Business development manager
Source new clients, develop relationships, generate business interest through advertising, calls potential clients, and networking.
About the job
What it's like
Attracting new business or clients is essential for growing a successful company. From sourcing new clients and developing relationships, to generating business interest through advertising, calls potential clients, and networking.
As a business development manager, you’d need first-class communication skills to identify opportunities to grow the business, pitch to new clients and maintain good relationships with new and existing contacts.
What you’ll do
Identify new leads and business opportunities
Contact potential clients by email, cold calling or face to face to establish relationships
Research the needs of other companies and identify how your product or service could fit with those needs
Establish and maintain relationships with current clients
Pitch and present to current and potential clients
Negotiate (and renegotiate)
Fully understand the company's product or service and their position in the market
Keep up to date with competitors in the industry
Attend conferences, meetings, and networking events
Hours
Working hours are usually 9am-5pm but this could change depending on targets or if you have deadlines to meet.
Environment
You would mainly be office based. The job can be challenging so it helps if you are good at working under pressure.
Travel
You might have to spend some of your time travelling to meet clients or attending networking events.
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Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Transport Food and drink Financial and professional services Digital technologies Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- business development
- business to business
- selling techniques
- account management
- new business development
- sales pipelines
- managed print services
- microsoft networking
- data-driven manufacturing
- design for excellence (dfx)
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- time management
- taking initiative
- developing a plan
- attention to detail
- researching
- creative
- written communication
- verbal communication
- building relationships
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Business
Business Management
Foundation Apprenticeship: Business Skills
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
Entry requirements for courses can change. Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you’ll need.
Many people interested in this role have qualifications in a business-related degree, such as business management. Other related degree courses can also be helpful, such as:
accountancy
economics
international relations
politics
joint degree of business and another relevant subject
Alternatively, a degree relevant to the specific industry sector you want to work in can be useful.
Employers also value experience in sales, marketing or management. Graduates in non-business subjects can still enter this role if they have relevant skills and experience and some businesses offer graduate training schemes.
While not essential, postgraduate qualifications are available and may be of value to career changers or those looking at a specialism within business.
While not all employers list specific qualification requirements, they do ask for relevant experience, usually work based, that demonstrates a range of transferable skills. You’ll also need to work to deadlines and have an understanding of how businesses operate.
The Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) has details of a wide range of relevant business and leadership qualifications and apprenticeships.
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