Business Development Manager
External
Groupon · Chicago (35 W. Wacker Dr.)Prepare for this interview
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About the role
This is an individual contributor, quota-carrying sales role. As a Business Development Manager, you will be responsible for finding, developing, and closing new merchant partnerships on the Groupon platform within an assigned region. You are not managing a team; you own your own book of business and results. Our Business Development team focuses on building partnerships with new Groupon merchants. We spend our days learning what makes small businesses tick and crafting unique marketing campaigns to help them reach their target audiences. Our work creates real impact - helping local merchants thrive, creating jobs, and driving local economies. You'll have the autonomy to prioritize your accounts, negotiate complex offers, and craft deal structures that work for both the merchant and Groupon. Through support from our management and training team, you'll develop deep expertise in Groupon's merchant strategy, sales process, and consultative selling - skills that will make you a stronger sales professional throughout your career.
Responsibilities
- Generate new business by cold calling and prospecting local merchants within an assigned region, selling across all verticals including Beauty & Wellness, Food & Drink, Things To Do, and Home & Auto
- Manage the full sales cycle - from initial outreach and consultation through negotiation and close
- Prospect new accounts through established networks, independent research, and the lead management pipeline
- Develop a genuine understanding of each merchant's business to position Groupon as the right solution for their goals
- Own the contract negotiation process, including margins, discounts, and deal structure
- Apply consultative selling strategies to reach merchants' desired outcomes while maximizing revenue
- Consistently achieve and exceed your individual sales targets
- Partner with Merchant teams post-close to ensure a smooth account transition and aligned merchant strategy
- Drive market growth by improving both the quality and revenue of merchants on the platform
Requirements
- 3+ years of business development or full-cycle sales experience is required , with a proven track record of hitting or exceeding quota
- Experience working with local or small business merchants is strongly preferred
- Strong consultative selling, negotiation, and prospecting skills
- The right balance of coachability and confidence - eager to grow while owning your results
- Comfortable in a competitive, performance-driven environment
- Adaptable and solutions-oriented when facing new challenges or difficult conversations
- Strong accountability and ability to manage multiple priorities effectively
- High standards of integrity and work ethic
- Genuine curiosity about people and local businesses, with the ability to build trust quickly
- A self-starter who thrives on ownership and is motivated by achieving ambitious goals
- Consultative and confident, capable of leading conversations with business owners and adapting your pitch to their needs
- Resilient and results-oriented, maintaining focus and positivity in a fast-changing environment
- Collaborative and curious, eager to share insights and learn from your peers
- Passionate about helping small businesses succeed and excited to shape the future of local commerce
- How We Measure Your Success
- Consistent achievement of monthly and quarterly GP and revenue targets
- Quality and retention of merchants onboarded
- Improved deal margins and conversion rates through effective negotiation and structuring
- Demonstrated ownership and pipeline accuracy in Salesforce
- Effective use of AI-enabled sales tools to improve outreach quality, follow-up consistency, and data accuracy
Benefits
Additional Information
Groupon connects 42 million customers with local experiences - restaurants, events, wellness and travel - and the million-plus merchants who deliver them. Our mission is to get people offline and into the real world at prices that make it possible. We're an AI-native company in the middle of a platform transformation, moving from a deals marketplace to an experience discovery platform that works for customers and merchants at the same time.
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