7 skills you need to succeed in marketing and business development

If you’re drawn to a fast-paced, people-focused career that combines creativity with commercial strategy, marketing and business development could be the right fit.

Success in these roles often means working across markets, interpreting customer needs, and contributing to commercial outcomes, sometimes in unfamiliar environments or under tight deadlines.

These kinds of skills can be introduced in the classroom, but they’re developed by applying them—whether that’s collaborating with international teams, completing a hands-on internship, or solving business problems in real-world settings.

BusinessBecause spoke to Matthew Pommier, a student on the MSc in International Marketing and Business Development at emlyon business school, to find out how the skills he’s learning are preparing him for a successful career. 

7 Skills You Need To Succeed In Marketing And Business Development

1. You’ll develop networking skills that will help you progress your career

For Matthew (pictured), one of the most valuable aspects of his Master of Science has been the connections he’s made.

Prior to joining emlyon business school, Matthew studied business and as an undergrad in Canada. Wanting to return to his native France, he chose emlyon for its location, for its new campus—opened in 2024—and also because he knew it would introduce him to a cohort of students from diverse international backgrounds.

“The international offering at emlyon really appealed to me. I wanted to be surrounded by international people with a broad range of business backgrounds and add a great name to my resume.” 

Students in the MSc program build their network through a range of real-world experiences. These include company visits during a one-week international seminar abroad—designed to bridge academic learning with industry exposure—as well as consulting and in-company projects where students work directly with professionals. Many also expand their networks further during a four- to six-month internship in France or abroad.

This hands-on learning is complemented by access to emlyon’s global network: more than 48,000 alumni in 130 countries, and over 2,000 recruiting companies across all programs.

Matthew says that during his time at emlyon he has grown not only his professional network, but personal connections too. 

“From day one we have been building real relationships. I think that’s really valuable, because in 10, 20 years, these are the people we’ll be able to reach out to.” 

2. You’ll learn how to adapt to different environments

As part of the program at emlyon, students spend several months abroad and also attend an international seminar. Matthew is currently in Vietnam, where he’s working on an in-company project and taking classes at a partner school.

“I’m still figuring out how to adapt myself here,” he says. “It’s really interesting to see how an emerging market functions from the inside.”

While in Vietnam, Matthew and his fellow students have worked with a company on a project in real time. They visited the business on-site and presented their recommendations directly to the board.

“You know your work is going to be used—or at least considered—by real business people, not just graded by a professor,” he says.

“We’re really learning about adaptability through this process of understanding a different market, and how to adapt either a vision or a product.”

He adds that his time spent in Vietnam has been personally transformative, particularly as he had never visited Asia before.

“It’s helped me grow as an individual,” he says. “I’m still figuring out how to adapt myself here, but being in a different environment pushes you to grow.”

3. You’ll learn how to work with people from different cultures

During the MSc in International Marketing and Business Development, students take part in multiple team-based projects—such as the Transforming Early Makers (TEM) project and the In-Company Project—where they apply their skills in real-world, often multicultural business settings.

For Matthew, learning to collaborate with people from different cultural backgrounds has been particularly valuable.

“Working in such an international environment is interesting. There are around 40 nationalities in my cohort,” he says. “I’ve learned we don’t all work in the same way, which can be challenging, but it’s something you need to be aware of.”

A key takeaway from his time at emlyon has, he says, been understanding different working styles and how to collaborate effectively with international peers.

4. You’ll hone your analytical skills 

At emlyon, studying international business and marketing strategies means developing core skills in market analysis, with a focus on global markets and organizations. Students also explore areas such as branding, promotion, data-driven marketing, and negotiation techniques.

“In Lyon, we really focused on analyzing the market and understanding how to fit it,” says Matthew. “Then in Vietnam, we got to see how an emerging market actually works. It made everything we learned more tangible.”

Guest speakers from different industries—including tech, services, marketing and digital marketing—added further perspective on how these skills are applied in the field.

5. You’ll learn the art of negotiation

Negotiation plays a central role in both marketing and business development—whether you're discussing pricing with clients or pitching ideas internally. But it can be a difficult skill to build without hands-on practice.

For Matthew, learning about negotiation was a program highlight.

“Negotiation can be quite conceptual, but the classes were great,” he says. “The professor really focused on the human side, and we were paired with classmates chosen as our best match. I felt like I learned a lot.”

6. You’ll become more resilient

A high-stakes career often involve tight deadlines and quick decision-making. Learning to stay focused under pressure is a key part of career preparation.

Matthew says the program’s academic rigor helped him build that resilience.

“The program challenges you, but I see that as a good thing. If it were too easy, it would detract from the value of the experience,” he says.

7. You’ll learn how to develop a project from the ground up

Launching a new campaign or entering a new market often starts with developing an idea and then testing it against real-world constraints.

As part of the MSc in International Marketing and Business Development, students complete a TEM (Transforming Early Makers) project, which challenges them to build a business concept in a specific industry, with a sustainable focus.

This required working in a team to a tight deadline, after which students present their project to the whole cohort of almost 200 people.

“We had to apply everything we had learned about marketing and business development by creating an actual business. It was hard, but a great experience,” Matthew concludes. 

From navigating new markets to working across cultures, Matthew’s experience shows how marketing and business development demand a broad set of skills—many of which are best learned through doing. For students, that means looking beyond the classroom and choosing a program that offers both structure and stretch.