How To Become A Client Development Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a client development manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Laura Sansoni

The client development manager manages lead generation campaign programs to accelerate lead conversion through prospecting and the sales cycle. He/She is tasked with researching, managing, and maintaining a continuous flow of contact information. He/She employs market trends and analysis to manage strategic sales plans with high-volume opportunities to achieve sales quotas and goals. Additionally, he/she oversees the management and analysis of the customer database to aid marketing efforts and campaigns. Asides from that, he/she mentors and manages a team of client developers.

As a client development manager, you must have a bachelor's degree in a related field and at least three years of related experience. You must be proficient in Microsoft Office, lead generation, and CRM tools. To succeed, you need organization, problem-solving, people, collaboration, interpersonal, and communication skills. You must also be familiar with SaaS, Zoominfo, and JIRA. The salary range varies from $51,000 and $111,000. On average, they earn $75,311 annually.

What general advice would you give to a client development manager?

Laura Sansoni

Director, Career Development, CBA Career Center, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Whenever I work with a new graduate, I see them experiencing many emotions ranging from excitement from completing their education to anxiety about starting their careers.

For the graduates that have a job, I highly encourage them to take advantage of any opportunity presented to them. Participate in workplace events, take advantage of professional development opportunities like attending conferences or trainings, and volunteer to work on projects when asked to. Taking advantage of these opportunities in your workplace will increase your skills and experiences while deepening your connections to your colleagues and growing your personal network.

For graduates that are still looking for jobs, I remind them that the worst things that can happen in the job search are an employer saying "no", "we went with another candidate", or not responding to your application at all. While that can be scary and defeating at times, think about the positives of the situation. You didn't get the interview or the job, but you didn't lose anything either. Instead, you gained more experience in the job search process that you can improve upon for the next time. I also remind new grads to let the employers decide if they are the right fit for the job instead of counting yourself out too early. If you meet 75 percent of the qualifications in the job description, apply for the job and let the recruiter decide whether to set up an interview. Don't be so afraid of the next "no" that it prevents you from finding the next possible "yes".

ScoreClient Development ManagerUS Average

Salary

6.9

Avg. Salary $88,179

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 39.90%

male 60.10%

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

Key steps to become a client development manager

Explore client development manager education requirements

Most common client development manager degrees

Bachelor's

79.1 %

Master's

8.6 %

Associate

6.9 %

Start to develop specific client development manager skills

Skills	Percentages
C++	9.38%
Account Management	7.15%
PowerPoint	6.89%
CRM	6.32%
Database	4.79%

Complete relevant client development manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New client development managers 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 client development manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real client development manager resumes.

Research client development manager duties and responsibilities

Build and execute annual CRM marketing plans to ensure long term client marketing goals are achieve.
Lead centralized, electronic referral center coordinating post-acute service needs of patients discharging from multiple acute facilities in Arizona region.
Select and implement new CRM database management system with accounting package.
Analyze LTV data, ROI and banner/video performance.

Apply for client development manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a client development manager 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