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Business Development Manager (m/f/d)
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What is a Business Development Manager? Aligning the company strategically
Business development managers are people who develop and implement strategies to promote the growth and profitability of a company.
They identify new business opportunities, make important contacts and improve existing services or products. The aim is to keep an eye on the company's profitability and respond to rapid economic change. Depending on the size of the company, BDMs work directly with the management. The balancing act between customer needs, competition, future trends and market development makes your job as a Business Development Manager unique and varied.
Business development managers - often also referred to as company development managers - are therefore sought-after specialists and occupy a key position in the company. They act as a highly communicative interface between customers and management and often climb steeply up the career ladder in the course of their work.
BD managers are not limited to a specific industry.
Companies are often looking for people from the fields of natural sciences, IT, mechanical engineering, telecommunications, the pharmaceutical industry or biotechnology. An academic background is therefore a good basis for a career as a Business Development Manager - although career changers also have good prospects.
Business Development Manager average Salary Austria: What do Business Development Managers earn?
With a job as a BDM, your salary is generally above the Austrian average.
It is not possible to put a precise figure on the salary of business development managers. Various aspects such as company size, industry, location and the professional experience they bring with them are decisive.
Therefore, the more relevant your professional experience in a particular industry and the larger the company you work for, the higher your salary will be.
On average, business development managers in Austria earn a gross annual salary of around €65,000.
Junior Business Development Manager salary: This is your starting salary as a Business Development Manager in Austria
Senior Business Development Manager average salary: Your earnings as a BD Manager
Business Development Manager tasks: What does a Business Development Manager do?
Analyzing, drawing conclusions, developing strategies - that describes the job of a Business Development Manager in a few words. Based on continuous analyses, BDMs optimize existing corporate strategies and develop new ones. Improving operational performance is also one of their tasks. In doing so, business development managers keep an eye on the potential of other companies, external specialists and their own employees and resources.
Your goal as a Business Development Manager is to boost business and increase sales. Therefore, your tasks also include sales talks with customers - especially in sales-oriented business development.
It is therefore very important to initiate contact with potential customers or partner companies, as this is the only way to realize innovative strategies. Internally, there is close cooperation with Key Account Managers, so it is important that each area knows its tasks. Not least because of this customer contact and collaboration with other teams, empathy, networking and communication skills are particularly in demand in the soft skills area.
Design and implementation of new strategies in marketing, sales and customer service
Business segment development
Market and competitor analysis
Communication with (potential) customer and partner companies
Exchange and cooperation with the development department
Training employees with regard to new strategic goals
Presence at trade fairs and conferences
New customer acquisition: BD managers identify potential new customers who could be of interest to the company. They build relationships with them and develop strategies to win them over and retain them in the long term.
Product development: Business Development Managers work closely with the product teams to improve existing products and develop new products tailored to the needs of customers. They use market analysis and customer feedback to ensure that the company's products remain competitive.
Opening up new markets: BDMs analyze new market opportunities and develop strategies to tap into them. This may involve expanding into new geographical areas, entering new industries or adapting products or services to new customer segments.
Junior Business Development Manager Tasks
Senior Business Development Manager:innen Aufgaben
Business Development Further training and studies: How do you become a business developer?
There is no fixed training and career path for business development managers. However, a degree in business administration is definitely an advantage and serves as a good basis for a future in business development. Your professional skills and experience are particularly important. This is why the requirements for this job depend heavily on the industry in which you work.
As a rule, the position of Business Development Manager is not an absolute entry-level position. It requires a certain level of experience - both in the respective field and in dealing with customers and management.
Business development training
Business development studies in Austria: the academic path
For a direct entry as a BDM, a specific Business Development Manager Master's degree program is best suited.
Although many different degree programs - especially business studies - are suitable for career entry (especially as a Bachelor), there are now also few BDM degree programs in Austria:
Master in Business Development and Sales Management at the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt
Master in Business Development & Management at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences
Business administration
Marketing & Sales
Computer science
Engineering
International Business
Business development training
There is currently no specialized business development training in Austria. As a rule, this career path requires a strong technical background paired with a degree in business administration. A completed technical education that matches the chosen industry is also suitable as a basis for a career as a business development manager.
Nevertheless, there are online seminars and courses (e.g. in Germany) that will teach you the basics of business development. For example, the four-day Business Development Management course at the Akademie der Deutschen Medien, which you can complete both online and in person, is suitable for this.
Business Development Manager Skills: You need these skills
In addition to technical know-how, soft skills are particularly important in business development management. BD managers must be able to network well, make contact with potential customers, conduct negotiations and contribute creative ideas.
Analytical skills are also required, as important decisions on product development are based on market analyses, empirical data and market and economic trends.
The most important hard skills in business development include:
Professional experience in development, marketing or sales
Industry-specific knowledge
Analytical understanding
IT skills
Good knowledge of English
(Intercultural) communication skills and negotiation skills
Strong self-motivation and proactivity
Resilience and self-organization
A feel for trends and current developments in the industry
Willingness to travel
Creativity and inventiveness
Business Development Manager Career: Opportunities on the job market in Austria
Business development managers can work in almost all sectors, but are particularly in demand where there is a high demand for innovation, i.e. in industries in the scientific and technical field. BDMs have particularly good career prospects in management in the telecommunications and IT, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, as well as in mechanical engineering and related areas.
For this reason, the BDM is a highly sought-after specialist who should continuously expand their skills through further training. As an interface between the company's management team and the client, she is gaining promising experience.
In Business Development, you are already on a stepping stone towards management level: it is not uncommon for you to be able to progress to department management or beyond in this position.
That's why you should definitely seize the opportunity to take on responsibility and prove yourself as a specialist - one who is ambitious and enjoys their job and strategically plans their own career.
Top vacancies for Business Development Manager: Jobs throughout Austria
FAQ
Business development managers (BDMs) are responsible for the further development of a company and its products and services. This opens up new markets, generates customers and increases sales.
As a Business Development Manager in Austria, you will earn an average of € 65,000 gross per year. Experienced business developers who work in large companies can also earn up to €120,000 per year.
As a Business Development Manager (BDM), you are responsible for the further development of products and services in a company. Your aim is to generate new customers, open up markets and increase sales.
A degree in business administration coupled with strong industry knowledge is suitable for a career as a business developer. Career changers can also embark on a career as a BDM with a high level of technical expertise and several years of professional experience.
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