Full-Cycle Business Development & Sales Partner for Digital Product Studio

Elevator Lab is a founder-led digital product and business systems studio based in Chicago. We work directly with business owners to understand operational or growth problems, determine what should be built, and deliver the right combination of websites, custom software, customer portals, internal tools, integrations, workflows, dashboards, and automation. I am looking for an experienced full-cycle Business Development and Sales Partner who can independently create and manage new-business opportunities in the U.S. market. This is not a data-entry, generic lead-generation, or list-building role. I need someone who can exercise commercial judgment, communicate naturally with business owners, and help move opportunities from prospecting to signed engagement. WHAT YOU WOULD OWN • Help refine our ideal customer profiles, commercial entry points, and outreach strategy • Identify businesses, founders, and referral partners with credible buying signals • Source opportunities through targeted research, relationships, communities, contract platforms, email, LinkedIn, and other appropriate channels • Prepare and execute personalized outreach after we approve the initial strategy • Hold initial conversations with business owners • Qualify the business problem, decision-maker, urgency, budget, and willingness to act • Schedule qualified discovery conversations with Gabriel • Maintain organized notes and pipeline records • Follow up consistently • Help present proposals, manage commercial objections, negotiate, and close • Build relationships with agencies, consultants, designers, fractional operators, and other potential referral partners GABRIEL’S ROLE Gabriel will lead deeper business and technical discovery, determine what should be built, design the proposed solution, establish technical scope, and oversee delivery. Because our projects are customized, the sales partner must not promise technical scope, timelines, or final pricing without Gabriel’s involvement. WHAT WE SELL Depending on the client’s actual needs, engagements may include: • Professional or conversion-focused websites • MVPs and new digital products • Booking, payment, and customer-management systems • Customer, provider, or employee portals • Lead-intake and onboarding systems • Internal operational tools and dashboards • Workflow automation • API and third-party integrations • Modernization of manual or fragmented business processes • Ongoing product and business-systems development We are especially interested in founder-led businesses, premium services, transportation, hospitality, architecture and construction, real estate, automotive, e-commerce, jewelry, and boutique businesses. However, evidence of a real problem, budget, and willingness to act is more important than industry aesthetics. PAID PILOT This engagement will begin with a small fixed-price paid pilot. The pilot is designed to evaluate strategic thinking, opportunity judgment, communication, and sales ability before providing access to active prospects. Pilot deliverables: 1. Review Elevator Lab’s current positioning and explain how you would sell it. 2. Define one or two practical initial customer profiles. 3. Identify five qualified U.S. opportunities and explain the buying signal behind each one. 4. Prepare a short outreach sequence for the two strongest opportunities. 5. Conduct a short live role-play demonstrating how you would open and qualify a conversation with a business owner. 6. Propose a realistic 30-day business-development plan. Do not contact prospects during the pilot unless specifically authorized. LONG-TERM OPPORTUNITY If the pilot demonstrates strong judgment and communication, this can become an ongoing freelance relationship. The continuing compensation structure may include a modest recurring contract plus performance-based bonuses or commission on revenue actually collected from clients you originate and help close. All compensation and work will remain within Upwork’s policies and platform. REQUIRED EXPERIENCE • Demonstrated success selling B2B professional services • Experience selling custom software, web development, digital products, automation, technology consulting, agency services, or closely related work • Ability to source opportunities as well as close them • Strong spoken and written English • Experience communicating with U.S. founders and business owners • Consultative selling and discovery skills • Consistent follow-up and pipeline management • Ability to distinguish a real buying signal from a generic lead TO APPLY Please answer the following: 1. What services have you sold, and what were the typical deal sizes? 2. Have you personally sourced and closed clients for a software agency, product studio, consultancy, or similar business? 3. Briefly describe one deal you originated and helped close. 4. How would you begin finding clients for Elevator Lab? 5. Are you comfortable completing a paid pilot that includes a short live sales role-play? 6. What ongoing compensation structure would you recommend after the pilot? Generic proposals that do not address these questions will not be considered.