owner, or a dedicated sales/marketing pro, each episode will help you understand your buyers and win new business.Subscribe today and connect with us on LinkedIn.

Information

  • Creator
    John Tyreman & Mark Wainwright
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    70
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Breaking BizDev
  • Show Website
    Breaking BizDev