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New Business Development Manager

Airgas · Elk Grove Village, IL · $85,000–$100,000 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 22, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about the biggest new account you've won. Walk me through the sales process from first contact to close.

What they are checking: Whether they can manage a full sales cycle, which the posting calls managing the sales process.

How many calls, visits and proposals do you aim for in a week, and why?

What they are checking: Whether they manage their own activity levels to keep a pipeline full.

Tell me about a deal that took months to close. How did you keep it moving?

What they are checking: Patience and follow-through on long industrial sales cycles.

What do you do to recover after a string of rejections?

What they are checking: Resilience in a hunting role where most outreach doesn't turn into a sale.

What would you do

How do you get a meeting with a plant manager who's happy with their current gas supplier?

What they are checking: Persistence and creativity in breaking into accounts held by competitors.

A prospect says they'll switch only if you match their current price exactly. What do you do?

What they are checking: Negotiation judgment on when to hold firm and how to shift the conversation to total value.

How would you hand a newly won account to an account manager or branch so the customer stays happy?

What they are checking: Whether they think past the close to a smooth start, which keeps new accounts from leaving.

About the work

This role is focused on new business in an assigned territory. How do you build a target list from scratch?

What they are checking: Their prospecting method and how they identify businesses likely to buy gases and welding products.

The posting says profitable sales growth. How do you avoid winning business at a price that loses money?

What they are checking: Whether they sell value and protect margin rather than winning on price alone.

How do you use a CRM to forecast your pipeline accurately?

What they are checking: Forecasting discipline managers rely on to plan territory results.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Airgas.

