Business development manager
Controller Job Description
Business development managers are the cornerstone of any successful organisation because they ultimately generate new revenue and help a company grow. The primary objective is to identify new business opportunities. What form this takes will depend on the exact nature of the company. But you’ll more than likely be looking to identify new markets, new partnerships, new ways to reach existing markets, or new product or service offerings to better meet the needs of existing markets. And then you’ll be expected use these opportunities to bring in more revenue. How that happens exactly depends on the industry. It can be a combination of attending events and networking, taking stands at exhibitions and conferences, cold calling, and responding to incoming leads. Business development managers help companies find opportunities to increase their revenue and expand their business. They research potential markets for new customers or new products to help expand the company’s customer base. Business development managers use this research to help them develop business strategies that help their clients provide valuable products and services for their customers and increase brand awareness to convert potential customers into current ones.
One of the primary responsibilities of a Business Development Manager is to be able to communicate clearly and efficiently with all stakeholders. A huge part of business development deals with convincing customers to buy your products or services. It also involves influencing stakeholders to make investments. Business Development Managers should be tactful when handling customers as well as investors. In a business environment, everything is a project. And every project has goals, targets, costs, budgets, deadlines, and teams working to complete it. Business Development Managers are essentially Project Managers who have to handle all these responsibilities, yet on a different level. The “Business” in Business Development Manager means the role requires an understanding of the business – both your own and your competitor’s. They are able to strategize and provide solutions that are beneficial to their business. Business Development Managers should be able to foresee and identify any problems that a project may encounter. Additionally, they should be able to analyze the problem from different perspectives and provide the best possible solution. Being able to adapt and react to any situation thrown at them is an invaluable skill for Business Development Managers. Successful Business Development Managers are those who are able to manage their time exceptionally well. They make use of calendars, apps, tools, or even post-its to monitor their day-to-day activities and adhere to it no matter what. Being a Business Development Manager means possessing the technical skills required to handle different projects. Software such as CRM and Microsoft Office are essential tools that a Business Development Manager should master.
There are no set entry requirements to become a Business Development Manager, but most employers will look for applicants with previous experience in sales, business management, or marketing. A degree or diploma in a related field may be beneficial, but it isn’t a prerequisite. Your career path will depend on the sector that you work in. With experience, you could progress to roles like senior development manager, business development executive or marketing director. You could specialise in business development within a specific sector like manufacturing or healthcare. You could also use your skills in sales, marketing and project management to move into other roles, for example as a business analyst.
Typical duties of a Controller
• research organisations to find new customers
• arrange meetings at customers’ premises
• find out what an organisation needs and plan proposals and pricing
• sell products and services to new and existing customers
• negotiate with customers and build positive relationships
• attend events and conferences
• write reports and make presentations to customers and senior management
• identify new methods and opportunities for sales campaigns
• forecast sales targets and make sure they’re met
• run training for business developers and junior sales teams
Skills:
• the ability to sell products and services
• business management skills
• excellent verbal communication skills
• the ability to use your initiative
• leadership skills
• customer service skills
• persuading skills
• ambition and a desire to succeed
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
Qualifications: Business, Economics, Finance, Marketing or a related field