Tell me about a time when you had to sell an unpopular idea.
A proficient business development manager focuses on the positive aspects of an idea and then points out its benefits. While the idea itself might be unpopular, the outcomes are often welcomed once people understand what is being proposed. Assure the interviewer that you have the skills to persuade people of different levels of knowledge, expertise, and influence. When crafting your answer, keep a structure in mind like the STAR format: situation, task, action, result.
"When I was at ABC group, most of our proposal meetings and pitches were done in person with clients. All proceeding meetings were also done in person, with some team members joining in by phone. This was common practice for everyone, including our competitors. When video conferencing rose in popularity, I proposed that we start adopting the technology. Not only would we start consultations through video, but account managers would also have to schedule regular account meetings with clients through video. We would record meetings, with the clients' approval of course, to have a definitive paper trail for all client-related activities. This proposal was met with a lot of objections. The sales reps felt that it would take away from the human connection. Account managers thought that clients would feel their privacy is somewhat violated.
So, I presented the entire team with a few benefits. Because we would slash travel time and expenses down for physical client meetings, this meant that we would all be more productive. I showed the team statistics from other organizations that showed how much time and money their teams have saved after going at least 50% virtual. For the account managers, I showed them that most clients actually prefer recordings because it holds both parties accountable. Recording calls helped to minimize conflicts that would arise from miscommunication. In the end, we all agreed to keep some of our meetings in-person if the client so requests, especially if the dollar amount was high, and if we needed to perform demonstrations live."
