I work in business development for agencies – it’s our bread-and-butter service and we’ve been doing it at Future Factory for 14 years. Our job is to connect, convince, and open doors. So, when an ad tells you that AI could do your job better, faster, and without needing a tea break — you take notice, (as I’m sure many in the creative industry have done as well – I know we’re not the first area to feel an ‘attack’ from AI).
What’s funny is then Apple announced it was rolling out an update that uses AI to potentially screen unknown numbers and filter out sales calls. If you’re still using cold outreach as a key part of your business development strategy (as I hope you are!), that news probably stings too.
Between the headlines and the hype, you could easily start wondering: is this the end of BD as we know it? The truth is, not quite. But the rules are definitely changing and that can be quite confusing (and daunting) if you’re an agency leader or in house business development team wondering what this means for you and your strategy.
AI Isn’t Coming for BD Jobs, But It is Changing Them
There’s no doubt that AI tools are getting smarter by the day, and they are being shoved down our throat too!
Some platforms can pull lead lists, write outreach messages, and even run first-contact emails while you’re busy on something else. It’s tempting to imagine a world where your business development runs in the background. Sounds pretty dreamy doesn’t it!
But in agency land, new business isn’t just about volume or efficiency, it’s about relevance. Chemistry. Gut instinct. Picking up on the moment a brand might be open to change. AI doesn’t replace that. It can’t sense timing. It doesn’t know when to push and when to hold back, it doesn’t know how to nurture a pipeline properly or how to open doors with charm.
And, to put it bluntly, if you don’t know what bloody good business development outreach looks like for your own agency, how do you expect AI to know it? It’s a tool that learns, it learns quickly, but it can’t learn something you don’t know how to teach it yourself.
That’s the bit we still need humans for — and probably always will.
Where AI does Help (And Where We’re Already Exploring)
That doesn’t mean AI doesn’t have a place. We’re already exploring how to use tools that speed up the boring bits of business development so we can focus on what matters. And for agencies with small teams, tight budgets, or limited time — that help is welcome.
Here are a few examples of how we’re exploring AI to make our better and our day-to-day better:
Quicker research
AI can scan a prospect’s site, news mentions, and LinkedIn activity in seconds — giving us a head start before we even reach out. Do we still need to apply a critical lens and conduct our own research – yes because AI isn’t always right and struggles to bit up on subtle context clues.
Email first drafts
AI tools and platforms can be used to draft 1st emails or create first versions of emails. They still need to be heavily edited and checked over but it helps unblock the blank page and to have a play around, so you don’t get stuck in a rut.
Smarter prep
For pitch meetings or intro calls, AI can pull together insights fast — competitors, tone of voice, recent campaigns. It’s a time-saver, not a shortcut. It can also be used to record calls and distil the next- steps – helping you to get your follow up emails post new business meeting out faster! (because we’re all guilty of taking too long to get these out!)
The key is using AI as a support act, not the star of the show and again, the undercurrent here is that if you don’t know what best in class business development looks like, you won’t know how to whip AI into shape to deliver that for you.
We’ve also mentioned emails above – we’re testing and playing to find how AI works best for business development. It’s writing some good emails – are they amazing, no. They still need a critical human eye but also, 90% of new business is nurturing and AI is only just starting to get to a place where it could do a second or third email to a prospect. Even then, it will still need work.
Cold Outreach Isn’t Dead, It Just Needs to Work Harder
Yes, Apple’s changes might make it harder to reach people out of the blue. We don’t know yet for certain if it will but if I’m honest, I don’t think it will change much for those who are doing good business development.
For starters – Apple isn’t new with this tech. Google and Android have apparently had this rolled out for a long time. Next up – gatekeepers (receptionists, personal assistants etc.) Again, they’ve been around for a long time and anyone worth their salt at new business has learnt how to charm and work with a gate keeper.
That’s all this AI update is – a new gatekeeper. Over 50% of our meetings, per month, are secured over the phone by our fantastic account managers who aren’t scared to call up those senior decision makers at your dream brands. More importantly, those senior decision makers know they need to be keeping abreast with the top agencies and talent out there. So long as your outreach remains tailored, warm and human, you’ll remain onto a winner. More tailored. More timely. More insight-led.
If your message looks like it could’ve been sent to 50 other people, it’s not going to cut through. But if it shows you’ve done your homework — that you know something about the brand, their challenges, or their market — it’s a different story.
AI might be used as a tool to screen but that’s all it is. A tool. Business development still needs you to make the connection real and people can hear that over the phone and will still want to hear about something that is relevant to them. Good calling isn’t going anywhere.
What This All Means for Agencies
In all honesty, running from AI isn’t the answer. Embracing it and understanding how it can work for you effectively is the answer and I’m a little bit excited by what AI can offer BD teams and agency leaders. Not because it replaces the work — but because it makes the right kind of work easier to do.
But it’s worth noting – you still need to know what good BD and outreach looks like. AI might sell you the dream but if there’s one thing I know for certain, there is no silver bullet when it comes to business development and there never will be. So don’t fall for the promises of an Artisan. BD still needs humans, and it always will – if one thing is clear, it’s that good BD is more important than ever and it’s making sure you’re skilled in what that looks like – and that isn’t ever coming from AI.
It’s not about choosing between hiring AI or hiring people. The smartest agencies will do both — and get them working together.
New business training for people
If you’re looking at developing your new business skills, discover our business development training courses, built by humans for humans.
Or if you’re looking for new business experts to help grow your agency, contact sam.wheatman@thefuturefactory.co.uk to find out how we can help.
Expertly written by Alison Ralph, Client & Training Director
