Business development executive
Most businesses have a group of account executives whose job it is to look after clients, although they might also be involved with the sales process too, as they have excellent knowledge of the way the company operates. That secondary role can be a full time position, however – the business development executive. This role is more strategic, as it’s taking the company’s overall business aims in the medium and long-term, and working to realise them, with a particular interest in winning new clients.
Typically, the business development executive will brief the accounts team on the clients they win, and then have little more to do with looking after them, unless they have a hybrid role (which is quite common in smaller companies). Most of the time, they will be looking out for new opportunities, contacting leads and following them up, which makes them have more in common with sales staff, except on a more strategic footing.
The skills required
Business development executive jobs go to people who can demonstrate a talent for identifying leads that will benefit the company long into the future, or which take the company in new directions. They will often be employed when a company has changed its core business model or has embarked on a new range of products and services.
With a strong emphasis on identifying leads and persuasion, business development executives are often drawn from the ranks of sales, and often no experience as a BDE is required as long as they have a proven long-term, strategic mindset.
Business development executive Jobs in Hove
Hove is a south coast town that adjoins Brighton completely along its east side, and the two are collectively part of the city of Brighton and Hove. Although Hove proper has a population of 90,000, the local authority of Brighton and Hove is home to over a quarter of a million people, making it a sizeable concentration of people. Brighton is well known as being a holiday resort, whereas Hove, despite its coastline which is almost identical to its neighbour, is considered more of a residential area. Indeed, people from Hove (often light-heartedly) point out that they are from this more upmarket part of the area rather than Brighton, even if they are actually from Brighton! In recent years, with Brighton gaining a much more fashionable and bohemian image, perhaps the pendulum will swing the other way, particularly when people are selling their homes …
The town is a reasonably affluent and attractive place to live, and has an economically active populace attracted by pleasant surroundings and good shopping and entertainment areas. The UK’s largest distributor of snack foods, Palmer and Harvey (P&H) has its headquarters in Hove, as does the Mace convenience store chain.
The large population of economically active people in Hove and its surrounding area means that Business development executive jobs turn up from time to time here. The town and its mother city are busy all the year round; thanks to its vibrant entertainment and residential scene, Hove and Brighton do not become ghost towns out of season like some other resorts.
Popular locations
Business development executives use Cast UK
At Cast UK, we have a steady stream of business development executive jobs coming up, so if you’re a BDE or want to take the leap from sales to this more strategic role, we’d urge you to follow the link below and register with us.
If your company needs to find some talent to put its business development plans into action, you’ve found your perfect recruitment partner. At Cast UK we know exactly what companies are looking for in operational-level positions such as this, and we can create a shortlist of interview-ready candidates in double-quick time. Call us on 0333 121 3345 to speak to a consultant.