A business development executive (BDE) is a senior sales professional who is responsible for a company's growth: 

• Identifying new business opportunities: BDEs analyze market trends and research to identify new sales leads and potential expansion opportunities 
• Building relationships: BDEs build and maintain relationships with potential and existing clients 
• Driving revenue growth: BDEs create business strategies, pitch products and services, and work to expand the customer base 
• Managing resources: BDEs allocate and manage resources, and delegate tasks to others 
• Representing the company: BDEs represent the company at networking events and conferences, and travel to meet with clients 
• Planning marketing and advertising: BDEs help plan and oversee marketing and advertising initiatives 

BDEs need to have a variety of skills, including:

• Communication
• BDEs need to be able to communicate clearly and productively, and listen actively to understand client needs 
• Negotiation and persuasion
• BDEs need to be able to identify mutually beneficial terms, convince clients to align with the company's goals, and handle objections diplomatically