What is a Business Development Representative? Roles and Skills

What is a BDR?

A Business Development Representative (BDR) is a type of sales professional whose job is to identify and connect with new markets that a business has yet to tap into. Once a BDR discovers a new market the BDR taps into this new market opportunity by identifying leads to qualify and then setting appointments for your sales team. BDRs can play an important role in expanding your market control which can increase revenue and lead to scalability of your business.

The Role of a BDR in Prospecting Leads

BDRs identify and qualify potential sales leads through a variety of methods. Through these techniques BDRs will sift through prospects in order to identify BANT qualified leads that could potentially lead to sales. In some instances a BDR schedules meetings between prospects and sales representatives. A BDR also researches target markets and industries and contacts potential clients through cold calls and emails.

The following are some of the tools and techniques commonly utilized by BDRs to prospect:

• Lead generation
• Social selling
• Networking
• Cold calling
• Cold emailing

What Does a BDR Do?

A BDR’s typical day will include a variety of activities centered around the objective of identifying new potential markets while contacting and communicating with prospects and leads. Some common BDR activities will include sales lead generation, social selling, networking, research, cold calling and email communications. 

Lead Generation

One of the main responsibilities of a BDR is lead generation. This means engaging in activities and strategies that result in identifying leads that may be interested in purchasing your products or service offerings. The BDR then qualifies leads based on specific criteria that is dependent on the specific industry. A BDR, when selling B2B, identifies key decision-makers within target companies and engages with leads to uncover business needs. Also, it is important that a BDR  analyzes data to optimize lead generation strategies and follows up on initial outreach to maintain interest.

The following are examples of effective lead generation strategies which a BDR may implement:

• Cold emails
• Cold calling
• Content marketing strategies
• Seach Engine Optimization
• Web landing pages
• Social media marketing
• Referral marketing

Social Selling

Social selling is the strategy of marketing and selling products or services through engaging with prospects and leads via a social media platform. Within the context of today’s digital age it is important for most businesses to meet people where they are, which in this case means online. Since social media is increasingly becoming where many people spend most of their online time it is essential for BDRs to have an effective social selling strategy which nurtures relationships with potential clients. 

Some social selling methods BDRs may want to consider are the following:

• Posting in community forums
• Direct messages to prospects
• Crafting viral posts and content
• Paid advertising
• Personalized communication

The following are a few of the most popular social media platforms BDRs will want to consider engaging with:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• X (formerly known as Twitter)
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• Threads

Networking

Much of what makes you successful in any type of business is by meeting and knowing the right people. This can mean meeting potential customers or even others within the industry who you can collaborate with or gain insight from. Therefore, it is important for BDRs to continuously be working to expand their professional network. The following are some methods and strategies BDRs can implement to achieve this:

• Be prepared: Make sure to formulate a short introduction about yourself and the business you are promoting and be ready to use this “elevator pitch” when meeting new people.
• Attend events: Showing up to live in-person business networking events or even events not necessarily designed for business networking can put you in a position to meet the right people for expanding your business.
• Active listening:  When networking be sure to listen to what the other person is saying and respond in a way that lets them know you are hearing what they are communicating.
• Exchange contact information: If you end up meeting someone who you think can be a future client or somebody who can help you in some business aspect, be sure to give them your business card and obtain theirs as as well. You can also exchange contact information through connecting via social media or simply just exchanging phone numbers and email addresses.
• Follow up:  After meeting somebody at an event be sure to follow up with a call or email to discuss the potential of them becoming a customer or doing business with you in some way. 

Research

When engaging in activities and strategies to identify new prospects and expand to new markets, it is important for a BDR to do comprehensive market research. This can help identify consumer preferences and how your product or service measures up. This information can also help with understanding market trends which can allow a BDR to connect with a new market before competitors even realize the potential market exists. 

