🤝 Business Development Associate (BDA) – Role Guide

Department: Sales & Business Development
Reports to: Head of Business Development / Relationship Partner Lead
Location: Remote

🎯 Role Summary

The BDA bridges the gap between Research and Deal Closure.
You will take qualified leads from the Research Specialist (RS) team, verify their details, and engage in intent-based conversations until they are ready for handover to the Relationship Partner (RP).

Every interaction should reinforce our mission:

Building standardized trade in India — ensuring fair, transparent, and efficient sourcing practices across the supply chain.

⚡ Important:

• The call is not a pitch.
• Your goal is to verify RS data, confirm intent, and guide the conversation toward the real need.
• If you feel the RS-identified intent is wrong, shift the conversation naturally to the correct intent.
• Help prospects understand how they benefit by being early members in OBAOL, gaining free access to a new, trusted opportunity in agro trade.

📌 Core Responsibilities

1. 📥 Receive qualified leads from RS and verify all details before contact.
2. 📞 Contact leads within 24 hours.
3. 🔍 Validate information & confirm intent — correct if necessary.
4. 🌱 Have intent-based conversations (not sales pitches).
5. 🗣 Explain early benefits of OBAOL membership (completely free).
6. 📊 Score leads for fit, interest, urgency.
7. 📢 Share market intelligence & feedback with RS and management.

🔄 Workflow

Step 1 – Study the Lead Before Contact

• Review all RS details:

  • Company name & address
  • Contact number
  • Email ID
  • Decision-maker name
  • Assumed product & quality requirements
  • General & specific intent (verify and correct if needed)

• Study the product before calling:

  • Use the dedicated product study page in this guide (includes drive links with detailed product notes).
  • Supplement with online research (market trends, pricing, demand, challenges).
  • Be prepared with product-specific talking points and questions.

• Understand the intent noted by RS and prepare validation questions.

• Prepare talking points & outreach plan before contact.

Step 2 – Initial Outreach

Contact within 24 hours via:

1. 📞 Call
2. 💬 WhatsApp
3. 📧 Email

Goals:

• Verify RS data (contact, intent, company info, product/quality).
• Engage in a natural, intent-driven conversation.
• If RS intent is wrong, shift the conversation to the correct one.
• Position OBAOL as:
  • A trusted trade partner
  • An exclusive, free, one-time opportunity
  • An extended sales team working with them

📌 Mandatory Action:
Once you have successfully connected with a prospect (call answered, conversation started), submit the details using the BDA Entry Form:
👉 BDA Entry Form – Submit Connection Details (opens in a new tab)

This ensures that:

• Every connection is documented
• Management and RP teams stay updated
• Lead tracking remains transparent and accountable

Step 3 – Qualification Deep-Dive (Intent & Readiness Check)

Confirm:

• 🧑‍💼 Decision-maker / authorized contact — confirm who will take the RP call (name, role, best contact). If the person you reach isn't the decision-maker, capture the correct contact and next steps.
• 📦 Product & quality assumptions — verify the assumed product, grade/specs, pack size and any sample/quality requirements (note any differences vs RS data).
• 🎯 Real intent & urgency — classify intent as one of: Exploratory / Interested / Ready-to-engage (use 1–5 scale to capture seriousness).
• 🧩 Fit with OBAOL value — check if the prospect sees benefit in an exclusive, free, one-time RP connection and extended-sales-team support.
• 🤝 Readiness for 1:1 RP connection — confirm willingness to accept a dedicated point-of-contact and join a short RP introduction call.
• 📂 Drive data & supporting documents — confirm whether the drive data / documents needed for further research were provided. If missing, escalate to management immediately so they can act.
• 🛑 Objections & constraints — capture any blockers, approvals required, or special conditions to note for RP.
• 🔁 Changes vs RS data — explicitly record any corrections to company, contact, product, or intent so RS/CRM is updated.

