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Business Development Manager

​A business development manager (BDM) is the person in charge of generating new business for a company. Essentially a sales professional, a BDM’s day-to-day role involves pitching the business to potential new partners, managing client relations, and being the key contact for partnerships. A BDM is usually adept at seeking new business collaboration opportunities, and there can be multiple BDMs within a single company.

What Does a Day in the Life of a Business Development Manager Look Like?

Depending on the company, a BDM’s key responsibilities can vary widely. BDMs often participate in plenty of meetings, which could be organized around pitching the company to new partnerships, researching new partners, or liaising with existing collaborations. When working remotely, a BDM’s role will rely heavily on phone calls and video conferences. Exploring new collaboration opportunities involves a lot of research, making this one of the more independent aspects of the role. A BDM’s other tasks are typically more dynamic and socially oriented, involving a lot of speaking to both partners and clients.

What Responsibilities Does a Business Development Manager Have?

The main responsibilities of business development managers involve liaising with existing partners and securing new partnerships to maintain business flow. BDM’s explore multiple sources of business in order to maintain a wide range of opportunities. One of the key aspects of a BDM role is the ability to maintain strong relationships. This involves keeping partners motivated, happy, and incentivized. Finding the right partners is paramount, as a BDM needs to ensure their products are being shown to the right kind of clients.

What Qualifications Do You Need to Be a Business Development Manager? 

While there are no formal qualifications required to be a BDM, industry-specific experience can give you a leg up. University graduates may struggle to jump straight into a BDM role and may benefit from starting at the ground level to prepare for the more challenging aspects of the job. Certain personal skills, such as presentation skills, attention to detail, and communication skills, will help a lot. Additionally, proficiency in programs like Word and Excel will always be a benefit.

What Skills Do You Need to Be a Business Development Manager?

Communication is the most important skill for a BDM role, as BDMs are constantly communicating with partners, clients, and new contacts. It is also important to have good interpersonal skills and be adept at presenting and pitching. Attention to detail is also crucial, especially when juggling multiple client relationships. A personal touch goes a long way for a BDM, as being personable and transparent in your communication is a great way of gaining trust and building confidence. Replying to contacts promptly, following up on new contacts, and keeping in touch with your existing network are all fundamental as well.

What Does a Business Development Manager Earn?

Depending on the company, some BDM roles will pay a salary plus a commission based on certain targets. In companies like MT-finance, the BDM team works together to meet specific targets every month.

South West Englandis one of nine officialregions of England. It consists of the counties ofBristol,Cornwall(including theIsles of Scilly),Dorset,Devon,Gloucestershire,SomersetandWiltshire. Large cities and towns in the region includeBristol,Bournemouth,Cheltenham,Exeter,Gloucester,PlymouthandSwindon. It is geographically the largest of the nine regions of England covering 9,200 square miles (23,800 km2),[1]but the third least-populous, with approximately five million residents.

The region includes theWest Countryand much of the ancient kingdom ofWessex. It includes two entirenational parks,DartmoorandExmoor(a small part of theNew Forestis also within the region); and fourWorld Heritage Sites:Stonehenge, theCornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape, theJurassic Coastand theCity of Bath. The northern part of Gloucestershire, nearChipping Campden, is as close to the Scottish border as it is to the tip of Cornwall.[2]The region has by far the longest coastline of any English region.

The region is at thefirst levelofNUTSforEurostatpurposes. Key data and facts about the region are produced by theSouth West Observatory. Following the abolition of theSouth West Regional AssemblyandGovernment Office, local government coordination across the region is now undertaken bySouth West Councils.

The region is known for its richfolklore, including the legend ofKing ArthurandGlastonbury Tor, as well as its traditions and customs. Cornwall has its own language,Cornish, and some regard it as aCeltic nation. The South West is known forCheddar cheese, which originated in theSomersetvillage ofCheddar; Devoncream teas,crabs,Cornish pasties, andcider. It is home to theEden Project,Aardman Animations, theGlastonbury Festival, theBristol International Balloon Fiesta,trip hopmusic and Cornwall'ssurfingbeaches. The region has also been home to some of Britain's most renowned writers, includingDaphne du Maurier,Agatha ChristieandEnid Blyton, all of whom set many of their works here, and the South West is also the location ofThomas Hardy's Wessex, the setting for many of his best-known novels.

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