Business Development Manager Jobs Interview Questions and Answers in South Africa

Are you passionate and enthusiastic to work as a Business Development Manager job? Are you capable enough to handle team members then log on to Omni Academy jobs to search and apply jobs. Business Development manager is a senior manager tasked with the job of helping the business grow and called as high level business sales professionals. He should be able to identify new business opportunities, new markets, new partnerships. He should have ability to stay calm under pressure and keep to deadlines. He should possess strong sales and negotiation techniques. He should have team working and leadership skills. So, candidates who are looking forward for the interview can see the following Business development manager interview question and answers below and get your dream job with the final interview.

1. Question 1. Explain Me About Your Typical Project Approach?Answer :Here, the hiring manager wants to ensure you have an overall understanding of the business analysis planning process. Rather than listing numerous projects and processes, talk more about the general phases or types of deliverables you might create, while letting the hiring manager know you can customize your approaches to projects.
2. Question 2. Tell Me Which Defects Should Be Prioritized?Answer :When a defect has a high likelihood of being exploited, or may compromise the data integrity of the system (and the company), any suitable candidate will want to prioritize those. Those defects that are cosmetic should be given a lower priority unless they interfere with the user experience in a substantial way.

Question 3. Explain Me How Do You Deal With Rejection?

Answer :

As the people primarily responsible for cold calling and emailing, SDRs deal with an awful lot of rejection. If the candidate admits they get flustered or frustrated after an extended period of rejection, they’re probably not cut out for the job. “Fall down seven times, stand up eight” is the mantra of the best SDRs.

Question 4. Explain How Have You Handled Difficult Stakeholders?

Answer :

The hiring manager is trying to assess your soft skills, particularly your communication and collaboration abilities. Working with people from different areas of the company and perspectives is an area where nontechnical skills are key.

Question 5. Please Explain Me Your Life Story In 90 Seconds?

Answer :

As Mark Twain once said, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” Brevity is a talent, and it’s one that prospects appreciate. This question reveals the candidate’s ability to hit the critical points of a story in a short amount of time.

Question 6. Tell Us What’s Your Ideal Working Environment?

Answer :

Say that you enjoy working in a team environment. Describe the environment in such a way as it sounds similar to the work environment you believe the company has adopted.

Question 7. Tell Me What Do You Think Is The Manager’s Role In Closing Deals?

Answer :

This will vary from company to company, and person to person. But by now, your company no doubt has its model for the manager. See if there is any contradiction.

Question 8. Tell Us How Do You Handle Changes To Requirements?

Answer :

Your logical-thinking skills are being put to the test with this question. As you answer, highlight how you thoughtfully respond to changing situations.

 One potential response is something along the lines of, “First, I prioritize the changes to requirements, scope of changes and the impact analysis to the project. Next, I perform an impact analysis to the project cost, timeline and resources. Finally, I evaluate whether the scope change is introducing new gaps to the technical or functional designs or development and testing.”

Question 8. Tell Us How Do You Handle Changes To Requirements?

Answer :

Your logical-thinking skills are being put to the test with this question. As you answer, highlight how you thoughtfully respond to changing situations.

 One potential response is something along the lines of, “First, I prioritize the changes to requirements, scope of changes and the impact analysis to the project. Next, I perform an impact analysis to the project cost, timeline and resources. Finally, I evaluate whether the scope change is introducing new gaps to the technical or functional designs or development and testing.”

Question 9. Tell Me What Is Your Strategy For Converting A No Into A Yes?

Answer :

The interviewee will give an explicit response to their sales strategy, and how they adapt to situations.

Question 10. Tell Us How Do You Build Your Development Team?

Answer :

A well-bonded team is a well-built team. The answers to this question should refer to activities that the candidate has already done. The candidate doesn’t need to be their team’s best friend, but it’s important that they’re interested in getting to know their team and creating opportunities for them to bond.

Question 11. Explain What Motivates You In Your Work?

Answer :

Hitting targets and achieving goals is your main motivation. Say that you are motivated by the desire to do a great job and to help improve business.

Question 12. Tell Us What Do You Know About Sdd?

