The seller-doer business development model Opportunity shines for collaboration in capturing new business The painful recession in the latter part of the 2000s has created a shining light of opportunity for architectural, en- gineering and construction practitioners ready to capitalize on it in the decades ahead: The integration of business de- velopment and professional/technical work – and the prac- tical expansion of the seller-doer model. Today, the mantra is “everyone should be involved in business development,” evolving the early era rainmaker model and the later approach borrowed from other indus- tries of dedicated sales (business development) represen- tatives. New research indicates that an integrated system works best. Project managers and even junior engineers and architects help out in capturing new business for their practices. The most recent model shift initially occurred with the blunt force trauma. As the 2008 recession tore into estab- lished AEC businesses, specialized business development staff were dismissed and project managers were asked to 12 – July - August 2016 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report step in and help bring in new business through their rela- tionship network. Today though, conditions are very different and now the story is a shortage of time and, in some cases, qualified professionals. Without planning, co-ordination and special- ized training, overworked doers may struggle to apply the best business development practices. Even if practices try to resolve the problem by rehiring dedicated business de- velopment specialists, they will find that some clients may prefer meeting with “doers.” SMPS Foundation research from the book AEC Business Development – The Decade Ahead has uncovered the vi- tally important observation that some clients prefer to do business with seller-doers rather than dedicated business development representatives. In other words, the seller- doer model, developed during the recession as a business survival tool, reflects what should be best practice for busi- ness development in thriving conditions.