How to Hire a Business Development Manager

Why hire a business development manager?

Adding new people to your staff can impact your bottom line, but a great business development manager hire can help you:

• Collaborate with design and sales teams to make sure sales collateral and expectations are met
• Negotiate contracts and expectations with prospective clients
• Research competitor offerings and suggest different selling strengths

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance business development manager

Before writing your business development manager job description or interviewing candidates, decide whether you need a full-time or freelance employee.

A full-time business development manager is typically well-integrated, making collaboration between departments easier. These relationships may help when drawing on experience to develop new sales or marketing strategies.

A freelance business development manager often works remotely. They may be charged with developing the business strategy for a specific project or campaign, similar to a business consultant. Freelance business developers are an appealing option for start-ups and small businesses interested in scaling with a limited staffing budget.

What are the ranks of business development managers?

When preparing to hire a business development manager, it’s important to understand their position in the company’s hierarchy. Business development managers can occupy a variety of management and entry-level jobs, depending on their experience level. Starting from the highest position to the lowest, here are the common ranks of business development managers:

• Chief business development officer or business development executive: The chief business development officer leads the business development department and oversees the performance of all departments. They focus on building high-level business relationships and closing major deals.
• Regional business development manager: Regional managers plan and direct company growth strategies using business analytics. They typically work on special projects and oversee a division of a large company or multinational corporation.
• Business development officer or business developer: A business development officer uses sales and marketing knowledge to help win over new clients and expand the company’s reach.
• Business development trainee: A trainee works alongside senior management to develop strategies to attract and retain new clients.

Where to find business development managers

To find the right business development manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Hire from within. Are there any current employees eager for an opportunity to advance? Evaluate your current team for an eligible business development manager. 
• Network. Connect with potential candidates at business training conferences and seminars. Have business cards ready when introducing yourself and your company.
• Ask experienced business professionals. Ask veterans of your industry if they’re aware of business development talent searching for a new job.
• Make a blog post. Post about the job opening on the company blog or another easily accessible section of the website.
• Post your job online. Try posting your business development manager job on Indeed to find and attract quality business development manager candidates.

What are the ranks of business development managers?

When preparing to hire a business development manager, it’s important to understand their position in the company’s hierarchy. Business development managers can occupy a variety of management and entry-level jobs, depending on their experience level. Starting from the highest position to the lowest, here are the common ranks of business development managers:

• Chief business development officer or business development executive: The chief business development officer leads the business development department and oversees the performance of all departments. They focus on building high-level business relationships and closing major deals.
• Regional business development manager: Regional managers plan and direct company growth strategies using business analytics. They typically work on special projects and oversee a division of a large company or multinational corporation.
• Business development officer or business developer: A business development officer uses sales and marketing knowledge to help win over new clients and expand the company’s reach.
• Business development trainee: A trainee works alongside senior management to develop strategies to attract and retain new clients.

Writing a business development manager job description

Finding qualified business development managers is dependent on your job description. A business development manager job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your business development manager job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on business development manager jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Business development
• Business development manager
• Sales manager
• Sales
• Manager
• Business administration
• Business management
• Management
• Remote work from home
• Business

Interviewing business development manager candidates

Strong candidates for business development manager positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• A proven track record for business sales in relevant markets
• Their proficiency in delivering presentations and sales pitches
• Technical skills surrounding your specific product

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of business development manager interview questions for examples (with sample answers).