Business Development Manager

General Responsibilities:
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 to develop and improve the business
work strategically - carrying out necessary planning 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
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.
Experience and skill set:
You''ll need to have:
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
Qualifications:
diploma or degree in business administration or a related field
3 -5 years of experience in similar role