BMBusiness Development Manager
BM
Career

Business Development Manager

By the numbers
Typical pay
$148,270 / yr
Education to start
Bachelor's degree
Future demand
+4.7% by 2034
People in this job
637K
Figures shown for ·closest of 3 O*NET occupations
The work
A day, hour by hour
08:00
Pipeline review

Scan CRM, flag stalled deals, decide who gets cut loose today.

08:30
Prospect research

Dig into two target companies — news, financials, who signs deals.

09:30
Cold outreach

Write and send tailored pitches to six decision-makers; follow up on three ghosts.

11:00
Discovery call

Thirty minutes with a warm lead — listen hard, qualify fast, pitch if ready.

13:00
Partnership pitch

Present a co-sell proposal to a potential partner's VP; field tough questions.

14:30
Deal negotiation

Haggle pricing and contract terms with a prospect who wants a bigger discount.

16:00
Cross-team brief

Tell product and marketing what three prospects keep complaining about.

17:00
Pipeline update & forecast

Log every call, move deals forward, project next month's close numbers.

Things you do
  • Hunt for new clients and markets the company hasn't tapped yet.
  • Pitch your company's product to decision-makers and win them over.
  • Negotiate deal terms until both sides shake hands and sign.
  • Build partnerships with other companies that help both sides grow.
  • Research competitors and trends to spot opportunities before rivals do.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Is this prospect actually worth my time, or should I move on?
  • Should I push harder to close this deal, or risk losing the relationship?
  • Is this partnership a real opportunity, or just a distraction from our core goals?
  • Should I give ground on pricing to win the deal, or hold firm?
  • Do I have enough signal to pitch now, or do I need to build more trust first?
Education Pathways · how you get there
100 in 100 went the college route · 0 in 100 found another way in Less than 5 years, typically
Education mapped from O*NET:
If you like this, also look at