However, in order to analyze market trends you will need to collect the necessary market data from prospects, leads, customers and consumers. Here are are some methods BDRs can use to conduct market research and obtain this necessary data:

• Surveys
• Focus groups
• Customer interviews
• Talk to customer service representatives
• Field trials
• Social media listening
• Data analysis

Handling Meetings

Conducting meetings with clients and colleagues is one of the main activities that a BDR will engage in routinely. However, it is important for BDRs to prepare before each meeting to ensure the meetings are productive and conducive to business goals and growth strategies. Here are the steps necessary for preparing and conducting a successful meeting:

1. Decide on the purpose of the meeting: Having an objective in mind will help in your preparation for the meeting. The goal could be moving a prospect further along down the sales pipeline, exploring potential collaborative opportunities, learning more about a specific market or some other business-related purpose.
2. Plan an agenda: The meeting agenda should list the topics and points you want to address during the meeting.
3. Select meeting attendees: Decide who you want to be in attendance during the meeting and who you want to be active participants in the meeting.
4. Decide on time and place: Schedule a time and place for the meeting to take place.
5. Send out invites: Make sure to send invites to all attendees and include the agenda for the meeting.
6. Adhere to the agenda: During the meeting make sure to follow the preset agenda and guide the conversation back on track when you see the meeting veering off into tangential topics. 
7. Stick to the schedule: This means showing up on time and ending the meeting at a time agreed to by all parties. 
8. Follow up after the meeting: Soon after the meeting make sure to communicate to attendees and summarize what had been accomplished and decided upon during the meeting. This can also mean attempting to close a sale. 

Product Understanding

In order to sell a product and expand the market for a company a BDR needs to have a deep understanding of the product. Having knowledge of the product or service will make communications with prospects and leads more effective. It can also allow the BDR to answer any questions or concerns a lead may have which can eventually lead to a sale. Additionally, product knowledge can help a BDR introduce a product or service to a new market. Also, demonstrating deep product knowledge can lend to a BDR’s perceived credibility.

The following are some strategies that BDRs can use to enhance product expertise:

• Read relevant literature: Make sure to read whatever literature there is available related to the product and the industry. 
• Consume relevant media: This can mean listening to podcasts or videos that provide valuable information and reporting about the product or industry. 
• Create learning goals: Set out various learning objectives to strive for regarding product knowledge. The more measurable the goals are the better.
• Start and maintain a knowledge repository:  This is a place where you can post information and documentation about the product or service which can be shared with the rest of the sales team.
• Customer feedback: Gathering customer feedback can help with knowledge of the product or service that is directly relevant to customers.

Cold Calling

One regular activity BDRs engage in with the aim of sifting through prospects for warm leads and new markets is cold calling. Most cold calling campaigns will utilize a script which allows the BDR to effciently and concisely convey information to the prospect in an attempt to spark interest within a short period of time on the phone. This is important since the prospect is more prone to hang up and end the conversation quickly during an unwelcomed cold call.

In order to deal with common objections from prospects the script should have language that could overcome the most common objections. Although many may think objections are not good, but in fact, it is favorable to encounter objections which will exist whether or not the prospect articulates them or not. When finding an objection, you have the opportunity to overcome the objection and move the prospect closer to becoming a warm lead.

One technique that cold callers should employ is the utilization of questions. Posing questions to the prospect communicates to the prospect that you are listening to what they have to say about their concerns. Also, questions allow the cold caller to control the flow of the conversation. This eventually leads to the last closing question which is an attempt to close a sale or set an appointment or whatever objective you are trying to achieve with the cold sales call. 

The following are a few tips and strategies that will help BDRs in cold calling:

• Use questions to lead the conversation
• Stick to the script for the most part. It should work as long as it is a well-written script. 
• It is better to speak slowly and naturally than too fast.
• Find the objection through questions and active listening.
• Prospects believe the assertions they themselves articulate and not the assertions that the cold caller makes. This is another reason to use questions to lead the prospect to the conclusions you want them to arrive at.
• Use pre-closing questions to qualify and lead up to the final closing attempt

Email Handling

BDRs will have to manage email communications of various types in a professional and efficient manner. This means BDRs should implement some best practices for email communications which means before even writing one word of an email a BDR should first determine exactly what it is that needs to be communicated and the overall objective of the email. The objective can range from following up after a sale has closed or following up with an email lead interested in purchasing. 

