Business Development Executive / Senior Business Development Executive (AGENCY SALES)

(BDE/Senior BDE) – Hashtag Inc

Experience: 2–8 years ( Must have Agency's creative ecosystem)

Location: Bangalore

At Hashtag, the BDE is responsible for bringing the next wave of brands into the agency.

You don't just generate leads. You know where the opportunities are, who to speak to, how to open the conversation, and how to turn a business need into a pitch worth winning.

You'll own the new-business pipeline - from prospecting and relationship-building to discovery, pitching, negotiation and closure. You'll work closely with our leadership, strategy, creative, content, design, production, web and performance teams to build solutions that make commercial sense and give clients a reason to choose Hashtag.

You understand that selling a creative agency is different from selling a product. You're selling thinking, ideas, capability, trust and business outcomes.

And once you build a relationship, you don't disappear after the deal. You help create a strong foundation for the account and look for opportunities to grow the relationship.

If you're someone who can open doors, create demand, lead conversations and close business, this is your role.

What You'll Do

Own New Business

- Own Hashtag's recent-business pipeline across relevant industries and categories.
- Identify high-value prospects and build a targeted business development plan.
- Research brands, businesses, decision-makers, marketing activity and competitive landscape.
- Proactively create opportunities rather than relying only on inbound leads.
- Build relationships with Founders, CMOs, Marketing Heads, Brand Heads and other senior decision-makers.
- Develop a strong network within the brand, marketing and business ecosystem.

Create Opportunities

- Generate qualified leads through outbound prospecting, referrals, networking, LinkedIn, events and industry relationships.
- Identify businesses that could benefit from Hashtag's capabilities before a formal requirement comes in.
- Monitor new launches, business expansions, category movements and marketing activity to identify potential opportunities.
- Convert cold conversations into meaningful discovery meetings.
- Qualify opportunities based on business need, scope, budget, timelines and decision-making structure.

Lead the Sales Conversation

- Lead discovery conversations and uncover the real business and marketing challenge behind a requirement.
- Understand where Hashtag can create value across strategy, campaigns, content, social, film, design, digital, web and performance.
- Develop the right approach with internal teams rather than simply forwarding a client brief.
- Bring strategic and commercial thinking into pitch opportunities.




- Present Hashtag's capabilities and solutions confidently to senior stakeholders.
- Own the conversation from "Who are you?" to "Let's work together."

Win the Pitch

- Lead the end-to-end business development process from prospect identification to closure.
- Coordinate with Strategy, Creative, Content, Design, Production, Web and Performance teams for pitches.
- Ensure proposals, presentations and commercials are aligned with the client's business requirement.
- Present and defend the agency's thinking and value proposition.
- Handle commercial discussions, negotiations and objections.
- Build proposals that balance client value, creative ambition and agency profitability.
- Maintain momentum and ownership until the deal is closed.

Build Senior-Level Relationships

- Develop long-term relationships with key decision-makers.
- Become a trusted point of contact even before an active requirement exists.
- Stay connected with prospects through regular, relevant conversations.
- Build relationships beyond a single opportunity or project.
- Generate referrals and introductions through existing relationships.
- Represent Hashtag at industry events, networking forums and relevant business communities.

Grow the Business

- Look beyond individual projects and identify opportunities for larger engagements and retainers.
- Identify cross-sell opportunities across Hashtag's capabilities.
- Work with the Account Management / Brand Partner team to create a smooth transition after closure.
- Stay connected with key accounts where appropriate to identify future opportunities.
- Contribute ideas that strengthen Hashtag's overall new-business strategy.

Own the Numbers

- Take ownership of business development targets and revenue contribution.
- Maintain a healthy pipeline across different stages of the sales funnel.
- Track leads, meetings, qualified opportunities, pitches, proposals, negotiations and closures.
- Maintain accurate CRM / business development trackers.
- Forecast potential closures and communicate pipeline movement to leadership.
- Analyse what is converting, what isn't and continuously improve the sales approach.

What Success Looks Like

- A strong, consistent pipeline of qualified new-business opportunities.
- Regular conversations with relevant decision-makers across target brands.
- Consistent conversion of prospects into qualified briefs and pitch opportunities.
- New clients and revenue brought into Hashtag.
- Strong relationships with senior marketing and business stakeholders.




- Successful pitches that demonstrate both creative value and commercial understanding.
- Healthy conversion rates across the sales funnel.
- A predictable pipeline rather than last-minute dependence on opportunities.
- Current relationships that continue beyond the first project.
- Hashtag is increasingly getting into conversations with brands that previously weren't on the agency's radar.

Who You Are

- 4–7 years of experience in Business Development, Sales, Client Acquisition or Agency New Business.
- Strong experience in a creative, advertising, digital, branding, media or marketing agency is preferred.
- Proven experience in generating and closing new business.
- Comfortable selling creative and marketing solutions rather than standardised products.
- Strong understanding of brands, marketing and the agency ecosystem.
- Excellent communication, presentation and negotiation skills.
- Comfortable speaking with senior stakeholders and decision-makers.
- Commercially sharp and comfortable discussing budgets, commercials and value.
- Strong relationship-builder with an active professional network.
- Persistent, proactive and highly self-driven.
- Able to understand a business problem and translate it into an opportunity for Hashtag.
- Strong follow-through and excellent pipeline discipline.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, target-driven creative environment.

Nice-to-Haves

- Existing relationships with CMOs, Marketing Heads, Brand Heads, Founders or business owners.
- Proven experience closing retainer / AOR / integrated creative mandates.
- Experience selling integrated agency solutions across creative, digital, social, content, film and performance.
- Experience managing large-value pitches and negotiations.
- Strong industry network across FMCG, Automotive, Real Estate, BFSI, Hospitality, Technology, Healthcare or other major categories.
- Experience mentoring or guiding junior BDEs.
- Experience building a new-business strategy or sales playbook.

The Vibe

- Own the number. Own the relationship. Own the opportunity.
- Work directly with leadership and the agency's creative ecosystem.
- Access the full power of Hashtag — strategy, content, creative, design, film, web and performance.
- Build relationships with ambitious brands across categories.
- Have the freedom to find opportunities and create conversations.
- Grow from Senior BDE into a Business Development Manager / Business Head role.

This isn't a lead-generation job. It's about knowing where the business is, finding the right doors, getting them open and making Hashtag impossible to ignore.

Find the opportunity. Build the relationship. Lead the pitch. Win the business.

Come build with us.

Pay: ₹30,000.00 - ₹100,000.00 per month

Work Location: In person

📌 SENIOR SALES/BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (CREATIVE AGENCY ) (Bengaluru)
🏢 Hashtag
📍 Bengaluru