Business Development Director
You are looking for a Business Development Director who opens new markets, customers or channels for you. SalesQuarters finds the commercial builder who can do that, even in an organisation where nothing is set yet.
For PE portfolio companies this is often the role that has to deliver the growth plan. In family businesses and scale-ups it is the first person who frees the owner from driving commercial growth. And corporates look for this leader when a new channel or a new market is added.
Growth has to come from outside
Your existing customers are growing, just not enough. The growth you need lies in a new market, a new product or a channel you do not serve yet. Your sales team is good at serving customers you already have. Opening doors is a different craft.
Often this is a new role. There is no team yet, no playbook and no predecessor. That makes selection difficult. You are looking for someone with the professionalism of a large organisation who can still work without departments around them.
How we find a Business Development Director
For a new role, Development Driven Search® is especially valuable. Being able to do the job is the minimum. We look for someone for whom this building job is the step they want to take themselves. A builder who recognises their own development in your assignment keeps going when things get tough.
- We define the role. What should this person have built in two years? What is part of it and what is not? With a new role we take extra time for this.
- We search for the rare combination. Corporate experience with entrepreneurship, discipline with flexibility. We often find these people outside the obvious places.
- We test how someone builds. Besides the predictors of success in sales, we look at how a candidate deals with uncertainty, setbacks and little structure.
- We support the start. With a new role the first months are decisive. We stay involved.
From intake to contract this takes 8 to 12 weeks on average. For a new role we plan a little more time for the first step.
Discuss your Business Development Director vacancy with SalesQuarters. Call +31 20 226 90 00 or email info@salesquarters.nl.
Proven in practice
BearField, known for Arizona and Charlie's Organics, wanted to create a new commercial role. CEO Pieter van den Akker: "We are a mid-sized company, but we compete with the largest multinationals in the world. On the one hand we need people who help us compete with those big players. On the other hand we need entrepreneurial spirit. That is a rare combination." We found that combination.
For Ford Netherlands we found specialists for the move to direct sales and e-commerce. At Becky.works we placed a Business Development Manager.
Want to discuss your situation?
Is the role not clearly on paper yet? That is no problem. In a first conversation we sharpen together what you are looking for.
Call SalesQuarters on +31 20 226 90 00 or email info@salesquarters.nl.
Related cases
Veelgestelde vragen
A Sales Director grows the existing customer base. A Business Development Director opens new markets, customers or channels. The first is mainly about steering, the second mainly about entrepreneurship and perseverance.
When your growth cannot come from your current customers. For example when expanding into a new market, launching a new product or opening a new channel such as D2C or e-commerce. After an acquisition by an investor, this is also often the role that has to deliver the growth plan.
On average 8 to 12 weeks from intake to signed contract. For a new role we allow a little more time for the profile.
The indicative base salary for a Business Development Director is between €100,000 and €180,000. Market and responsibility determine where in that range. Variable pay is often linked to new revenue.
Someone who demonstrably generates new revenue within the investment horizon. Experience with international growth, buy and build and reporting to a board is a clear advantage.