A business developer is a professional responsible for the commercial development of a company. He is responsible for prospecting new customers, negotiating contracts and retaining existing customers.
According to a Sales Hacker survey, 29% of companies are looking for Business Developers who can adapt quickly to changes in the market: new technological trends, tools, competition.
But that's not the only quality recruiters are looking for. The preferred candidates are the profiles:
Determined - because selling is highly strategic
Empathetic - to adapt to the prospects in front of them
Curious - to become an expert in their market
Organized - to manage daily multi-tasking
No coincidence that this is also the type of candidate we select on our Bootcamp. A session will start on October 16, ready to take your career to the next level? 🚀
Now let's take a closer look at what businesses are looking for in their future Business Developers. Who knows, maybe you will recognize yourself?
The profiles determined
Businesses want professionals who are committed to achieving their goals, regardless of the challenges they face. So when faced with sales goals, they will have the motivation to reach them.
That is to say profiles that:
Set clear and ambitious goals, such as “increasing sales by 20% over a quarter.” Show their determination by developing a detailed plan to achieve the goals, with specific steps to follow. They accompany them with criteria for measuring progress and achievement.Remain resilient in the face of failures: determined Business Developers are not discouraged by setbacks. During potential selection interviews, do not hesitate to give examples of learning from failures: show that you see your failures as lessons.
The height of determination:
🤩 Arrive at the job interview with a list of prospects you've been looking for. It shows your desire to participate in the growth of the business.
🤩 Send the recruiter a follow-up email after your interview.
🤩 For your last interview, especially in young organizations, create and present a presentation on the actions you want to take during the first 90 days.
Determination is also reflected in how you search for a job. We have prepared tips for you on how to stand out when applying.
The success of B2B salespeople depends very heavily on the success of their customers. Empathy is therefore an imperative skill for a Sales person.
Empathic profiles
Businesses want Business Developers who understand the needs and concerns of their customers.
The first way to show that you are empathetic is... To show empathy to the recruiter:
👉 Be attentive during your exchanges, adopt a real active listening posture and use classical techniques ofActive listening.
👉 Ask open-ended questions (how, why...) that allow you to better understand him and the company.
👉 Show that you understand your interlocutor: take notes, and reuse the information shared from one interview to the next.
Quality listening will benefit you later with prospects, customers and other stakeholders. It will have a strong impact on the quality of the ideas you propose.
Strong empathy makes you agile in relationships: knowing when to be transparent, when to try to be funny, when to keep your mouth shut. A sales adage says that prospects buy with their emotions, and then justify their decision by reason...
It's not as easy as it seems.
👉 Learning to identify the non-verbal signals of your interlocutors can be learned, and allows you to better understand their emotions and intentions.
Several sales techniques incorporate active listening. We wrote an article about the famous SPIN method.
In the eyes of a recruiter as well as your future boss, profiles eager for information shine more than others.
Curious profiles
Businesses are looking for professionals who are able to ask 5X the question “Why?” ” (see the method), whether in front of a prospect, a customer or a colleague. They want profiles that are constantly looking for new ideas, opportunities and solutions.
Be eager for new knowledge
Ask questions and explore new horizons. Sign up for newsletters. Follow influencers in your sector.
Stay up to date on the industry
👌 Show your curiosity by staying up to date on trends and developments in your sector, which will allow you to bring new ideas to your customers. During the interview, share figures from studies you have read.
👌 If your product or service is technological, invest in the acquisition of technical skills (e.g. online certificates, MOOCs) to better understand and communicate its benefits.
Set up competitive intelligence
Always be aware of what competitors are doing and know their strengths and weaknesses.
Broaden your horizons
Look for inspiration outside of your field. Innovative ideas often come from elsewhere. Thanks for the podcasts!
Are you curious to know how Business Developer recruitment interviews work? One of our articles gives you the answer 🙂.
Finally, organization is the skill that makes the recruiter work with you on a daily basis.
Organized profiles
Organized profiles are among the most productive Sales. Here are our productivity tips:
1. Make full use of Google Calendar to organize your days
❇️ If you have a business proposal to submit, add it as an event to your calendar as a reminder.
❇️ Set reminders to re-confirm all of your demos and meetings.
❇️ Keep your calendar up to date. If some activities take longer than expected, reflect that on your calendar.
2. Optimize the use of your mailbox
❇️ If one of your emails is successful, save it as a template and reuse it for other prospects.
❇️ Be sure to follow its effectiveness, and don't be discouraged if it takes several attempts before getting a response.
3. Evaluate your organization regularly
❇️ Identify what is working well and what could be improved. For example, meet your peers! It feeds inspiration.
❇️ Be ready to make adjustments to your organization process to remain effective.
We created a checklist to help you successfully apply for a Business Developer position.
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Do you have questions about Akimbo and Sales & Business Development jobs? Book a free 15-minute chat using the team's agenda, which is available below.
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Do you have questions about Akimbo and Sales & Business Development jobs? Book a 15 minute free exchange thanks to the team agenda, it is accessible below.
