Business Development Manager

Purpose: To find, research, profile, win, develop and retain opportunities for the whole range of 7IM products and services, working in close conjunction with the other members of the regional teams, namely Business Account Managers (BAM), Investment Directors (ID) and Platform Relationship Managers (PIDs). Please note that this is a London-based role.

Responsibilities:

• Sales: Lead new business development with an agreed panel of target accounts in conjunction with their Regional Head. Manage retention and upsell to an agreed list of existing key accounts. Have a regular structured meeting with the Regional Head to review and discuss panel progress, general performance and agreed priorities going forward. Frontline for all 7IM products, undertaking regular product training to maintain knowledge at a level sufficient to talk in depth about investment solutions, DFM and platform. Handle all prospects until the opportunity is ready to transfer; Investment Solutions, DFM / RIS - hand over to the appropriate ID as accountable lead and Platform – hand over to the appropriate PID as accountable lead.
• Service: Adopt a joint BDM/BAM working model with a shared list of clients where the BAM operates as the daily contact, the BDM leads the account manager and agrees on an ongoing contact strategy with these clients. Where clients have been referred, agree and maintain a review process with the relevant ID or PID. Work with BAM and the Regional Head to agree on a developmental tier of accounts that the BAM will own and lead with new business development. Regularly meet and formally review both panels with the BAM and, where appropriate, the Regional Head with a view to promoting/relegating clients as appropriate. Undertake regular client reviews. Work with BAM on retention / increase penetration / cross-sell of existing accounts.
• Compliance & Conduct: Ensure all panel ownerships are accurately recorded and updated in CID. Ensure all meeting notes and relevant client activity are accurately recorded in CID. Work closely with the BAM and, where appropriate, mentor and support development. Undertake regular 7IM Product Training and maintain wider industry and competitor knowledge. In this role, it's essential that you consistently follow the FCA's Consumer Duty principles. Act in good faith, prevent potential harm, and actively support our customers in achieving their financial goals.

About You:

Skills:

• Relationship-building skills to rapidly establish a high level of trust with the clients, both in terms of professional and personal competence and trustworthiness.
• Questioning and listening skills which are focused and empathetic to understand fully and sense-check the prospective and existing clients’ true understanding, views and feelings.
• Verbal and presentational skills to clearly and passionately communicate the appropriate 7IM proposition and information to prospective and existing clients, in one-to-one, small and large group situations.
• Written skills to clearly, concisely and convincingly present propositions and relevant information to clients to support discussions and agreements made with them.
• Assertiveness and tenacity to pin down and drive through the specific actions which prospective clients must take to become fully signed up with 7IM, including having the client assets fully transferred to 7IM, and then to develop and maximise the growth in business from existing clients.
• Planning and time management skills to most effectively allocate the time and resources to gain commitment from prospective clients, as well as to manage and develop the business from existing clients.
• Resilience to manage conflicting priorities and demands, ambiguity, high workload, rejection and other sources of pressure.
• Accuracy, thoroughness and attention to detail to maintain the highest levels of service to 7IM’s clients.
• Team working combined with individual initiative, creativity and self-sufficiency to remain effective in the face of rapid change and a lean and efficient management and resource structure.
• Personal development focus, taking responsibility for driving both personal and professional development to maximise effectiveness in this demanding role, and to grow with the role, and beyond.

Knowledge:

• Commercial awareness to identify appropriate target segments and lists, and to profile prospects appropriately, understanding the context of their situation and businesses, as well as the implications for the overall business of 7IM.
• Have a very strong awareness of, and passion for, markets.

Skills/Other relevant information:

• Be very clear, driven and realistic in their short, medium and long-term professional goals and ambitions.
• Be articulate and project assertiveness, clarity, integrity and gravitas in their personal communication.
• Be commercially astute, disciplined, ambitious and confident in their approach to the development of their own ‘book’, displaying a high degree of personal ownership.
• Adhere to and contribute to 7IMs Values, Purpose and Vision.