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What is a director of sales & business development and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Doc McAlister Billingsley Ph.D.
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The director of sales and business development identifies and implements opportunities to build the business. He/She monitors business and project plans to ensure that the sales targets are met. He/She performs data analysis to track business performance and identify opportunities to grow revenue and profit. Asides from that, he/she oversees the implementation of sales techniques. Additionally, he/she nurtures leads through various inbound and outbound channels, including phone, email, and social. Furthermore, he/she maintains an understanding of industry trends for strategic planning and forecasting.

For this job, you need at least a bachelor's degree in business administration or a related discipline. Most employers prefer an MBA. Applicants must have over three years of experience in a related role. You must also be proficient in Microsoft Office. Essential skills required for this position include communication, creativity, critical thinking, teamwork, leadership, and analytical skills. This director earns an average salary of $115,270 per year. This varies between $68,000 and $195,000.

What general advice would you give to a director of sales & business development?

Dr. Doc McAlister Billingsley Ph.D.Dr. Doc McAlister Billingsley Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Elmira College

A big part of any new job is learning the culture of the workplace. Practice your observational and interview skills--ask the right questions, learn the language, and what it reflects about unspoken rules. Imagine that you need to create a manual for new employees, and fill in the missing pages as you learn the ropes. Society is also adapting to the online nature of work during a pandemic, which requires sorting out the rules and norms for things like video conferences and appropriate expectations for colleagues, who may be responsible for family care.
ScoreDirector Of Sales & Business DevelopmentUS Average
Salary
6.5

Avg. Salary $82,585

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.4

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.7
Race

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%

Gender

female 18.53%

male 81.47%

Age - 46
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 - 46
Stress level
6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Director of sales & business development career paths

Key steps to become a director of sales & business development

  1. Explore director of sales & business development education requirements

    Most common director of sales & business development degrees

    Bachelor's

    78.9 %

    Master's

    12.6 %

    Associate

    5.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific director of sales & business development skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Value Proposition6.36%
    Sales Cycle5.92%
    CRM5.20%
    Revenue Growth4.77%
    Leveraged4.56%
  3. Complete relevant director of sales & business development training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors of sales & business development 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 director of sales & business development based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director of sales & business development resumes.
  4. Research director of sales & business development duties and responsibilities

    • Lead all client communications, in order to exceed expectations, retain business and increase ROI for brand partners.
    • Lead centralized, electronic referral center coordinating post-acute service needs of patients discharging from multiple acute facilities in Arizona region.
    • Utilize SaaS to increase multimillion dollar business growth with portfolio of ~ clients.
    • Develop CRM, internal pipeline, and project management platform for reporting up and downstream.
  5. Get director of sales & business development experience

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

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director of sales & business development 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 director of sales & business development resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable director of sales & business development resume templates

    Build a professional director of sales & business development 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 director of sales & business development resume.
    Director Of Sales & Business Development Resume
    Director Of Sales & Business Development Resume
    Director Of Sales & Business Development Resume
    Director Of Sales & Business Development Resume
    Director Of Sales & Business Development Resume
    Director Of Sales & Business Development Resume
    Director Of Sales & Business Development Resume
    Director Of Sales & Business Development Resume
    Director Of Sales & Business Development Resume
  7. Apply for director of sales & business development jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a director of sales & business development 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 director of sales & business development job

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Average director of sales & business development salary

The average director of sales & business development salary in the United States is $82,585 per year or $40 per hour. Director of sales & business development salaries range between $38,000 and $176,000 per year.

Average director of sales & business development salary
$82,585 Yearly
$39.70 hourly

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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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