Learn what skills and qualities interviewers are looking for from a vice president of business development, what questions you can expect, and how you should go about answering them.
The vice president of business development is a key player in any company. They are responsible for creating and executing the company’s business development strategy. This includes developing new business opportunities, negotiating and executing partnerships and alliances, and overseeing marketing and sales initiatives.
To be successful in this role, you need to be able to think strategically, build relationships, and have a deep understanding of the company’s products and services. You also need to be able to effectively communicate with executives, customers, and partners.
If you’re interviewing for this role, you can expect to be asked questions about your experience in business development, your understanding of the company’s products and services, and your ability to think strategically.
To help you prepare, we’ve put together a list of sample questions and answers that you can use to develop your own responses.
The interviewer may ask this question to see if you have done your research on the company and its offerings. They want to know that you are passionate about their brand and understand what it offers customers. In your answer, try to show that you’ve researched the company’s products or services and can speak to them confidently.
Example: “I am familiar with your company and all of your current offerings. I think your company is a great fit for my skillset because I believe in the quality of your work and how much you value customer service. I also love the way you use technology to make life easier for consumers. For example, I recently read an article about your new app that helps users find the best deals at local restaurants.”
This question can help the interviewer understand your approach to business development and how you plan to contribute to their company. Use examples from past experiences that highlight your skills, such as communication, networking or relationship building.
Example: “I find it’s important to have a strategic plan for developing new business. I create a list of target companies based on our current client base and industry trends. Then, I develop a marketing strategy that includes cold calling, social media outreach and networking events. These strategies helped me secure several large clients at my last job, including one who became our largest account.”
Employers ask this question to learn more about your personality and how it may fit in with their company culture. When answering, try to be honest while also highlighting any positive traits that you have.
Example: “I would describe myself as a very outgoing person who is always looking for new opportunities to meet people. I am passionate about my work and love sharing ideas with others. I find that I can connect with almost anyone, which makes me great at networking events. I enjoy being the center of attention when presenting or speaking in front of large groups.”
This question can help the interviewer get to know you better and understand what your greatest strengths are. This is also a way for them to see if you have any experience that relates to the position you’re applying for. When answering this question, it’s important to choose an achievement that shows off your skills and abilities while still being relatable to the role.
Example: “My greatest achievement so far in my career was when I helped my previous employer secure a new client. We were competing against another company for the same client, and we ended up winning their business because of my hard work. It felt great to be able to contribute to our company’s success.”
Employers ask this question to learn more about your problem-solving skills. They want to know that you can overcome challenges and still complete your work on time. In your answer, explain the steps you took to solve the issue. Share how it helped you grow as a professional.
Example: “When I first started my career in business development, I had a hard time finding new clients for our company. I would spend hours researching companies but never followed up with them. One day, I decided to reach out to 100 companies at once. While only 10% of those companies responded, we were able to secure two new clients from that list. By reaching out to so many companies at once, I was able to find two great partners for our company.”
This question is a way for the interviewer to get an idea of how you’ve performed in your previous roles. They want to see if you have experience with generating revenue and increasing sales, so they may ask this question to learn more about your past performance. When answering this question, try to focus on what you did that led to success.
Example: “In my last role as vice president of business development at ABC Company, I saw that we were consistently meeting our goals for new clients and leads. However, I noticed that we weren’t reaching out to enough companies within our target market. So, I started implementing a strategy where we would reach out to five businesses per week to offer our services. This resulted in us gaining three new clients within six months.”
This question is a great way to test your ability to work with budgets and achieve goals. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention the steps you would take to create an effective budget and how you would use that budget to increase sales.
Example: “I would first meet with my team to discuss what we’re currently doing to generate leads and sales. Then I would analyze our current marketing strategies and determine which ones are most effective. After that, I would look at our competitors’ marketing strategies and see if there are any tactics we could implement to make our company more appealing to customers. Finally, I would develop a plan for implementing new strategies and increasing sales by the percentage goal.”
Vice presidents of business development often have a lot on their plates. They need to be able to handle stress well and prioritize tasks effectively. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention how you manage your time and the steps you take to stay organized.
