Business Development Manager Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

This position will prospect for new clients/business by networking, cold calling, advertising, or other means of generating interest from potential clients. They must then plan persuasive approaches and pitches that will convince potential clients to do business with ABC Company. They are also required to grow and retain existing accounts by presenting new solutions and services to clients. Business Development Managers work with mid and senior level management, marketing, and technical staff. Strategic planning is a key part of this job description, since it is the business manager’s responsibility to develop the pipeline of new business coming in to ABC Company.

Duties

• Seek for new business by cold call activities, networking, and lead generation & qualification
• Prospect for potential new clients and turn this into increased business
• Cold call as appropriate within your market or geographic area to ensure a robust pipeline of new opportunities
• Meet potential clients by growing, maintaining, and leveraging your network
• Understand customer’s needs and perform site surveys
• Work with operations and sales support teams to develop proposals that meet the client’s needs, concerns, and objectives
• Participate in pricing the solution/service
• Handle objections by clarifying, emphasizing agreements and working through differences to a positive conclusion
• Maintain reporting of leads, in-progress active prospects and sales forecast in Salesforce
• Forecast sales targets and ensure they are met
• Track and record activity on accounts and help to close deals to meet these targets
• Special projects and other duties as assigned

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Experience

• 2+ years of experience, including finding, qualifying, and closing new business primarily through cold calls and self-generated leads

Other

• Demonstrated success in selling services or other intangible business offerings
• Must be comfortable presenting complete solutions in groups settings
• Preferred experience selling facilities services within manufacturing, pharmaceutical, sanitation, food & beverage, etc.
• Track record of being organized, efficient, and able to manage a high number of prospects at different stages of the sales process
• Hunter sales mentality, goal driven and self-motivated
• Collaborative with ability to work successfully with internal operations and sales support teams
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office
• Knowledge of Salesforce or another CRM desirable
• Self-disciplined, results driven, and accustomed to winning sales awards through consistent high performance

Licenses

• A valid driver’s license

Typical duties and responsibilities

• Develop and execute business development, marketing, and external communications programs
• Manage the development of client-specific pitch materials
• Plan and support business development events, including seminars, webinars, and dinners
• Provide strategic business development advice to law firm leadership and partners focused on the generation of new business leads, expansion of existing clients, and new projects and initiatives
• Manage and coordinate the firm’s website, newsletter, brochure, and other external communications
• Oversee and assist with the production of marketing materials

Education and experience

This position requires a bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or a related field; an MBA is preferred. Multiple years of experience in marketing and business development, and previous law firm experience is highly desirable.

Required skills and qualifications

• Highly organized
• Able to manage multiple tasks and projects concurrently
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Experience with — and a strong understanding of — marketing and advertising
• Ability to provide consistent and high-quality work under tight deadlines
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
• Excellent time management skills
• Keen attention to detail

Preferred qualifications

• 5+ years of management inside of a business
• Strong marketing knowledge
• Master’s degree in business administration or a related field

The business development manager collaborates with many stakeholders within ABC Company, notably with the sales teams, solution managers, and product managers.

What you will do

• Build key partnerships across the region with industry’s players and expand the brand
• Identify, select and nurture new business with key regional accounts
• Investigate new sales enablers such as new channels and new commercialization models
• Plan and coordinate sales trainings, launch events and regional events to ensure maximum adoption
• Establish regional marketing strategy and deploy with marketing support
• Build regional go-to-market plans with sales to maximize adoption and penetration of the markets
• In collaboration with the product and solutions team, coach sales teams on solution positioning, strategy, and roadmap

What we’re looking for

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or telecommunications technology
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant sales or business development experience
• Fluency in English (Spanish would be an asset)
• Autonomous, well-organized, and results-oriented
• Customer-driven
• Innovative and creative problem solver (capable of visioning and ability to generate ideas)
• Possess strong leadership and interpersonal skills
• Ability to build strong partnerships and relationships
• Most effective in a team environment
• Strong work ethic and integrity
• Effective written and verbal communicator

The role of our Business Development Manager is to drive and grow revenue by generating leads and closing sales through cold calling, research, networking, and creating opportunities in your assigned territory. 

Responsibilities

• Consistently meet and exceed your revenue targets through the identification and closing of new business opportunities
• Prepare winning proposals, client negotiations, and presentations for your territory
• Identify revenue gaps and implement relevant strategies to achieve targets
• Seek and identify new business prospects for ABC Company
• Prospect, pitch, and close sales actioning marketing-generated leads as well as self-generating prospects in assigned territory
• Maintain an awareness of competitor activity and make recommendations to the leadership team
• Build and maintain client relationships to ensure high levels of sales service and a customer-centric approach
• Actively participate in the building of sales products based on client needs
• Provide management with weekly client updates and accurate sales forecasting
• Open doors with key decision-makers at publishers and media organizations

Skills and experience required

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience favorable
• 4 years experience in a revenue-focused sales role within the digital marketing/advertising, social software, or SaaS industry
• Proven to thrive in a start-up environment
• Proven record of prospecting, growing, and managing revenue
• Expertise in the digital marketing ecosystem, including video, brand content, and social insights
• Knowledge of licensing copyrighted content is preferable
• Strong computer skills, including Excel, PowerPoint, Google tool-set and other cloud-based business tools
• An expansive network of publisher and media connections
• Experience using a CRM system (salesforce preferable)
• Strategic consultative solutions seller with an ability to influence decision-makers through informed conversations
• Expert social selling and networking abilities
• Ability to proactively build an extensive list of prospects
• Attention to detail and the ability to manage time and client needs effectively
• Exceptional communicator with business writing skills
• A self-starter able to partner for success with cross functional teams
• An additional language, preferably Spanish is desirable
• Some travel may be required