Sales Development Representative Salary depends on industry, experience and geographical location. SDR compensation in the technology industry, for example, exceeds the average SDR compensation in other industries.
Sales Development Representatives are provided with well-researched information about potential customers and the company before contacting them, as they are the first person in your company.Â
They have a good understanding of the industry, the sales process and the competition to have meaningful conversations.
How Do Sales Development Representatives Work
SDRs also call e-mails, spend them in the early stages of the sales pipeline and prepare them for communication with others. The key performance indicator (KPI) is based on the number of eligible opportunities or eligible leads (SQL) they receive each month.Â
Having an SDR team also ensures that your sales managers spend most of their time on qualified leads and achieving goals, rather than searching.
Sales Development Representative Job Description
In general, Sales Development Representatives typically focus on inbound leads, while business development representatives (BDRs) generate their own leads through outbound communications.Â
However, these responsibilities are not unique to each other, and the terms are often used interchangeably, so SDRs can be tasked with both outbound and inbound searches.
Once connected, SDRs are responsible for connecting with potential customers, qualifying them as potential customers, informing potential customers about a product or service, and scheduling meetings with the sales team.
What Qualities Does It Take To Be A Sales Development Representative?
Given the nature of this role, SDR candidates must have strong interpersonal and communication skills through a variety of channels (email, social media, telephone, etc.).Â
As leading representatives, SDRs often give potential customers a first impression of your company, so you want to make sure they have the skills to make a lasting impact on potential customers.
These positions are usually entry-level vacancies with several years of experience in sales or a related field.Â
Although a bachelor’s degree is not always required, many companies prefer a four-year degree in marketing, marketing research, sales, financial services, consulting, business development, investment banking, or customer success.
When You Should Hire A Sales Development Representative Team?
When you are growing a business, you probably have one or two salespeople who do end-to-end sales. But as your business expands, just hiring a salesperson will no longer work. As potential customers enter the top of the funnel and have a fuzzy sales process, it becomes increasingly difficult for sellers to find and close deals.
As potential customers fail and your sales channel is filled with unwanted deals, there is a good chance that your competitors will surpass you in their ability to attract potential customers effectively; harming the health of your business.
You need to have a sales strategy that attracts and educates potential buyers, and another sales strategy that closes the sale. To do this, your sales team must have two main roles: SDR and sales managers.
- You know you need to hire an SDR command when,
- Your sales representatives do not pay attention to potential customers
- Your sales representatives focus on closing rather than searching
- Your sales team does not engage in cross-selling or sales promotion
- Your sales channel is full of garbage and dead deals
- Your sales representatives are not watching at the right time, and your potential customers are moving to competitors.
Sales Development Representative Average Salary
Payscale, which does not differentiate between wages by industry, reports that entry-level SDRs with less than a year of experience earn an average of $44,195. This increases to $45,401 with additional experience of one to four years.Â
According to Compgauge, SDRs in the technology industry with less than a year of experience earn $74,008 with an average base salary of $50,306.
Sales Development Representative Mid-Level Salary
According to Payscale, mid-career SDRs with five to nine years of experience receive an average total compensation of $50,253. Compgauge reports that mid-market technical SDRs with six months’ experience or more earn $78,002 per year with an average base salary of $50,955.
Sales Development Representative Experienced-Level Salary
Payscale reports that SDRs with more than 10 years of experience receive an average total compensation of $ 53,067. Â
Business Sales focuses on high-rate deals with large companies, which often involve long-term contracts and complex sales, or sales that are otherwise high risk or have serious business consequences. Business Sales Representatives have more than a year or more of experience and earn $82,855 with an average base salary of $54,173.
Sales Development Representative Working Environment
A typical day for a sales representative begins with a prospect survey. First, sales representatives review a potential customer’s online presence to understand their mission and vision, as well as the tools and processes they use to achieve business goals.Â
At this stage, sales representatives also review third-party publications to assess the effectiveness of the goal, evaluate its competition, and understand how they fit into the industry.
Next, a sales representative should determine the best point of contact in the prospect’s organization. Sales representatives use LinkedIn and company directories to identify relevant decision makers and gather information about their influence, responsibilities and work history. This information helps sales developers personalize their reach strategy.
Before starting the outreach, the sales representative examines the pain points of the goals and current management strategies. With this information, SDRs can begin a joint problem-solving process with the client to evaluate possible solutions.
Skills Needed To Become A Sales Development Representative
- Communication: For the most part, this role involves contacting potential customers by phone or e-mail. An effective communicator can help you build relationships with potential customers.
- Persuasion: Your job is to persuade potential customers to continue the conversation with a high-level sales representative. As an SDR, you are responsible for convincing potential customers that they need your company’s products or services.
- Perseverance: When looking for outbound customers, you need to be very committed to finding new people to connect with. Be prepared to look for potential leads and promote people through the sales channel.
- Professionalism: As an SDR, you are essentially the face of your company. A sense of professionalism ensures that you are able to connect with customers and be responsible for your work.
- Research: When you are not in contact with someone, you are researching potential new potential customers. Having strong research skills can help you come up with different ways to find new customers.
- Technology knowledge: Many SDRs use social media and other online tools to find leads. Knowledge of technology can help you use important sales software and leads generation tools.
Do I Need A Degree To Be A Sales Development Representative?
The level of education you need to become an SDR depends on the requirements of your employer. Although some employers accept candidates with a higher education or GED, there is usually a bachelor’s degree for those who hold the position.
You can consider many different majors as you move into this career, although majors such as business or marketing are quite common. When considering your education, choose courses that focus on communication, behavioral psychology, marketing, and negotiation.
How To Become A Sales Development Representative
Get a high school diploma or equivalent
Most employers do not require higher education when hiring sales representatives. However, having a high school diploma or high school equivalent, such as a GED, is usually a must.
Go through professional training
The next step you may want to consider is professional training, which will help you develop strong communication skills and a deep understanding of sales activities. You can do this by getting a college degree or joining a sales course.
Start your job search
As you prepare for the world of sales, it’s time to start submitting your resume. These vacancies are entry-level, so most companies do not require previous experience from you. Just remember to demonstrate your communication and sales skills.
CONCLUSION
Sales development has become an integral part of most high-growth sales companies. The efficiency of sellers will deteriorate without the development of sales, which will lead to lower closing rates and lower corporate income.Â
With real-time automatic dialing, call performance monitoring, email monitoring solutions, automated lead generators and other sophisticated search tools, sales development has become even more powerful. Some companies have created two unique jobs today for business development and sales development.
A Sales Development Representative FAQs
How Can I Get Job As A Sales Development Representative?
Prepare for this career by looking at different companies. See what job requirements they have for SDR candidates. This way, you can determine what kind of education you want to receive. In addition, researching companies is a great way to find out what specific skills they want. When it comes time to apply for SDR vacancies, use your research to tailor application materials to each company.
Is Being A Sales Development Representative Lucrative?
Yes, you have to be one. The role of sales representative is a great way to develop your sales career and acquire transferable skills that will come in handy wherever your career takes you. If you have high aspirations and you want to increase your experience, this role will set you on the path to success in the sales industry.
Is It Difficult To Become A Sales Representative?
It is easy to become a sales representative, given that you do not need to have a formal education. However, to demonstrate that you can attract potential customers, you need to have talent for sales and persistent work ethic.
