How to Hire for the Top Business Development Skills

The right business development rep can take your company to new heights. But which business development skills matter most? New research reveals a few important answers and shows how sales managers can hire and train reps to achieve their goals.

What Does a Business Development Rep Do?

Every company has unique requirements for their business development reps. But there are common job responsibilities that are critical for the top of the sales funnel success. These include:

• Lead identification
• Communication and connection
• Lead engagement and nurturing

Which Traits Help Get the Job Done?

To carry out these responsibilities, business development reps should possess specific traits. In our Voice of the Sales Rep survey, business development specialists identified the top characteristics needed for success:

• Positive/​Optimistic
• Self-​motivated
• Confident

Positivity and Optimism

Business development reps spend plenty of time seeking out potential leads and opportunities. Regardless of how well they research these leads, many will not develop into a potential sale. But these reps can develop the right mindset despite rejection.

Managers can help them understand that a negative answer today could lead to a potential deal in the future. These reps also realize that the more people they know, the better chance they have of getting introduced to key decision-makers.

Self-​motivation

While business development reps may be given marketing qualified leads, they are not content to stop there. To find additional leads, these sales professionals identify industry events and other places where they can meet prospects through networking. Depending on their market area, they may also identify prospects online. The drive to keep going is a key business development skill.

Managers can help their reps maintain self-​motivation by praising their outreach and guiding them to invest their energy in the most promising prospects.

Confidence

At any time, sales professionals and others can encounter situational imposter syndrome. These feelings of not being good enough or experienced enough can drain a sales rep of confidence. Instead of feeling that they can handle a difficult prospect, your business development rep may struggle.

In a Manage Smarter podcast, SalesFuel CEO C. Lee Smith notes that, “for some people, imposter syndrome may be a part of their personality. And it can be especially prevalent in young employees who lack experience.”

Summer Craig, CEO of the Craig Group and Manager Smarter podcast guest, suggests that workers emphasize their superpowers and make the best of them. “Everybody is good at something. They need to lean on their strengths and use them.”

How to Coach

Smith also reports that sales managers can coach their business development reps to boost confidence.  He encourages managers to try the following coaching tactic.

“Instead of accepting that you will fail at a task, go through the exercise to see [if] you have concrete evidence that you will fail. You may find you just have a feeling and not factual evidence.” 

Reps can be trained to use the resources that are available to them. They should spend time understanding the product they are selling. And they must learn about the problems potential prospects have and how the product can be applied. When reps develop this mindset, they will become more confident.

How Managers Can Develop Great Business Development Specialists

Around 62% of business development reps regularly reach at least 90% of quota according to the Voice of the Sales Rep survey. Managers can increase those numbers by using sales skills assessments to identify the strengths of each team member. They can also identify what’s holding back the reps and improve business development skills through personalized training and coaching.

How to Hire for Business Development Skills

Not every sales professional will possess the kinds of work traits needed to excel in business development. Sales managers can use the sales skills assessment offered by TeamTrait^TM to identify candidates. The objective results show scores in key areas such as prospecting and networking.

Conclusion

Sales organizations typically depend on both hunters and farmers to manage growth. While your farmers keep your current clients satisfied, your hunters seek out new prospects. When your business development pros have the right sales skills, motivations and work behavior, it will be easier to reach your goals.