Business Development Manager Resume examples & templates
Copyable Business Development Manager Resume examples
Ever notice how the best Business Development Managers aren't just selling something—they're building relationships that last? In today's hyper-connected marketplace, BDMs have evolved far beyond the traditional sales role into strategic architects who bridge company offerings with genuine market needs. The landscape has shifted dramatically post-pandemic, with 73% of organizations reporting they've expanded their business development teams' responsibilities to include digital partnership cultivation and virtual relationship management.
What makes this role fascinating is how it sits at the intersection of sales strategy, market analysis, and relationship building. One day you're crunching numbers to identify growth opportunities, the next you're crafting partnership proposals that could transform your company's future. With remote selling now firmly established, BDMs who excel at building trust through both digital channels and in-person meetings are particularly valuable. As businesses continue navigating economic uncertainty, skilled Business Development Managers who can open doors to new revenue streams while strengthening existing partnerships will remain in high demand for years to come.
Junior Business Development Manager Resume Example
Marcus Kelley
Boston, MA | (617) 555-8219 | m.kelley92@email.com | linkedin.com/in/marcuskelley
Business Development Manager with 1+ year of experience driving growth for tech startups. Former sales associate who exceeded quotas by 17% through relationship-building and consultative selling. Recent MBA grad combining academic training with hands-on experience in client acquisition, pipeline management and market research. Looking to leverage my communication skills and analytical mindset to drive business growth in a dynamic organization.
EXPERIENCE
Business Development Manager
TechNova Solutions | Boston, MA | Jan 2023 – Present
- Generate 12-15 qualified leads weekly through outreach campaigns, networking events and referral programs
- Built and maintain a pipeline of 45+ potential clients, contributing to $320K in new business
- Collaborate with marketing team to develop targeting strategies that increased inbound leads by 22%
- Research and identify new market opportunities resulting in two successful product launches
- Present solutions to C-level executives and key decision makers across diverse industries
Sales Associate
Vertex Media Group | Cambridge, MA | Aug 2021 – Dec 2022
- Exceeded quarterly sales targets by 17% through consultative selling approaches
- Developed and pitched customized digital advertising packages to small and mid-sized businesses
- Maintained detailed client records in Salesforce, ensuring 98% data accuracy
- Assisted in the development of sales training materials for new team members
Business Development Intern
Brightline Partners | Boston, MA | May 2021 – Aug 2021
- Conducted market research to identify potential clients in the financial services sector
- Created and maintained prospect database of 200+ leads
- Supported senior BDMs in preparing client presentations and follow-up materials
- Drafted weekly competitive intelligence reports that informed business strategy
EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Boston University Questrom School of Business | Boston, MA | 2023
- Concentration: Marketing & Business Development
- Relevant coursework: Strategic Management, Negotiation, Market Research, Sales Management
- Capstone Project: Developed go-to-market strategy for a SaaS startup (received highest grade in cohort)
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
University of Massachusetts | Amherst, MA | 2021
- Minor: Communications
- GPA: 3.7/4.0
CERTIFICATIONS
Salesforce Sales Cloud Consultant (Feb 2023)
HubSpot Sales Software Certification (Nov 2022)
Google Analytics Certification (Sept 2021)
SKILLS
- Pipeline Management
- Lead Generation
- Market Research
- Client Relationship Building
- Sales Presentations
- CRM Systems (Salesforce, HubSpot)
- Proposal Development
- Competitive Analysis
- Contract Negotiation (basic)
- MS Office & Google Suite
Mid-level Business Development Manager Resume Example
Marcus J. Rodriguez
Chicago, IL 60614 • (312) 555-8921 • m.rodriguez@emailpro.net • linkedin.com/in/marcusjrodriguez
Business Development Manager with 5+ years of experience driving revenue growth through strategic partnership development and sales optimization. Known for consistently exceeding targets by identifying untapped market opportunities and building lasting client relationships. Skilled at cross-functional collaboration to align product offerings with evolving customer needs.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Business Development Manager
Horizon Technology Solutions • Chicago, IL • January 2021 – Present
- Spearheaded expansion into healthcare sector, securing 6 enterprise clients worth $2.1M in annual recurring revenue
- Built and maintain relationships with C-suite executives at 27 client organizations, achieving 94% retention rate
- Developed partnership strategy that increased channel sales by 37% in 18 months, outperforming direct sales for the first time in company history
- Collaborate with product team to refine SaaS offering based on customer feedback, resulting in 3 new feature sets that increased upsell opportunities by 41%
- Manage 2 junior business development associates, providing weekly coaching and performance feedback
Account Executive
Latitude Marketing Solutions • Chicago, IL • March 2019 – December 2020
- Consistently exceeded quarterly sales targets by an average of 23%, ranking in top 5 sales performers for 6 consecutive quarters
