what is a business development representative?
A business development representative works in a sales team that uses cold email, cold calls and networking to bring new business opportunities to the company. Business development usually drives strategic opportunities for an organisation by building partnerships and growth. It leverages the sales teams for lead generation and creates new business opportunities.
As a business development representative, you are invaluable in creating inbound opportunities. You ensure every channel is optimised to provide the sales team with good leads. While you generate leads, you don't convert them. That's why you work with the sales teams to support them by providing strong leads that are easy to convert.
The role of a business development representative is to spark interest in products and services. You can work for small start-ups that want to expand quickly or large companies that need a constant supply of new leads to optimise revenue. Most business development representatives engage with prospects or generate leads through digital marketing. However, if the organisation needs more leads, you engage with potential buyers directly. Unlike your partners in the sales department, you don't get the satisfaction of closing a deal or completing a sale, but you still contribute to a company's growth.
find your jobaverage salary of a business development representative
According to Payscale, business development executives earn a salary of ₹311,223 per year. As an entry-level business development executive with less than a year of experience, you receive a salary of ₹178,000 annually. Senior business development executives earn over ₹617,000 per year.
factors that affect the salary of a business development representative
The main factors influencing your salary in India include location, experience, skills and employer. Experience has a significant impact on your earnings. For instance, new and inexperienced business development executives earn almost 18% less than average, while the most experienced professionals earn double the average salary.
Where you work has a huge impact on your earning potential. The demand and the cost of living in an area affect your earnings. For instance, working in Bangalore increases your earning potential by 42.7%. Other locations in India with higher salaries for business development executives include Chennai, Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad. Regions with the lowest salaries are Pune, Maharashtra and New Delhi.
The skills you have also affect your earnings. In business development, the most important skills are account management and branding. Having these skills boosts your salary significantly.
types of business development representatives
Some of the types of business development representatives include:
- B2B business development representatives: as a business development representative, you find clients for your company. You cold-call prospective businesses and do social selling to improve the chances of landing a major client.
- B2C business development representatives: as a B2C business development representative, you look for clients and prospective businesses from consumers instead of other businesses. You generate leads from the traffic to the company's website and identify potential buyers.
working as a business development representative
Working as a business development representative requires creativity and people skills to generate leads. Discover the day-to-day duties, work environment and schedule for the role.
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business development representative job description
The typical duties of a business development representative include:
- researching new markets: as a business development representative, you research your employer's market share and look for untapped markets. You also research new channels where ideal customers hang out and use the data to build customer profiles. You can identify new lead-generation opportunities using behavioural data and insights.
- generating leads: the primary responsibility of a business development representative is to generate leads. After compiling and analysing data from the research, you focus on stimulating and capturing interest in the company's products or services. Based on the traffic to various channels, you populate a list of potential clients to reach out to for business.
- cold calling: as a business development representative, you engage potential leads. Cold calling is an effective technique for engaging new leads. You communicate with prospective clients in real time and customise your responses to the recipient's needs. Cold calling is challenging, and you should practise to build your skills.
- cold emailing your leads: as a business development representative, you use cold emails to test the waters or generate new leads. Your job is to create the campaign emails and ensure they hook the reader or generate interest in the company's products.
- networking with prospective clients: as a business development representative, you don't just connect with customers online. You work with people face-to-face and reassure them of the benefits of working with your company. You build trust and lasting business relationships through networking.
- social selling: as a business development representative, you leverage social media to engage target audiences. You should know the perfect platform to use and the best time of the day to get quality engagements. Social selling makes you an online authority and showcases your expertise in the industry. When you are good at social selling, you build trust with your audience and generate opportunities.
- qualifying leads: as the BDR, you qualify leads by handling the initial conversation to ensure they fit the criteria. The initial meeting is for gathering information instead of trying to close a sale.
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work environment
Business development representatives work in corporate office settings in the marketing or sales departments. The role is mainly a desk job since you spend most of the day completing research and cold-calling prospects from your office. Fortunately, the office environment is climate-controlled, and you enjoy comfortable work settings. Aside from working from the office, sometimes you attend networking events and conferences to meet with prospective clients. The role involves minimal travelling since you use online tools and techniques to generate new leads. You can complete most of the tasks working from home unless you are attending social networking events.
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who are your colleagues?
Business development representatives mainly work with business development managers, brand managers and operations managers. Since your job is to find new business opportunities, you are likely to work with marketing managers, marketing executives and sales executives. Other professionals you are likely to interact with include product managers and customer service representatives.
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work schedule
The work schedule of a business development representative is 40 hours a week. You work the traditional business hours from 9 am to 5 pm. It's possible to complete your tasks during business hours unless you are meeting clients in the evening for social networking. Sometimes, you attend weekend events to meet with prospects or qualify leads face-to-face.
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job outlook
Working as a business development representative gives you insights into managerial responsibilities, especially in sales or marketing. You can progress from the role to become a business development manager. Alternatively, focus on becoming the sales or marketing manager in the company. Some business development representatives become social media or digital marketing specialists due to their expertise in lead generation.
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advantages of finding a business development representative job through randstad
Finding your business development representative job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid on a monthly basis
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a business development representative is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
education and skills
You require educational qualifications to work as a business development executive. Pursue a degree in business administration or business management to gain the relevant knowledge required for the role. A degree in marketing may also be useful in the role.
While a master's is not mandatory, having a master's in business administration (MBA) improves your chances of employment. Just like a bachelor's, you complete entrance exams to pursue an MBA. Some of the top entrance examinations include XAT, CMAT or MAT.
business development representative skills and competencies
Some of the skills needed in business development roles include:
- interpersonal skills: to be a successful business development representative, you need exceptional communication and interpersonal skills. You should communicate clearly with potential leads and marketing team members. Confidence is also crucial when cold-calling prospects.
- creativity: as a BDR, being creative helps you come up with original ideas to reach the target audience. Once you contact a potential customer, you keep them interested in the company's services and products. It is also important to respond creatively to rejections.
- persistence: you need persistence since it takes more than a single cold call or email to get someone interested. Persistence keeps you going in the face of rejection and helps you understand that business development is a long-term proposition.
- business acumen: as a business development representative, you need expert knowledge of the company and its products. It is also important to understand the competition. When you have a business understanding, you will have the tools to make your company stand out.
FAQs about working as a business development representative
Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of a business development representative.
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what are the responsibilities of a business development representative?
As a business development representative, you drive business sales by finding new clients. Unlike sales reps who find customers for products, you focus on B2B sales by convincing existing clients to purchase additional products.
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what is the salary of a business development representative?
As a business development representative, you earn an average of ₹311,223 per year. When you are new to the role, you start with a salary of ₹178,000 annually. With experience and additional qualifications, you are likely to earn over ₹617,000 per year.
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where does a business development representative work?
As a business development representative, you work with businesses to grow their markets and find new clients. You are likely to work in an office environment for marketing consultancy firms, IT organisations and manufacturing companies.
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how do you become a business development representative?
To work as a business development representative in India, you require a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. Aside from a BBA or BBM, consider pursuing an MBA with a specialisation in marketing. When you have the relevant qualifications, build your skills through internships or entry-level roles.
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what skills do you need as a business development representative?
Business development representatives require good negotiation skills to negotiate contracts and prices with prospective clients. While you don't close sales deals, you keep the clients interested by offering solutions to their problems.
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how do I apply for a business development representative vacancy?
Applying for a business development representative job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
