20 Business Development Pitfalls That Can Derail Growth
Business growth slows down when leaders overlook small but costly mistakes that add up over time. From chasing the wrong opportunities to moving too fast on bad deals, even experienced entrepreneurs can fall into patterns that weaken their trajectory.
Recognizing these pitfalls early is what keeps a strong business moving forward. To help leaders avoid common missteps, 20 Forbes Business Development Council members highlight where leaders often go wrong and how to course-correct.
1. Treating Sales Comp Like A Line Item
Sales comp is a growth lever, a people motivator and a noble cause for any business development leader. The best sales comp frameworks push teams to operate at their very best through coaching, growth paths, motivational tactics and effective leadership. When organizations don't give sales comp the attention it deserves, they stymie their own growth and potential. - Matt Bartels, Alexander Group
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2. Being Unwilling To Change
One of the greatest missteps a business development leader can make is failing to remain open, aware and adaptable to change. Without the ability to evolve, you risk losing not just competitive advantage, but also your influence and market share. Successful leaders who thrive anticipate shifts, embrace new opportunities and continuously recalibrate their strategies to stay ahead of the curve. - Fredrick Redd, PACO Group, Inc.
3. Overthinking Instead Of Acting
Business development often deals with uncertainty, new markets, untested partnerships and unclear ROI. Because of that, leaders sometimes fall into analysis paralysis, gathering endless data, waiting for the “perfect” plan or worrying too much about possible risks. - Ana Franco, Infrastructure Masons
4. Mistaking Activity For Progress
Don't get lured by the buzz of activity. High activity—be it calls, demos or lunches—is a waste of time unless they are focused on companies or individuals that are actually qualified. Refine your target accounts and stop the activity that gives you a short-term high and a perception of progress but never delivers revenue. - Alice Wyatt, Codat
5. Trading Value For Quotas
One mistake to avoid is chasing short-term wins instead of building long-term value. The risk is that business development becomes quota-driven and focused on pitching products rather than solving real customer problems. Leaders must align incentives with client success—what gets measured gets done. - Jani Hirvonen, Google
6. Losing Sight Of Core Values
A common mistake leaders should avoid in business development is failing to align with the company’s core values and mission. Pursuing deals that don’t fit the company’s strategic direction can dilute the brand and confuse customers. Ensuring that every business opportunity aligns with the company’s values and goals maintains focus and coherence, leading to more meaningful and sustainable growth. - Scotty Elliott, AmeriLife
7. Forgetting The Customer’s View
Avoid making decisions without a clear view of the customer’s needs and perspective. Assumptions lead to transactional efforts that miss the mark. What unlocks value is pausing to validate, listening closely, asking the right questions and aligning around the outcomes that matter most. Context shifts by country, customer and market, and leaders must factor it in to stay relevant and build momentum. - Susana Cabrera, Parsec Automation
8. Believing A Deal Is The Finish Line
Too many leaders celebrate the contract and forget that business development is really about the relationship that comes after the handshake. The “win” isn’t closing—it’s proving you were worth opening the door for. - Richard Lindhorn, VivoAquatics Inc.
9. Trying To Build Alone
It’s time to let go of the idea that one person can build a business alone. Being an executive doesn’t mean being exclusive—it means knowing how to work with people. Without people, there can be no growth. One brain at the head of a company may be good, but true development comes from the courage to bring others in, to collaborate and to expand the vision together. - Dima Raketa, Reputation House
10. Jumping At The First VC Offer
Racing to accept any VC offer—don't do it. Take your time. Carefully review the offer and consider all possible ramifications. VCs can inject helpful funds for growth, but they come at a serious cost to your exit strategy, too. Tread wisely. - Brandon Batchelor, ReadyCloud
11. Pitching Before Trust
For me, the biggest mistake is jumping the gun on a pitch. Trying to sell before building trust is like proposing on the first date. It's awkward and almost always a no. I've found that when I have pushed a product or pitch without first listening, connecting or offering value, damaged credibility and lost customers followed. This is a mistake I hope to avoid in the future. - Bryce Welker, The CPA Exam Guy
12. Keeping 'No-Decision' Deals Alive
Hanging on to “no-decision” opportunities is a common mistake that can seriously affect your forecast. When you rigorously qualify every opportunity in your pipeline, you can move those “no-decision” opportunities out of your pipeline. By focusing on winnable opps, you increase your chances and ultimately, your win rates. - Julie Thomas, ValueSelling Associates
13. Neglecting Strategic Partnerships
Leaders often focus solely on internal growth, missing opportunities to leverage external expertise or networks. Strong partnerships expand market reach, enhance credibility and drive innovation—especially in the blockchain industry. Ignoring them risks stagnation and a lost competitive edge in fast-evolving industries. - Tomer Warschauer Nuni, PRIM3 Capital
14. Talking More Than Listening
The most significant mistake is not listening. Some leaders and business development professionals get ahead of themselves, trying to show benefits without fully understanding the pain points and issues affecting their teams, leads and customers. In the process, businesspeople miss the essential knowledge that would help them overcome the inevitable challenges and objections that arise. - Wayne Elsey, Funds2Orgs
15. Refusing To Drop Dead Ideas
Don't be stubbornly committed to an idea that seems fantastic at conception, but problematic over time. For example, there are often exciting alliance opportunities that just don’t materialize as conceived or slow down the momentum you’ve built up. Quick pit stops to retool or refuel are fine, but winning the race depends on staying in the fast lane—so be ready to kill that killer idea. - Chris Vriavas, pharosIQ
16. Chasing ‘Shiny Objects’
Leaders often pursue popular trends, tools and deals because they are currently in vogue. Every "yes" steals focus and takes away attention from revenue-generating activities. Discipline beats distraction. Your pipeline will show appreciation when you learn to say "no" more frequently. - Thasha Batts, Pinnacle Global Network
17. Damaging Trust With Quantity Plays
Business development leaders should avoid a “quantity over quality” mindset, as this can lead to a damaged brand reputation that erodes consumer trust and sends businesses into a downward spiral. Once consumer trust is broken, it’s extremely difficult to build back. This not only can lead unhappy consumers to leave but also deter future business through negative word-of-mouth and reviews. - William DeCourcy, AmeriLife
18. Dragging Prospects Into Deep Dives
Thinking prospects want a “deep dive” is a common mistake. AEs should ask questions, but not questions you already know the answers to. Stop wasting time building fake relationships. Recommend what’s worked for other happy clients. Reduce risk, speed up the process and close deals faster. Being a finely tuned sales professional isn’t all about being transactional. It’s also about respecting their time. - Ryan Dohrn, Sales Training World
19. Seeing Biz Dev As One-Dimensional
Biz dev is both art and science. Far too many leaders end up judging it as one or the other. The ones taking a scientific view go strictly by data, often judging a deal based on sales MIS, but missing the softer cues. The other side, taking it to be only art, only judges based on the softer cues and relationship, but overlooks what data and insights from data indicate. Leaders should blend both science and art. - Bindesh Pandey, Comviva Technologies Limited
20. Leading From Too Far Away
One mistake leaders should avoid is staying too far from the field. Strategy matters, but if you don’t talk to sales reps and customers, you miss the real picture. Being present helps you see challenges firsthand, understand what works and make smarter decisions that actually fit the market. - Alexey Kachalov, UniOne
