1. Role Overview
The Business Development Manager (BDM) is one of the most strategically important commercial roles in any EdTech organisation. While SDRs generate interest and AEs close deals, the BDM sits in the middle driving pipeline growth, market expansion, and strategic partnerships.
In EdTech, where sales cycles are long, stakeholders are complex, and procurement is slow, BDMs are the connective tissue between product, marketing, partnerships, and executive leadership.
BDMs influence revenue, market positioning, international expansion, and partner ecosystems. Strong BDMs reduce customer acquisition costs, accelerate entry into new regions, and bridge the gap between commercial strategy and operational delivery.
2. Core Responsibilities
A BDM in EdTech typically covers:
Prospecting & Market Development
- Identifying new markets, sectors, and regions
- Deep research into schools, MATs, districts, universities, ministries
- Mapping decision makers (SLT, IT, curriculum, inclusion, procurement)
- Developing multi-channel outreach strategies
Strategic Selling
- Running discovery calls
- Qualifying opportunities
- Managing pilots and proof of concept projects
- Navigating multi-stakeholder procurement
- Influencing buying groups
Partnerships
- Identifying and negotiating with resellers, distributors, consultants
- Managing partner activation and co selling
Pipeline Management
- Forecasting revenue
- Updating CRM
- Running prioritisation sessions with AEs and Sales Leaders
Cross Team Collaboration
- Feeding back insight to Product, Marketing, Customer Success
- Supporting go-to-market campaigns
- Shaping messaging based on customer conversations
3. Internal Stakeholders
BDMs typically work with:
- Account Executives
- Marketing & Demand Gen
- Customer Success
- Sales Leadership (Head of Sales / VP Sales)
- Product & Product Marketing
- Partnership teams
- Founders in early stage companies
This role requires strong internal relationship management and the ability to influence without authority.
4. External Stakeholders
BDMs navigate a wide ecosystem:
- Teachers
- Heads of Departments
- Senior Leaders (SLT, Principals, Deans)
- IT Directors
- University programme leads
- MAT CEOs
- Ministries of Education
- Procurement officers
- Channel partners, consultants, and resellers
EdTech BDMs must handle both operational and political layers of education systems.
5. Salary Benchmarks (USD / GBP / EUR)
United States
- Base: 80k to 110k USD
- OTE: 120k to 180k USD
United Kingdom
- Base: 45k to 65k GBP
- OTE: 65k to 100k GBP
Europe
- Base: 50k to 75k EUR
- OTE: 75k to 110k EUR
BDMs with education sector backgrounds typically earn at the higher end due to faster trust building and shorter ramp time.
6. Day in the Life of a BDM
Outbound-led Day (Strategic Prospecting)
Morning
- Reviewing target accounts
- Deep stakeholder research
- Personalised outreach
- Discovery call prep
Midday
- Discovery calls
- Demo coordination
- Objection handling
- Internal sync with AEs
Afternoon
- Proposal writing
- Partner calls
- Pilot planning
- CRM updates
Outbound BDMs drive new market creation and pipeline expansion.
Inbound-led Day (High Intent Focus)
Inbound-heavy BDM roles are common in well-known brands or funded scaleups.
Morning
- Reviewing demo requests, trials, webinar leads
- Qualification calls
- Lead scoring
Midday
- Product walkthroughs
- Collaboration with marketing
- Passing high-value opportunities to AEs
Afternoon
- Nurturing warm accounts
- Follow-up sequencing
- Preparing insight reports
Inbound BDMs maximise conversion, speed, and stakeholder alignment.
7. Outbound vs Inbound BDM Work
Outbound
You create demand.
You require patience, confidence, and strategic messaging.
Expect:
- High rejection
- More research
- Larger average deal sizes
Inbound
You respond to demand.
Expect:
- Faster pace
- Higher intent conversations
- Quicker qualification cycles
Most BDM roles in EdTech are hybrid.
8. Domestic vs International BDM Work
Domestic BDM (UK / US / EU)
You already know the context:
- Local curriculum
- Country specific procurement models
- Academic cycles
- Cultural communication norms
Domestic BDMs ramp faster due to shared educational understanding.
International BDM
A totally different skill set:
- Understanding IB, MoE, CBSE, APAC frameworks
- Working across multiple time zones
- Adapting messaging to cultural nuances
- Managing resellers or ministry-level buyers
- Navigating global academic calendars
- Handling multi-country pricing and localisation
International BDMs must be:
- Highly adaptable
- Politically aware
- Comfortable with longer and more uncertain cycles
RecruitHer candidates excel here, especially those with global education backgrounds.