Also, the email should be as short as possible while still fulfilling your objective. Additionally, having a carefully worded subject line that will ensure the recipient opens the email is important. Make sure to read over what you have written before sending it to avoid any mistakes. Lastly, give the recipient adequate time to reply before following up.

It is a good idea to have multiple sales email templates, each customized for particular purposes and scenarios. The following are some types of email templates you may want to consider:

• Cold email
• Follow up email
• Warm lead email
• Email customized for specific demographics
• Email customized for specific geographic area
• Email to previous customer

Important Skills a BDR Needs to Master

For a BDR to be successful there are various skills that need to be mastered. Some important skills are adaptabiliy, creativity and business acumen. Time management and organizational abilities will ensure a BDR is efficient in efforts to expand the company’s market share. Also, when dealing with other people BDRs will need to have mastered interpersonal skills, active listening and communication skills. Additionally, some knowledge of how to use various types of software and technology tools may be necessary. 

Adaptability

The world of business is always changing no matter which industry you may be in. This means BDRs need to be ready and able to adapt to changing business environments. Adaptability ensures that BDRs will continue to successfully expand a company’s market under any circumstances. The following are some scenarios where adaptability can be particularly important for a BDR:

• Demographic shifts
• Changing political environment
• Cultural changes
• Changing consumer preferences
• Entry of competitors into the market
• Industry fluctuations
• Supply chain issues

Creativity

Many times a BDR will encounter a problem without an obvious solution. However, a BDR who can think creatively will have a better chance of being able to find a solution to the issue, turning a problem into an opportunity. Creativity can help BDRs embrace challenges and allow for thinking from various perspectives while maximizing problem-solving skills. 

The following are some exercises which can help improve creative thinking:

• Incomplete figure test: Participants are provided with drawings that are not representative of anything in particular and are asked to complete the drawing in order to create an image of something representative.
• 30 circles: Participants are given a piece of paper with 30 circles with blank space inside. The participants are then instructed to draw something in each circle that is recognizable. Participants are given 10 minutes to complete the task. The group then looks at the results and tries to identify overarching themes that emerge.
• Experiencing music: Play different types of music in the office and have participants write down thoughts which come to mind while listening. 
• Dictionary storytelling: Participants are given a random word chosen from a dictionary and then use the word as a prompt to write a short story.
• Field trip: Change the scenery and go on a field trip to some landmark or garden or even the beach. This can spark new ideas and perspectives that can be applied to business. 

Interpersonal Skills

How a BDR interacts with others in the course of engaging in business activities is important in building critical relationships with clients, colleagues and other industry professionals. The ability to do this in an effective manner is known as interpersonal skills and is essential for creating strong customer relationships. This skillset is essential and can allow a BDR to excel in just about every aspect of the job. 

The following are some techniques and approaches that can help improve interpersonal skills:

• Effective communication
• Conflict resolution skills
• Empathy
• Maintaining a positive attitude
• Collaborative attitude
• Teamwork 
• Persuasion skills

Business Acumen

Having business acumen is essential for being an effective BDR. Business acumen is knowledge and skill available to be applied to important business decisions and activities. Experience is also a key component of having a strong business acumen.

The following are some ways for BDRs to develop stronger business acumen:

• Learn about the industry: The more a BDR knows about their industry the better informed the BDR will be when engaging in business activities, competitive analysis and making decisions.
• Understand the company:  BDRs should make sure to fully understand the company they are working for. This may include looking at financial statements, analyzing marketing campaigns, product knowledge, business strategies and more.
• Mentorship: Having a more experienced mentor can be invaluable for a BDR looking to increase business acumen.
• Monitor news: Keeping up with current events, particularly news that is directly related to one’s specific industry can maintain a higher level of business acumen for a BDR.

