Business development consultants play a crucial role in the growth of companies – helping to identify business weaknesses and actualising opportunities for growth. You'll need a good sales head on you – backed up by a thorough understanding of business administration.
Day to day work in business development jobs.
For this role, you'll need a well-rounded understanding of the opportunities that exist for your employer as well as an ability to analyse information from different sources. As it's a business growth role, it's likely that you'll be on the phone a lot but also will be meeting with clients and leads face to face.
You'll also be working closely with the key decision makers within the company and colleagues working in sales, marketing and accounts. Expect your role to include the following tasks and areas of responsibility:
- Identifying new business opportunities.
- Developing leads and contacting potential customers.
- Devising sales strategies and implementing them.
- Meeting face to face with existing customers regularly.
- Keeping up to date with trends within your sector.
- Liaising with colleagues and making sure aims are shared and worked towards.
- Making sure targets are met periodically.
- Generating reports and presenting an analysis of marketing and sales progress.
Qualifications and experience needed.
Most companies will be looking for at least a bachelor’s degree in business administration or directly related fields but some will also be looking for a Masters, for example, an MBA.
You'll also need experience with client management software such as SalesForce – as well as good Excel ability. Experience of working within a business development or had a role as a head in sales environment is normally needed– anything from two to five years is typical.
Skills.
You'll need to be great with data analysis and have very good written and verbal communication skills. You'll also need to have a flair for pitching and have a thorough understanding of how businesses work (at all levels) and where their opportunities lie. Good research, planning and reporting skills are a must – as you'll be reporting to higher management and even board level on a regular basis.
Personality.
If you're able to spot opportunities and hunt out ways of making more money for your employer then this could be the role for you. You'll need to be a great relationship builder and have a persuasive personality with an aptitude for sales. Go-getter, tenacious, resilient self-starter types may also work well in this role but you'll need to be level headed, great at analysing opportunities and a good decision maker – as this will always be a results-driven role.
Opportunities.
Although opportunities are likely to be working for medium-sized to larger organisations, freelance opportunities also exist. Expect performance-related income, without too many limits as long as you're prepared to put the hours in.
Summary.
If you enjoy fast-paced environments that are results driven then this type of role might be for you. Business development is always going to be a necessary part of any enterprise, so if you have the right kind of background it's likely to be a rewarding career – both personally and financially.