Answer :

Your lingo acumen is being tested when you get one of these types of questions. Explain that the system design document (SDD) is a middle step separating business users and developers

1. Question 13. Tell Me How Would You Identify A New Market To Enter?Answer :Analysis of sales data should help to identify possible new markets. This would be followed up with some market research.
2. Question 14. Tell Me Suppose I Am A Prospect. Describe Our Product Or Service To Me?Answer :This question will not only reveal the amount of research the candidate did before the interview (which bodes well for their prospect researching skills), it also gives the hiring manager a chance to evaluate their ability to speak clearly and persuasively.

Question 15. Tell Me Which Is The Best Development Language?

Answer :

This is a bit of a trick question, but it’s not a silly one. The best language is the one that the team knows; at the end of the day, that’s the language that will get the job done. A good development manager doesn’t have room for pet languages.

Question 16. Do You Know What Are The Important Aspects Of Agile Development?

Answer :

Iteration and customer involvement should be near the top of the candidate’s list of answers. A good candidate will be able to clearly explain what makes these aspects important as well. Agile development is important because of the psychology that it elicits from the developers working on the project.

Question 17. What Attracted You To This Role Business Development Manager?

Answer :

To answer this you need to show a good understanding of the company and say that you are keen to be part of a dynamic team to help the company grow and develop. The aim of business development is to develop growth opportunities, so you must show a keen interest in working with their products and services.

Question 18. Explain Me Why Do You Enjoy Business Development?

Answer :

Say that you feel that business development is the heart of a healthy business and it is extremely rewarding to see a business grow on the back of your decisions and actions.

1. Question 19. Tell Us Which Business Intelligence Tools Or Systems Have You Worked With?Answer :Cite the specific tools and how you’ve used them. If you have used a system the company employs, mention your experience to the hiring manager. If you’re not familiar with the technology the employer uses, discuss how you plan to get up to speed quickly.
2. Question 20. Explain Me Can You Define The Diagrams Most Used By Business Analysts?Answer :Again, the hiring manager wants reassurance you have the skills to get the job done and know case, activity and sequence diagrams.

1. Question 21. Tell Me How Do You Provide Skills Training For Your Developers?Answer :The obvious (but not necessarily bad) answer is face-to-face training and mentoring. However, a good candidate will know to include online tools, such as video sites, or free alternatives. They’ll be looking for ways to train their developers even when there aren’t big budgets.
2. Question 22. Explain Me How Do You Maintain Alignment With Your Customers (internal Or External)?Answer :Like with most jobs, the key is communication. The form that these communications come in may vary, but the development manager shouldn’t know what the business wants more than the business does. Good development managers know that users know their business better and development managers can help them understand the technology so that they can together create the best solution.

Question 23. Explain How Would You Get To Understand And Cater To A Prospect’s Specific Needs?

Answer :

Say that you listen to their needs and then propose a solution that will meet a majority of their needs. If there are any gaps in the product offering, explain that workarounds can be developed to ensure that business runs smoothly.

Question 24. Tell Me Besides Cost-reduction, How Would You Go About Raising Our Profits?

Answer :

Cost reduction is more of an operations perspective. Give the candidate the opportunity to give reasonable measures to increase profits from the sales side.

1. Question 25. Explain What’s The Last Thing You Learned That You Thought Was Really Interesting?Answer :A sense of curiosity is necessary in sales development. SDRs have to ask insightful questions to get to the heart of prospects’ problems, and investigate their current environments. People with natural curiosity won’t have a problem enthusiastically sharing something they learned with you. But if the candidate struggles to come up with an example, it might be a red flag.
2. Question 26. Tell Me What Qualities And Skills Make An Account Manager Successful?Answer :This question asks you to show that you understand how to fulfill the duties of the position. Your response should include three parts:Discuss three or four traits that contribute to an account manager’s success. You might describe the importance of market research, communication skills or the ability to negotiate.Describe how those qualities can be beneficial when working with this specific company’s clients. If you have done your homework then you will know something about the accounts that they service, and can give specifics on how the traits you’ve described can help you to meet their customer’s needs.Share experiences that illustrate that you possess these qualities. Outline an experience or achievement where you demonstrated the qualities you’ve listed in specific, quantifiable terms.

