What are the quantitative and qualitative analytical skills used by a
business development analyst/manager who works for a rapidly growing
software company?

For example an analyst/manager in this environment would have industry
experience (Internet, communications or e-commerce) in business
development, sales or product management and would work closely with
the company's product team to identify and evaluate partnership
opportunities, present recommendations to management, "open doors",
and even negotiate and close business deals.

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Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 12 May 2005 14:19 PDT

Hello wayne123-ga,

This is an extremely broad question so it would help if you could give
us more information about the context of your question. Are you
interviewing with this company and looking for information to help you
interview better? Are you recruiting for this company and do you need
information about how to develop the job description and how to find
the right candidate? The more information you can share about your
needs the greater the likelihood that we can get it for you.
Considering the very nice price you've set on this question, please
tell us more about the scope and content of the answer you're looking
for.

I look forward to your clarification.

~ czh ~

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Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 14 May 2005 19:52 PDT

Wayne,


Part of the difficulty with your question is that the title of
"Business Development Analyst/Manager" is not a traditional job title,
and so it's a bit difficult to know exactly what skill and task mix it
might entail.

There are highly detailed profiles available for a great many job
titles.  For instance, here are the tasks associated with two related
titles:

-----
Marketing Managers

Develop pricing strategies, balancing firm objectives and customer satisfaction.

Identify, develop, and evaluate marketing strategy, based on knowledge
of establishment objectives, market characteristics, and cost and
markup factors.

Evaluate the financial aspects of product development, such as
budgets, expenditures, research and development appropriations, and
return-on-investment and profit-loss projections.

Formulate, direct and coordinate marketing activities and policies to
promote products and services, working with advertising and promotion
managers.

Direct the hiring, training, and performance evaluations of marketing
and sales staff and oversee their daily activities.

Negotiate contracts with vendors and distributors to manage product
distribution, establishing distribution networks and developing
distribution strategies.

Consult with product development personnel on product specifications
such as design, color, and packaging.

Compile lists describing product or service offerings.

Use sales forecasting and strategic planning to ensure the sale and
profitability of products, lines, or services, analyzing business
developments and monitoring market trends.

Select products and accessories to be displayed at trade or special
production shows.
-----


-----
Computer and Information Systems Managers

Manage backup, security and user help systems.

Consult with users, management, vendors, and technicians to assess
computing needs and system requirements.

Direct daily operations of department, analyzing workflow,
establishing priorities, developing standards and setting deadlines.

Assign and review the work of systems analysts, programmers, and other
computer-related workers.

Stay abreast of advances in technology.

Develop computer information resources, providing for data security
and control, strategic computing, and disaster recovery.

Review and approve all systems charts and programs prior to their implementation.

Evaluate the organization's technology use and needs and recommend
improvements, such as hardware and software upgrades.

Control operational budget and expenditures.

Meet with department heads, managers, supervisors, vendors, and
others, to solicit cooperation and resolve problems.
-----


Other titles available include:

General and Operations Managers

Engineering Managers

Training and Development Specialists



and other details available include information on training, necessary
skills, salaries, and so on.


Let me know if any of these seem close to the mark in terms of the job
title you're asking about.


Thanks.

pafalafa-ga

---

Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 14 May 2005 20:05 PDT

Hello again wayne123-ga,

I've watched several researchers lock this question and then let it
go. I've taken another look and felt I didn't have enough to go on to
make an attempt at answering. I respectfully disagree with pafalafa-ga
about the availabilty of job descriptions and job postings for
Business Development Manager or Business Development Analyst
positions. I've found quite a few. My problem is that they rarely say
anything at all about the "quantitative and qualitative analytical
skills" needed for the job. In fact, they frequently don't even
mention a requirement for analytical skills. Sometimes this seems to
be covered with the remark, "MBA preferred." Here are some sample job
postings for Senior Business Development Manager.

http://www.salary.com/careers/layouthtmls/crel_searchjob_IT10000142.html

Please let me know how you would like me to proceed. What is your
situation and how do you plan to use the information from this answer?
It might make it easier to answer your question if I understood the
context of what problem you're trying to solve.

I look forward to your clarification.

~ czh ~

---

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 22 May 2005 20:04 PDT

Wayne,

I've been looking into this a bit more deeply, and I think I'm coming
up with a set of qualificiations for this position -- culled from a
number of different postings of Business Development Manager positions
at software firms -- so that I should be able to post an answer to
your question soon.

