Great BD Knows When to Stop Selling and Let the Experts Lead

Sarah Sink

Sep 29

5 min read

There is a point in almost every CDMO sales process when the conversation needs to stop being led by sales.

And that is a good thing.

A sponsor may initially come to BD with a relatively straightforward question:

Can you support this molecule?

Do you have this capability?

What does your capacity look like?

What might a development program look like?

BD should understand enough about the organization’s capabilities to have an intelligent conversation and determine whether there is a potential fit.

But once the conversation becomes technical, the sponsor deserves to hear from the people who actually know the work.

Not a salesperson trying to prove how technical they are.

Strong BD is not about being the smartest technical person in the room. It is about knowing when the right person needs to be in the room.

Know Enough to Get to the Right Conversation

BD professionals in our industry absolutely need technical knowledge.

You need to understand your capabilities.

You need to understand the basic development process.

You need to know enough to recognize whether an opportunity fits your organization.

You need to be able to ask intelligent questions.

And you need enough technical fluency to understand what the sponsor is telling you.

But there is a difference between understanding the science and owning the technical discussion.

Once a sponsor starts asking detailed questions about process development, analytical strategy, formulation, manufacturing approach, scale-up, or technical risk, the value of BD is not demonstrating that we can answer those questions ourselves.

The value is making sure the sponsor is talking to the person who should.

Sponsors Want to Meet the People Behind the Capability

A capabilities presentation can tell a sponsor that your organization has experience.

An SME can demonstrate it.

That distinction matters.

If I were evaluating a CDMO for an important development program, I would not want the salesperson to spend 30 minutes telling me how technically capable the organization is.

I would want to talk to the scientist who understands the work.

I would want to hear how they think.

I would want to know what questions they ask.

I would want to see whether they recognize potential challenges in my program.

And if that person may eventually work on my program, that conversation becomes even more valuable.

The sponsor isn’t just evaluating a capability.

They’re evaluating the people behind it.

BD should create access to those people, not try to substitute for them.

Your Job Before the Technical Call Matters

Stepping back during the technical discussion does not mean BD has a smaller role.

It means much of the work happens before the meeting.

What does the sponsor actually need to understand?

What have they already told you?

What are their priorities?

What questions have they raised?

What is driving the timeline?

Are there known budget constraints?

What concerns have surfaced in previous conversations?

What decision are they trying to make?

That context should not live only in BD’s head.

Before the call, make sure the SMEs understand it.

A technical expert walking into a meeting knowing only the molecule and requested scope is having a very different conversation from one who understands why the sponsor is sitting across from them in the first place.

BD brings the context. The SME brings the expertise.

That combination is much more powerful than either trying to do both.

Then Give the SME Room to Do Their Job

This can be difficult for people who are accustomed to leading client conversations.

Silence can feel uncomfortable.

We want to fill it.

We want to clarify.

We want to add something.

But when an SME and sponsor are having a productive technical exchange, BD does not need to insert themselves into every part of it.

Listen.

Take notes.

Pay attention to what matters to the sponsor.

Watch for questions that need follow-up.

Capture commitments.

And let the technical conversation happen.

Sometimes one of the best things a BD professional can do during a technical meeting is say very little.

That isn’t disengagement.

It is recognizing who should have the floor.

Don’t Translate the SME When the SME Is Sitting Right There

There is another habit worth watching.

A sponsor asks a technical question.

The SME answers.

And then BD immediately restates the answer.

Usually the intention is good. We want to make sure the sponsor understands or reinforce the point.

But unless clarification is actually needed, it can be unnecessary.

The technical expert just answered the question.

Let their expertise stand.

If something needs clarification, ask.

If the answer did not address the sponsor’s question, help redirect.

But BD does not need to put a commercial wrapper around every technical response.

Sometimes doing less creates more credibility.

BD Should Be Listening for Something Different

While the SME is focused on the technical discussion, BD has the opportunity to listen through a different lens.

What seems especially important to the sponsor?

Where are they hesitating?

What keeps coming up?

Is there a business concern underneath a technical question?

Has a new stakeholder revealed a priority you had not heard before?

Did something in the discussion change the potential scope?

Are there follow-ups that need to happen?

That is information BD should capture.

You do not need to compete with the SME for technical airtime to add value to the meeting.

Your value may be recognizing everything happening around the technical discussion.

Bring the Conversation Back Together

There is still an important role for BD at the end of the discussion.

Make sure everyone knows what happens next.

What information does the sponsor need to provide?

What does your team owe them?

Are additional SMEs needed?

Did the scope change?

When should everyone reconnect?

Technical discussions can generate excellent information and still lose momentum if nobody translates the conversation into clear next steps.

That is where BD can step back in.

Not to reinterpret the science, but to move the relationship forward.

The Bigger Picture

There can be pressure in technical sales to prove how much you know, but credibility does not come from answering every question yourself.

Sometimes credibility comes from saying:

“I want you to hear that directly from the person who would be working on your program.”

That tells the sponsor something important.

You know your organization.

You know your own role.

And you care more about getting them the right answer than being the person who gives it.

Great CDMO BD is not about becoming the SME.

It is about understanding enough to recognize what the sponsor needs, bringing the right expertise into the conversation, giving those experts room to lead, and making sure the relationship continues moving forward afterward.

BD opens the right door.

Then we need to be comfortable letting the right person walk through it.

If you want to strengthen how you navigate sponsor conversations, engage SMEs at the right time, and lead the commercial relationship without trying to be the technical expert, my course Ask Smarter, Close Sooner was built for business development professionals in CDMOs. It provides practical frameworks for asking better questions, understanding what the sponsor actually needs, and moving opportunities forward with the right people involved.

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.