Business development associate | How to become one?

Business development associate | How is it the right path for you?

Growing up involves knowing more about your likes, experiencing new things, and making choices. The most important choice is which professional path is best for you. When asked what you wanted to be when you were a kid, it’s unlikely that a business development associate was your first choice. However, if today you have an interest in venturing into the field and you’re motivated, bright, and love talking to people. A position in business development could be a good fit for you.

In this blog, we will discuss the profile of a business development associate. Everything from skills to how much money they make on average.

What exactly is business development?

Business development is the process of developing long-term practices to set a trajectory for the growth of your business. These include –

• Increasing a company’s value proposition through customer interactions
• Extending market presence
• Gaining new clients.
• Branding

The daily operations may vary by industry and sector, but the ultimate goal is to grow the firm and its business. While most business development roles need a bachelor’s degree, the requirements may vary depending on the company’s needs. Employers usually seek individuals who have experience in marketing, business management, or sales.

What does a business development associate do?

Business development associates are in charge of the sales and organizational growth goals. They conduct market research to understand the needs of their clients and develop company plans, progress reports, and presentations accordingly. Apart from that, they follow the company’s policies and procedures. and ensure that others do as well.

A business development associate’s tasks and functions are as follows –

• They are in charge of sales, transition, and delivery of their products and services.
• Develop creative sales and marketing strategies. 
• Consult with top management about developing or innovating current products and services. 
• Develop marketing plans to promote the company’s goods and services. 
• Cold calling, sending an email, and performing an online search for potential clients. 
• Identify and qualify potential clients as per the company’s regulations and business plan. 
• To research new business opportunities and expansions. Plan meetings, phone calls, and follow-up meetings between senior management and clients. 
• Meetings with internal teams and customers to discuss project development and delivery at various stages. 
• Keep track of client information such as names, addresses, email addresses, and other required data. 
• Assist the business development team with the business model, project budget, scope of work, and strategy. 
• Assist with contract negotiations, due diligence, and contract preparation for the leadership team. 
• Make sure that internal teams complete projects on schedule and to their client’s satisfaction. 
• Collaborate with teams to achieve quarterly or annual sales targets. 

Skills required to be a business development associate

The following are some of the skills required to be a good business development associate –

1. Sales Skills

Business development associates are responsible for finding growth opportunities for the company. They make first contact with new prospects and follow up on possible leads. They also have to make cold calls and set up meetings with all stakeholders. To discuss the product and show the benefits of collaborating. To fulfill these responsibilities, associates should have a diverse set of sales abilities. Such as prospecting, updating the sales funnel, qualifying leads, and managing customer relationships.

2. Communication skills

One must have good communication skills to be successful as a business development associate. They must be confident and articulate in their voice and writing. And have excellent listening skills to understand the wants and problems of their customers. A business development associate negotiates with others while maintaining a professional working relationship. Good communication skills help to keep potential clients interested as they progress through the sales funnel.

3. Marketing skills

Business development associates must have a basic grasp of marketing. They often interact and collaborate with the marketing department of the company. Both departments have the same goal and that is – growing the company’s business. Business development associates are responsible for –

• Developing brand marketing
• Market expansion
• Product awareness
• New customer acquisition.

They always strive to develop partnerships rather than selling products and services. Marketing skills are essential for a business development associate to succeed in these tasks.

4. Project management skills

Project management is a vital skill for business development associates. Since developing or expanding a firm is a difficult task. Some of the skills required of a professional project manager are –

• Team management
• Leadership
• Monitoring
• Risk management.

Working on a project almost always requires team cooperation. So understanding how to manage a group is essential. To do this, you may need to deal with issues related to the team, review performance, and encourage collaboration.

5. Business intelligence (BI) skills

Business intelligence demands a deep understanding of the industry and the gathering of market data. As a business development associate, your job is to make sure to supply products and services. Supply based on client’s demand and requirements. BI skills enable Business development associates to analyze data to determine the size of their target market. These factors that impact the prospective market also affect campaigns that have received positive reactions from the target market.

6. Data analysis and ROI skills

Business development associates must measure returns on investment (ROI) and provide the statistics to the management or executives. The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) they apply may differ based on the sales cycle. Factors like the organization’s needs and the industry. They should also pay close attention to detail to separate bits of data as well as crucial indications from a large amount of unstructured data. As a Business development associate, you should have the skill to show the growth of the company. And also forecast future success using the data.

Salary of a business development associate

The pay scale of a business development associate varies depending on the level of expertise and the location. However, the average compensation one can expect in the USA is $64,000 per year. But since the remuneration depends largely on the location, a business development associate’s basic salary in California is $78,051 per year.

Key takeaways

• Business development associates come with a broad scope of ideas, activities, and initiatives. Which helps a business grow and prosper.
• Business development associates are responsible for sales growth. Business expansion, the formation of strategic partnerships, and profit.
• They interact with every department within a company, including sales, marketing, manufacturing, human resources, accounting, finance, product development, and vendor management.

We hope this blog helped clear everything about becoming a business development associate. In case of any queries, reach out to us or drop a comment below!

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FAQs

Q1. What’s the difference between business development and sales? 

Answer – The sales department is in charge of products and services provided to customers. Business development focuses on strategies for attracting new customers and expanding the company.

Q2. What is the most senior position in the field of business development? 

Answer – A chief business development officer (CBDO) is the senior most title.

Q3. What qualities do you need to be a successful business development associate? 

Answer – A business development associate must have excellent communication skills. They must communicate, present, assert themselves, and converse with various stakeholders. Someone who can cold call prospects to generate new business.