BD Top Trumps – Card #2: Curiosity
At LINAR, we collectively have five kids under the age of seven. Which means at any given moment, someone’s hearing:
“Why?”
“But why?”
“Yeah, but WHY though?”
And the science backs it up: research suggests that young children ask 70–300 questions per day, depending on age and personality. But here’s the catch—by the time we hit adulthood, that questioning tails off dramatically. We stop asking. We stop wondering. We start assuming we know enough.
In sales and business development, that’s a huge, missed opportunity.
The best sales and BD professionals never stop asking. They’re fascinated by what they sell, relentlessly curious about the customer’s world, and allergic to assumption.
This week’s card in our BD Top Trumps deck is all about channelling that childlike curiosity—without having to sit cross-legged on the floor with a Paw Patrol colouring book. Enjoy.
#1. Be curious about what you’re selling
Whether you’re the one delivering the work or representing someone else’s expertise, you have to understand what you’re actually putting in front of a customer. And we don’t mean knowing the headline service. We mean really understanding what it does, how it works, and why it matters.
This is especially important for BD professionals in professional services:
- Can you explain the service in plain language?
- What problem does it solve?
- How does it help the customer grow, reduce risk, stay compliant, or move faster?
- What’s the real-world impact?
If you’re not curious enough to dig into how it works, you’ll never sell it with conviction. Learn the language. Ask the fee earners dumb questions. Get forensic. Because confidence comes from comprehension.
#2. Ask more, assume less
We’ve all been guilty of it: assuming we know what the customer wants. You’ve worked in their sector. You’ve read their latest annual report. You’ve got a hunch.
But assumptions are the silent killer of sales and BD. They shortcut conversations, narrow your view, and lead to generic solutions.
Curious professionals stay open. They ask questions like:
- “What’s changed for you in the last year?”
- “What’s new on the horizon that’s affecting your priorities?”
- “What would a win look like in the next six months?”
These questions show you’re engaged, not just trying to fit them into your sales narrative. They also unearth needs your competition might miss.
#3. Be fascinated by your customers
The most successful salespeople we know? They’re fascinated by their customers. Not in a creepy way. But they actually care.
They prep obsessively.
They follow sector trends.
They connect dots before others have even noticed they’re dots.
Being genuinely interested in your customers’ business gives you more to talk about, more relevance in every conversation, and more insight to add. It stops you being transactional. It makes you indispensable.
If you’re curious, you’re informed. If you’re informed, you’re helpful. And if you’re helpful… you get hired.
Next week: Card #3 – Knowledge
We’ll unpack what it really means to “know your stuff” in BD—beyond just memorising a brochure.
P.S. Know someone who should’ve been a journalist, the way they ask questions? Forward them this card—they’ve probably already seen it, but they’ll appreciate the gesture.
We’re building a team of voice enabled AI assistants to support you with BD activities and allow you to spend more time being human. Interested? We’d love to chat.
