When it comes to hiring a business development manager, you need to get an individual with a skillset that matches your needs. Here are the top 20 business development manager interview questions and answers to help you assess the skills and experience of your candidates.
1. Introduce Yourself and Tell Us Why You Want to Become a Business Development Manager
Tell the interviewer who you are, including your education qualifications and years of experience, and then state why you are interested in business development management.
Tip #1: Share some of your qualities related to this job
Tip #2: Mention why you want to pursue a career in business development
Sample Answer
I am James Bright, a business development manager with over ten years of experience. I hold a Bachelor of Development Studies from the University of Toronto and a Masters in Business Administration from Leeds. I have worked in several industries from the onset of my career. I decided to pursue business development to help businesses develop great plans for their advancement and economic growth. I also have an array of qualities that qualify me for this position. These are excellent interpersonal and communication abilities, business knowledge and intelligence, project management ability, computer literacy, and the ability to research and strategize.
2. Why Do You Want to Work With Our Company as a Business Development Manager?
This is a chance to convince the interviewer that you will benefit the firm if given an opportunity. Show that you are interested in the hiring institution and would like to be part of it. Also, mention how you intend to help the company.
Tip #1: State why you want to work with the company
Tip #2: Be brief and honest yet convincing
Sample Answer
I have been keeping up with your firm for some time now, and I must say that I am impressed by the yearly performance you have been registering. However, I still believe that there is room for improvement. I have some strategies that I would love to share and implement to help cement your place ahead of your competitors and also a number of skills, attributes, and abilities that will significantly benefit this institution. Working here will also allow me to meet and work with some of the best business managers and immensely help me improve my career. Lastly, I am a great believer in your products and will therefore feel at home when working here. I would be honored to be part of this great institution.
3. As a Business Development Manager, How Do Your Co-Workers Describe You?
The interviewer wants to hear about how your former colleagues describe you
Tip #1: Mention how your former co-workers describe you
Tip #: Be honest with your answer
Sample Answer
In my last role, I had colleagues who I worked with for more than three years. They describe me as a person who can be counted on. This is because I was very committed to my work. I would be present when needed or called for. They also say that I am a team player. I used to work productively as an individual or in a team. They enjoyed working with me.
4. As a Business Development Manager, What is Your Viewpoint of Management?
Here, the interviewer wants to ascertain what kind of a leader you are and how you will handle work.
Tip #1: Mention your view of management
Tip #2: Support your answer by explaining it
Sample Answer
My view is that work should be distributed evenly so that some workers do not get overloaded with work while others do nothing. When managing teams, my view is that team members should be allocated tasks that they can perform very well. I also believe that teams should have people who are experts or experienced in handling particular tasks. This way, technical tasks that require special skills should be assigned individuals with relevant skills.
5. How Would You Deal With an Employee Who is Performing His Job Inefficiently?
The interviewer wants to know how you can improve the performance of inefficient workers
Tip #1: Describe how you can motivate a poor performer
Tip #2: Show that you can enhance employee performance
Sample Answer
First, I will conduct an assessment concerning his performance to know the reason behind his ineffectiveness. Next, I would put the employee on an improvement program to enhance his skills. This might involve teaming the employee with a competent individual so that he can he may be guided on how thing should be done. Sometimes, employees underperform because of external issues like family problems. If that is the case, I would advise the employee on how to handle the matter will remaining productive. If need be, I would recommend counseling sessions.
6. How Do You Ensure That Your Employees Stay Motivated?
Your ability to motivate employees is assessed here.
Tip #1: State how you motivate employees
Tip #2: Give the impression that you can keep your team motivated
Sample Answer
I always make sure to show recognition to workers who achieve their goals. In my experience, recognizing achievement not only motivates the employee concerned but also others are inspired to improve their performance to meet their goals and get some recognition. Besides, I make delegation interdependent whenever possible. This helps employees to learn to work with each other and in the process improve each other to perform better.
7. What are the Roles Performed by a Business Development Manager?
The interviewer wants to test your familiarity with the roles of a BDM.
Tip #1: Mention some roles done by a BDM
Tip #2: Make it prompt and don’t mull
Sample Answer
The primary role of a business development manager is to identify new business opportunities to help their company grow, improve productivity, and generate more revenue. Other roles include understanding customers’ needs and creating plans to meet them, developing goals for the development team and company growth, training personnel, and liaising with other departments as appropriate. The manager is also tasked with the identification of new partnerships and methods for reaching existing markets.
8. Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years?
The interviewer wants to test whether you can set goals and focus on achieving them.
Tip #1: State where you want to be in five years
Tip #2: Be honest and give a convincing answer
Sample Answer
I want to have gained significant experience in my field to a pint where I will be able to handle more managerial responsibilities and deliver them perfectly. Besides, I want to be a person who can be counted on to get things done, whether simple or complex. I also see myself as a better problem solver in the next five years.
9. As a Business Development Manager, Describe How a Typical Day Would Look Like
Here, you are tested on whether you know your daily routine.
Tip #1: State several duties performed by a BDM
Tip #2: Be brief and ensure to give a complete answer
Sample Answer
A typical day at work will include generating leads, holding meetings with clients, cold calling prospective clients, and creating opportunities in the target markets through the support of marketing. Other responsibilities will be developing and nurturing relationships with key clients and giving expert advice concerning services and products being sold. Also, I will be negotiating pricing with customers based on internal guidelines.
