Business Development Specialist

About the Role:

We are seeking a results-driven Business Development Specialist with a proven track record in winning major clients and driving revenue growth within the marketing and digital industry. The ideal candidate is a self-starter who thrives in fast-paced environments, understands agency dynamics, and is passionate about building strong client relationships that convert into long-term partnerships.

You will be responsible for handling inbound leads, as well as generating your own outbound opportunities through prospecting, networking, and partnerships. You'll work closely with the strategy and creative teams to tailor proposals and pitches that showcase our agency's capabilities in social media, content creation, digital marketing, and production services.

Key Responsibilities:

Client Acquisition & Lead Generation

Proactively identify, approach, and close new business opportunities with brands across various industries.

Manage inbound leads, qualifying and converting them into active clients.

Build and maintain a robust sales pipeline using CRM tools, ensuring consistent follow-up and deal progression.

Conduct outreach through networking events, LinkedIn, cold calls, and referrals to generate new leads.

Research market trends, competitor activities, and client industries to identify new business verticals.

Sales & Relationship Management

Develop and deliver persuasive sales presentations and proposals tailored to each client's needs.

Negotiate and close contracts for marketing retainers, social media management, content creation, production, paid ads, and branding projects.

Collaborate with internal teams (creative, strategy, production) to ensure smooth onboarding and project delivery.

Maintain long-term client relationships, upselling additional services when opportunities arise.

Marketing & Commercial Strategy

Contribute to the agency's business growth strategy by identifying high-value opportunities.

Analyse performance metrics to refine outreach strategies and improve conversion rates.

Represent the agency at marketing events, exhibitions, and conferences to strengthen brand visibility.

Support the creation of pitch decks and commercial proposals aligned with the agency's tone and offerings.

Key Requirements

Experience

26 years of experience in business development or sales roles within a marketing, advertising, or creative agency.

Demonstrated success in winning and managing large clients and retainer-based marketing deals.

Strong understanding of digital marketing services including:

Social Media Management & Strategy

Content Creation & Video Production

Influencer Marketing

Paid Advertising (Meta, Google, TikTok, etc.)

Branding, Web Design, and Creative Campaigns

Skills:

Exceptional communication and presentation skills with strong business acumen.

Excellent negotiation and closing skills.

Ability to understand client pain points and propose tailored marketing solutions.

Self-motivated with a hunter mentality and ability to work independently.

Strong CRM, pipeline management, and reporting skills.

KPIs & Targets

Monthly and quarterly revenue targets from new and existing clients.

Number of qualified leads generated per month.

Conversion rate from proposal to signed client.

Retention and upsell rate of existing clients.

Contribution to total agency revenue growth.