Business Development Hiring Resources: Job Description Template & Examples

What is business development?

It refers to the activities designed to expand your company's reach in a new market. The primary focus of this business function is to identify potential good-fit customers using prospecting techniques. And the people that carry out these activities are called business development representatives (BDRs).

Business Development Job Description

Business development representatives are responsible for expanding a company's customer base. They use prospecting strategies to identify prospects and they initiate the first outreach with potential customers. Their goal is to help book meetings and fill the pipelines for the sales team.

What does a business development representative do?

BDRs initiate exploratory calls with prospects to see if they'd be an ideal customer. They need to know their product and service offerings inside and out so they can communicate their purpose and value to prospective customers.

If the prospect is a good fit, the BDR will schedule a discovery call or meeting for a member of their sales team and the prospect. It's up to the salesperson to deepen the relationship with the prospect and eventually get them to close.

So, how do you attract top talent to your business development team?

Sales hiring can be challenging, but a well-written job description can help attract a highly-qualified and diverse pool of candidates. A comprehensive and engaging job listing will help it stand out on your careers page or a job board site.

A business development job description often includes these elements.

1. Overview of the position.

This is where you can describe the day-to-day activities that are required in the role. You can include information about the targets that business development representatives should hit on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

2. Preferred level of experience and desired skills.

What specific skills are you looking for in a business development representative? This is where you identify the level of experience you're looking for and the skills and qualities a candidate should have to excel in this role.

This section of the job description can be broken down even further and split into required qualifications and desired qualifications. Required qualifications are must-haves for the role, while desired qualifications aren't necessary but would help a candidate excel in the BDR position.

3. Insight into your company culture.

Give prospective employees insight into where they'll be working by providing a brief description of the company, its mission, and its values. You can even provide an overview of the compensation, benefits, and perks to tell them even more about what you do and stand for.

This example "About" section from Dialpad includes information on:

• Compensation & Equity
• Healthcare
• Reimbursements
• Education
• Office Meals
• Locations

These benefits and perks could be the deciding factor in whether or not a business development candidate chooses to apply or not.

Source: Dialpad

Business Development Job Description Template

[Company] is looking for an experienced business development representative with experience in [X industry].

As a business development representative, you will:

• Use prospecting strategies to lead initial outreach to prospects
• Identify the needs and challenges of the prospective customer
• Determine the prospect's interest in [product/service]
• Schedule discovery meetings for sales representatives and prospects
• Achieve [number] of activities per [day/week/month]

Required qualifications:

• Excellent phone, writing, and listening skills
• Self-starter who has a desire to learn, grow, and excel in their role
• Knowledge of business processes and organizational structures
• Interest in [X industry, technology, product]
• At least one year of professional experience
• [B.A., B.S.] Degree

Desired qualifications:

• Experience reaching or exceeding [weekly/monthly] activity goals/quotas
• Familiarity with [X CRM/technology]
• Understanding of [industry/vertical]

About [Company Name]

[Company Name] is a leader in [industry] that provides [product/service] to our customers.

• Mission/Vision
• Company Values

Featured Resource: Sales Hiring & Interviewing Kit

Download the free kit and templates now.

Business Development Job Description Examples

Here are a few real-world examples of business development job descriptions.

1. HubSpot

Business Development Reps are an integral part of the sales organization at HubSpot. Check out this video from our Business Development team to learn more about the BDR role at HubSpot.

2. Zoom

Video conferencing company and HubSpot ecosystem partner Zoom looks for qualified Business Development Representative candidates from all over the world to perform outreach to prospective customers. Their job BDR job description says,

"This position involves creative outbound outreach in finding the right Zoom prospects and matching Zoom services to meet their video and online meeting needs. Our Business Development Representatives serve as the front-line in prospect outreach with the goal of generating qualified opportunities for our sales team."

Source: Zoom

3. FreshBooks

Cloud accounting and invoicing software company FreshBooks hires Business Development Representatives to join their Acquisition Sales team. Here’s how FreshBooks describes their ideal BDR candidate in their job description:

"You are a great relationship builder and problem solver with a hunter mentality. You will be the voice of FreshBooks as we execute and explore new channels of acquiring business."

Source: FreshBooks

4. SurveyMonkey

A global leader in survey software, SurveyMonkey views the role of Inbound Business Development Representative as critical for business. According to SurveyMonkey, "The main focus of this position is in managing SurveyMonkey’s inbound sales process by utilizing our suite of internal tools."

Here’s how the company describes their ideal candidate:

"Our ideal candidate is a self-motivated team player with high social intelligence and a natural inclination for selling. They are very driven and can show evidence that they thrive in a competitive, merit-based environment. They also value networking and the benefits of being part of an agile, growing team."

Source: SurveyMonkey

5. Slack

Communication software company Slack seeks to hire BDR candidates who are looking for growth and development opportunities in the sales field. Their BDR job description reads,

"Our culture is the north star that guides how we work together and with our customers. Are you looking to build something greater than yourself? Do you want to work alongside some of the most talented and dynamic people in the industry? If so, Slack just might be the place for you.

We'll help you build your career in Sales while you collaborate with a diverse team of talented individuals. You are a self-starter who is deeply passionate about customer happiness."

Source: Slack

With a comprehensive and compelling job description, you'll be able to attract diverse talent to build your business development team. For more hiring tips, check out this sales manager job description and template next.