Business development manager

What does a business development manager do?

A business development manager finds new customers, partners and markets for an organisation, then turns them into signed deals.

The job sits in sales, partnerships or distribution. You see it in Singapore banks, insurers, logistics firms, software companies and professional services firms.

The role usually reports to a head of business development, a sales director or a general manager. In a small firm it may report to the founder. You work with marketing, product, finance, legal and operations teams to shape offers and close deals.

The focus is new business and new channels, while day-to-day care of existing accounts sits elsewhere. Singapore's occupation classification (SSOC 2024) places the closest match under sales manager.

What the work involves

• Research markets, competitors and trends to spot sectors or partners worth approaching.
• Reach out to prospects and partners through email, LinkedIn, events and introductions, then run first meetings.
• Write proposals and tender responses, and agree terms with the customer and your own legal and finance teams.
• Update the CRM, review the pipeline and report progress against targets to your manager.
• Meet product, marketing and operations teams to shape offers and check that what you promise can be delivered.

Pay in Singapore

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Skills a business development manager needs

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Business development manager job description

We are hiring a business development manager to grow our customer and partner base in Singapore.

You will find and qualify opportunities, lead negotiations and bring in new business that meets agreed targets. You will work closely with marketing, product and operations, and report to the head of sales or business development.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain a pipeline of new customers, channel partners and strategic partners.
• Research market conditions, competitors and customer needs to guide where the team focuses.
• Run discovery calls and presentations to understand customer problems and position the offer.
• Write proposals, quotations and tender responses with input from product, finance and legal.
• Negotiate commercial terms and close agreements within company guidelines.
• Plan growth for key partners and accounts, and hand over won customers to account management or customer success.
• Record all activity in the CRM and give accurate forecasts to management.
• Work with marketing on campaigns, events and content that support your target segments.
• Check that deals and outreach follow company policy, contract rules and the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).

Requirements

• A diploma or degree in business, marketing or a related field is common. Sales experience can substitute in some firms.
• Typically 3 to 7 years of experience in sales, partnerships or business development, often in the same industry.
• Strong negotiation, presentation and written communication skills, including proposal or tender writing.
• Working skills in a CRM such as Salesforce or HubSpot, plus Excel for pipeline and deal analysis.
• Experience with LinkedIn Sales Navigator or a sales engagement tool is often a plus.
• Willingness to travel within the region and to meet customers outside office hours.

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Business development manager career path

Most business development careers start in an executive role and move to manager, then to head of business development or general management.

Titles differ by industry, such as insurance, logistics or technology.

1. Business development executive

   Entry · SkillsFuture title

   You research leads, support proposals and handle smaller partners or accounts under a manager's guidance.

2. Business development manager

   Mid · SkillsFuture title

   You own targets, lead negotiations and build new channels or partner relationships with less supervision.

3. Sales and marketing manager or key account manager

   Senior · SkillsFuture title

   You take on a wider scope, such as a full vertical, a large set of accounts or a trade route, and often manage people.

4. Head of business development

   Lead · SkillsFuture title

   You set the growth strategy, manage the budget and lead the managers who bring in new business.

5. General manager or managing director

   Head · SkillsFuture title

   You run the whole business unit or company, with responsibility for profit, people and long-term direction.

Steps marked "SkillsFuture title" follow the career pathway in the SkillsFuture Skills Framework. The others are titles commonly used in Singapore.

Related jobs and their pay

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Business development manager interview questions

We wrote these questions from the skills this job needs. They are not an official question bank.

1. How would you build a target account list for a new market segment in Singapore?

   What a good answer covers

   • Defines the ideal customer by industry, size, need and buying trigger
   • Uses LinkedIn Sales Navigator, company filings, news and events to find accounts
   • Ranks accounts by fit and likely value, and looks beyond size
   • Identifies the decision maker and likely influencers in each account
   • Sets a review point to drop or add accounts based on response

2. Walk me through how you run a first discovery call.

   What a good answer covers

   • Researches the prospect and sets an agenda before the call
   • Asks open questions about goals, current process, problems and budget
   • Finds out who else is involved in the decision and what the timeline is
   • Listens more than pitches, and repeats back what was heard
   • Ends with a clear next step and a date

