Course overview
Business development is a critical component of the establishment of a successful business. They are crucial for low-tech and high-tech firms, start-ups and established businesses and for-profit or not-for-profit organisations. This course takes a deep dive into the business development process: customer discovery, validation, creation and building while integrating elements of business development activities that help establish long-term relationships with customers. This unit will develop students ability to identify their target customer and market, test and validate their assumptions with customers in relation to a new product or technology, articulate and pitch (sell) the value proposition of their product or technology to prospective customers. This subject will equip students with the following skills: customer interviewing and/or surveying, business proposal writing, pitching and selling skills.
Course learning outcomes
- Identify, outline and test assumptions about product/technology and customer needs
- Critically analyse, reflect and synthesize technological and market data to improve the management and leadership of technological innovation
- Construct and communicate a sales strategy and pitch to specialist and non-specialist audiences about a new product or technology
- Produce a business proposal to specialist and non-specialist audiences about a new product or technology within a specific technical domain and their potential to address industry needs