Business Development Executive

Salary: Up to £35,000 per annum Location: Manchester, MediaCityUK, M50 2AB - office based, 5 days per week Working pattern: Full time, permanent

About Independent Utility Advice

Independent Utility Advice is a leading utility consultancy. We help businesses reduce costs and manage their energy requirements through expert advice, procurement and ongoing account management. Our clients stay with us because of the quality of our service, our commercial insight and the long-term value we deliver.

About the role

We are looking for a Business Development Executive to help grow the business by identifying and qualifying new sales opportunities. You will be the first point of contact for prospective customers, generating high-quality appointments and leads for our Business Development Managers and Account Managers, and building a strong pipeline of new business.

This role suits someone who is confident speaking with decision-makers, comfortable working to targets, and takes pride in the experience a customer has from the very first conversation.

We are a growing business, so flexibility and teamwork matter to us. The responsibilities below cover the main parts of the role but are not exhaustive — you may occasionally be asked to support with other tasks that help the wider team.

What you'll be doing

Lead generation and prospecting

Research and identify prospective business customers across target sectors

Generate new opportunities through outbound calls, email campaigns and social selling

Qualify leads against agreed criteria and assess customer needs

Build and maintain a consistent pipeline of qualified opportunities

Secure appointments and introductions for Business Development Managers and Account Managers

Customer engagement

Act as the first point of contact for prospective customers

Build rapport with key decision-makers and influencers

Explain the value of our services clearly and credibly

Gather the information needed to support effective sales conversations

CRM and data management

Keep accurate, up-to-date records in the CRM system

Track all prospecting activity, lead status and outcomes

Maintain data quality and comply with company procedures and GDPR

Identify ways to improve prospecting data and targeting

Campaign support

Follow up inbound enquiries and marketing-generated leads

Give marketing feedback on lead quality and campaign performance

Contribute ideas to improve lead generation and conversion rates

Support promotional activities, events and customer engagement initiatives

Performance

Meet agreed KPIs for activity levels, appointments, qualified leads and conversion rates

Monitor your own performance and identify areas to improve

Keep up to date with market trends, competitor activity and industry developments

Share best practice with the wider team

What you'll bring

Essential

Previous experience in lead generation, telesales, business development or sales support

Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills

Confidence speaking with business owners, directors and decision-makers

Strong organisational and time management skills

Ability to work towards targets and performance metrics

Good IT skills, including CRM systems and Microsoft Office

A resilient and proactive approach to work

Desirable

Experience in utilities, energy, telecommunications or business services

Experience using CRM platforms such as Salesforce or HubSpot

Knowledge of B2B sales processes and lead qualification techniques

Experience in a high-volume sales environment

Personal attributes

Strong relationship-building skills

Professional and customer-focused approach

Adaptable and willing to learn

Collaborative team player

Strong attention to detail

What success looks like

Consistent generation of high-quality qualified leads, achievement of appointment-setting and pipeline targets, strong engagement with prospective customers, accurate and timely CRM management, and a positive contribution to overall sales growth.

What's on offer

Private healthcare

Cash handout week

Cycle to Work Scheme

Tech Scheme

50% discount on LNER train travel

Hotel and restaurant discounts

Team social events and incentives

Early Friday finishes (performance based)

Paid day off on your birthday

Structured onboarding and ongoing training

Additional information

This role is fully office based, five days per week.

You may have experience of the following: Business Development Executive, Business Development Representative, Lead Generation Executive, Sales Development Representative, Telesales Executive, Inside Sales Executive, New Business Executive, Appointment Setter, Sales Executive, B2B Sales Executive.