It would be helpful (not essential, though), if you could give me some
feedback on this set of criteria posted for one such job, just to see
if there are any types of skills or experience that you particularly
want more specifics on:


Business Development Manager


Duties and Responsibilities 

* Create and drive revenue within a specified region. 
* Generate business opportunities through professional, dedicated
prospecting and cold-calling.
* Drive brand awareness campaigns and lead generation via networking,
associations & chambers of commerce.
* Meet and exceed all quarterly and annual sales quotas. 
* Own the sales cycle - from lead generation to closure. 
* Develop strategic territory business plan. 
* Maintain account and opportunity forecasting within our internal SFA system. 
* Generate leads from tradeshows and regional networking events. 
* Ensure 100% customer satisfaction and retention. 

Qualifications 

* A proven sales hunter and closer!!!!
* Minimum of 3-5 years of software sales experience. 
* Track record of sales excellence. 
* Proven relationships and knowledge of territory assigned. 
* Articulate and persuasive oral and written communication skills. 
* Must be able to work independently in a fast pace, rapid change environment.
* Superior professional presence and business acumen. 
* Thorough understanding of MS Office applications and Internet.  
* Direct marketing experience a plus. 
* 10-20% local travel required.



I look forward to any additional comments you may have, but if you'd
rather not, then just stay tuned...


pafalafa-ga

Dear wayne123,


A business development analyst/manager (DBAM) at a rapidly growing
software company is expected to wield a broad range of quantitative and
qualitative analytical skills. An employee in this position would need
the ability to make financial forecasts using detailed statistical models
and to offer recommendations to upper management based on the results
of such modeling. Depending on the directions taken by upper management,
the DBAM would then be expected to draft a project plan in consultation
with engineering staff. To this end, some amount of technical know-how
is necessary. Although an intimate acquaintance with computer programming
is not required, the DBAM should be familiar with the stages of software
development and with the overall process that leads to a saleable product.

One of the chief responsibilities of project planning is that of agreeing
on a schedule which is agreeable to management as well as feasible by the
technical staff. The DBAM must act as a liaison between these parties
to reconcile the expectations of each with the demands of reality, and
to strike a balance that satisfies the core set of company goals. In
addition to technical knowledge and strong powers of communication, this
calls for deep insight into the workings and future prospects of the
company. Once a project schedule has been agreed upon in a given case,
the DBAM is responsible for some degree of oversight. Although daily
hands-on management is handled by the individual project managers and
group leaders, the DBAM must still keep tabs on the progress of several
or all of the company's projects, reporting to executives and adjusting
the project schedules as necessary. Juggling the varied and possibly
conflicting resource requirements of multiple projects requires some
clerical skills and a good sense of corporate balance.

Only an employee of the highest intellectual caliber is qualified to
be an effective DBAM at a software start-up. In addition to a mastery
of financial analysis and high-level project management, the DBAM
must have a talent for finding, attracting, and securing new business
opportunities for the company. This entails an understanding of market
conditions and a knowledge of the customer base. The DBAM must be able
to spot new opportunities, to conceive methods for exploiting them,
and to execute these methods directly or to communicate them verbally
to colleagues and superiors. Desirable quantitative skills in this
area include some familiarity with accounting methods and computational
finance. At the very least, the DBAM must be able to direct accounting or
computational-finance staff in surveying a certain field or in exploring
a given proposal for business development.

In general, the DBAM does not supervise the day-to-day operations
of the company, but looks into the future for new ways to improve its
prospects. Thus, much of the DBAM's efforts are spent on data collection,
business modeling, analysis, graphing, and reporting. Broad mathematical 
aptitude is desirable, along with several or all of the following skills.

    * financial modeling

    * financial forecasting

    * statistical modeling
    
    * data processing

    * data representation

    * computational finance

    * software engineering

    * report composition

    * oral presentation

    * business evaluation

    * corporate planning

In most areas, breadth is desirable rather than depth. The exception is
in financial forecasting, the capacity for which must be honed to a fine
edge if the DBAM is to be successful.


I have enjoyed addressing this question on your behalf. If you find fault
with any part of my answer, please advise me through a Clarification
Request so that I may fully satisfy your needs.

Regards,

leapinglizard