Question 27. Explain Me Example Of A Time When You Had To Sell An Unpopular Idea To Someone?

Answer :

If you have an example from work experience this is ideal, however, do not be concerned if you do not. You could give an example from your private life, such as persuading a friend or family member to get involved with something they were not really interested in. Good sales skills are transferable to life.

1. Question 28. Explain Me A Time When You Have Not Met Your Goal?Answer :The ability to meet goals and deadlines is important for an accounts manager. If you have legitimately never failed to meet a goal then feel free to share this achievement, but don’t stop there. Explain several factors that have enabled you to maintain your excellent record. If you have failed to meet a goal in the past, describe the most salient points of the project and outline the steps that led to failure. Then show the interviewer that you are the kind of person who can learn from their mistakes by detailing how you would approach the problem differently in the future to elicit a better outcome. Whether you have failed to meet a goal or have a perfect record, be sure to detail a strategy for meeting goals that has worked well for you in the past and that you believe will serve you well in this position.
2. Question 29. Tell Me Suppose If You Had To Teach A Beginner An Advanced Concept, How Would You Approach The Task?Answer :After countless hours of product training, salespeople are intimately familiar with their wares. Prospects, on the other hand, have a comparatively cursory understanding of your product — no matter how much independent research they’ve done. For this reason, it’s important that SDRs are able to explain potentially tricky or confusing topics in clear and simple terms.

1. Question 30. Explain Me What Sort Of Metrics Do You Consider Essential For Managing Your Team?Answer :The answer will vary but it should include the backlog of work, the number of defects, and some measure of developer effectiveness, such as functions created, or perhaps lines of code. The point is that the development manager is able to articulate what metrics they look for. These metrics give clues to the priorities that the development manager will have for your development team.
2. Question 31. Tell Us What Are Some Words Or Phrases You Think Would Resonate With Our Target Customer?Answer :Sales is all about word choice and phrasing. Whether your organization uses a sales script or not, it’s good to check if a candidate naturally gravitates to emotionally-charged words that will strike a chord with buyers.
3. Question 32. Tell Me Could I Give You Some Feedback? I Would Change X, Y, And Z. Now Could You Try Again?Answer :Coachability is critical for sales development reps. Observe how well the candidate incorporates your feedback into their second attempt. This will indicate their level of coachability, as well as demonstrate their listening skills.

Question 33. As You Know I Like What I’m Hearing But We’ve Got A Ton Of Great Candidates. Why Should We Hire You?

Answer :

An easy question to answer well with one caveat – don’t slam your fellow interviewee’s. On the one hand, you have an opportunity to really stand out from the pack. Alternatively, You shouldn’t assume the skills of other applicants. Focus on your own strengths, and if the interviewer hasn’t given you an opportunity to mention that one “slam dunk” quality about yourself, now would be the time.

Is there a wrong way to answer this question? Consider the responses below:

• “I really need a job right now”
• “I need the money”
• “Your office is really close to my house”
• “I’ve always been interested in what you guys do”

1. Question 34. Tell Us What Are Some Questions You’d Ask Prospects To Evaluate If They’re Qualified Or Not?Answer :Questions are key to an effective sales process. Listen for inquiries that go beyond BANT and indicate a deep understanding of your target buyer’s problems and your company’s solution.
2. Question 35. Explain Me What Experience Do You Have When It Comes To Discussing Our Recently Posted Business Development Manager Position?Answer :Ever since my first paper route at age 10 I’ve been doing something to keep myself busy and earn money. Back then, it was obviously about earning some spending money. What I didn’t realize was that I was actually starting the journey of establishing what I liked to do and how I fit in to the grand scheme of things. I then worked as a junior computer tech in my last 2 summers of high school. It was here that I discovered what I was passionate about and what I wanted to do. I enrolled in college to get my degree in computer sciences, and I have been working around technology ever since.
3. Question 36. Explain Have You Ever Been In A Customer Service Role? What Were Your Favorite And Least Favorite Parts?Answer :People who have worked in customer service, retail, or the restaurant industry have undoubtedly dealt with complaints. If the candidate was able to keep their cool under pressure, they’re likely well-equipped to field objections and handle rejection as an SDR. In addition, listen for a passion for helping others. They don’t have to believe that the customer is always right, but they should maintain that the customer always deserves to be heard and supported.

