Telicon Academy™ · 12 weeks · 48 lessons
Business Development Professional Certificate
Strategy, market research, buyer analysis, pipeline, partnerships, proposals, pricing, negotiation and go-to-market, ending in an executive pitch.
Who it's for
Sales, account and consulting professionals, founders and veterans moving into commercial roles.
Prerequisites
- Professional communication skills
- Spreadsheet basics
- About 10–12 hours per week
You'll be able to
- Size markets and define ICPs
- Run a disciplined pipeline
- Write winning proposals
- Model deals and negotiate
12-week curriculum
Week 1
Business Development Strategy & Value Creation
What business development is · Value propositions · Growth strategy options · Ethics in selling
Week 2
Market Research, Competitive Intelligence & Opportunity Sizing
Research methods · Competitive analysis · TAM, SAM and SOM · Opportunity scoring
Week 3
Segmentation, Ideal Customer Profile & Buyer Analysis
Segmentation · Ideal customer profile · Buying committees · Personas and jobs-to-be-done
Week 4
Sales Process, Pipeline, CRM & Forecasting
Sales stages · Prospecting and qualification · CRM hygiene · Pipeline forecasting
Week 5
Partnerships, Alliances & Channel Development
Partnership models · Partner selection · Channel programs · Joint value plans
Week 6
Proposals, RFP/RFQ Responses & Solution Positioning
Reading an RFP · Solution positioning · Proposal writing · Bid/no-bid decisions
Week 7
Commercial Modeling, Pricing & Unit Economics
Unit economics · Pricing strategies · Deal models · Margin and discount control
Week 8
Negotiation, Deal Structuring & Contract Fundamentals
Negotiation preparation · Tactics and concessions · Deal structures · Contract essentials
Week 9
Go-to-Market Planning & Market Entry
GTM strategy · Channels and messaging · Launch planning · Market entry risk
Week 10
Strategic Accounts, Customer Success & Expansion
Account planning · Customer success · Expansion plays · Retention and churn
Week 11
Growth Metrics, Revenue Operations & BD Analytics
Growth metrics · Revenue operations · BD dashboards · Experimentation
Week 12
Business Development Capstone & Investment/Executive Panel Pitch
Capstone scoping · Strategy and financial case · Pitch deck · Executive pitch
Projects
Week 2 · Applied project
Market map
Size and map a fictional market segment.
Week 4 · Applied project
CRM pipeline design
Design stages, fields and a forecast for a fictional team.
Week 6 · Mid-program project
Proposal response
Respond to a fictional RFP with positioning and pricing.
Week 7 · Applied project
Pricing and negotiation case
Model a deal and plan the negotiation.
Week 9 · Applied project
Partnership proposal
Propose a channel partnership with joint value plan.
Week 12 · Capstone · expert panel
Market-entry growth strategy
Present a strategy with financial case to an executive panel.
Admissions readiness check
- Business reasoning
- Numeracy
- Written communication
- Customer empathy
- Ethics scenarios
Advisory only; staff make the final decision.
Trainer expectations
Enterprise sales, partnerships or go-to-market experience, including proposals, commercial modelling and negotiation.
Career directions
- BDR
- SDR
- Partnerships Associate
- Growth Analyst
Not a job guarantee.
Learning and tools
Guided lessons, applied practice and a portfolio of work aligned to this pathway.
Expert review and certificate
The capstone is reviewed by an assigned expert panel. Panel assignments depend on verified reviewer availability; no staff credentials are implied by a seat description.
Published lesson completion and an approved capstone are required. See your learner portal for individual status.
Start dates, financial options and admission decisions are confirmed by staff. A certificate does not guarantee employment.