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What is a business development executive and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Kaustav Misra Ph.D.
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Business development executives generate revenue for their companies by finding new clients and increasing sales within the existing customer base. Masters of networking and genuine people's persons, business development executives promote the company's product at tradeshows and conferences, nurture customer relations, and attract new business.

As members of the management team, they create business development strategies and work with a team of professionals to achieve profit growth. They create progress reports and map business trends to present to the board. Training employees on the sales team is also their responsibility.

As this position is high up on the corporate ladder, you need appropriate education to be considered. A degree in marketing or business administration should do the trick, along with years of experience in sales. Seeing the big picture and reading human behavior like an open book are features that will define your success in this position. If you love challenges, know how to get your point across, and "resourcefulness" is your middle name, this is the position for you.

What general advice would you give to a business development executive?

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.Kaustav Misra Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Dean, Central Connecticut State University

I have spent almost two decades in the higher education industry and about a decade in administration. I often advised students, and it is astonishing to see how many of these students do not plan for their future. A good plan is a starting point to lead a good and successful career and life. Hence, by all means, it is worth noting that developing a future-oriented focus is important, so taking time to streamline the plan should be an important exercise for every graduate before they begin to do anything.
ScoreBusiness Development ExecutiveUS Average
Salary
7.5

Avg. Salary $97,871

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 8.15%

Black or African American 3.04%

Hispanic or Latino 8.67%

Unknown 5.32%

White 74.58%

Gender

female 36.16%

male 63.84%

Age - 38
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38
Stress level
7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Business development executive career paths

Key steps to become a business development executive

  1. Explore business development executive education requirements

    Most common business development executive degrees

    Bachelor's

    74.6 %

    Master's

    15.0 %

    Associate

    5.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific business development executive skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Business Development13.44%
    Digital Transformation7.58%
    Customer Service5.66%
    Client Relationships4.54%
    Cloud4.39%
  3. Complete relevant business development executive training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New business development executives learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a business development executive based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real business development executive resumes.
  4. Research business development executive duties and responsibilities

    • Manage and monitor the company CRM and all opportunity and forecasting reporting.
    • Develop and manage all new business for strategic and technology consulting services within the healthcare, government and manufacturing sectors.
    • Negotiate healthcare provider group, ancillary and facility contracts to achieve objectives relative to competitive market trends and client expectations.
    • Review cost/benefit analysis of potential promotional programs to justify the ROI and manage budgets set aside to support promotional activities.
  5. Get business development executive experience

    Generally, it takes 8-10 years to become a business development executive. The most common roles before becoming a business development executive include account executive, sales representative team lead and account manager.
  6. Prepare your business development executive resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your business development executive resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a business development executive resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable business development executive resume templates

    Build a professional business development executive resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your business development executive resume.
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    Business Development Executive Resume
    Business Development Executive Resume
    Business Development Executive Resume
  7. Apply for business development executive jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a business development executive job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first business development executive job

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Average business development executive salary

The average business development executive salary in the United States is $97,871 per year or $47 per hour. Business development executive salaries range between $64,000 and $149,000 per year.

Average business development executive salary
$97,871 Yearly
$47.05 hourly

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Business development executive reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2021
Pros

Cultivating relationships with customers and accessing customers needs , I like solving their problems with the product or service that I am pre selling to them before passing the lead to a sales executive.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

Innovating a business model is key for a profitable business and growth. Without a proper and sustainable business model, even the best product or technology innovations will not flourish. Learn the skills and knowledge needed to start improving your business as you learn through real-life examples from fellow entrepreneurs, innovators and leading experts on business model innovation. Benefit business owners, entrepreneurs, business consultants or business developers who seek better understanding of business models and the tools to develop them.

Cons

There's nothing much not to like about this role.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

B2B Communication and Building Relationships, Product\Strategy Development and Implementation, Solving Problems

Cons

Deal Negotiations


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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