An SDR, or Sales Development Representative, is a professional whose role is exclusively sales prospecting. These representatives focus on generating new leads for their companies or clients and are in charge of pushing them down the sales funnel. What does an SDR do?
What is SDR in sales?
As mentioned above, SDR stands for Sales Development Representative. This job position is part of the sales team of a company and is usually the first point of contact that a potential client has with a company.
An SDR works to prospect, move and qualify new leads through the sales pipeline and then is in charge of delivering said leads to professionals who are in charge of closing sales.
SDRs possess a good understanding of the industry they’re in as well as the sales process as a whole. Companies that have an SDR team are sure to get qualifying leads and hit their goals on time.
The SDR’s success is measured by the number of sales qualified leads (SQL) they generate. So that is their Key Performance Indicator (KPI).
What are the top KPIs in Recruiting? > Recruiting KPIs and Examples
SDR Responsibilities
A Sales Development Representative is responsible for qualifying leads from marketing campaigns as potential sales opportunities. They develop strategies for this by initiating contact with potential customers (inbound sales prospecting), or responding to inquiries (outbound sales prospecting).
For this purpose, they mainly use 3 channels: social networks, email (cold-emails) and phone (cold-calling).
SDRs create relationships with customers by identifying their needs, qualifying their interests to drive sales, and then proposing relevant products and services. In doing so, they create long-term relationships with interested parties.
They listen to prospect’s needs and educate them on how their product or service could help them with their goals and business.
These professional representatives connect these customers to sales representatives and are in charge of arranging meetings, either in person or virtually.
SDRs report their sales results to managers in charge and regularly follow-up via calls or emails to ensure their satisfaction.
What are the responsibilities of an SDR?
- Find and qualify leads from marketing campaigns
- Research information about prospects
- Develop strategies for increased sales by initiating contact with potential customers
- Work with leads who have shown interest in the company’s product or service
- Create relationships with customers by identifying their needs
- Qualify customer interests to drive sale
- Propose relevant products and services to customers
- Connect customers with sales representatives
- Organise both virtual and in-person meetings
- Report sales results to managers
- Follow-up via calls or emails to ensure customer satisfaction
Skills needed as a Sales Development Representative
A good SDR has demonstrable work experience as well as hands-on experience with multiple sales search techniques, such as cold calling, cold email, social outreach, etc.
They also have a strong track record with achieving sales quotas and have knowledge of CRM systems, sales performance metrics, as well as marketing and communication techniques.
These sales representatives have excellent communication and negotiation skills as well as time management and analytical skills. They are able to deliver engaging presentations when needed and are literate in basic computer applications.
They need to be active listeners to understand the client’s needs and then apply their sales strategies effectively.
What are the requirements to work as an SDR?
- Demonstrable work experience as SDR or in sales
- Hands-on experience with multiple sales search techniques (cold-calls, cold-emails, digital outreach)
- Strong track record with achieving sales quotas
- Knowledge of CRM systems & sales performance metrics
- Familiarity with marketing and communication techniques
- Good understanding about the industry and competition
- Excellent communication skills
- Good negotiation and analytical skills
- Ability to create on-point presentations
- Good time management skills
- Knowledge of basic computer applications
Background and education
Though not strictly necessary, most SDRs usually have a Bachelor’s degree. These can be in Sales, Marketing, Business, or any related fields. Good product knowledge is also a plus when it comes to hiring the right SDR.
To boost your chances of finding a good position for yourself as an SDR, consider obtaining certifications. You can find options for these down below:
- Saas Sales Training Course
- Professional Sales Development Representative
- The Art of Sales: Mastering the Selling Process
- Conscious Listening
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SDR Salary
The average salary of an SDR is $46,000 per year. The salary of an SDR who is just beginning their career is around $35,000 whereas the salary of someone with years of experience and a good track record of reaching sales quotas is around $61,000 per year.
As in other roles in sales, they will usually get commissions based on the number of qualified opportunities they garner besides their base salary.
These compensations will differ from company to company and also vary for different products or services.
In Germany, the base salary for SDRs ranges from €29,000 – €49,000 whereas in the UK, the salary range is in between £24,000 – £40,000.
How much do SDRs make?
| US | $35,000 – $61,000 |
| Germany | £24,000 – £40,000 |
| UK | £24,000 – £40,000 |
How much do freelance SDRs make?
| Average rate of SDRs (2022) | $41/hour |
On average, freelance SDRs make an average of $41/hour (freelancermap’s price and rate index in October 2022).
If we consider an 8-hour working day at $86/hour, the daily rate for freelance SDRs is around $328/day.
Most freelance SDRs have an hourly rate between $74 and $86.
