Business development manager

Your day-to-day duties could include:

• researching organisations to find new customers and identify who makes the decisions
• ‘cold calling’ to arrange meetings at customers’ premises
• finding out what an organisation needs and working with a team to plan proposals and pricing
• selling products and services to new and existing customers
• negotiating with customers and building positive relationships
• attending events and conferences
• writing reports and making presentations to customers and senior management
• identifying new methods and opportunities for sales campaigns
• forecasting sales targets and making sure they’re met
• delivering training to business developers and junior sales teams

You could work at a client's business or in an office.

With experience, you could progress to senior development manager, business development executive or marketing director.

You could also use your skills in sales, marketing and project management to move into other areas of business.