Business Development Manager CV Example & Template
A complete two-page CV for a business development manager in UK B2B software and services, followed by what sales directors and hiring managers check first. Use the structure, then replace the markets, deal sizes, partners and targets with your own, since every figure will be tested at interview.
Last reviewed October 2026
Example Business Development Manager CV
Oliver Bennett
Business Development Manager, B2B software and channel partnerships
Manchester, UK
Profile
Business development manager with eight years in B2B software, the last four opening new accounts and partner channels in the UK and Ireland. I have closed £3.1m in new annual contract value over the past two years, built a pipeline of 40 qualified accounts and negotiated four reseller agreements. Looking for a senior business development role where growth comes from partners as well as direct sales.
Experience
Business Development Manager, UK and Ireland
Feb 2022 – Present
Larkfield Systems · Manchester
- Closed £3.1m of new annual contract value over two years against a target of £2.4m, with 11 new mid-market and enterprise accounts.
- Signed four reseller agreements that now produce about 28% of new UK pipeline, after two years of near zero partner revenue.
- Shortened the average sales cycle from 6.5 months to 4.8 by adding an executive sponsor step and a clear security review pack at stage two.
- Built a target list of 120 accounts in financial services and logistics, and booked 85 first meetings through outbound and events.
- Work with product and legal on pricing, contract terms and a pilot offer, and present quarterly forecasts to the managing director.
Senior Account Executive
Jun 2019 – Jan 2022
Tessellate Software · Leeds
- Managed a portfolio of 35 accounts worth £2.2m and renewed 94% of contract value across three years.
- Won 14 new customers in the public sector and education, including a three-year framework call-off worth £460,000.
- Ran discovery and demonstrations with finance and IT leaders, and wrote 30 tender and proposal responses a year.
- Trained six new starters on qualification and CRM discipline, which raised forecast accuracy to within 10% of actuals.
Sales Development Representative
Sep 2017 – May 2019
Corvane Technologies · Manchester
- Booked 22 qualified meetings a month on average, exceeding the target of 15 for 18 consecutive months.
- Tested three email and call sequences and kept the one that raised the reply rate from 4% to 9%.
- Passed 40 qualified leads to the account executive team, leading to £610,000 in closed business.
Education
BSc (Hons) Business Management, 2:1
2013 – 2017
University of Manchester
Skills
Strategic partnerships · Enterprise sales · Pipeline development · Contract negotiation · Salesforce CRM · Market analysis · Go-to-market planning · Proposal and tender writing · Account planning · Forecasting · Executive presentations · Channel management
Training
- MEDDICC qualification framework, certified through employer programme, 2023
- Full UK driving licence
Why this Business Development Manager CV works: what shortlisters check first
Revenue and pipeline against target
Hiring directors read for money won and money in the pipeline. State the contract value you closed, the target you were set and the period, as in £3.1m against £2.4m over two years. If your role is early stage, show qualified pipeline and meetings booked, and say how much of it converted.
A market or partner you opened
Business development is about new routes to revenue: a sector, a region or a partner channel. Name the one you built, how long it took and what it produces now. A single clear example, such as four reseller agreements producing a share of pipeline, is stronger than a long list of activities.
Deal size, cycle and how you won
Give the typical deal size, the length of the sales cycle and who signs. Mention how you qualify, which framework you use and what you changed to move deals faster. Employers want evidence that you understand enterprise buying groups, legal and security review and procurement.
Commercial judgement and negotiation
Show that you can structure a deal, not only find one. Pricing, pilots, contract terms and margin shared with partners all count. Say who you worked with inside the company, such as product or legal, and where you walked away from a poor deal. Judgement matters as much as volume at manager level.
CRM discipline and forecasting
A manager who forecasts within a tight range is easier to hire than one with an occasional big win. Mention the CRM you use, how accurate your forecasts were and how you report to leadership. Add any coaching of junior colleagues, since many roles lead into a team lead position.
Key skills recruiters look for
How to write each section of a Business Development Manager CV
Profile
State your sector, years of experience and your best result in the first two lines. Add the type of role you want: partnerships, new markets or enterprise. Avoid adjectives such as results driven and let the numbers speak.
Experience
Begin each bullet with the outcome, then how you achieved it. Include target, period and deal size where you can. Put the market or partner you opened first. Older roles can drop to two or three bullets, and a short paragraph is enough for roles over ten years old.
Skills
List the tools and methods asked for in the advert: CRM, qualification framework, forecasting and tender writing. Group them if the list grows. Leave out soft skills that bullets already prove, such as communication or teamwork.
Education and training
A degree in any subject is normally enough in business development, so keep it to one line. Add sales methodology courses or industry certifications that match the target employer. Languages count for roles covering the DACH, French or Nordic markets.
Length and format
Two pages, reverse chronological, with a clean layout. Send a PDF. If the advert asks for a cover letter, use it to name one account or partner you would approach first, which shows you have thought about their market.
More example bullet points
Strong Business Development Manager CVs lead with measurable impact. Here are examples of the kind of bullets that make recruiters stop scrolling:
Secured 3 channel partnership agreements generating $4.8M in incremental pipeline within first 12 months of tenure
Opened DACH market from zero, closing €2.3M in contracts across 9 enterprise accounts within 18 months
Reduced average deal cycle from 7 months to 4.5 months by redesigning qualification framework and executive sponsor engagement process
Common Business Development Manager CV mistakes
- Listing responsibilities such as managing relationships without revenue, targets or dates.
- Quoting a total for the team and implying it was all your own work.
- Leaving out the sales cycle and deal size, so the reader cannot judge the level.
- Naming a tool or framework without saying what changed because of it.
- Using the same CV for partnership roles and direct sales roles.
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How to tailor your Business Development Manager CV for each application
Every Business Development Manager job posting is different. The skills they prioritize, the seniority they expect, the setting — all of it shapes what your CV should emphasize. A CV that gets an interview at one employer can miss at another, even for the same job title.
The fastest way to tailor your CV is to paste the job description into NextCV. The AI reads the posting, maps it to your experience, and rewrites your bullets to match what the employer is scanning for. 1 free preview, no signup required — you only pay when you want a clean PDF download. Sign up free for 3 more.
Business Development Manager CV FAQ
What should a business development manager CV include?
A short profile, work history with revenue, pipeline and partners, education, skills and training. Show targets and results with dates. Add the sectors and regions you cover, plus the CRM and qualification methods you use.
How is business development different from sales on a CV?
Sales roles stress quota and closed deals. Business development roles stress new markets, partners and pipeline, and often a longer cycle. Show both if you have them, but lead with the one that matches the advert.
How do I show results if my deals were confidential?
Use ranges and percentages instead of client names, such as a framework worth about £450,000 over three years. Describe the sector rather than the company. Interviewers accept this as long as the figures are honest and consistent.
How long should a business development manager CV be?
Two pages is standard in the UK. Put your latest role and biggest results on page one. Senior candidates with a long track record can add a short career summary rather than a third page.
Do I need a degree to get into business development?
Not always. Many employers care more about a record of revenue, pipeline and a market you opened. If you have no degree, add sales training, certifications and the results of your first roles near the top of the CV.