Job Description - Business Development Manager (BDM)

‍Business Development Manager: the definition

Meaning of the word and translation

The Business Development Manager (BDM) is very often confused with Business Developer. But what is the difference? Well, it's subtle: BDMs are more often found in companies that market services (advice, communication, engineering...). On the other hand, startups that market softwares (e.g. SaaS) use the Business Developer title more. In both cases, the missions are almost identical (Modulo the subtleties of selling software).

The BDM therefore executes the commercial acquisition strategy and plays the role of a 360° commercial responsible for all stages of the sale. For this reason, it is often found in small sales teams, or in larger structures with slightly or moderately complex sales.

Business Development Manager suchlike Business Developer, this is the position joined by most Akimbers after their Bootcamp at Akimbo!

He seeks to maximize the profitability and competitiveness of his company by working, for example, on customer targeting, or negotiating and closing during customer meetings.

In half of the cases, he Manage a small team of salespeople (permanent, work-study, interns), but not always! A BDM can work in many industries such as services, cybersecurity, industry, and sometimes also B2B SaaS software or even e-commerce. It is also called BizDev Manager.

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What is business development?

The definition of Business Development (business development) is often unknown. In common language, Business Development (BD) refers to commercial activity in a broad sense. In the theoretical sense of the term, it refers to a part of commercial activity aimed at improving performance and results. on the first half of the sales cycle :

• Targeting new customers (choice of customer verticals) to identify new markets for products or services;
• Development of partnerships (indirect sales);
• Implementation and execution of the prospecting strategy;
• But also pre-qualification.

Then, it is supposed to pass the baton to the Sales team: we therefore exclude the key steps of negotiation, Closing and customer loyalty.

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What are the role and missions of a Business Development Manager?

As indicated, the main task of a BDM is to identify new business opportunities in order to improve the profitability and competitiveness of a company. However, depending on the main field of activity (sales, product or marketing), its missions may be different.

Although the missions of BDMs vary according to their industry, daily tasks often remain similar:

• Setting goals and develop plans to strengthen the company's profits;
• Analyze the business opportunities potentials;
• Search for potential prospects on target markets (prospecting);
• Elaborate offers and contracts for potential customers;
• Attach goals for the team business development and develop strategies to achieve these goals; ‍
• Train the sales team ;
• Follow up with various customers throughout sales cycle.

The tools of a Bizdev Manager

A Business Development Manager uses numerous tools to carry out his missions. There are technical tools such as CRM or even common tools such as social networks. Mastering these tools allows him to effectively meet the expectations of his team, his company and his customers.

Thus, to be efficient, a BDM must be able to handle all types of tools:

• The CRM tool, the essential tool for prospecting or for generating Leads : Salesforce, HubSpot, Sellsy, Pipedrive, Zoho ;
• LinkedIn, as a professional social network: makes it possible to identify new potential prospects;
• Prospecting tools: Aircall, SalesLoft, Dropcontact, Kaspr ;
• Tools for organizing appointments: Google Meet, Zoom, etc.

Why become a Business Development Manager?

Currently, the BDM position is very trending, whether among recruiters, among young people or even among job seekers. Many businesses are fighting for them nowadays!

The main mission of a BDM? Develop the business from a commercial point of view : its results, its position on the market and its reputation. As a major point of contact between the company and customers, it has a very great responsibility. In a way, he embodies the business to customers.

If this job is so intriguing, it's because it offers rich career opportunities and covers many fields of activity. The proposed salary is particularly attractive given the highly strategic role of a BDM within a company.

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What are the 5 qualities of a good Business Development Manager?

What is a good Business Development Manager?

A good BDM has different qualities: a great Relational ease, a good listening skills, a certain resiliency, a excellent sense of organization And a good stress management.

A BDM can communicate with customers from a variety of industries. Son Relational ease And its editorial skills will be very useful in complex situations such as negotiation Or of conflicts. As a manager, the BDM is able to manage stress levels. Controlling stress and emotions is essential in this position. Without this control, the stress experienced by the BDM is communicated to the rest of its sales team and leads to poor results for the company. A good BDM knows how to recognize mistakes and manages to improve throughout their career.

How to be a good Bizdev Manager?

Be empathetic and caring

A good BDM listens to team members and manages to manage tensions between them. Becoming an effective manager does not mean becoming a boss who constantly gives orders. On the contrary, a good manager is at the service of its team and make sure she has everything she needs.

An effective BDM knows how to put himself in the shoes of each member of his team and his prospects. This ability allows it to identify the needs and expectations of each individual, which is particularly effective when implementing its prospecting strategy.

‍Have experience and continue to learn

To be able to manage a team, experience in the field is essential. Managing a team is not an easy task. It requires numerous skills and qualities. These skills are not always innate. They require work and time. This is why a good manager is constantly trained both for his business development and management actions.

Any BDM, whether junior or senior, whether or not he manages a team, is continuously trained to optimize his performances and his skills and to be able to support his team.

‍Be the driving force behind your team

A BDM must try to find the right words and to motivate his team in all circumstances. In all situations, he must encourage his team and find solutions to meet the problems of each of its members. It is necessary to encourage your teams by offering them professional perspectives, by showing them their value but also by helping them get the promotions and salary increases that go with them.

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How do I become a Business Development Manager?

