Today’s podcast episode is titled: Marketers, Consultants and Business Developers: Which is Best for Small Business Owners  Marketers are Promoters, Sign Waivers, Business Postcards, TV ads, newspaper ads, door hangers, paid telemarketers, doorknockers, social media, website marketing, etc. Their job is to make the public aware of products and services, often without guaranteeing the business owner great results. Marketers are not legally or ethically obligated to deliver specific results…that’s not the job of the marketer.  Consultants typically work with businesses who have specific challenges. These challenges could include upgrading information technology infrastructure, installing more effective HR guidelines, worker ergonomics to improve productivity, factory worker motion studies to eliminate redundant or useless work routines, motivational speakers to help sales teams focus, and companies like 321 Biz Dev LLC which help salespeople improve sales productivity and sales performance. These are men and women who have specific skills and experience in the industries they support.  Business development companies perform sales functions on behalf of companies. Developing a pipeline is the overall function of a business development company. For white-collar small business not familiar with the word pipeline, a pipeline serves as the conduit to identify potential prospects and move these potential prospects through a sales system to convert prospects into clients. Developing a pipeline has four activities: contacting, prospecting, appointment setting and closing.  functions are primarily identifying potential clients.