Interview Question Guide

Business Development Manager interview questions

Business Development Managers are primarily responsible for developing strategic partnerships or new business relationships to grow the company’s client base and boost sales. While Sales Managers focus on generating revenue, BD Managers focus on business growth and new opportunities. They do so by identifying potential clients and arranging opportunities to meet and inform them about company products and services. They also act as both a point of contact for new and existing clients. To succeed in their role, BD Managers need to understand their markets and customer needs and use that information to develop growth strategies focused on financial gain and customer satisfaction. Relationship building is also key to success in their roles.

The 6 core skills for Business Development Managers include:

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Critical Thinking

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Business Acumen

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Relationship Building

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Lead Generation

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Verbal Communication

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Strategic Planning

Interview questions for Business Development Managers

While it might seem difficult to figure out whether a candidate will succeed as a Business Development Manager in your company, a well-developed set of interview questions that tap into the core skills required to perform in a Business Development Manager role will go a long way in helping you decide. 

But where do you start? How do you develop a set of great interview questions? 

The best interview questions come directly from a job analysis. A job analysis is an evidence-based method that focuses on assessing key features of a particular role. These features describe both the job itself (i.e., tasks, responsibilities, and performance objectives), and the characteristics required of someone to perform successfully in the job (e.g., knowledge, skills, and abilities). A job analysis forms the basis of many HR practices such as compensation, performance management, and - you guessed it - how to interview and hire candidates. 

At Hireguide, we’ve done the job analysis work for you. We’ve used the method to identify a core set of skills associated with the Business Development Manager role, and we’ve developed and validated a list of behavioral, situational, and work sample questions with answer guides that tap directly into those core skills. And that’s not all. We’ve compiled these questions and created a Business Development Manager Interview Template for you that integrates other interviewing best practices. Skills-based interviews will not only help you make higher quality and evidence-based hiring decisions, but research also shows they enhance fairness and reduce bias in your hiring process. 

Business Development Manager interview guide

Business Development Manager sample interview question 1

Think back to a time you conducted research on a prospect/client to personalize a sales experience for them. How did you apply your research to personalize their experience?

Answer Tips

  • Identifies ways the product is suited to the client’s specific needs
  • Actively learns about the client by analyzing data accessible to them
  • Identifies and emphasizes features that impact the client in a positive way
  • Adapts their message in real-time by listening to prospect/client feedback
  • Consistently updates and improves the sales process to meet client needs

Business Development Manager sample interview question 2

Imagine you are working on developing a new sales or business development strategy. What company and industry information would you need to develop a feasible and effective plan, and what challenges would you anticipate?

Answer Tips

  • Demonstrates understanding of key industry and company characteristics 
  • Discusses capacity planning, quota 
  • allocation and territory design
  • Uses valid data to back up the sales/business development plan
  • Discusses incorporating the company's goals and input from key stakeholders

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