1. Question 37. Tell Me How Do You Qualify Leads And Decide Which Deals Are The Most Strategic To Pursue?Answer :Pursuing the right leads is something that is hard to learn. But too often salespeople waste time chasing down a more affluent deal, even if there are too many signs that it won’t work.
2. Question 38. Explain Me What Is More Important To You: Maintaining Clients Or Growing The Business?Answer :This is not contrary to the last question. Maintaining clients matters above all, but you might be in a situation where your company is trying to expand. That is when a business development manager focused on growth is more appropriate.
3. Question 39. Explain About A Time You Faced A Challenge. How Did You Deal With It, And What Motivated You To Keep Going?Answer :Prospecting is tough. An SDR might make 10, 20, or 50 calls in a row with no answer. Where will they draw their inspiration to keep dialing? This question will expose the candidate’s primary motivators.
4. Question 40. As You Know Our Field Is Always Changing. Tell Me As Such, What Have You Done With Regards To Personal Development When It Comes To A Business Development Manager Position In The Last 12 Months?Answer :That is a really great question. While I haven’t had the opportunity to develop within this particular role per se, I have actually become very involved in my local foodbank this year. This has taught me a great deal about community, teamwork, and taking initiative.I took it upon myself to enroll in a summer business admin course at the local community college. Through this, I picked up some really great knowledge on communication and teamwork, as well as further develop overall managerial skills. Though it may not be directly applicable to this particular job, I believe the overall experience I gained could be a real asset here.

1. Question 41. Tell Me As A Business Development Manager, How Do You Utilize All The Various Departments In An Organization To Spur Success?Answer :This is the overarching business development manager interview question that truly identifies their company-wide perception. Sales teams forget that each department props up the whole. A great manager will answer with their interpretation of group strategy.
2. Question 42. Take An Item From The Room And Sell It To Me?Answer :Test their most basic selling techniques. Look for focus on differentiation and value.

