Victor@Bigg_VE
The best BDs in 2026 aren’t working harder.
They’re letting AI do 70% of the grunt work so they can focus on closing bigger deals.
Unlike other roles, AI isn’t replacing business developers; rather, it's turning good BD's into top performers.
Using AI allows you to work smarter and focus on strategy and relationships, which leads to high-value deals.
In my quest to improve, I've incorporated AI into my daily routine in 4 practical ways.
> Intelligent lead discovery & prioritization
Instead of "spraying and praying", I use AI to scan through various data points (intent signals, funding news, charts) to find high-fit projects before they’re obvious.
Practical use: Tools like Apollo(dot)io & ZoomInfo with AI now surface “hidden” opportunities and auto-score them.
Results: I'm able to cut my research time by 60-70% and focus on discovering the needs of these high-potential targets.
> Hyper-personalized outreach at scale
I use Grok to analyze a project's social media posts, development activity and token charts to craft personalized messages in seconds.
Practical use: Write first-line hooks and focus on pain points/ needs.
Results: I get 2-4x higher reply rates since my messages are personalized and insights are project-oriented.
> Meeting intelligence & follow-up automation
AI meeting assistants like Fireflies and Claude transcribe, summarize, extract action items and even draft personalized follow-ups.
Practical use: After a partnership call, it instantly creates a tailored one-pager highlighting mutual value.
I suggested it to my directors and it has sped up deal velocity enormously.
> Partnership & opportunity matching
It is easier to identify strategic partners and best fits with AI
Practical use: Predictive analytics tools like HubSpot AI help in this area while also providing next-best actions.
Honestly, the new BD skill isn’t “using tools”. It’s knowing when to let AI handle the repetitive/analytical work so you can focus on strategy and relationship building.
AI handles volume and speed so you can handle trust, nuance and vision.
Which of these are you already using?