Focus Group
Business Development Executive

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Business Development Executive | Launch Your B2B Sales Career | Exeter
(Internal Job Level Reference: Associate)
Salary
£25k + Commission | 1st Year OTE Circa £35,000
Want to build a six-figure sales career from the ground up? Start here...
About Us
At Focus Group, we're powering the digital workplace for over 30,000 UK businesses - and we're just getting started. With a $1bn valuation and 1,300+ employees across 20 offices, we're one of the UK's fastest-growing tech companies.
We believe our people are our biggest asset, and we're building a high-energy, high-reward environment for ambitious individuals to thrive. If you're looking to launch or grow your sales career in tech, this is your chance to join a supportive, driven team where you can progress fast and earn big.
The Opportunity: Your Launchpad to...
Focus Group isn't just another sales job; it's a structured career pathway with proven progression. Our top performers have built incredible careers from zero sales experience. The success stories below show what's possible with exceptional drive, resilience, and commitment.
Real Success Stories
-
Mohan
- Started Jan 2023 with zero sales experience
- 2.5 years later: £1.3m in sales generated
- Promoted from BDE → BDM, now trains new executives and signed our largest partner ever
- Won 6+ sales awards and regional superstar awards for continued top performance
-
Emma
- Joined July 2024 after travelling, no sales background
- 8 months in: Generated £70k revenue, £500k+ pipeline
- Finalist for National Sales Awards 2025
- Building a long-term sales career she "never thought possible"
-
Ronan
- Started Aug 2022, first job after university
- 1 year → promoted to Team Leader
- Team generated £2m+ profit in first year, doubled it the next
- Now manages company-wide projects across divisions
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
The Reality: This Is a New Business Role
As a Business Development Executive, you'll spend your days on the phone. This is high-volume outbound calling to UK businesses, generating appointments for our Business Development Managers.
Your Day-to-Day
- Making 80-100+ outbound calls to prospective businesses daily
- Pitching Focus Group's technology solutions (Telecoms, IT, Cyber Security, Mobile)
- Qualifying prospects and booking face-to-face or virtual meetings for BDMs
- Managing your activity and pipeline in our CRM system
- Handling rejection, staying motivated, and hitting daily/weekly targets
This isn't easy. But if you're resilient, coachable, and hungry to prove yourself it's your fastest route into a lucrative B2B sales career.
We're Looking For
- Resilience: You can handle 50+ "no's" a day and come back stronger
- Coachability: Willing to learn, take feedback, and constantly improve
- Work ethic: Comfortable with high call volumes and daily targets
- Positive phone manner: Professional, clear, confident communication
- Hunger to succeed: Motivated by progression and earning potential
- Growth mindset: See this as the start of something bigger, not just a job
Previous experience? Helpful but not essential. We've built six-figure careers for people from retail, hospitality, customer service, and fresh out of university.
Why Choose Focus Group?
- Structured development: Not just "sink or swim" you get proper onboarding, weekly training, and mentorship from experienced BDMs and BDE Manager
- Fast progression: Average promotion to BDM is 18-24 months (some do it in 12)
- Company culture: Regular team socials, sales incentives, go-karting, Top Golf, and nights out. Many colleagues become genuine friends
- Proven success rate: We don't just hire and hope we invest in your development with clear pathways to six-figure earnings
- Company scale: £1bn valuation, 30,000+ customers, 1,000+ employees across 16 UK offices - you're joining a genuine tech scale-up
- Recognition: National sales awards, regional superstar awards, company-wide recognition for top performers


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What You'll Earn
Year 1 (BDE)
- Base: £25k
- Realistic OTE: £30-35k
- Top performers: £40k+
Year 2-3 (BDM promotion)
- First-year BDM OTE: £60-65k
- Our BDMs regularly earn: £80k-100k+
- Top BDM earners: £120k+
The Path
- BDE (12-24 months) → BDM
- BDE (12-24 months) → Customer Engagement
- BDE (12-24 months) → BDE Team Lead
Progression is based on performance and time in role - you'll need to consistently hit targets and demonstrate readiness before moving up.
If you're excited about starting or growing your career in tech sales, we'd love to hear from you.
At Focus Group, we believe in empowering our people to be their best. Whether it's your first sales role or your next step up, we'll invest in your development and give you the tools to succeed.
We celebrate diversity and encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Need support applying? Just get in touch—we're happy to make reasonable adjustments to support you.
If you're excited about starting or growing your career in tech sales, we'd love to hear from you.
Focus Group are committed to ensuring protection for all personal information that we hold, and to provide and protect all data. All staff share in this responsibility and must take appropriate steps in protecting all data. All incidents or risks that may impact this protection must be reported to their manager or to the Data Protection Officer.
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