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 Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury has always been a market town, as shown by its distinctive roads to Telford, Whitchurch, Oswestry, Welshpool and Ludlow. During the Industrial Revolution the town was linked by Shrewsbury Canal, which linked to the Shropshire canal, but again, it was used more to bring goods in than to take them out – the town remained largely unindustrialised. Railways also came in the nineteenth century, making Wolverhampton and the North and South of England easily accessible.
The town does have a thriving light industry scene, and has two important business parks, Shrewsbury Business Park and the Battlefield Enterprise Park. Sometimes Business development executive or similar jobs turn up in Shrewsbury or the surrounding area simply because it’s a relatively isolated town that has a large demand for goods to be brought in.
Although Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, it is actually only the second largest in the county (after Telford), but still has a sizeable population of around 100,000. As it is so close to the Welsh border, it acts as a magnet for many of the Welsh towns and villages along the country’s eastern side as well as those in the surrounding area. This has led to Shrewsbury becoming a very healthy shopping town; it is also a very pleasant place to live, with much of its medieval town centre still standing. Shrewsbury does have one very notable claim to fame, too – it was the birthplace of Charles Darwin.
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.