Business Development Specialist

Business Development Specialist Generates qualified leads and books discovery calls so the closer can close — full stop. Sector Financial Services — Fractional CFO & Accounting Reports to Founder & CEO · works in tandem with the Salesperson Type Part-time to start, minimum 20 hrs/week · scales to full-time as pipeline grows Hours US business hours · ET/PT overlap required Location Remote — anywhere (US hours overlap required) Tools Apollo.io, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, GoHighLevel CRM, Gmail, Teamwork Role Overview Our client has a capable closer whose calendar is not being filled fast enough. The salesperson is currently handling their own prospecting — that is the wrong use of their time. This role fixes it. The Business Development Specialist owns everything before the discovery call: identifying the right prospects, building awareness, starting conversations, qualifying interest, and handing a booked calendar invite to the closer. The target buyer is a business owner generating $3M–$10M in revenue, not yet working with a fractional CFO, and open to paying $5,000/month for the right financial partner. They are problem-aware. This role's job is to find them and get them to a conversation. Key Responsibilities Outbound prospecting via Apollo.io Build targeted prospect lists using Apollo: company revenue range, headcount, industry, and relevant growth signals Write and manage multi-touch cold email sequences — subject lines, hooks, value framing, follow-ups that read as specific, not mass-sent Monitor sequence performance rigorously: open rates, reply rates, positive responses — test, iterate, improve every two weeks Handle inbox responses promptly: engage interested prospects, handle objections, move qualified leads toward a discovery call LinkedIn outreach via Sales Navigator Maintain targeted lead lists in Sales Navigator, refreshed weekly by company size, title, and industry Identify and prioritize prospects who have engaged with the client's LinkedIn content — likes, comments, follows — and reach out with personalized messages Write connection requests and InMails that reference something specific and real — not templates Coordinate with the Marketing Manager to leverage high-performing content as a credibility asset in outreach Qualification and handoff Qualify all leads against ICP criteria: revenue range, business maturity, financial complexity, readiness for fractional CFO support Book discovery calls into the CRM with a context note covering the prospect's situation, pain points, and any objections surfaced Follow up persistently on leads who expressed interest but have not yet booked Maintain clean, current pipeline records in GoHighLevel at all times Reporting Weekly summary: contacts added, sequences active, emails sent, reply rate, calls booked Bring data-backed observations on what is and is not converting — with suggestions Who Will Succeed This is a high-ticket, high-trust sale. The firm's retainer starts at $5,000/month. The BDS needs to approach prospects with enough credibility and specificity that a financially sophisticated business owner takes the meeting — not because they were spammed, but because the outreach was relevant and the offer is compelling. Metrics-driven by nature — knows their numbers cold without looking them up Writes outreach that sounds human and specific even when running sequences at volume Understands the difference between a lead and a qualified lead — does not book meetings just to hit a number Accountable without being managed — reports what they committed to, flags problems early Experience & Skills Required: 2+ years in an outbound SDR, BDR, or lead generation role Required: Hands-on Apollo.io experience — sequence building, list management, response handling Required: LinkedIn Sales Navigator fluency — precise list building, InMail and connection request strategy Required: Strong written English — outreach samples will be reviewed at screening Required: CRM pipeline discipline — clean records, consistent updates Required: AI-fluent — uses AI to research prospects, personalize outreach, iterate messaging Preferred: Experience in a BDR role for professional services, consulting, or financial advisory Preferred: GoHighLevel CRM experience Preferred: ZoomInfo or similar data enrichment experience Screening Priorities for Recruiters Request outreach samples — at least one cold email sequence and one LinkedIn message; filter hard on quality and specificity Ask what their best and worst performing sequences looked like and what they learned — look for data-driven iteration, not guesswork Ask how they handle a prospect who goes cold after initial interest — look for a structured follow-up approach, not giving up after one nudge Confirm they understand high-ticket B2B prospecting — the posture required here is different from volume-based SaaS outreach 90-Day Success Markers Consistent outreach rhythm established at agreed weekly volume targets Qualified discovery calls being booked weekly — ICP-matched, showing up, real problems Salesperson no longer doing their own prospecting GoHighLevel pipeline is clean: every lead has a note, a status, and a next action Three or more messaging variations tested with clear performance data