[VIDEO] Top 20 Business Development Manager Interview Questions with Sample Answers: ► Subscribe for more useful videos
10. What Qualities Should a Business Development Manager Have?
Here, the interviewer wants to know whether you know the qualities that make a business development manager effective.
Tip #1: State several qualities that these managers should possess
Tip #2: Be brief and give a direct answer
Sample Answer
A business development manager should have good self-presentation skills to be able to introduce himself and the company to potential clients. He or she should have strong communication, planning, and time management skills. Other qualities include excellent organizational skills, ability to multi-task and work under minimum guidance, and being proactive.
11. What Will You Do if a Client Requests For a Particular Feature That You Don’t Have?
The interviewer wants to test your ability to assess customer needs and make the right decision.
Tip #1: Describe how you would handle the request
Tip #2: Show that you can make the right decision
Sample Answer
I will use that as an opportunity to gather the product development team and scrutinize the matter. Sometimes, the requested feature may address the need for just one client. If the need is specific to just a single customer, it may not be advantageous to incorporate the feature into the product. This is to say that the feature should only be included if it will benefit other clients.
12. As a Business Development Manager, What Kinds of KPIs Do You Follow?
Here, you are required to indicate the KPIs that you use as a manager.
Tip #1: State KPIs that you follow
Tip #2: Demonstrate that you use KPIs in your work
Sample Answer
The types of KPI’s I follow are the number of partnerships achieved in a year, the amount of product insight that I have helped to garnish, and the total revenue figures driven forward.
13. How Can You, as a Business Development Manager, Help to Guide the Overall Business?
The interviewer seeks to know ways you can influence the overall business
Tip #1: Mention how your efforts can influence the entire business
Tip #2: Be precise and direct to the point
Sample Answer
As a business development manager, I would work closely with customers who guide the future market needs. Thus, I can engage customers in conversations to understand the market better. As a result, I would gain high degree market insights and then communicate them to executives who will then take the role of driving all department visions forward.
14. Who Should Business Development Managers Speak to Often to Facilitate their Roles?
The interviewer wants to know whether you are familiar with the people that you should keep in touch with to effectively execute your roles
Tip #1: State the departments you should liaise with
Tip #2: Show that you are familiar with the people to engage
Sample Answer
They should keep in touch with the executives, product managers, product owners, and the sales team. By speaking to these people often, business development managers will find intersections of opportunities that their businesses or companies can begin to focus on.
15. How Do You Stay Up to Date in This Industry?
The interviewer wants to know whether you keep current with developments in your field.
Tip #1: State how you stay informed
Tip #2: Show that you stay current
Sample Answer
I have subscribed to two newsletters that publish new developments in the business development industry. Reading these newsletters helps me to familiarize myself with new developments and innovations in the industry. I also attend regional seminars and workshops related that discuss business development issues.
16. How Do You Measure Success as a Manager?
Here, the interviewer wants to know how to gauge your level of success
Tip #1: Describe how you measure success
Tip #2: Show that you can set goals and achieve them
Sample Answer
I ensure to set goals at the beginning of every task or project. Then, I work towards achieving those goals. In the end, I check the outcomes against the set goals. If what was expected has been achieved, then success has been realized.
17. If You Found Two Employees In Your Department Quarrelling, How Would You Deal With The
The interviewer seeks your problem-solving skills
Tip #1: Describe how you can handle the situation
Sample Answer
I would begin by seeking to know the root cause of the quarrel. Following that, I would hold a meeting with the two employees and advise them concerning how to forget their differences carry on with the world.
18. In Your Previous Job, What was Most Displeasing about Management?
The interviewer wants to understand the management aspects that didn’t please you in your previous job
Tip #1: Don’t share a negative thing that might work against you
Tip #2: Describe a real experience
Sample Answer
During my last assignment, I realized that there were no more opportunities for career development in the company. This used to happen after reaching a specific level of management. It was like a stagnant point where the executives couldn’t retain workers. As such, they didn’t recognize or consider career development at that point as a method of growing the company.
19. If You are Hired, What One Thing Will You Do as a Newly Appointed Manager?
The interviewer wants to know how you plan to get started after being hired
Tip #1: Describe the first thing you will do after assuming your role
Tip #2: Provide a precise and convincing answer
Sample Answer
If hired, the first thing I will do is familiarize myself with the strategic objectives of the company. Doing so will enable me to know the reason why the company exists. Then, I will be able to contribute effectively towards achieving its objectives. This is by executing my role accordingly and aligning my objectives towards the overall objective.
20. Describe a Time You Failed as a Manager and the Lesson You Learned From Your Failure
The interviewer seeks to know whether you learn from your mistakes
Tip #1: Describe the failure that you experienced
Tip #2: Mention what you learned
Sample Answer
During my last role, I once promised that I would find lots of new business opportunities within a short period. After the end of the period, I had just a few opportunities. I was overly ambitious. I learned to be always realistic with my goals and come up with achievable targets.
Conclusion
These questions and answers make your hiring process simpler. You now understand exactly what to ask your candidates and the answer to expect from the right individual.