- Managed full-cycle sales process for mid-market clients ($500K-$1.5M) in manufacturing and financial services sectors
- Created custom ROI calculator that shortened average sales cycle from 97 to 64 days
- Pioneered account-based marketing approach with sales team that increased lead-to-opportunity conversion by 18%
Business Development Associate
TechForward Inc. • Boston, MA • June 2017 – February 2019
- Generated 85+ qualified leads per quarter through cold outreach, industry events, and referral networking
- Supported senior team members in proposal development and client presentations
- Researched market trends and competitor offerings to identify new business opportunities
- Increased demo booking rate by 29% after redesigning initial outreach email sequence
EDUCATION
Boston University, School of Management
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Marketing Concentration • May 2017
Relevant coursework: Business Strategy, Sales Management, Market Research, Digital Marketing
CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Revenue Management Professional (CRMP) • 2022
HubSpot Sales Enablement Certification • 2021
Salesforce Administrator Certification • 2018
SKILLS
- Strategic Partnership Development
- Enterprise Sales & Negotiations
- Client Relationship Management
- Market Analysis & Competitive Intelligence
- Pipeline Management
- Sales Forecasting
- CRM Systems (Salesforce, HubSpot)
- Contract Negotiation
- Team Leadership
- RFP Response Management
ADDITIONAL
Volunteer Sales Mentor, Chicago Youth Business Incubator (2020-Present)
Languages: Conversational Spanish
Senior / Experienced Business Development Manager Resume Example
Marcus Donovan
Boston, MA | 617-555-8249 | m.donovan@emaildomain.com | linkedin.com/in/marcusdonovan
Business Development Manager with 8+ years of experience driving revenue growth and market expansion. Skilled at building strategic partnerships and negotiating complex deals across healthcare technology and SaaS sectors. Known for my consultative approach to sales that consistently exceeds targets—I’ve averaged 118% of quota over the past 5 years. Strong team leader who thrives in fast-paced environments.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Senior Business Development Manager | MedTech Solutions | Boston, MA | 2020 – Present
- Lead a team of 6 business development representatives, achieving 127% of annual revenue targets ($4.2M) in 2022
- Negotiated and closed the company’s largest enterprise contract to date ($1.75M) with Northeast Healthcare Systems, a deal that took 9 months to cultivate
- Built and implemented a strategic account planning process that increased existing client expansion revenue by 34%
- Developed partnerships with 3 key technology providers, creating integrated solutions that opened access to previously untapped market segments
- Collaborate with product team to translate market needs into product roadmap priorities, resulting in 2 new product features that directly addressed competitive gaps
Business Development Manager | CloudServe Technologies | Cambridge, MA | 2017 – 2020
- Managed a portfolio of 35+ accounts with annual revenue responsibility of $3.2M
- Exceeded new business targets by 22% in 2019 by identifying cross-selling opportunities within the financial services vertical
- Rebuilt relationship with a churned client, resulting in a $450K contract renewal that expanded to $720K within 18 months
- Created and delivered executive presentations to C-suite stakeholders, maintaining an 82% close rate on deals reaching final proposal stage
- Mentored 3 junior sales representatives who all achieved promotion to senior roles within 2 years
Account Executive | Riverton Software, Inc. | Boston, MA | 2015 – 2017
- Managed full sales cycle for mid-market accounts in the Northeast region
- Consistently ranked in top 5 sales performers, achieving 112% of quota in 2016
- Developed and implemented a consultative selling approach that increased average deal size by 28%
- Pioneered use of case studies in sales presentations, a practice later adopted company-wide
EDUCATION
MBA, Marketing & Strategy | Boston University School of Management | 2014
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration | University of Massachusetts | 2011
CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Revenue Management Professional (CRMP) | Revenue Management Association | 2021
Strategic Account Management Certification | Strategic Account Management Association | 2019
Sandler Sales Training | Advanced Negotiation Techniques | 2017
SKILLS
- Strategic partnership development
- Enterprise contract negotiation
- Solution selling methodology
- CRM systems (Salesforce, HubSpot)
- Sales forecasting & pipeline management
- Cross-functional team leadership
- Market analysis & competitive intelligence
- Executive presentations & storytelling
- SaaS business models
- Account mapping & relationship building
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Board Member, Boston Technology Sales Leadership Council (2020-Present)
Speaker, New England SaaS Growth Conference (2022) – “Building Enterprise Partnerships That Last”
Fluent in Spanish (conversational proficiency)
How to Write a Business Development Manager Resume
Introduction
Writing a resume for a Business Development Manager position isn't just about listing your past jobs—it's about marketing yourself as the growth strategist companies are desperate to hire. In my 15+ years helping BDM candidates land interviews, I've seen firsthand how the right resume can cut your job search time in half. Think of your resume as your personal sales pitch—except you're the product, and hiring managers are your target market.
