Freelance Business Development & Sales Lead

15 hours per week initially | £40 per hour | Freelance | Home working and flexible hours

Flexible Working People is recruiting on behalf of an established corporate communications training business for a Freelance Business Development & Sales Lead.

The business works with professional organisations in the UK and internationally, helping employees and senior leaders become more confident, compelling and effective communicators. Its practical training covers areas including leadership communication, storytelling, difficult conversations, influence, negotiation and presentation skills.

The opportunity

This is an entrepreneurial opportunity to work directly alongside the founder and become a driving force behind the company’s next stage of growth, bringing structure, ideas, energy and commercial ownership.

A key priority will be opening doors to new corporate clients and turning relationships into paid work. Ideally, you’ll bring an established network of relevant contacts, alongside the confidence and initiative to build new connections.

You’ll also help shape where the business focuses commercially, identify partnerships and marketing opportunities that support sales, and develop existing client relationships. There is considerable scope to influence how the business develops and put your ideas into practice.

What you’ll do

• Build relationships with new organisations and decision-makers, drawing on existing contacts while developing new networks.
• Generate qualified leads and turn conversations into paid work.
• Follow up consistently, keeping opportunities moving from initial interest through to proposal and confirmed business.
• Develop relationships with existing and previous clients, identifying further opportunities.
• Create, manage and take ownership of a clear sales pipeline.
• Identify new markets, partnerships and routes to business.
• Help shape proposals and the commercial positioning of the training.
• Identify focused marketing opportunities that support lead generation and sales.
• Bring ideas, take initiative and create opportunities rather than waiting for direction.
• Help determine where the business should focus its commercial efforts.
• Bring structure through clear targets, regular reporting and meaningful measures of progress.

About you

You’ll be highly personable, commercially minded and naturally good at building relationships. You’ll also understand that relationships need to lead somewhere, combining the ability to open doors with the organisation and follow-through to convert opportunities into revenue.

Ideally, you’ll bring business development and sales experience gained within a professional services, coaching, training or learning and development business, working with professional organisations as clients.

You’ll understand how to sell an expertise-led service and have a track record of developing relationships with corporate decision-makers and winning business.

An established network of relevant contacts would be a strong advantage, particularly within HR, learning and development, talent teams or senior leadership.

You’ll be proactive, collaborative and comfortable working entrepreneurially, without needing a defined corporate structure around you. You’ll enjoy working closely with a founder, contributing your own thinking and taking hands-on responsibility for making things happen.

Working arrangement

This is a freelance role, initially for 15 hours per week at £40 per hour, offering flexible hours and home working. Availability during business hours will be needed for client conversations and working with the founder.

For the right person, there is potential to discuss equity or partnership after an initial 6–12 month period, based on results, mutual fit and agreement.