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What is a business development & sales executive and how to become one
If you have a head for numbers and enjoy business and marketing, a career as a business development and sales executive may be a good match for you. A business development and sales executive works to find matches between a product or service, and a market niche, as well as work to generate revenue in that particular market. For example, a business development and sales executive would be responsible for advertising a new technology that manages home security systems, finding paying customers, and building revenue.
Individuals in this field develop and implement growth opportunities in existing and new markets, and should have strong communication and leadership skills, as well as the ability to manage diverse teams. Typically people working in this field work in an office environment, and may travel occasionally. The responsibilities of this job include managing the sales process to attract new customers and maintain those customers, as well as to identify and manage business risks, and research and identify new markets.
A business development and sales executive is adept at forging good relationships with current and future clients and possesses proficient communication and leadership skills, as well as a background in project management and/or sales. Although a bachelor's degree is not required, most business development and sales executives do have a bachelor's in finance, marketing, or economics, and some have master's degrees in these areas. Also, knowledge of finance, productivity tools, computers, and computer software are a plus. The median yearly income for a business development and sales executive in the US is $128,000 per year, with a projected 8% job growth by 2028.
What general advice would you give to a business development & sales executive?
Bill Thorne
Executive Director of the NRF Foundation and Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs of NRF, National Retail Federation
Avg. Salary $102,053
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 5%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%
Asian 4.07%
Black or African American 3.24%
Hispanic or Latino 9.82%
Unknown 4.41%
White 78.23%
Genderfemale 31.76%
male 68.24%
Age - 46American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 46Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Business development & sales executive career paths
Key steps to become a business development & sales executive
Explore business development & sales executive education requirements
Start to develop specific business development & sales executive skills
Skills Percentages Cloud 16.19% Market Trends 11.05% CRM 9.07% Direct Sales 7.54% Financial Institutions 5.72% Complete relevant business development & sales executive training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New business development & sales 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 & sales executive based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real business development & sales executive resumes.Research business development & sales executive duties and responsibilities
- Lead centralized, electronic referral center coordinating post-acute service needs of patients discharging from multiple acute facilities in Arizona region.
- Develop sales strategies, perform market analysis, present at industry events & utilize CRM software to streamline sales.
- Analyze, recommend and implement a digital CRM database on behalf of the company.
- Work in Salesforce to define pipeline of customers and potential advertisers.
Get business development & sales executive experience
Generally, it takes 6-8 years to become a business development & sales executive. The most common roles before becoming a business development & sales executive include account executive, sales representative team lead and account manager.Prepare your business development & sales executive resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your business development & sales 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 & sales 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 & sales executive resume templates
Build a professional business development & sales 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 & sales executive resume.
Apply for business development & sales executive jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a business development & sales executive job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first business development & sales executive job
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Average business development & sales executive salary
The average business development & sales executive salary in the United States is $102,053 per year or $49 per hour. Business development & sales executive salaries range between $64,000 and $162,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do business development & sales executives rate their job?
Updated January 8, 2025