Skills required

BDMs need a variety of technical skills in order to effectively carry out their missions. Of communication skills, in organizing Or in time management will facilitate the accomplishment of the missions of this position.

In other words, the skills required to access the BDM position are as follows:

• Great relational ease
• Excellent writing skills
• Good organization
• Time and stress management
• Technical and computer skills
• Good understanding of numbers and data skills
• Adaptability
• Spirit of conquest and innovation
• Ability to identify new opportunities

What studies and training are required?

It does not exist at the moment no specific training for this job. However, academic courses focused on business development may be available in some universities and colleges. Recruiters generally require skills and experience in sales or strategic management. A few years, even a few months, in the field of sales accompanied by good results are sufficient.

Akimbo you allows you to integrate training in the form of Bootcamp intensive. This course prepares you for Sales and Business Development jobs, including Business Development Manager. Admission is selective.

In a nutshell, the Bootcamp:

• Offers you 2 months of training to become efficient throughout the sales cycle, and to become a Business Development Manager;
• Allows you to unhook a CDI thanks to interviews that We trigger among our 250+ partner startups;
• Brings you a big mastery of the tools required in the BDM profession.

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‍Adapted conversion profiles

Professionals with experience in the field of commerce or business development are particularly likely to become the new BDMs of tomorrow. VRP, VDI, technical sales, business developer or other, many profiles can become Business Developer Manager.

If you don't have any Background commercial, no problem! You can start by training in commercial development and take a first job as a business developer.

Do you have questions? Do not hesitate to ask our support coach about your possible retraining.

What career developments are there for this position?

A BDM is able to work in all types of sectors, especially in those with a high demand for innovation, such as the world of start-ups or web 3. The skills of a BDM are highly sought after.

After a few years of experience, a BDM can start a career as a business consultant, start their own consulting business, or become a sales manager.

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What is the salary for a Business Development Manager?

How much does a Business Developer earn?

The Salary for a Business Developer varies according to the number of sales and goals made. In general, it respects a package system. A package consists of two salaries: a fixed salary and a variable salary, recorded annually. On average, the variable's share is around 30%, although it can reach up to 100%.

A junior profile will not receive the same salary as a senior profile. The salary depends on several factors: seniority, the number of sales made, your ability to negotiate the salary, the sector of activity, the languages mastered, etc.

Junior Business Developers generally earn between 32 k€ and 42 k€ gross, with a variable around 10-12 k€ and seniors receive a salary of between 60 k€ to 100 k€ gross per year, with a larger portion of the variable.

Junior Business Development Manager

A Junior BDM starts with a gross annual package around 45 k€ per year. The package includes the variable annual salary at 100% of the objectives.

‍Senior Business Development Manager

The most experienced BDMs can earn up to 100 - 150 k€ per year as a package.

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The different jobs in Business Development

The titles you need to know

- Business Developer

- Head of Sales

- Sales Manager/Sales Director

- VP Sales

- etc.

What is a Head of Sales, a sales manager?

The Head of Sales or commercial director is responsible for the commercial and strategic activities of a company. His main role is to increase sales and the turnover of the company in which he works. He supervises all activities related to commercial development. He is also very involved in recruiting and managing his team.

What is a VP Sales?

One VP Sales, also appointed sales director or sales manager, manages a team of several senior salespeople and defines the commercial policy of his company. His role is to establish a commercial strategy in order to increase sales, competitiveness and turnover of his company. He often manages Head of Sales (France, Germany, etc.).

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Our advice for entering the right job offer

Finding the right job offer in a short period of time is not easy. First of all, start by prioritizing your job search on recognized sites such as JobTeaser, LinkedIn or Welcome To The Jungle. This will prevent you from wasting time with offers that are not verified and do not provide enough information about the position.

What are your motivations? What do you expect from your position, from your company? What are your soft skills, qualities and expectations? : Here are some questions to ask yourself before applying for a job.

A job offer, in order for it to deserve your attention, must contain several pieces of information, be clear and precise, and include a minimum of care in its presentation. Don't just rely on what the company is selling you in their job offer. Check out reviews and experiences so you're not baffled on your first day at work.

When you consult a job offer, you need to find certain information:

• the sector of activity;
• company culture and size;
• the location of the post;
• missions;
• the skills required;
• the type of contract and its duration.

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How do you recruit a good Business Developer Manager?

Before recruiting your new BDM, it is necessary that you ensure that your candidate has the appropriate skills and qualities for this position. In particular, he must know how to manage a team, make decisions quickly and manage stress. To check if he is capable of it, you can have him do scenarios or case studies. Conduct several types of interviews to be sure that your candidate is a good fit for the position.

A BDM has many different facets that require a variety of fundamental skills. So be sure to check that the candidate has the following characteristics during the interview:

• Experience in management and business development

Your new BDM will be responsible for a whole sales team. It is therefore essential that he knows how to manage conflicts and that he has experience in the fields of management and business development in order to be able to best help his team.

• Fast decision making and responsiveness

To enable his company and his team to be efficient, a good BDM makes the right decisions quickly.

• Good stress management and a great sense of listening

However, it should be remembered that skills and experience are not everything. To achieve quality recruitment, it is possible to challenge him with different tests such as a group interview and introduce him to the team he will work with in the future if selected.

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