Quick checklist (before handover):

• ✅ Decision-maker identified or path to decision-maker recorded
• ✅ Product/specs validated or corrected
• ✅ Intent rating recorded (1–5) and labeled Exploratory/Interested/Ready
• ✅ Prospect accepts/understands the value of a dedicated RP contact
• ✅ Drive data present OR escalation raised to management
• ✅ Key objections documented and next steps agreed

Suggested short questions to use on the call:

• “Are you the person who makes (or influences) decisions for this product? If not, who should we speak to?”
• “We have [product X, quality Y] listed — is that correct? Any change in spec/pack/grade?”
• “On a scale of 1–5, how ready are you to engage with a dedicated Relationship Partner?”
• “Would you be open to a short joint intro call with our RP who will act as your single point of contact?”
• “Do you have the supporting drive files/documents we need? If not, I will escalate this so management can act quickly.”

Notes for BDAs:

• This conversation is validation + readiness, not a sales pitch. Lead the call with questions, listen actively, and update records immediately if anything changes.
• If the RS-intent is incorrect, shift the conversation naturally to the correct intent and record the change.
• Only pass to RP when the prospect confirms readiness for a 1:1 connection and the checklist above is satisfied.

Step 4 – Warm-Up Process

• Share brochures, product lists, case studies
• Provide market insights & trends
• Maintain consistent, value-driven follow-ups until RP-ready

Step 5 – Lead Scoring

A. Lead Scoring Factors

1. Fit (0–5) → Target profile match
2. Interest (0–5) → Engagement level
3. Timeline (0–5) → Buying timeframe

Total Score = Fit + Interest + Timeline (Max: 15)

B. Scoring Actions:

• 🔥 12–15 (Hot): Pass to RP immediately
• 🌤 8–11 (Warm): Keep nurturing
• ❄️ 0–7 (Cold): Archive for future follow-up

Step 6 – Handover to RP

The transition from BDA → RP is critical. This is not just a lead transfer, it is the moment we assign a dedicated point of contact from our team to the associate.

Your role is to prepare the company for this one-to-one connection by making sure they are truly ready.

When passing a lead to the RP, always emphasize:

• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Dedicated Point of Contact – The RP will be their single trusted contact inside OBAOL.
• 🤝 Bond of Trust – This step builds long-term reliability with our associates.
• 🎯 Exclusive & Free – This is a completely exclusive, one-time opportunity, not something “cheap” or easily obtained.
• 🛠 Extended Sales Team – Position OBAOL as their extended sales team, working alongside them to grow their trade.

Checklist before handover:

• ✅ Verified RS data + confirmed product/quality details
• ✅ Confirmed real intent (not just assumed)
• ✅ Prospect understands the value of a dedicated contact
• ✅ Prospect is open to a long-term trust-based relationship

Include in Handover Package to RP:

• Lead score
• All contact & requirement details
• Conversation summary (including objections, product insights, intent corrections)
• Indication of readiness for 1:1 RP connection
• If possible, arrange a joint BDA–RP–client introduction call to reinforce trust

Step 7 – Feedback Loop

• Follow up with RP on progress
• Share market & intent corrections with RS

📈 KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

• Number of qualified leads handled weekly/monthly
• Lead-to-meeting conversion rate
• Speed from lead receipt → RP handover
• Accuracy of intent validation
• Lead quality (based on RP closure rate)

🛠 Required Skills

• Strong communication & active listening
• Ability to shift conversations based on real intent
• Rapport building & trust creation
• Persistence & follow-up discipline

📚 Training Plan

Initial Training:

• OBAOL vision & mission
• Product & category knowledge
• Lead qualification framework
• Intent-based conversation techniques

Ongoing Training:

• Objection handling
• Market awareness updates
• Advanced engagement tactics

⭐ Golden Rules for BDAs

1. Verify RS data on every call — never assume it’s 100% correct.
2. Intent drives the conversation — shift naturally if needed.
3. Calls are not pitches — they are trust-building conversations.
4. Position OBAOL as an exclusive, free, one-time opportunity.
5. Emphasize the value of a dedicated RP contact as their extended sales team.
6. Share insights with RS & RP to strengthen the pipeline.

📌 Key Takeaway:
A BDA is not just a salesperson — you’re the bridge of trust between research and deal closure. You validate RS data, engage in intent-based conversations, and ensure prospects see OBAOL as an exclusive, one-time, free opportunity with a dedicated contact and extended sales team supporting their growth.