1. Question 43. Explain A Time That You Lost A Client And Why?Answer :Force the applicant to give a low point. We all have lost clients. The important part is if they identify the root cause.
2. Question 44. Explain Me Why Do You Enjoy Working With People So Much?Answer :To answer this effectively it is best to say that you find that working with others is the most enjoyable and fulfilling way to develop new ideas and implement solutions. Say that working in a team environment allows many different skills to be brought together to produce better results in less time.
3. Question 45. Tell Us How Do You Go About Selling Unpopular Ideas To People?Answer :Say that you focus on the positive aspects of the idea and explain why it will eventually benefit everybody. Ideas may be unpopular but their outcomes are often welcomed once people understand better what is being proposed.
4. Question 46. Tell Me What Do You Enjoy Most/least About Teamwork?Answer :Teamwork is central to most roles today; few people work in isolation. Answer that you like seeing how a group of people with a wide skill set can work together to achieve results not possible by any individual.For the least enjoyable part of teamwork, try to keep it positive by saying that you sometimes prefer to concentrate on more complex problems in a quiet environment so there are times when the team environment can be a little distracting.
5. Question 47. Explain Me What Does Your Ideal Customer Look Like?Answer :Asking for the respondent to personify the model of a customer will give you their priorities for how they search for clients. It will also reveal the way they want their customers to react to their proposals.
6. Question 48. Explain Me Why Do You Want To Sell This Product Or Service?Answer :Internal motivators such as autonomy, mastery, and purpose often trump external motivators like money or prestige. If the candidate has a personal reason for wanting to sell your product or service in particular, they’ll likely approach their job with more passion and care.
7. Question 49. Tell Me As A Business Development Manager, What Is Your Management Style?Answer :In my experience delegating responsibility and authority is crucial. A team needs to be able to develop and grow as individuals and a whole, not be held back by low expectations or ego.I believe in building a team. Each member of the team should be clear on their role, know where they fit in and feel as though they can depend on one another. I also believe in real-time feedback. If you do something wrong you should know it immediately. Regardless of right or wrong, the further removed feedback is in time, the less effective it is.
8. Question 50. Explain Me How Do You Manage Defects?Answer :The candidate should think about the process of handling defects: defects should be logged and captured into a system, then prioritized, and finally worked. The candidate should talk about the challenges with managing defects, including identifying their severity.
9. Question 51. Explain Me What Expectations Do You Have For Developers In Terms Of Work Hours?Answer :Some development managers expect 60-hour weeks from developers-and some expect them to be in at 8:00 and out at 5:00. A candidate who meshes well with the culture and expectations of the organization is critical. Startups require one set of expectations and government organizations require a different kind of thinking entirely.
10. Question 52. Tell Us Which Development Methodology Do You Recommend, And Why?Answer :There isn’t a particular “right answer” for this question. What it’s looking for is the candidate’s ability to be able to clearly articulate their beliefs and reasoning. Key candidates should be persuasive, but also be able to form a logical argument. If the candidate can convince the interviewer of their point of view, they might just be able to convince a development team to follow suit.
11. Question 53. What Are Your Salary Expectations As Business Development Manager?Answer :Many consider this question to be a loaded gun – dangerous in the hands of the inexperienced. Often times, an interviewee will start talking salary before they’ve had an opportunity to illustrate their skill set and value making any sort of leverage valueless. Here, knowledge is power, as salary often comes down to negotiation. Do some research into your industry to establish base rates of pay based on seniority and demand but keep in mind – your employer is hiring you for what they believe you are worth, and how much benefit they feel you will provide.One relatively safe approach is simply asking the interviewer about the salary range. If you wish to avoid the question entirely, respond by saying that “money isn’t a key factor” and your primary goal is to advance in your career.
12. Question 54. Tell Us Why Are Flowcharts Important?Answer :The hiring manager is trying to learn how you will work with all team members. A suitable answer here is that flowcharts play an important role in explaining concepts and processes to both technical and nontechnical members.
13. Question 55. Explain What Do You Think Are The Key Strengths Of A Business Analyst?Answer :Since business analysis is an evolving and multifaceted profession, hiring managers want to know that you are aware of the necessary skills for success. You probably have your own list, but make sure to highlight both technical and nontechnical attributes you can bring to the job.The job description should provide clues as to what types of skills the employer is looking for on both fronts – especially technical requirements. Learning what you can about the company culture prior to the interview can also provide insight on interpersonal abilities that will likely be valued.
14. Question 56. Please Explain Are You A Team Player?Answer :Depending on your sales team structure, an BDM might support one sales rep in particular, or a number of reps. Ensure your candidate works well with others and takes pride in setting their colleagues up for success.
15. Question 57. Tell Us What Steps Would You Take To Increase Revenue For This Company?Answer :Every employee plays a part in helping the company to generate revenue. The interviewer may ask this question to learn more about the sales and customer service methods you typically use and also to determine whether you have anything new to offer their organization. Again, reference instances of success from your past, detailing the outcome in specific, measurable terms. Your response may also include some discussion of the role of market research, effective communication and collaboration with the client, the sales team and other departments within the organization.
16. Question 58. Explain Relationship Selling And How You Implement It In Your Job?Answer :The most important aspect of a business development manager role is managing your relationships. Business success is much more sustainable with referrals and repeat business. That success starts with your biz dev manager and the way they can implement relationship selling in their role.
17. Question 59. Tell Us Do You Enjoy Working To Targets?Answer :Absolutely! Say that you are very much motivated when working in a target-orientated role and enjoy being the first to hit targets.
18. Question 60. Tell Us What Do You Think Makes A Good Salesperson?Answer :A good sales person needs to be friendly and professional, to be a good listener and an excellent speaker. Above all, they must be confident and extremely knowledgeable about the products they are selling.
19. Question 61. Explain Me Why Do You Think You’re Good At Sales?Answer :If you have a proven track record in sales, say so and give some examples. Mention how you are a good listener, good at interpreting a person’s motive and intention and that you feel confident in closing deals.

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