Business Development Manager - New Client Acquisition - London

Optimal Group; Greater London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Optimal is seeking a proactive Business Development Manager for new client acquisition in London. You will identify decision-makers, generate opportunities, and manage the full sales cycle from first contact to closing and handover to the project team.

You'll build a robust pipeline, use AI-assisted tools to research and outreach, and aim for repeat, profitable work with new clients. This role operates Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm, with performance-based bonuses.

Job description

JOB ROLE: Business Development Manager - New Client Acquisition

LOCATION: SW8 4AL

HOURS: Monday - Friday 8am-5pm

SALARY: £30,000 - £35,000 + Bonus based on performance

About the role

Optimal delivers property maintenance and refurbishment services. We're looking for a proactive, commercially driven salesperson whose sole focus is winning new business clients. Your job is to identify suitable businesses, reach decision-makers, understand their property requirements and demonstrate why Optimal is the right partner for them.

You'll build your own pipeline, generate qualified opportunities and turn prospects into clients with the potential for regular, repeat work. You'll own the sales process from first contact through to securing the client and supporting their first confirmed opportunity. You'll then provide a clear handover to our Client Project Management team, who will take responsibility for ongoing account management and delivery. We're building our own system with AI and automations to reduce administration and improve productivity. We want someone who already uses tools such as ChatGPT and is constantly looking for ways to research better, improve outreach and win more business.

Key responsibilities

• Find and engage new prospects
• Identify businesses with ongoing property maintenance and refurbishment requirements.
• Build targeted prospect lists, focusing on organisations where Optimal can win profitable, repeat work.
• Identify decision-makers and understand how they appoint and assess maintenance contractors.
• Generate opportunities through outbound calls, email, LinkedIn, referrals and networking.
• Take ownership of your prospecting activity and consistently create new sales conversations.
• Turn conversations into opportunities
• Understand each prospect's property portfolio, service requirements and frustrations with existing arrangements.
• Ask effective questions to establish business potential, decision-making authority, buying process and timing.
• Explain clearly how Optimal can meet their needs and address their concerns.
• Secure meetings, introductions, quote opportunities and access to relevant supplier onboarding processes.
• Maintain consistent follow-up and move prospects towards a clear next step.
• Win new business clients
• Own the new business sales process from initial approach through to agreement and activation.
• Work with the quoting and operational teams to develop credible proposals and competitive offers.
• Present proposals confidently, handle objections and negotiate within agreed commercial guidelines.
• Secure the first confirmed work and establish a clear opportunity for an ongoing relationship.
• Focus on clients whose needs fit Optimal's capabilities and offer sustainable commercial value.
• Make accurate commitments on pricing, service and delivery, with internal agreement where needed.
• Deliver a clear client handover
• Coordinate a smooth introduction to the Client Project Management team once the client is won.
• Record the client's requirements, key contacts, agreed terms, commitments and immediate opportunities.
• Ensure the client understands who will manage their work and how to request services.
• Support the initial transition so the relationship starts well, then return your focus to winning the next client.
• Manage your pipeline and performance
• Keep prospect records, sales stages, next actions and expected outcomes accurate in our system.
• Maintain a healthy pipeline and provide realistic forecasts.
• Track which sectors, messages and outreach methods produce the strongest results.
• Participate in daily stand-ups and regular sales reviews.
• Take responsibility for meeting agreed activity, conversion and new business targets.
• Use AI to sell more effectively
• Use ChatGPT and other approved AI tools to support prospect research, meeting preparation, outreach drafting and follow-up.
• Personalise communications and check facts before contacting prospects.
• Use our developing system and automations to improve consistency and reduce repetitive administration.
• Keep learning about new AI capabilities and share practical ideas that improve sales performance.
• Handle prospect and company information responsibly
• Strong questioning, listening, presentation and ne

What success looks like

• Your primary measure of success is new business clients won and the profitable work they generate .
• We'll also measure: Qualified new business opportunities created.
• Meetings held with relevant decision-makers.
• Conversion from prospect to first confirmed job.
• New client revenue and gross profit against agreed targets.
• Sales cycle length and pipeline quality.
• The accuracy and completeness of client handovers.
• Activity targets support these outcomes.