9. Required Background to Become a BDM in EdTech
Common entry paths:
Commercial backgrounds
- Account Managers
- SDRs
- Customer Success Managers
- Sales Executives
Education backgrounds
- Teachers
- Heads of Year / Heads of Department
- Instructional Designers
- University outreach or admissions
Industry backgrounds
- Publishing
- Learning and development
- Ed policy organisations
What hiring managers really look for:
- Strong communication
- Understanding of school workflows
- Relationship building
- Ability to manage multiple stakeholders
- Comfortable with ambiguity
- Data informed decision making
10. Career Progression Pathways
BDM → Senior BDM → Account Executive → Enterprise AE → Regional Lead → Head of Sales → VP Sales
Parallel tracks include:
- Partnerships
- Revenue Operations
- Product Marketing
- Implementation / Customer Success
EdTech is flexible. Many BDMs move into leadership or product strategy roles due to their cross functional exposure.
11. Reporting Lines
- BDM → Head of Sales
- BDM → VP Sales
- BDM → Founder (early stage)
- BDM → Regional Director (international organisations)
BDMs rarely manage direct reports initially but may manage reseller networks or territory pipelines.
12. Why the BDM Role Matters in EdTech
BDMs accelerate:
- Market expansion
- Revenue growth
- Partnerships
- Product user base
- Trust with institutions
- Entry into new buying groups
Without strong BDMs, EdTech companies stagnate.
This is a relationship driven, trust dependent, and slow moving market.
BDMs make it move.
13. KPIs and Success Metrics
- Qualified opportunities created
- Revenue pipeline generated
- Opportunities passed to AEs
- Stakeholder mapping completeness
- Partner activations
- Pilot conversions
- Regional growth metrics
- Forecast accuracy
EdTech specific KPIs:
- Academic cycle adaptability
- Multi stakeholder engagement
- Deal progression documentation
14. Required Skills
Core BDM Skills
- Discovery mastery
- Stakeholder mapping
- Negotiation
- Storytelling
- Relationship building
- Strategic thinking
- Market insight
- CRM fluency
EdTech Specific Skills
- Understanding curriculum
- Knowledge of teaching workflows
- Awareness of safeguarding and compliance
- Sensitivity to the culture of education
Upskilling
- AI prospecting tools
- LinkedIn thought leadership
- Sales sequencing tools
- Data analysis
- Understanding international frameworks
15. Interview Questions for BDMs
- Walk me through how you build a territory plan
- How do you tailor your approach for different education stakeholders
- What do you know about selling into MATs / districts / ministries
- Describe a multi stakeholder deal you’ve managed
- How do you navigate a long procurement cycle
- Which EdTech companies do you admire and why
16. How to Stand Out as a BDM
- Build a visible LinkedIn presence
- Attend Bett, EduTech, ASU GSV, SXSW EDU
- Show deep understanding of pedagogy
- Bring real stakeholder maps to interviews
- Share examples of personalised outreach
- Demonstrate international awareness
RecruitHer candidates consistently outperform here.
17. Gender Representation in BDM Roles
EdTech BDM roles are still male dominated, especially in outbound or technical solution selling.
Why EdTech needs more female BDMs:
Research shows women:
- Build trust faster
- Handle multi stakeholder dynamics with greater empathy
- Are strong in consultative and relationship led selling
- Improve diversity of thought in commercial teams
- Reflect the educator audience, which is majority female
Hiring more women into BDM roles strengthens commercial performance, team cohesion, and market credibility.
RecruitHer plays a key role in expanding this pipeline.
18. When to Ask for a Promotion (BDM → Senior BDM / AE)
A. You’ve hit KPIs for at least two consecutive quarters
Consistency beats spikes.
B. You’re already influencing deals beyond your job description
If AEs rely on you → you’re operating at the next level.
C. You understand the full sales cycle
From lead → procurement → renewal.
D. You’re visible in the EdTech community
Events, thought leadership, network building.
E. You’ve taken initiative
Pilots, sequences, regional plans, partner mapping.
F. You’ve demonstrated AE level behaviours
Running partial discovery calls, moving deals forward.
G. You’ve already had the conversation with your manager
Promotions are built collaboratively.
H. You want the responsibility, not just the title
I. RecruitHer Advice
Women tend to wait until they’re “perfect”.
Men tend to ask when they’re “nearly there”.
If you’re performing at 60 percent of the next level, start the conversation.
19. Additional RecruitHer Recommendations
Highlight keywords for hiring and recruitment strategy:
- Build your hiring plan around education-informed commercial talent
- Prioritise candidates with hybrid skills
- Ensure diversity in sales teams
- Hire internationally aware BDMs for global expansion
- Consider female candidates for trust-based selling into schools
- Reduce ramp time by hiring those already familiar with the sector
