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What is a senior business development representative and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. LIsa Gardner Ph.D.

Senior business development representatives are the driving force in a business enterprise. They are responsible for finding or producing business opportunities for the company. Their main area of expertise is networking and finding new clients, following up on recommendations, and generating new leads.

Working in this position, your job will be to reach out to prospective customers or business partners. You will communicate the benefits and values of the products and services your company has to offer. Once you have spiked the interest of a potential client, a sales representative will take over the task and continue closing the deal.

A degree in a business or marketing-related area is a common requirement for professionals in this field. Since this is a senior position, advanced education requirements are to be expected. Years of experience in the role of business development representative will also be necessary. Your communication and interpersonal skills must be superb in order to succeed here. Flexibility to accommodate frequent travels for business purposes is also essential.

What general advice would you give to a senior business development representative?

Dr. LIsa Gardner Ph.D.

Program Director, Eastern Kentucky University

"-Be open to new opportunities, even if the options do not match up perfectly with your college major.
-Find a mentor. Also, be a mentor.
-Keep learning. Read, read, read. Listen to informative podcasts. Take classes, attend conferences, and keep refreshing what you know because the world is changing rapidly, so what you need to know keeps changing.
-Volunteer with a non-profit. This will extend your social circle, perhaps give you a chance to gain skills other than those you develop at work and make you a more interesting person.
-Don't be afraid of change, especially if the change is inevitable."
ScoreSenior Business Development RepresentativeUS Average
Salary
7.7

Avg. Salary $102,269

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.1

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
7.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.39%

Asian 5.94%

Black or African American 7.55%

Hispanic or Latino 14.62%

Unknown 4.13%

White 67.36%

Gender

female 34.69%

male 65.31%

Age - 44
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 - 44
Stress level
7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Senior business development representative career paths

Key steps to become a senior business development representative

  1. Explore senior business development representative education requirements

    Most common senior business development representative degrees

    Bachelor's

    78.5 %

    Associate

    8.1 %

    Master's

    7.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior business development representative skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Linkedin10.87%
    BDR9.25%
    Lead Generation9.23%
    Salesforce CRM6.65%
    Outbound Calls5.23%
  3. Research senior business development representative duties and responsibilities

    • Generate qualify leads through B2B telemarketing services specialize in identifying and nurturing prospects for computer hardware, software and technology services.
    • Exceed monthly sales goals for SaaS industry leader in restaurant technology.
    • Promote and sell SAAS (software as a service) technologies to various industries.
    • Generate qualify leads through B2B telemarketing services specialize in identifying and nurturing prospects for computer hardware, software and technology services.
  4. Get senior business development representative experience

  5. Prepare your senior business development representative resume

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

    Choose from 10+ customizable senior business development representative resume templates

    Build a professional senior 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 senior business development representative resume.
    Senior Business Development Representative Resume
    Senior Business Development Representative Resume
    Senior Business Development Representative Resume
    Senior Business Development Representative Resume
    Senior Business Development Representative Resume
    Senior Business Development Representative Resume
    Senior Business Development Representative Resume
    Senior Business Development Representative Resume
    Senior Business Development Representative Resume
  6. Apply for senior business development representative jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior business development representative 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 senior business development representative job

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Average senior business development representative salary

The average senior business development representative salary in the United States is $102,269 per year or $49 per hour. Senior business development representative salaries range between $70,000 and $148,000 per year.

Average senior business development representative salary
$102,269 Yearly
$49.17 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do senior business development representatives rate their job?

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Senior business development representative 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.

Cons

I am passionate about my role as a BDR and there is nothing that I don't like. I don't like to be put in a box so to speak I enjoy reaching high and don't like to limited.


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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.


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Cons

People without vision, dreams and selfishness.


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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.