Table 1Transition record

sales managertobusiness developer

A sales manager already meets 37% of what the business developer role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.

From sales manager

37%

Overlap1

To business developer

11 Skills carried over

10 Required, not held

63.7 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 63.7

This move: 63.7 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the business developer role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the sales manager profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 11 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A business developer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a sales manager background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held collaborate in the development of marketing strategies communication, collaboration and creativity
already held brand marketing techniques business, administration and law
already held carry out sales analysis information skills
already held market research business, administration and law
already held manage accounts management skills
already held analyse business plans information skills

All 11 carried skills, including the 8 the business developer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 26 missing skills fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 business, administration and law 7 required, 6 supplementary

required, not held corporate sustainability required
required, not held services marketing required
required, not held business analysis required
required, not held financial analysis required
required, not held market analysis required
required, not held marketing principles required
required, not held strategic planning required

optional, not held customer insight optional
optional, not held vertical markets optional
optional, not held business incubation optional
optional, not held customer relationship management optional
optional, not held market entry planning optional
optional, not held market entry strategies optional

02 management skills 3 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held expand store regional presence required
required, not held apply business acumen required
required, not held identify new business opportunities required

optional, not held analyse data about clients optional
optional, not held strive for company growth optional

03 communication, collaboration and creativity 5 supplementary

optional, not held negotiate settlements optional
optional, not held prospect new customers optional
optional, not held represent company in exhibitions optional
optional, not held brainstorm ideas optional
optional, not held negotiate with stakeholders optional

04 information skills 2 supplementary

optional, not held analyse cultural trends optional
optional, not held use analytics for commercial purposes optional

05 assisting and caring 1 supplementary

optional, not held perform customer management optional

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a business developer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 11 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held analyse business plans skill
already held brand marketing techniques knowledge
already held carry out sales analysis skill
already held collaborate in the development of marketing strategies skill
already held liaise with managers skill
already held manage accounts skill
already held sales strategies knowledge
already held study sales levels of products skill
already held develop professional network skill
already held international business knowledge
already held market research knowledge

16 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held customer insight optional
optional, not held negotiate settlements optional
optional, not held prospect new customers optional
optional, not held represent company in exhibitions optional
optional, not held vertical markets optional
optional, not held analyse cultural trends optional
optional, not held analyse data about clients optional
optional, not held brainstorm ideas optional
optional, not held business incubation optional
optional, not held customer relationship management optional
optional, not held market entry planning optional
optional, not held market entry strategies optional
optional, not held negotiate with stakeholders optional
optional, not held perform customer management optional
optional, not held strive for company growth optional
optional, not held use analytics for commercial purposes optional

51 held skills the business developer role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role align efforts towards business development skill
not needed by the target role analyse consumer buying trends skill
not needed by the target role analyse customer service surveys skill
not needed by the target role analyse external factors of companies skill
not needed by the target role analyse internal factors of companies skill
not needed by the target role analyse supply chain strategies skill
not needed by the target role analyse work-related written reports skill
not needed by the target role communicate with customers skill
not needed by the target role consumer goods industry knowledge
not needed by the target role content marketing strategy knowledge
not needed by the target role coordinate marketing plan actions skill
not needed by the target role corporate social responsibility knowledge
not needed by the target role create annual marketing budget skill
not needed by the target role customer segmentation knowledge
not needed by the target role define geographic sales areas skill
not needed by the target role define measurable marketing objectives skill
not needed by the target role estimate profitability skill
not needed by the target role evaluate marketing content skill
not needed by the target role forecast sales over periods of time skill
not needed by the target role identify potential markets for companies skill
not needed by the target role impart business plans to collaborators skill
not needed by the target role implement sales strategies skill
not needed by the target role integrate headquarter's guidelines into local operations skill
not needed by the target role integrate marketing strategies with the global strategy skill
not needed by the target role integrate strategic foundation in daily performance skill
not needed by the target role investigate customer complaints of food products skill
not needed by the target role make strategic business decisions skill
not needed by the target role manage budgets skill
not needed by the target role manage distribution channels skill
not needed by the target role manage profitability skill
not needed by the target role manage staff skill
not needed by the target role market pricing knowledge
not needed by the target role marketing mix knowledge
not needed by the target role motivate employees skill
not needed by the target role perform market research skill
not needed by the target role plan marketing campaigns skill
not needed by the target role plan marketing strategy skill
not needed by the target role prepare visual data skill
not needed by the target role present arguments persuasively skill
not needed by the target role pricing strategies knowledge

11 further entries not listed here

13 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held corporate sustainability required
required, not held services marketing required
required, not held business analysis required
required, not held financial analysis required
required, not held market analysis required
required, not held marketing principles required
required, not held strategic planning required
optional, not held customer insight optional
optional, not held vertical markets optional
optional, not held business incubation optional
optional, not held customer relationship management optional
optional, not held market entry planning optional
optional, not held market entry strategies optional

Index

Other moves recorded from sales manager

Full index of moves from sales manager

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.