The Real Obstacles to Business Development in Executive Search
- Mar 4
- 3 min read
Insights from Max Woolger, VP of Revenue at Ezekia, in partnership with the Association of Executive Search (AESC)
In partnership with the AESC, Max, VP of Revenue at Ezekia, recently hosted a webinar exploring one of the most persistent challenges in executive search: business development.
As AESC introduced the session, “We're pleased to collaborate with a partner that understands the operational and commercial pressures firms are navigating and the importance of building disciplined business development systems.”
The session wasn’t theory-heavy. It was practical, candid, and grounded in lived experience - both from Max’s 12 years in executive search and his current role working with over 650 search firms globally.
Below are the key ideas that resonated most.
Why BD Feels So Difficult
Early in the session, participants were asked what prevents effective BD inside their firms. The answers were telling:
Lack of follow-up
Inefficient workflows
Too many priorities
Poor processes
Cold calls are difficult
Lack of visibility
Motivation to get it done
Max acknowledged something many in the room were thinking:
“People find it a chore. It is tedious. It's a bit of a pain.”
For many consultants, BD sits alongside delivery. It is something that should be done, but often without structure or support. When that happens, it becomes reactive rather than repeatable.
As Max put it:
“A repeatable process makes BD more attractive, easier, and thus more successful.”
The Spreadsheet Trap
A common issue across firms is reliance on spreadsheets to manage BD activity.
They are static.
They are hard to update.
They quickly fall out of use.
More importantly, they rarely allow firms to extract meaningful insight.
Max made an important distinction:
“Most systems are increasingly quite good at getting the data in. Actually where systems typically fall down is getting the data out again.”
Without the ability to extract insights - who you haven’t spoken to in six months, who moved roles, which former clients are slipping away… BD becomes guesswork.
Structure changes that.
Relationships Are the Real Advantage
One of the strongest themes in the webinar was that BD in executive search is less about market targeting and more about relationship mapping.
Max shared a powerful stat from his search career:
“Over 60 odd percent of all new business or originated business into the firm actually came from candidates that were shortlisted but didn't get the job.”
That insight reframes the BD conversation entirely.
Every search assignment creates:
Hiring managers
Interview panels
Shortlisted candidates
Internal stakeholders
Each is a future opportunity - IF tracked and nurtured properly.
BD isn’t always about cold outreach. Often, it’s about structured follow-up.
Getting in the Room
The session also explored practical outreach.
On email, Max emphasised personalisation and credibility early in the message, along with making it about the recipient rather than about the firm.
On phone outreach, he highlighted the importance of the opening seconds:
“The first 10 seconds is absolutely critical.”
He described a method of introducing yourself by name and pausing - allowing the recipient to grant “micro-permission” to continue the conversation. Small behavioural shifts like this can significantly change the tone of a call.
The message was clear. BD does not need to feel awkward. It needs to feel intentional.
What This Means for Search Firms
The overarching theme of the session wasn’t “do more BD.” It was: build systems that make BD sustainable.
Track:
Who you’ve met
Who you’ve pitched
Who you’ve lost
Who has moved roles
Who you haven’t contacted recently
Then use structured cadences to stay close.
At Ezekia, this philosophy underpins how we think about CRM and workflow design. Technology alone doesn’t create revenue - but disciplined processes supported by the right system absolutely can.
Because ultimately, BD isn’t about being more aggressive.
It’s about being more intentional.
If you'd like to explore how structured BD systems can work inside your firm, you can schedule time directly with Max here:
