The Business Development Skill No One Talks About: Patience

When I talk to recruiters about business development, I always start here:

This stuff is hard to figure out.

You can write 25 highly targeted emails and hear nothing.

You can call, follow up, connect and still get ghosted.

And if you're measuring success only by quick replies or fast closes?

You're going to burn out.

The difference-maker I see in the recruiters who build real, sustainable pipelines?

Patience.

Not passive waiting. Strategic patience.

Patience looks like:

• Making outreach a part of who you are, not just something you try when it’s slow

• Understanding that your best opportunities often take time to warm up

• Realizing that people are busy, and the consistent voice is the one they remember

I had a recruiting prospect reach out three years after I left Aerotek, ready to give me roles.

I’ve had clients disappear for months, only to circle back ready to sign.

Not because I followed up 19 times.

But because I stayed present. I kept showing up.

Patience feels like waiting.

But it’s actually building.

Building trust.
Building pipeline.
Building a reputation that lasts longer than any one DM.