3. How do you keep your CRM pipeline accurate enough to forecast from?

   What a good answer covers

   • Uses clear stage definitions tied to buyer actions, and avoids hopeful guesses
   • Updates records after every meeting and call
   • Closes or moves stalled deals on a regular schedule
   • Compares forecast with actual results to learn where it was off
   • Keeps notes that another colleague could pick up

4. How do you structure a response to a request for proposal?

   What a good answer covers

   • Checks first whether the deal is worth bidding for
   • Maps each requirement to a clear answer and flags gaps early
   • Gets input from product, finance and legal with deadlines
   • Leads with the customer's problem and the outcome instead of company history
   • Reviews for errors, consistency and compliance before submission

5. How would you set up an outreach sequence using Sales Navigator and a sales engagement tool?

   What a good answer covers

   • Builds a narrow list with filters for role, industry and company size
   • Writes a short sequence mixing email, LinkedIn and calls over a few weeks
   • Personalises the first line with a real reason for contact
   • Tracks open, reply and meeting rates, then adjusts the message
   • Respects opt-outs and keeps contact data clean

6. How would you use Excel to decide whether a new channel partner is worth signing?

   What a good answer covers

   • Estimates expected revenue from the partner over a set period
   • Includes costs such as commission, support, training and marketing support
   • Runs best, expected and worst cases
   • Calculates break-even and payback time
   • States assumptions clearly so others can challenge them

7. A prospect asks for a large discount to sign this quarter. How do you respond?

   What a good answer covers

   • Asks what is driving the request before answering
   • Trades concessions for something, such as a longer term, volume or faster payment
   • Knows the walk-away point and the approval process in advance
   • Keeps the focus on value and on more than price
   • Confirms the final terms in writing

8. How do you build an account plan for a strategic partner?

   What a good answer covers

   • Maps the partner's goals, structure and key contacts
   • Sets shared targets and a joint activity plan
   • Finds gaps where you have little access or influence
   • Schedules regular reviews with clear owners
   • Tracks results and updates the plan each quarter

9. How would you use ChatGPT in your prospecting work, and where would you avoid it?

   What a good answer covers

   • Uses it to draft outreach, summarise public information and prepare meeting questions
   • Checks every fact and edits the tone before sending
   • Keeps confidential customer data and personal data out of it
   • Follows company policy on AI tools
   • Treats output as a first draft

1. Your largest channel partner has sent far fewer referrals for two months. What do you do?

   What a good answer covers

   • Looks at data first to see if the drop is real and where it started
   • Contacts the partner to ask what has changed, such as staff, priorities or a competitor
   • Checks whether your own team caused it, for example slow follow-up
   • Agrees a short recovery plan with joint targets
   • Reports the risk to your manager early

2. A deal has stalled. Your champion likes the offer, but procurement keeps asking for changes. How do you move it on?

   What a good answer covers

   • Asks the champion to map the approval steps and who decides
   • Meets procurement directly to learn their concerns
   • Separates must-have terms from items you can trade
   • Builds a short business case the champion can share internally
   • Sets a clear decision timeline and agrees what happens if it slips

3. You must present a new partnership proposal to a customer's senior leadership in ten minutes. How do you prepare?

   What a good answer covers

   • Finds out what each leader cares about and tailors the points
   • Opens with the problem and the expected outcome
   • Uses a few simple slides with one message each
   • Prepares answers to likely questions on cost, risk and timing
   • Closes with a specific request for a decision or next step

4. A customer wants a feature your product does not have, and your team wants the deal closed this month. What do you do?

   What a good answer covers

   • Confirms the real need behind the request
   • Asks product whether the feature is planned, and avoids promising dates you cannot control
   • Offers a workaround or phased scope if one exists
   • Is open with the customer about limits
   • Escalates to management if the deal depends on a commitment

1. Tell me about a deal you lost. What did you learn?

   What a good answer covers

   • Describes a real deal with context and your role
   • Names the cause honestly, without blaming others
   • Shows what you changed afterwards
   • Keeps the relationship open where possible

1. How do you make sure your cold outreach in Singapore follows the Personal Data Protection Act?

   What a good answer covers

   • Knows that personal data needs a valid basis for use and that people can withdraw consent
   • Checks the Do Not Call Registry before calling or texting consumers where it applies
   • Includes a clear way to opt out and acts on it quickly
   • Keeps lead lists to what is needed and stores them securely
   • Asks the company's data protection officer when unsure

Common questions about a business development manager job

Sources