How many times can you re-invent yourself? How many times do you need to? For all its wonder and technological advances, the 21st century has ushered in a new era of uncertainty and undeniable change. I’m not just talking about Obama-type “change”, but about the way in which we change ourselves to adapt to this new and continually evolving world.

I’ve had a decent run in my high tech career, working for global brand companies like Hewlett Packard and Oracle and a high flying mobile startup, Everypath. These companies forced me to adapt and learn new skills … quickly. Back then, there was also an undercurrent of contempt by the sales organization if you were in business development, alliances or marketing. The hypothesis was that the sales organization brought in the money and everyone else was simply an expense item.

The Internet and, increasingly, mobile technology, has switched this dynamic. Compounding this role reversal is our lousy economy and the fact that nobody’s buying … everybody’s selling. At least, you would think so, if you look through your old dusty lenses of the past.

A sea change is afoot. Some will miss the opportunity; others will catch the wave and ride it. Business development is the new sales. Marketing is the new sales. Alliances are the new sales. The Internet and “digital everything” has opened up new market opportunities across the globe.

Ponder this. At 1:01pm PST, a writer in San Francisco publishes a book online and at 1:02pm PST someone in the Philippines can buy it. A singer in Shanghai, China performs at an outdoor concert, while bar goers in London, England, students in their dorm rooms and couch potatoes at home tune in at lunchtime LIVE … over their broadband connections. Or, a nutrition company launches a new health bar and instantly it has over 10,000 new affiliates pushing its product across the globe.

This is the new business development model. In order to capitalize on this wave, you need to view the world through different lenses. It’s now about analyzing demographics and buying behaviors of the people on the Internet … MARKETING. It’s about building ALLINACES with companies that have products and services. And, it’s about developing new ways to connect and work with teams from around the globe … BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.

There will be many who will bemoan the fact that the world has changed … that jobs are increasingly being shipped overseas … that they can’t adapt. But, there will also be a lucky few who take the leap and reap the benefits.

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