What are the 5 stages of business development?

Business plan development typically progresses through five stages: Awareness (identifying opportunities and building market knowledge), Prospecting (qualifying leads and initiating relationships), Evaluation (assessing mutual fit and negotiating terms), Partnership (formalizing agreements and launching initiatives), and Growth (scaling successful relationships while optimizing underperformers).

Each stage requires different skills and metrics, from research and networking in early stages to relationship management and performance optimization in later phases.

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