A business development representative or a BDR is responsible for creating or locating new business opportunities by tracking leads, engaging with potential or previous customers, and presenting the company and its products and services at events. Their duties thus include reaching out to vendors and potential customers via email, phone, or through other means, such as face-to-face meetings, customizing products and necessary solutions to fit a potential customer, and building friendly business relations with other staff members and clients.

Summary. We reviewed real candidate profiles to learn the best path to become a business development representative. We'll guide you through the education, experiences, and skills hiring managers look for in a business development representative.

  • Most companies require a business development representative to have a bachelor's degree degree in a related field, such as business or marketing.

  • Common job titles before becoming a business development representative include customer service representative, sales representative, and sales associate.

  • Hiring managers expect a business development representative to have soft skills such as customer-service skills, interpersonal skills, and physical stamina.

  • Once you have all the required skills and experience, it doesn't take any job training to become a business development representative.

  • Getting a certification as a Certified Sales Professional (CSP) will help you to earn more as a business development representative.

How to become a Business Development Representative in 4 steps:

  • Step 1: Explore business development representative education
  • Step 2: Develop business development representative skills
  • Step 3: Research business development representative duties
  • Step 4: Prepare your resume
Looking for your next Job?

Key Steps To Become a Business Development Representative

  1. Explore Business Development Representative Education

    If you're interested in becoming a business development representative, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 70.0% of business development representatives have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 5.3% of business development representatives have master's degrees. Even though most business development representatives have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

    Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a business development representative. When we researched the most common majors for a business development representative, we found that they most commonly have business, marketing and communication.

    Business Development Representative Degrees

    Bachelors

    70.0 %

    Associate

    12.4 %

    High School Diploma

    8.2 %

    Business Development Representative MajorPercentages
    Business32.30%
    Marketing11.30%
    Communication9.10%
    Psychology5.70%
    Other Degrees41.60%

  2. Develop Business Development Representative Skills

    It'll be a good idea to develop business development representative skills before applying for a job. Here are some skills commonly requested in business development representative job descriptions:

    SkillsPercentages
    Business Development18.99%
    Work Ethic7.38%
    Customer Service7.34%
    BDR5.74%
    Sales Cycle4.29%

  3. Research Business Development Representative Duties

    When you decide to become a business development representative, It's important to know what duties and responsibilities are required for this position. Some common responsibilities are a part of most business development representative jobs. Here is a list of the main duties that define the role:

    • Lead BDR team in overall net new leads and opportunities in 2013 , 2014 and to date 2015
    • Follow up on leads generate from web hits, public Webinar registrations and tradeshows.
    • Write content and manage marketing automation through Pardot, creating campaigns and analyzing results.
    • Create hold leads into SalesForce cloud system for further outbound call on possible sale.
    • Manage customer portfolios, service relationships and cross-selling of all company's products and services.
    • Lead firm s social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Google+ and launch.

  4. Prepare Your Resume

    Finally, when you already have checked the skills and responsibilities for this role, you can start creating your resume. Everything that goes into creating a perfect resume can take hours, days, or even weeks. No worries, we created a resume builder to make this process as easy as possible with tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and a summary.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Business Development Representative Resume templates

    Build a professional Business Development Representative 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 Representative resume.

    Business Development Representative Resume
    Business Development Representative Resume
    Business Development Representative Resume
    Business Development Representative Resume
    Business Development Representative Resume
    Business Development Representative Resume
    Business Development Representative Resume
    Business Development Representative Resume
    Business Development Representative Resume
    Business Development Representative Resume
    Business Development Representative Resume
    Business Development Representative Resume
    Business Development Representative Resume
    Business Development Representative Resume
    Business Development Representative Resume
    Business Development Representative Resume

  5. Apply For a Business Development Representative Job

    With your ready resume, it's time to start searching for a new 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

    Business Development Representative Jobs

  6. How To Become a Business Development Representative
    How To Become a Business Development Representative Career Overview
Top Business Development Representative Jobs Near You