vis Sales development representatives are the lifeblood of many companies. They’re responsible for generating new leads and growing revenue. It’s a challenging role, but one that comes with a lot of rewards. If you’re outgoing, motivated, and have excellent communication skills, then you already have the basics of a sales development representative job description.
Sales Development Representative Job Description
Sales development representatives (SDR) work closely with sales managers and other members of the sales team to identify potential customers and target markets.
In some cases, they may also be responsible for developing and executing sales plans and strategies.
If you’re looking to hire an SDR, here’s a detailed sales development representative job description.
What is SDR Sales?
The job of an SDR is to prospect for new business, move those leads into the pipeline, and qualify those new contacts.
While SDRs do not directly sell, they assist the sales team by determining whether a prospect will be a good fit for the company.
Before we talk about how to train SDRs for success in their role, it’s important to understand the key differences between SDRs and other salespeople.
From my perspective, as the head of an inside sales team, one trend has become abundantly clear.
The traditional method of marketing by sending an email, making a phone call, and leaving a voice mail is no longer working.
SDRs have a unique opportunity to help account executives close deals through hard and soft skills that can yield more success for your inside sales team.
Sales Development Reps vs. Business Development Reps
While SDRs and business development representatives (BDRs) are similar, each has its distinct qualities.
Both do a lot of lead qualification and generation but SDRs focus on inbound leads and BDRs focus on outbound leads.
The two teams work together to expand the company through customers or partners.
Another way to tell the difference between SDRs and BDRs is to look at the fundamentals that both teams are selling.
BDRs sell the whole business to grow its operations.
Daily Activities of a Sales Development Rep
The sales development rep spends the entire day multitasking between different accounts and communicating across departments. They work to keep prospect outreach prompt and productive.
Each day brings new challenges, which keeps the job interesting. No two days are alike, which is one of the things that makes this job so exciting.
SDRs are the first point of contact for qualifying your list of potential sales opportunities. They whittle down large lists into smaller ones of qualified people.
Qualifying Leads
Some common parameters for qualifying a lead are:
- Lead matches buyer persona
- Lead can afford the product
- Lead is a decision-maker
- Lead has problems your product solves
The SDR is the first person to contact a lead. They do this through a variety of methods including email, phone calls, and social media. Their job is to familiarize the lead with the company and explain how it can benefit them.
If your company doesn’t already have a preferred communication method, it’s up to your SDRs to take a look at the metrics of each different method of contact to see which works best.
Before a sales lead can be passed to the sales team, they must be properly qualified. If the initial contact goes smoothly, it is the responsibility of the SDR to nurture the relationship and build trust, rather than pushing for an immediate sale.
After all, there’s no reason to push for the sale if you’re not going to be the one who handles it. This is the time to get to know your lead and ask the right questions.
Where to Draw the Line
SDRs aren’t responsible for closing sales, so they must know how to pass along leads to sales reps. This isn’t always as easy as just giving someone their email address.
As an SDR, it’s important to quickly assess both the size of a potential deal and the personality of a prospect to determine which salesperson to transferred to.
Additionally, you must have a keen understanding of where each prospect is in the pipeline to know when the transfer should take place.
How to Hire an SDR
Hiring SDRs will be similar to hiring salespeople but you’ll have to change the parameters of the job description to clarify what your new hire must accomplish.
When you’re looking to hire an SDR, you should be on the lookout for someone with great soft skills and the right sales personality. Remember, SDRs are entry-level positions, so you don’t need someone with a ton of experience. Look for individuals who embody the sales spirit to create a successful team of SDRs.
SDR Skillset
Here are a few skills that any SDR should possess:
- Communication: SDRs are responsible for maintaining constant communication with clients and their sales departments.
- Multitasking: SDRs often juggle more accounts and opportunities than the salespeople, even if they aren’t closing the deals. They need to be able to manage multiple clients at different stages of the sales process.
- Active listening: SDRs need to be able to quickly evaluate and qualify customers based on data, as well as ask the right questions during conversations.
- Curiosity and self-motivation: SDRs are a lot like salespeople. They need to be aggressive and constantly attack new tasks without super. Since there are always more leads to qualify, there will never be a lack of them.
Other Considerations for SDRs
SDRs need to be completely aware of the timeline for the company they are working for. They should also be aware of any quotas that need to be met before discussing promotions with their superiors. SDRs often work harder than closers, so this needs to be taken into account when applying for the position.
If you’re looking for a career in sales, an SDR position at a global company is a great place to start. You’ll be working with prospects in multiple time zones, so you must be organized and have excellent time management skills.
This role isn’t for everyone – it requires dedication and hard work – but it can be a stepping stone to other opportunities in sales.
When looking to hire SDRs, it is important to ask the right sales interview questions. This will help you weed out candidates who are not a good fit for the position, and also give you an idea of how much work might be needed before they can move up to the closing sales team.
Be honest about your expectations and what you are looking for to find the best possible candidates for the job.
What is the Role of a Sales Development Representative?
A sales development representative (SDR) is a role within a company’s sales organization. The primary responsibility of an SDR is to generate new leads and opportunities for the sales team. This may be done through a variety of means such as outbound calling, emailing, social media, and other forms of prospecting.
The goal of an SDR is to qualify potential customers and set up appointments for the sales team to further pursue. An SDR must have excellent communication skills and be able to build rapport quickly. They must also be knowledgeable about the products or services they are selling to effectively answer any questions that may come up during the conversation.
An SDR typically works in an outbound call center environment and is responsible for making a high volume of daily calls to potential customers. The goal of an SDR is to generate interest in a company’s products or services and schedule appointments for sales representatives to further discuss the offering with the potential customer. An SDR must be able to quickly build rapport over the phone, identify customer needs, and overcome objections.
What Are Qualifications for a Sales Development Representative?
The qualifications for an SDR vary depending on the company, but they typically include excellent communication and interpersonal skills, strong organizational skills, and the ability to work independently. Some companies also require that SDRs have previous experience in sales or customer service.
Is a Sales Development Representative a Good Job?
A sales development representative is a good job for someone who is interested in sales and marketing and has good communication skills. The job involves communicating with potential customers to try to sell them a product or service.
Sales development representatives need to be able to build relationships with potential customers and understand their needs. They also need to be able to negotiate prices and terms of sale.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a challenging and rewarding career, then the sales development representative job description may be the perfect job for you. With excellent communication skills and a motivation to succeed, you can help your company grow its revenue and reach new heights!