R10101232 New Business Development Manager (Open) Location: Elk Grove Village, IL - Retail shopChicago, IL - Retail shop How will you CONTRIBUTE and GROW? We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace that embraces the unique perspectives of our employees, our customers, patients, community stakeholders, and cultures across the world. We believe that a variety of backgrounds makes our team stronger and more innovative. At Airgas, we RESPECT , HONOR and VALUE diversity. Airgas is Hiring for a New Business Development Manager in Elk Grove Village, IL! We are looking for you! • Base pay plus $85k-100k plus commission • Monthly auto allowance & milage reimbursement • Travel within assigned territory , minimal overnights • Comprehensive Family Benefits: Airgas offers a full benefits package designed to support your whole life, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D, and Disability Insurance. • Support for Parents: We offer up to a 14-week paid child birth benefit to support growing families. • Future Security: 401(k) Retirement Plan with company match, Tuition Assistance, Paid Holidays, Vacation, and Sick time. • Early Access: Your benefits start after just 30 days of employment The New Business Development Manager (NBDM) is responsible for managing the sales process and driving profitable sales growth within an assigned sales territory for new Airgas customers, with a primary focus on developing new Airgas customers. The NBDM will be required to meet and exceed all assigned objectives for profitable sales growth within their assigned territory. • Generate new business : Develop a schedule to contact potential customers. You'll use leads from our marketing team, business directories, and trade journals to build a pipeline of prospects. • Deliver impactful sales presentations : Customize presentations and product demonstrations based on the customer's needs and industry, highlighting key features and benefits. • Manage the sales process : Prepare proposals with pricing, credit terms, and delivery schedules. You'll draft sales contracts, obtain credit approval for new accounts, and submit orders to the appropriate teams. • Negotiates and closes sales agreements including signing PSA’s. • Collaborate and report : Keep management informed through regular reports on activities, results, and territory analysis. Meet with managers to discuss accounts and projects. • Establishes and maintains clear and consistent lines of communication with internal departments relative to new customer developments, customer successes, customer opportunities and other customer specific information. • Monitor the market : Stay informed about competitors' pricing, products, and marketing strategies. Provide feedback to management on competitive developments and recommend changes to our products or services. • Maintain customer relationships : Resolve customer issues and complaints by investigating problems and developing solutions. • Stay informed : Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending workshops and reviewing publications. Protect confidential company information. ________________________ Are you a MATCH? Required Qualifications • Bachelor’s Degree from four-year College or University or one to two year of related experience and/or training or equivalent combination of education and experience. • Opportunity Identification: Passionate about discovering new client opportunities while maintaining existing relationships and expanding business value. • Securing Partnerships: Proven track record of independently sourcing, nurturing, and winning new client accounts. • Business Development Readiness: Comfortable executing structured outreach strategies and eager to focus on market expansion. • Personal Initiative: Maintains a consistent outreach routine without relying on incoming leads or external reminders. • Resilience: Demonstrates steady momentum through complex sales cycles and unexpected setbacks. • Executive Engagement: Skilled at initiating meaningful dialogue and building trust with senior leadership stakeholders. • Strategic Adaptability: Tailors communication and outreach methods to meet evolving client needs when initial attempts fall short. • Territory Planning: Effectively prioritizes high-potential accounts, plans travel efficiently, and safeguards dedicated outreach time. • Collaboration & Teamwork: Partners effectively with internal teams, clarifies responsibilities, and shares credit for collective wins. • Business Acumen: Evaluates account potential and profitability to strategically prioritize high-value partnerships. • Proven Track Record: Experience sourcing, engaging, and securing new organizational partnerships from initial contact to completion. • Consistent Routine: Ability to maintain proactive outreach habits during quiet periods or extended sales cycles. • Executive Outreach: Capability to present compelling, research-backed proposals to C-suite decision-makers. • Strategic Territory Management: Skill in balancing prospecting, client meetings, travel, and cross-functional coordination. • Collaborative Leadership: Demonstrated success in building trust across teams, sharing recognition, and executing smooth account transitions. Preferred Qualifications​ • Prior experience with SAP order entry software preferred. • 3+ years of experience selling medical, specialty or industrial gases and equipment to independent distributors and customers while working for an industrial or specialty gas producer. ________________________ Benefits We care about and support our Airgas Families. This is evident not only through our competitive compensation but also through a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision plans, short-term and long-term disability, life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), pre-tax commuter transportation benefit, parental leave, vacation, sick time, floating holidays, jury duty and funeral/bereavement leave, and paid holidays for all eligible full-time employees. Additionally, we offer our eligible employees a 401k plan with company matching funds, tuition reimbursement, discounted college tuition for eligible employees’ dependents, and an Airgas Scholarship Program for dependent children. Associates who are members of collective bargaining units should review their bargaining agreement to determine whether they are eligible for some or all of the benefits described here and to see any special terms or conditions for eligibility. _________________________ Your DIFFERENCES enhance our PERFORMANCE At Airgas, we are committed to building a workplace that embraces the diversity of our employees, our customers, patients, community stakeholders and cultures across the world. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified applicants, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability or any other protected characteristic. We strongly believe a diverse organization opens up opportunities for people to express their talent, both individually and collectively and it helps foster our ability to innovate by living our fundamentals, acting for our success and creating an engaging environment in a changing world. _________________________ About Airgas Airgas, an Air Liquide company, is a leading U.S. supplier of industrial, medical and specialty gases, as well as hardgoods and related products; one of the largest U.S. suppliers of safety products; and a leading U.S. supplier of ammonia products and process chemicals. Through the passion and diversity of its 18,000 associates, Airgas fosters a culture of safety, customer success, sustainability and innovation. Airgas associates are empowered to share ideas, take initiative and make decisions. Airgas is a subsidiary of Air Liquide, a world leader in gases, technologies and services for industry and healthcare. Present in 60 countries with approximately 66,500 employees, Air Liquide serves more than 4 million customers and patients. Join us for a stimulating experience: At Airgas, you matter and so does the work you do. As a member of our team, you play an important role in the success of your team, making sure our products are created sustainably and delivered safely and efficiently. In turn, you’ll find a welcoming workplace where you’re valued for who you are and where you can fill your potential while growing a fulfilling career — whatever path you choose. _________________________ Equal Employment Opportunity Information We are an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. Airgas, an Air Liquide Company is a Government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Airgas does not discriminate against qualified applicants with disabilities, and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to the known disabilities of such individuals so as to ensure equal access to benefits and privileges of employment. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part of the employment selection process, please contact us by email at us-accommodationrequest@airgas.com. _________________________ California Privacy Notice

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