Business Development Manager
American Express
Business Development Manager
American Express
Issues credit cards and runs a payment network
At American Express, we do more than sell — we help businesses find solutions that support how they operate and grow. Our Middle Market Sales organization serves companies with annual revenues between $4M–$10M, connecting them with American Express solutions designed to help improve financial efficiency and manage business expenses.
As a Business Development Manager - Middle Market Acquisition, you will engage with prospective customers by telephone. Your focus will be on understanding each customer’s complex needs through consultative guidance, identifying the right American Express solutions and providing end to end sales support.
Success in this role requires more than selling a product. You will diagnose complex business challenges, engage multiple stakeholders, build compelling business cases, and orchestrate the right combination of American Express products, technology, and expertise to solve them.
This role is ideal for a motivated sales professional looking to build their experience in consultative B2B selling. You will have the opportunity to develop relationships with business and financial decision-makers while building your expertise in commercial payments and financial solutions.
Experience & Capabilities
3 plus years experience in B2B sales, inside sales, business development, financial services, or a related customer-facing sales environment.
Experience managing and converting leads through telephone-based customer engagement.
Demonstrated ability to achieve sales, conversion, or performance goals in a structured sales environment.
Strong telephone communication skills and the ability to build credibility and rapport with business decision-makers without relying on in-person engagement.
Ability to conduct effective discovery conversations, identify customer needs, and communicate a clear value proposition.
Experience with consultative or solution-based selling; experience in payments, financial services, or related industries is beneficial but not required.
Strong organization and pipeline-management skills, including consistent follow-up and accurate CRM activity.
Comfort discussing basic financial concepts and business value, with the ability and willingness to develop deeper commercial and financial acumen.
Coachable, motivated, and comfortable working in a goal-oriented, performance-driven telesales environment.
Solution Selling & Business Acumen
Exceptional discovery skills with the curiosity and business acumen to understand how a client's organization operates before recommending a solution.
Ability to uncover both stated and unstated client needs and translate them into a differentiated solution strategy.
Strong understanding of financial and operational workflows, with the ability to discuss employee spend, accounts payable, payments, working capital, controls, and process efficiency with credibility.
Financial acumen to interpret client financial statements, understand balance-sheet dynamics, identify working capital opportunities, and articulate ROI and business impact.
Ability to learn and confidently position technology-enabled solutions, including explaining capabilities and value without needing to be the technical expert in every aspect of the solution.
Ability to orchestrate product, technology, implementation, risk, pricing, and other specialists while maintaining ownership of the overall client relationship and sales strategy.
Skills & Mindset
Exceptional communicator— able to translate complex solutions into compelling, actionable value for clients.
Analytical thinker with a bias for execution and results.
Confidence maintaining success and high standards in a regulated environment.
Competitive, confident, and composed under pressure — yet collaborative and growth-oriented.
Strong financial acumen with the capability to interpret client financial statements, analyze balance sheets, and identify working capital needs to inform strategic solutions and relationship discussions.
Ambitious spirit with the ability to work independently, think creatively, and drive measurable business outcomes while doing so operating within large institutional culture and workflows.
Adaptability in fast-changing environments
Expert in CRM management, pipeline forecasting, and disciplined sales execution.
Education
Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Why Join American Express
When you join American Express, you join a company that believes relationships are built on trust and success is built on people. We invest deeply in our sales colleagues — through world-class training, leadership development, and autonomy to make real impact.
As part of the Middle Market Field team, you will represent one of the most trusted brands in the world, helping dynamic, growing companies reach new levels of success. You will be surrounded by high achievers who share your drive for excellence, in a culture that rewards ambition, integrity, and results.
If you are ready to own your market, elevate your craft, this may be your opportunity.
Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the United States is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.
Manage the end-to-end sales cycle of leads and opportunities, engaging prospective Middle Market customers primarily by telephone.
Connect with business and financial decision-makers to understand their priorities and identify potential opportunities for American Express software and product solutions.
Maintain consistent and timely follow-up across assigned leads to progress qualified opportunities through the sales cycle.
Manage your pipeline with discipline, maintaining accurate records, forecasting opportunities, and working toward established sales goals.
Use available data, insights, and sales tools to prioritize assigned opportunities and determine appropriate next steps.
Understand and Solve
Conduct effective discovery conversations to understand a prospect’s business needs, challenges, and current payment and expense-management practices.
Recommend appropriate solutions from the American Express suite based on identified customer needs.
Clearly communicate the value of American Express software and product solutions, including potential benefits related to working capital, expense management, payment efficiency, and rewards.
Develop knowledge of Middle Market customers, commercial payments, and the American Express product suite through ongoing training, coaching and market research.
Partner with internal teams, including Risk, Underwriting,and Product, as needed to support customer opportunities.
Progress and Close Opportunities
Guide qualified prospects through the sales process, addressing questions and helping customers understand relevant products, terms, and value propositions.
Conduct sales conversations and negotiations appropriate to the size and complexity of assigned opportunities.
Work toward individual sales and conversion goals while delivering a consistent and professional customer experience.
Close qualified opportunities and transition accounts to the appropriate Account Development team for ongoing relationship management and growth.
Represent the American Express brand with professionalism, integrity, and a customer-first mindset in every interaction.
Operate with Integrity — 100% of the Time
Uphold the American Express Code of Conduct and all applicable Sales Practice standards.
Follow established processes and procedures throughout the sales cycle.
Demonstrate sound judgment and ethical decision-making in every customer interaction.
Salary Range: $86250 - $158250 annually + sales incentive + benefits
Issues credit cards and runs a payment network
American Express issues credit and pay-in-full charge cards to consumers and businesses, and unlike most card issuers it also runs the payment network its cards use. Its Travelers Cheque, launched in 1891, made carrying money abroad safer, and in 1959 it became the first major issuer of plastic cards. Cardholders earn points toward flights and hotels plus perks such as airport lounges, while companies use its corporate cards for employee travel and expenses. American Express earns a fee from merchants on each purchase, plus annual fees and interest on balances cardholders carry. Henry Wells and William Fargo, who later started Wells Fargo, co-founded it in 1850 as a freight delivery business; it is based in New York City.
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