About the Role
We are looking for an experienced Business Development Manager with a strong background in the advertising agency industry. The ideal candidate should have prior experience selling creative, branding, digital marketing, social media, performance marketing, influencer marketing, or integrated advertising solutions.
This role requires someone who understands how agencies work, can identify business opportunities, build long-term client relationships, and convert prospects into retained clients.
Key Responsibilities
- Identify and acquire new clients across startups, SMEs, and enterprise brands.
- Generate qualified leads through networking, referrals, outbound prospecting, industry events, and strategic outreach.
- Understand client marketing challenges and recommend suitable advertising and marketing solutions.
- Pitch the agency's services, prepare presentations, proposals, and commercial quotations.
- Lead client meetings, presentations, and negotiations from initial discussion to contract closure.
- Collaborate with strategy, creative, media, and performance marketing teams to develop winning proposals.
- Build and maintain a healthy sales pipeline using CRM tools.
- Develop relationships with founders, marketing heads, brand managers, and decision-makers.
- Negotiate commercial terms while ensuring profitability for the agency.
- Track market trends, competitor activities, and emerging business opportunities.
- Achieve monthly, quarterly, and annual revenue targets.
- Maintain strong post-sale relationships to encourage repeat business and referrals.
- Represent the agency at networking events, exhibitions, and industry conferences.
Required Skills & Experience
- 3–6 years of business development experience in an advertising agency, digital marketing agency, branding agency, or integrated marketing agency.
- Proven experience selling advertising, branding, digital marketing, social media, creative, or performance marketing services.
- Strong understanding of the advertising ecosystem, campaign planning, and marketing strategies.
- Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to understand client briefs and translate business needs into agency solutions.
- Strong commercial acumen with experience in pricing, proposal development, and contract negotiations.
- Self-driven, target-oriented, and comfortable working in a fast-paced agency environment.
- Experience using CRM platforms and Microsoft Office/Google Workspace.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field.
- Existing network of marketing decision-makers and brand contacts will be an added advantage.
- Experience handling integrated marketing proposals and agency pitches.
What We're Looking For
- Agency experience is mandatory.
- Strong understanding of branding, creative, digital marketing, and media services.
- Confident presenter with excellent storytelling and persuasion skills.
- Ability to independently generate leads and close high-value deals.
- Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for growing agency business.
- Strong interpersonal skills and a consultative approach to sales.
KPIs
- New client acquisition
- Monthly and quarterly revenue targets
- Proposal-to-conversion ratio
- Sales pipeline value
- Client retention and repeat business
- Average deal size
- Revenue generated from new accounts
