CDS DS Podcast Episode 4 Goes Live

As the dust settles on DSEI 2025, the UK’s largest defence and security exhibition, we’re taking a step back to look beyond the stands, banners, and technology to focus on the people who make these events truly valuable.

While thousands of attendees walked the halls exploring innovations and meeting new contacts, another group was hard at work behind the scenes: the sales and business development professionals. These are the people who pull visitors in, build relationships, and turn conversations into opportunities that can shape the future of our industry.

But what’s the real difference between Sales and Business Development?
It’s a question that a few people including our host Karl Rees have wondered about.

“Before I joined CDS DS, I thought they were the same thing, ” “But as I’ve learned, there’s a lot more to it than that.”

In this latest episode of The Briefing Room, Karl is joined by Andy Davis, Business Development Principal at CDS Defence & Security, to explore the nuances between the two roles, and why understanding that distinction matters.

Together, they unpack how sales tends to focus on the “here and now,” driving short-term results and closing specific opportunities, while business development looks further ahead, building trust, understanding client needs, and developing partnerships that may take months or even years to mature.

Andy explains that business development is about much more than just making introductions or exchanging business cards. It’s about listening to customers, understanding their challenges, and connecting them with the right solutions and expertise, even if the benefit isn’t immediate.

“Business development is about relationships” “It’s about being present in your clients’ world, understanding what they need, and helping them find ways to deliver it, even when they’re not actively buying.”

The conversation also touches on how large events like DSEI fit into that long-term process. While the show floor might seem like a flurry of quick interactions, the real value often lies in the groundwork laid months beforehand, and the follow-ups that happen long after the event closes.

Throughout the episode, Karl and Andy shed light on the strategic side of business development, dispelling the myth that it’s all “dinners and golf days,” and showing how crucial it is in a relationship-driven sector like defence.

Episode 4 marks another milestone for The Briefing Room, following earlier discussions on Digital Engineering, Secure by Design, and e-Learning. Together, the series continues to highlight the expertise and insight of the people who make CDS Defence & Security what it is.

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://hubs.li/Q03Qdxdv0
🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://hubs.li/Q03QdwgJ0