Resume Structure and Format
Keep these formatting guidelines in mind to create a clean, professional resume:
- Length: Stick to 1-2 pages (even with 10+ years of experience, I rarely recommend exceeding 2 pages)
- Font: Use clean, readable fonts like Calibri, Arial, or Georgia at 10-12pt size
- Margins: 0.5-1 inch on all sides (0.7" often hits the sweet spot)
- File format: Save as PDF to preserve formatting across devices
- Sections: Include contact info, summary, experience, skills, education, and optional certifications
Skip the objective statement! Instead, craft a powerful professional summary that highlights your business development impact. For example: "Business Development Manager who expanded territory sales by 31% in 18 months by implementing targeted account-based strategies and refining the prospect qualification process."
Profile/Summary Section
Your summary should pack a punch in 3-5 lines. This isn't the place to say you're "passionate about business development" (yawn). Instead, showcase your tangible value:
- Years of relevant experience (be specific: "7 years driving new business in SaaS")
- Your biggest revenue or growth achievement with an exact number
- 1-2 specialized skills that set you apart (maybe you're fluent in solution selling or have expertise in a niche industry)
- Brief mention of management experience if applicable
Professional Experience
This section makes or breaks your resume. Each role should include:
- Company name, your title, and dates (month/year)
- Brief context about the company if not well-known (e.g., "B2B healthcare SaaS startup, $4M annual revenue")
- 4-6 bullet points focused on achievements, not just responsibilities
- Numbers, numbers, numbers! "Increased pipeline by 42%" beats "Responsible for growing the pipeline" every time
Start bullets with strong action verbs like "Negotiated," "Secured," or "Orchestrated" rather than passive phrases like "Responsible for" or "Duties included."
Education and Certifications
For most BDMs, this section should be brief unless you're early-career. Include:
- Degree, university name, graduation year (leave off GPA unless exceptional)
- Relevant certifications like Certified Sales Professional (CSP), SPIN Selling, or industry-specific training
- Skip irrelevant coursework and instead highlight leadership roles or relevant projects if you're newer to the field
Keywords and ATS Tips
Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter resumes before human eyes see them. Beat the bots by:
- Incorporating job-specific keywords from the posting (account management, revenue growth, client acquisition)
- Using standard section headings the ATS can recognize
- Avoiding text boxes, headers/footers, and tables that can confuse ATS software
- Spelling out acronyms at least once before abbreviating (Customer Relationship Management (CRM))
Industry-specific Terms
Sprinkling these terms throughout your resume shows you speak the language:
- Revenue forecasting
- Pipeline management
- Strategic partnerships
- Market penetration
- Account-based marketing
- Contract negotiations
- Channel development
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Focusing on responsibilities instead of results
- Using vague claims without supporting numbers
- Including outdated skills (nobody cares about your Rolodex management skills anymore!)
- Being too general—tailor your resume for each specific job application
- Forgetting to proofread (I once saw a candidate refer to himself as a "Business Developer Manger"... guess who didn't get called?)
Before/After Example
Before: "Responsible for finding new clients and managing accounts to increase sales."
After: "Captured 13 new enterprise accounts worth $2.7M in annual revenue by implementing a targeted outreach strategy focusing on healthcare systems with 500+ beds."
See the difference? The second version shows exactly how you deliver value—and that's what gets interviews.
Related Resume Examples
Soft skills for your Business Development Manager resume
- Relationship intelligence – ability to read client needs beyond what’s directly communicated
- Stakeholder management across competing priorities (especially when sales targets shift mid-quarter)
- Resilience during extended sales cycles – maintaining momentum when deals stall
- Cross-functional collaboration with product teams to bridge customer requirements
- Strategic listening – filtering signal from noise in client conversations
- Presentation adaptability – pivoting mid-pitch based on room dynamics
Hard skills for your Business Development Manager resume
- CRM Platform Mastery (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive)
- Sales Pipeline Analytics & Forecasting
- Market Research Tools (Mintel, IBISWorld)
- Contract Negotiation & Pricing Strategy
- Data Visualization (Tableau, Power BI)
- Partnership Lifecycle Management
- Zoho Projects & Task Management Software
- RFP Response Development
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator Prospecting