Business Development Associate

Position Summary: TESOL International Association is seeking a motivated and results-driven business development associate to promote, sell, and assist with the administration of contracts with schools or school districts worldwide for TESOL education products and programs.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for education and multilingual learners of English (MLEs), a strong understanding of school districts’ needs, and a proven track record in business development. The candidate will play a crucial role in fostering partnerships with administrators and expanding the reach of TESOL’s programs, products, and publications, especially SWEL (School-Wide English Learning), 6Ps (The 6 Principles for Exemplary Teaching of English Learners), and SEL (Social Emotional Learning).

Key Responsibilities:

1. Business Development: Identify potential school districts and education institutions as target customers, strategize outreach, and keep track in a lead management system and communications plan to achieve monthly and annual sales targets.
2. Prospecting and Lead Generation: Conduct research to identify key decision-makers within school districts, establish contacts, generate leads, and track progress of communication efforts.
3. Consultative Selling: Engage with school district administrators, language coordinators, and educators to understand their language education needs, challenges, and goals. Demonstrate how TESOL programs and products align with their requirements and benefit their English language learners.
4. Product Presentations: Conduct compelling and informative presentations of TESOL programs and products to school district stakeholders, emphasizing their features, benefits, and effectiveness in improving English language teaching.
5. Proposal Development: Prepare customized proposals and quotes based on the specific needs of each school district. Address any questions or concerns raised by potential customers and follow up accordingly.
6. Negotiation and Contracting: In partnership with TESOL associate director of education, negotiate terms, execute agreements, and assist with the smooth implementation of each contract.
7. Relationship Management: In partnership with the associate director of education, cultivate strong, long-term relationships with school district clients. Provide ongoing support, address concerns, and act as a resource for clients.
8. Market Intelligence: Stay updated on trends and changes in the education industry, particularly in the field of English language learning and teaching. Gather market intelligence to inform product development and sales strategies. Monitor federal and state funding opportunities.
9. Collaboration: Collaborate closely with the TESOL marketing team to align outreach efforts with other promotional activities.

Preference will be given to candidates with some or most of the following qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in education, business, or a related field. A TESOL certification or background in language teaching is a plus.
• Proven track record in B2B sales, preferably in the education industry, with a focus on selling to school districts.
• Understanding of English language learning needs and challenges within diverse student populations.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong negotiation and closing abilities with a customer-centric approach.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and capable of working independently with minimal supervision.

• Experience using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, Hubspot preferred, to manage sales activities and track customer interactions.