Pitching and Closing: Everything You Need to Know About Business Development, Partnerships, and Making Deals that Matter

CHAPTER 7

FINDING YOUR BD MENTOR

ONE OF THE most important reasons to network in any field is to find a mentor or sponsor who can serve as a guide during various professional junctures and can also provide key introductions when necessary. BD professionals, in particular, have several potential career paths available to them and thrive on building relationships with others. This combination makes having a BD mentor all the more beneficial.

Mentors Versus Sponsors

Traditionally, the difference between mentorships and sponsorships is that mentorships are professional relationships, in which the mentor provides advice and guidance about professional matters. Sponsors, a term coined by Sylvia Ann Hewlett in her book Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor ...