Business Development Manager
Find the company's next source of revenue: new customers, new markets and new partners, and turn them into signed deals.
About the profession
A Business Development Manager (BDM) looks for growth the business does not have yet. Where an Account Executive works the leads that marketing and sales development already produce, a BDM goes out to open something new: a customer segment the company has never sold to, a new region, a partner who can resell or integrate the product, or a large strategic client. The work starts with research into where the opportunity is, continues with building relationships with the right people at target companies, and ends with negotiating an agreement that both sides can sign. BDMs are usually measured on new revenue, on signed partners or on the pipeline their deals create. The title covers a wide range: in some companies, especially smaller ones, a Business Development Manager is simply the salesperson who wins new clients; in others it is a partnerships role that sits close to company strategy.
Why choose it
How to Get Started
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Career Match Test →Personality Fit
Based on the Business Development Manager role, here are the RIASEC personality types that tend to thrive in this career. While these alignments are common, individual success depends on motivation, skill development, and finding the right work environment.
Enterprising
Leading, persuading, business
Social
Helping, teaching, working with people
Conventional
Organizing, detail-oriented, structured
Not sure if these types match you? Take the full RIASEC assessment to discover your personality profile and see how it aligns with hundreds of careers.
Career levels
Most companies use four steps, although titles and the split between sales and partnerships work differ a lot from one company to another.
Skills used in this career
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Day in Life
Junior vs Senior, daily schedule breakdown
The rhythm is slower than in a pure sales role, because each opportunity takes longer, but a typical week mixes the same activities: Morning: research.
Learning Path 0 → Junior
Step-by-step plan from zero to first job
There is no single required qualification. Many BDMs have a degree in business, economics or a subject related to the industry they work in, but employers look first at whether…
Is this for me?
Answer honestly
[ ] You enjoy meeting new people and can start a conversation with someone you have never met. [ ] You like working out where an opportunity is before anyone has handed it to you.
Myths vs Reality
Honest about what the internet doesn't say
Myth: Business development is just sales with a fancier title. Reality: sometimes it is, and job descriptions differ a lot.
Work-Life Balance
Stress, flexibility, burnout risk
The balance is usually steadier than in roles with a monthly quota, because opportunities take longer and the work is spread out.
💰 Pay for Sales Managers
BLS OEWS, May 2023The federal survey does not count this job title on its own — it is counted under Sales Managers (11-2022).
Half of U.S. workers in this occupation earn more than this, half earn less.
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Create Free AccountPersonality types that fit this career
Based on career-match data from our Result Library:
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