a new breed of business development
As most you know, we at Aardvark have some pretty snazzy business cards complete with glamorous headshots and quirky nicknames. After a few moments of discussion about the card design itself (well, we are a design agency after all) the next question is usually, "So what do you do at Aardvark"?
Me: "I am the Growth Manager."
Other person: "Growth Manager? What is that?" (staring blankly)
Well for everyone who may be interested, I'll let you know. In short, a Growth Manager is the latest and greatest position in the discipline of Business Development. Business Development encompasses a variety of tactics aimed at attracting new customers and penetrating new and existing markets.
The Growth Manager title lends its roots to the Financial Industry. Growth Managers were money managers who would seek to buy stocks or investments with the expectation of continued high or higher earnings growth. Recently, the Growth Manager title has expanded into new industries. Much like the financial Growth Manager, always looking for new opportunities to grow their current portfolio of investments, the Business Growth Manager seeks to do much of the same. This strategic role is about keeping one eye on the horizon and one eye on daily operations. Much like raising a child, today's business Growth Manager is ensuring the company remains healthy, makes smart decisions and realize its full potential.
There is an emerging trend in the world of advertising agencies. Historically, the principles of the agencies would take ownership of business development. They would make the connections and hold initial meetings with clients. However, due to several factors (time constraints, agency cut backs, etc.) there is less time for the principals to prospect. Today, consistent inbound marketing and proactively reaching out and networking with prospects is now the new normal. It does take time to develop a solid, self-sustaining new business program which is why staring sooner rather than later would be a good idea.
So what does it take to become one of these sought after Growth Managers? Well, for starters, a Degree in Business, Marketing or Communications, but more importantly one must be self-motivated, entrepreneurial and organized with good interpersonal skills and the ability to develop strong working relationships. Growth Managers must be able to operate at both the "30,000 foot level" as well as "on the ground" in the daily operations of the organization.
Growth Managers are high in demand in many forms (Brand Growth Managers, Business Growth Managers or Regional Growth Managers) as many companies (even Facebook and Kellogg's Cereal) have posted job searches for savvy Growth Managers who are ready for the challenge. The art of attracting and retaining new business has changed, it is a world of more aggressive and innovative approaches and the need for steady and consistent outreach is paramount to an organization's success.
