What is Sales Development?
The purpose of Sales Development is to bridge the gap between marketing and sales to generate revenue pipeline for your business.
What is a Sales Development Representative?
As a Sales Development Representative (SDR), your role is to enable your company's full time sellers to sell by qualifying sales and marketing leads. After properly qualifying a lead and determining that there is opportunity, an SDR then passes this good business to the full time seller to take it through the rest of the sales cycle.
What is the point of Sales Development?
The ultimate objective of sales development is for SDRs to find and pass good business to full time salespeople who have the resources and skills to close the deal.
What tools should you use as a Sales Development Rep?
High performing Sales Development Representatives will leverage LinkedIn, CRM data, the client's website, Google, Call Prep, Value Propositions, and Qualification.
Common Lead Generation Sources for SDRs
inbound calls
Inbound calls are generally easier interactions because the customer wants to talk to you. Strong qualification is the focus of these calls.
outbound calls
Outbound calls, or prospecting, are where value propositions are king. Practice and preparation are essential. Revenue generation and pipeline creation are the goal.
marketing leads
It is important to internalize the value of your role as an SDR. The entire marketing organization within your company relies on you to execute and deploy your skills to take advantage of these nurtured leads.
support leads
Some customers will discover their current tools are not sufficient for their applications. Utilize your emotional intelligence as customers may be somewhat frustrated.
referrals
Advanced SDRs will get referrals during calls to generate more pipeline. These follow ups should be appropriately respectful since the referrer's reputation is on the line.
To Recap...
SDRs are the handshake between marketing and sales. SDRs enable full time salespeople to sell, while servicing customers who may not have been reached otherwise. Call prep, qualification, value propositions, and tools like LinkedIn and Google are highly valuable to an SDR. The ultimate goal is to find and pass good business to full salespeople who will close the deal and bring the revenue home.