Example: “I find that I am most productive when I am under pressure. In my previous role as vice president of sales, I had to meet monthly quotas for revenue generation. This was stressful at times, but I found that if I broke down my goals into smaller objectives, I could better focus on what needed to get done each day. I also developed a system where I would check in with my team members daily to see how they were doing. This helped me feel more connected to them and provided an opportunity to offer support.”
This is your chance to show the interviewer that you’ve done your research and are genuinely interested in the role. It’s also a good time to ask any questions you have about the company culture, training opportunities or other aspects of the job that aren’t clear from the job description.
Example: “I’m very excited about this opportunity and would love to join your team. I noticed on your website that you offer an employee stock purchase plan. Could you tell me more about how that works?” This shows the interviewer that you’re looking for ways to contribute to the company’s success and benefit yourself as well.”
Employers ask this question to learn more about your willingness to take on new challenges and how you’ve succeeded in the past. When answering, think of a time when you took on a new challenge at work and successfully completed it.
Example: “The last time I took on a new challenge was when my company hired me as an account manager. At that point, I had only worked in sales for two years, so I wasn’t sure if I would be able to handle the role. However, I accepted the position and learned everything I could about the job before starting. Now, I have been working as an account manager for five years.”
Customer service is an important part of any business, and the interviewer may want to know how you would improve their company’s customer service. Showcase your communication skills by explaining how you would talk with customers about their experiences and what you would do to make improvements.
Example: “I think it’s important to listen to our customers’ concerns and complaints. I would hold regular meetings with my team members to discuss customer feedback and ideas for improvement. For example, if a customer said they were unhappy with the delivery time on their order, we could hire more drivers or add another shift to ensure orders are delivered within a certain timeframe.”
This question can help interviewers understand how you handle customer service and support. It can also show them your communication skills, problem-solving abilities and ability to multitask. When answering this question, it can be helpful to describe a specific situation in which you handled an inquiry successfully.
Example: “I find that the best way to handle customer inquiries is by being empathetic and understanding of their needs. I try to make sure they feel heard and understood while also making sure I’m able to provide them with accurate information about our products or services. In my previous role, I had a client who was upset because we couldn’t offer them a discount on our product. Instead of just telling them no, I asked them what kind of discount they were looking for and if there was anything else we could do to improve their experience. They ended up being happy with our response.”
Employers ask this question to learn more about your qualifications and how you compare to other candidates. Before your interview, make a list of the skills and experiences that qualify you for this role. Focus on what makes you unique from other applicants.
Example: “I have extensive experience in business development, which is why I’m excited to apply for this position. In my last role, I helped grow our company’s client base by 30% within one year. My marketing strategies also increased sales revenue by 20%. These results show that I can help your company achieve similar success.”
This question is a great way to show your interviewer that you are eager to learn more about their industry. It also shows them that you have the ability to adapt and grow as an employee. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention industries or companies that you would like to work for in the future.
Example: “I have experience working with many different types of businesses, but I am especially interested in working for a company that focuses on helping small businesses succeed online. I think my skills could really help a company like that achieve success.”
This question can help the interviewer determine if you have the qualities they’re looking for in a vice president of business development. Your answer should show that you understand what’s important to this role and how your own skills match up with those requirements.
Example: “I think the most important quality for a business development professional is creativity. This position requires someone who can come up with new ideas and strategies for reaching customers, so I always try to be open-minded when thinking about new ways to do things. I also think it’s important to have strong communication skills since this role involves collaborating with many different departments and individuals.”
This question can help interviewers understand your approach to marketing and how you might make changes to improve the company’s sales. You can answer this question by describing a time when you made a change to a pitch or marketing materials and what the results were.
Example: “I recommend making changes to pitches and marketing materials as often as necessary, depending on the goals of each campaign. For example, I worked with a client who wanted to increase their online sales through social media platforms. We created several different ads for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that targeted specific demographics based on age, gender and location. After running these ads for two weeks, we saw an increase in online sales of 10%. We then adjusted our ads to target new audiences and continued to see success.”
This question is a way for the interviewer to assess your honesty and integrity. It’s important to be honest in your answer, but you can also show that you’re willing to learn from mistakes.
Example: “I would first apologize for the missing information. Then I would explain that there was an issue with my sales software that caused the gap. I would tell them that I’ve since fixed the problem so it won’t happen again. I would also mention that I’m taking steps to ensure that all of my records are accurate.”