Business Development Manager

• Business development managers are concerned with improving and growing a business, by establishing and developing relationships with customers, suppliers and other partners
• As a business development manager you ll identify new business opportunities in order to generate revenue, improve profitability and help the business grow
• Your work can involve careful strategic planning and positioning in the appropriate markets, or enhancing the operation of the business, position or reputation in some way
• You may have a single role in the organisation or lead a team of staff
• Your work will often reach across all areas of the business

• research and identify new business opportunities - including new markets, growth areas, trends, customers, partnerships, products and services - or new ways of reaching existing markets
• seek out the appropriate contact in an organisation
• generate leads and cold call prospective customers
• meet with customers/clients face to face or over the phone
• foster and develop relationships with customers/clients
• understand the needs of your customers and be able to respond effectively with a plan of how to meet these
• think strategically - seeing the bigger picture and setting aims and objectives in order to develop and improve the business
• work strategically - carrying out necessary planning in order to implement operational changes
• draw up client contracts - depending on the size of company, this task may be completed by someone else or agreements may not be as formal
• have a good understanding of the businesses products or services and be able to advise others about them
• ensure staff are on board throughout the organisation, and understand the need for change and what is required of them
• train members of your team, arranging external training where appropriate
• discuss promotional strategy and activities with the marketing department
• liaise with the finance team, warehousing and logistics departments as appropriate
• seek ways of improving the way the business operates
• attend seminars, conferences and events where appropriate
• keep abreast of trends and changes in the business world.

• You ll work in an office environment, but will frequently travel within the day for face-to-face meetings with customers and other business partners.
• It can be challenging trying to create new business opportunities, in addition to the constant pressure of meeting or exceeding targets. However, business development is quite a creative role and can be very satisfying.
• You may have the responsibility of managing a team and their output.
• You ll be expected to dress smartly, especially for meetings, though slightly more relaxed business casual attire may be acceptable at other times.
• Depending on the type of business, overnight or overseas travel may be required.

• tenacity and drive to seek new business and meet or exceed targets
• an excellent telephone manner for making initial contact and for ongoing communication with customers and business associates
• interpersonal skills for building and developing relationships with clients
• written and verbal communication skills - needed for communicating with a range of people, both internally and externally, as well as presentation skills
• IT skills, including the use of spreadsheets
• teamworking skills and a collaborative approach to work
• decision-making skills
• the ability to multitask and prioritise your workload
• project management and organisational skills
• the ability to motivate yourself and set your own goals
• negotiating skills
• the ability to think strategically
• the ability to analyse sales figures and write reports
• a flexible approach to work with the ability to adapt to a fast-paced, ever-changing environment
• initiative and the confidence to start things from scratch.

Alternatively, you may work across many different businesses, but with a specific focus on either: