Business Development & Partnerships Manager — Field Sales
Location:Bengaluru
Work Mode: Field-based; regular travel across Bengaluru
Industry: Premium Interior Design, Turnkey Execution and Home Improvement Company: Kalavya Atelier About Kalavya Atelier Kalavya Atelier is a premium, lifestyle-led interior design and turnkey execution brand.
We work with homeowners, property investors, developers, brokers, architects, hospitality businesses and commercial establishments to create thoughtful, personalised spaces.
We are looking for a Bengaluru-based relationship builder who enjoys meeting people, creating partnerships and converting conversations into genuine business opportunities.
This is not a desk-based marketing role.
The person will spend a significant part of the week visiting prospects, attending networking events, meeting channel partners and building Kalavya’s presence across Bengaluru.
Role Purpose The Business Development & Partnerships Manager will be responsible for creating a consistent pipeline of qualified interior-design opportunities through:
* On-ground relationship building
* Channel partnerships
* Referrals
* Direct business outreach
* Networking events
* Property and community visits
* Structured follow-ups
The role requires someone who can independently enter new networks, establish credibility, identify the right decision-makers and build long-term relationships that generate recurring referrals.
Key Responsibilities
1. Field Business Development
* Conduct regular field visits across Bengaluru to meet prospective clients and referral partners.
* Identify upcoming residential handovers, new property purchases, renovations, commercial fit-outs and hospitality interior requirements.
* Visit real-estate offices, project sites, experience centres, apartment communities, commercial establishments and relevant business hubs.
* Generate qualified appointments for Kalavya’s design and leadership team.
* Represent Kalavya professionally during introductory meetings and initial client discussions.
2. Channel and Referral Partnerships Develop relationships with:
* Real-estate developers and project sales teams
* Brokers and property consultants
* Property managers and relocation consultants
* Architects, PMCs and execution professionals
* Apartment associations and community managers
* Home-loan consultants and wealth managers
* Hotels, serviced apartments and Airbnb operators
* Builders, contractors and vendors
* Furniture, lighting, décor and home-improvement businesses
* Corporate HR, administration and facility teams
* BNI, Rotary and other professional networking communities
Create mutually beneficial referral arrangements while protecting Kalavya’s premium positioning and commercial interests.
3. Lead Generation and Qualification
* Generate leads through personal networking, referrals, business visits, events and direct outreach.
* Understand the prospect’s property type, location, possession status, project scope, estimated budget and decision timeline.
* Separate genuine opportunities from general enquiries.
* Ensure every qualified lead is properly recorded and handed over with complete information.
* Maintain an active pipeline rather than submitting unverified contact lists. --- 4. Relationship Management
* Build sustained relationships instead of approaching contacts only when a lead is required.
* Stay in touch with partners through meetings, calls, WhatsApp and relevant updates.
* Follow up consistently without appearing aggressive or transactional.
* Keep referral partners informed about project progress wherever appropriate. * Strengthen relationships with existing clients to generate testimonials, repeat work and referrals.
5. Networking and Brand Representation
* Attend property launches, exhibitions, networking meetings, association gatherings, business events and relevant industry forums.
* Identify high-value events and communities where Kalavya should be represented.
* Communicate Kalavya’s services, positioning and differentiators confidently
. * Develop meaningful connections with decision-makers rather than merely collecting business cards.
* Submit a brief outcome report after each event or networking visit.
6. Sales Coordination and Conversion Support
* Coordinate introductory meetings between prospects and the Kalavya design team.
* Support the team during proposal discussions, site visits and commercial follow-ups.
*Track pending decisions, quotations and next actions.
* Assist in overcoming communication gaps or delays during the sales process
. * Remain involved until the opportunity is converted, lost or formally placed on hold.
7. Reporting and CRM Discipline Maintain an accurate daily and weekly record of:
* Field visits completed
* People met
* Decision-makers contacted
* New opportunities generated
* Follow-ups completed
* Meetings scheduled
* Proposals under discussion
* Expected project values
* Referral source
* Current opportunity stage
* Next action and follow-up date
The candidate must be comfortable using spreadsheets, CRM tools, email and WhatsApp professionally.
Expected Weekly Activity
The person should typically be able to deliver:
* 15–20 meaningful field meetings or partner visits
* 5–8 qualified prospect or partnership conversations
* Consistent follow-up on all active opportunities
* New introductions from existing relationships
* A clear weekly pipeline and conversion report Activity numbers may vary based on territory and lead quality. Performance will be assessed on both quality of relationships and measurable business outcomes.
Key Performance Indicators Performance will be evaluated using:
* Number of qualified opportunities generated
* Number of decision-maker meetings secured
* Referral partnerships activated
* Site visits and consultations scheduled
* Proposal opportunities created
* Lead-to-meeting conversion
* Meeting-to-proposal conversion
* Proposal-to-project conversion
* Revenue generated
* Pipeline value
* Accuracy and discipline of reporting
* Quality and continuity of partner relationships
Merely sharing databases, contact numbers or unverified leads will not be treated as business development.
Candidate Profile
Essential Requirements
* Currently based in Bengaluru and familiar with the city.
* Willing and able to travel regularly across Bengaluru.
* Prior experience in field sales, partnerships, relationship management or business development.
* Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
* Comfortable initiating conversations with unfamiliar people.
* Able to identify and approach senior decision-makers.
* Strong follow-up discipline.
* Professional appearance and conduct.
* Able to work independently without requiring constant supervision.
* Comfortable working with targets and performance measurement.
* Own two-wheeler or car preferred.
Preferred Background Candidates with experience in one or more of the following will be preferred:
* Interior design
* Real estate
* Construction
* Architecture
* Home improvement
* Furniture or décor
* Luxury products
* Hospitality
* Property management
* Premium consumer services
* Banking, wealth management or home loans
* BNI, Rotary or professional networking organisations
An established Bengaluru network among developers, brokers, apartment communities, business owners or affluent homeowners will be a strong advantage.
What We Are Not Looking For This role may not be suitable for candidates who: * Prefer a completely desk-based position.
* Are primarily interested in social media or digital marketing.
* Depend only on cold-email databases or online lead generation.
* Avoid field visits and face-to-face meetings.
* Submit large numbers of unqualified contacts as leads.
* Speak mainly about strategies but cannot demonstrate execution.
* Are unwilling to maintain activity and pipeline reports.
* Expect an internal team to generate all appointments for them.
Skills Required
* Field sales
* Business development
* Partnership development
* Relationship management
* Consultative selling
* Lead qualification
* Negotiation
* Networking
* Referral generation
* Client acquisition
* CRM and pipeline management
* Written and verbal communication
* Local market development
Compensation
* Fixed monthly compensation based on relevant experience and existing network.
* Performance-linked incentives on qualified conversions and realised business. * Travel reimbursement or field allowance as per company policy.
Compensation structure will be discussed during the selection process.
Selection Process Shortlisted candidates may be asked to complete a practical business-development assessment, which may include:
* Presenting a seven-day Bengaluru field plan.
* Identifying relevant business communities and partner categories.
* Demonstrating existing professional relationships.
* Explaining previously closed deals with verifiable details.
* Completing a short field assignment or paid trial.
10 Questions to Assess Network Worth
1. Which Bengaluru professional networks do you currently have active relationships in? Ask them to specify developers, brokers, architects, apartment associations, business owners, wealth managers, hospitality operators, BNI members, affluent homeowners, etc.
2. Approximately how many people from your existing professional network could you personally approach for a business conversation within your first 30 days?
* Fewer than 10
* 10–25
* 26–50
* 51–100
* More than 100
3. Describe your five strongest professional relationships in Bengaluru. Mention each person’s industry, designation, decision-making authority and how recently you interacted with them.
4. How many of your existing contacts can directly refer homeowners, property investors or businesses requiring interior-design or turnkey-execution services?
5. How many of your contacts are actual decision-makers rather than junior employees, coordinators or general acquaintances? Please mention the types of positions they hold.
6. Describe one business opportunity, referral partnership or sales channel that you personally created through your network. What was your relationship with the contact, and what was the final outcome?
7. What was the approximate value of the largest deal or revenue opportunity generated through your personal network? Explain your exact role in sourcing and converting it.
8. Suppose you join Kalavya Atelier next week. Which five existing contacts or contact categories would you approach first, and why? They need not disclose names during the initial application but must explain the relationship and opportunity.
9. How recently have you generated business from your network? Mention the number of introductions, meetings or deals generated during the last 12 months.
10. Are you willing to provide professional references or verifiable details for the major relationships, partnerships and deals mentioned during the selection process?
Work Location: In person
