The Product Development Manager identifies sales leads and potential business deals by contacting potential partners and discovering and exploring what their needs are. The Product Development Manager, or sometimes known as a PDM, is responsible for pitching new goods and or services to new clients and then maintains a strong relationship with the clients and contacts for future business growth. In order for a PDM to be successful, they must possess great communication skills, the ability to build strong relationships, negotiating and closing skills, and customer service.
Product Development Managers require great communication to be able to contact multiple people and business, develop a sales pitch, and maintain a working relationship. The PDM evaluates and resolves technical feasibility, design optimization, and production issues. The communication skills are essential in job duties, which can include planning and preparing presentations, setting up and presenting meetings, and writing reports to translate to management on business and client growth. The product development manager works with other departments to establish a design, technology, product development, and vendor strategy. PDM’s are also required to set their own goals in order to maintain growth for the company as well as their own line of business. A company may hire several Product Development Managers to work for them and each will have their own book of business. A book of business is an individual portfolio of clients that are your own to maintain and grow. The bigger your book of business, the more potential money there is to be made.
PDM’s typical pay structure is based off of their book of business as well as their percentage of sales. Percentage of sales is what drives a PDM to make a better deal with a client because if the client is paying 30% more than the cost of a good or service, the payout is higher for the company and therefore higher for the business development manager. The more clients in their book of business and the higher the percentage of sales, the higher their income will be.
If you are considering applying for a Product Development Manager position, your resume should be filled with results-oriented achievements such as awards you may have achieved in communication or any sales records you may have received. You should also include the number of clients or customers you managed in your book of business and the average percentage of sales the company is receiving from your hard work. The PDM leads and directs the work of others. A wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected. Because a PDM’s responsibility is based more on personality, professionalism, communication, and energy level, your resume must draw in a hiring manager with keywords to make them want to meet you in person.
Product Development Manager Resume Building Power Words: product development, relationship building, customer service, customer relations, client relations, territory expansion, negotiating and closing, B2B/B2C, lead generation, communication skills, new business development, sales presentations, PowerPoint, meeting and exceeding sales quotas, outside sales, inside sales, and sales expansion.