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Don’t Disappear Just Because the Deal Isn’t Moving
Business development gets a lot easier when there is something new to talk about.
The discovery call went well.
The sponsor sent the information you requested.
Your technical team is reviewing the program.
The proposal is being built.
There is movement.
But what happens when there isn’t?
Sometimes an opportunity reaches a point where nothing meaningful has changed. You are waiting on an internal review. The technical team needs more time. Pricing is not ready. Legal is backed up. Someone who needs to weigh in is traveling.
And because there is no real update to give the sponsor, BD goes quiet.
That silence may feel harmless internally, but to the sponsor, it can tell a very different story.
You Don’t Need News to Communicate
One of the biggest misconceptions in BD is that every client touchpoint needs to contain new information.
It doesn’t.
Sometimes the update is simply:
“I told you I would follow up today. We are still working through the technical review, and I don’t have anything new to share yet. I expect to have more information by Thursday, but I wanted to keep you updated in the meantime.”
That email takes two minutes.
But think about what it communicates.
I remembered.
I am still paying attention.
Your program is still moving.
I am managing this internally.
You do not need to chase me.
That is valuable even when the actual opportunity has not moved an inch.
Never Make the Sponsor Chase You
This is especially important when you were the one who initiated the relationship.
Maybe you sent the first email.
Then the second.
You followed up after a conference.
You commented on their LinkedIn post.
You asked for the meeting.
You spent weeks or months trying to earn enough of their attention to start a conversation.
Then they finally give it to you.
And once they are waiting on something from your organization, they have to follow up with you?
That is a strange reversal.
If you were persistent enough to earn the sponsor’s attention, you should be consistent enough to keep it.
Sponsors should not have to wonder whether you forgot about their opportunity or whether their program stopped being important once the initial conversation was over.
“I’m Waiting on Technical” Isn’t a Sponsor Update
BD does not control every part of the sales process.
You cannot personally complete the technical assessment.
You may not build the proposal.
You do not control how quickly legal reviews an agreement.
But you do own the relationship.
There is a difference between an internal explanation and an external update.
“We’re waiting on technical” explains why you do not have an answer, but it does not tell the sponsor what happens next.
A stronger update is:
“Our technical team is completing its review. I had originally expected feedback today, but they need a little more time. I’m following up internally and will come back to you by Wednesday, even if the review is still in progress.”
Now the sponsor knows what is happening, who is managing it, and when they will hear from you again.
That is what ownership looks like in BD.
Set the Next Touchpoint Before You Need It
One of the easiest ways to prevent communication gaps is to stop ending conversations with:
“We’ll get back to you.”
…When?
Tomorrow?
Friday?
Next week?
After technical reviews the documents?
After pricing is complete?
Instead, create the next expectation before the conversation ends.
“I’m going to take this back to our technical team. I expect their review to take about a week, so I’ll check back with you next Tuesday.”
Now both sides know what happens next.
And if Tuesday arrives and you still do not have the answer, you follow up anyway.
The next touchpoint should not depend on whether something changed.
It should depend on what you told the sponsor you would do.
Silence Lets the Sponsor Write the Story
When communication stops, the sponsor does not know why.
Maybe your team is doing a thorough technical review.
Maybe the opportunity is moving through several internal discussions.
Maybe everyone involved is working hard behind the scenes.
But the sponsor cannot see any of that.
All they see is silence.
And silence leaves room for questions:
Are they still interested?
Is our project too small?
Did they identify a technical concern?
Are they too busy?
If communication is this difficult during the sales process, what will it be like after we sign?
You may know that none of those things are true.
The sponsor doesn’t.
When you leave an information gap, you also leave the sponsor to decide what that gap means.
Your Sales Process Is Already Part of the Client Experience
We sometimes talk about client experience as though it begins after the contract is signed.
It doesn’t.
The sponsor is already experiencing your organization.
How quickly do you respond?
Do you do what you said you would do?
Do they have to ask twice?
Can you navigate your own organization?
Do you keep them informed when something takes longer than expected?
Do they feel like their program matters?
Every one of those interactions gives the sponsor information about what a future partnership might feel like.
Capabilities matter.
Technical expertise matters.
Pricing matters.
But sponsors are also evaluating something that rarely appears on an RFP scorecard:
What is it going to be like to work with these people?
Your communication during the sales process is already helping them answer that question.
Consistency Matters More Than Constant Contact
None of this means emailing a sponsor every other day just to stay visible.
That can quickly become noise.
Good communication is not about frequency for the sake of frequency.
It is about reliability.
If there is genuinely nothing happening and you have not committed to an update, you do not need to manufacture a reason to reach out.
But if the sponsor is waiting on you, that is different.
If you promised Friday, communicate Friday.
If something is taking longer than expected, say so.
If you still do not have an answer, acknowledge it and set the next expectation.
The goal is not to constantly remind the sponsor that you exist.
The goal is to make sure they never have to wonder whether you disappeared.
The Bigger Picture
There will always be periods when an opportunity slows down.
Technical reviews take time.
Proposals take time.
Contracts take time.
Internal decisions take time.
Not every week will bring meaningful progress.
But a slow-moving opportunity does not have to feel like a neglected one.
BD cannot always control how quickly the next step happens.
We can control whether the sponsor knows what is happening.
And sometimes one of the simplest ways to differentiate yourself has nothing to do with capabilities, pricing, or a polished presentation.
It is doing exactly what you said you would do, even when the only update you have is:
“I don’t have the answer yet, but I haven’t forgotten about you.”
If you want to strengthen how you manage sponsor conversations, maintain momentum, and navigate the periods between major sales milestones, my course Ask Smarter, Close Sooner was built for business development professionals in CDMOs. It provides practical frameworks for managing conversations with intention, asking better questions, and building relationships that last beyond the initial opportunity.
For more insights and personalized support in navigating the biotech-CDMO landscape, visit my website www.yourpharmagirl.com and follow Your Pharma Girl on LinkedIn.
Whether you need strategic guidance, tailored BD solutions, or expert advice on building lasting partnerships, I am here to help you and your team succeed at every stage of development.
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