Time Management

There are a variety of strategies available to BDRs that can improve time management. One of the most common and effective time management strategies is to set priorities, resulting in more important tasks receiving attention first.  Remaining organized as much as possible can help a BDR become more efficient in how they work.

Here are some tools and techniques BDRs can use to manage their schedule more efficiently:

• Using a calendar (paper or digital)
• Stop procrastinating on tasks
• Analyze how you have already been using your time
• Avoid multi-tasking
• Maintaining good health
• Eliminate distractions (social media, television, etc.)

Communication

It is important for a BDR to have effective communication skills. Effectively communicating requires being able to actively listen to the other person. Having empathy and respect for others is integral to ensuring you can engage in active listening. Also, when communicating you need to be clear and concise in your use of language. You should also pay attention to non-verbal messages, such as body language.

The following are some do’s and don’ts for BDRs when it comes to communication:

• Do use clear and concise language
• Do stay on topic
• Do communicate in a respectful manner
• Do be aware of body language
• Do use active voice 
• Don’t interrupt others
• Don’t use technical jargon or complicated terminology
• Don’t procrastinate on sending important messages
• Don’t use offensive language
• Don’t lose your temper or control of your emotions

Active Listening

Earning the trust of a client or prospect is essential for a BDR. In order to build trust with prospects and clients you need to show that you fully understand their needs and concerns. Active listening is an effective way of illustrating that you really hear what a prospect is trying to tell you and can enhance negotiation skills. The following are some tips for improving active listening:

• Repeat the other person’s words to confirm you have correctly understood.
• Use non-verbal cues to signal you are listening, such as nodding.
• Ask questions to show you are interested in what they are saying.
• Eliminate distractions such as answering a phone call or text message.
• Control your emotions.

Organizational Abilities

BDRs generally have multiple projects and tasks going on at the same time. This can mean dealing with multiple clients and having a schedule that is changing on a daily basis. Therefore, a BDR will need to have adequate organizational skills in order to be able to achieve goals and objectives in an effective and efficient manner. The following are some organizational tools that can help BDRs stay on top of their responsibilities:

• Calendar or planner
• Smartphone reminders
• To-do list
• Filing system
• Sticky notes
• Spreadsheets

Experience with Different Tools

BDRs should be proficient with various software and tools that can help with the tasks required to meet business objectives and sales goals. This can include Customer Relations Management (CRM) software which helps keep track of communications with multiple prospects and leads and how far along the sales funnel they have come. Sales and data analytics software allows BDRs to track sales performance from a variety of different perspectives. Also, video conferencing software can be useful for BDRs to meet face-to-face with prospects and leads without having to travel to a physical meeting location. 

Generative AI software can also be useful for writing sales letters and other basic writing tasks as long as the BDR double checks the content before sending it out. Additionally, you may want to use cold email software for sending out bulk marketing emails.

The following are some specific software tools which BDRs may want to consider:

• Salesforce
• HubSpot
• iContact
• Mailchimp
• Zoom
• Salesmate
• ChatGPT

How Do You Build a Successful Business Development Representative Team?

Building an effective BDR team can help to take your business to the next level through expanding your reach to new markets. However, before moving forward with assembling a BDR team you should take into consideration various factors. First, take into consideration whether or not you really need a BDR team. Perhaps, your business is already expanding faster than you can handle. Also, think about what tangible goals would your BDR team need to achieve and how many people you will need to hire to reach those goals. Additionally, consider whether you have the budget to hire enough BDRs.

Once you have considered all of these factors and have concluded you want to move forward with assembling your BDR team you will need to train your BDR team and provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve your goals. Here are some guidelines on training and development for a BDR team:

• Educate the recruiters: Research and analyze the BDR role and determine how you would like your BDRs to operate. This will give you a profile of the type of individuals you would like to hire. Share this with your recruiters so they are aligned with your vision during the hiring process.
• Pass on product knowledge: Offer new recruits extensive information to ensure that your BDRs will start the job with adequate product knowledge.
• Sales training: Provide training on the sales process and effective sales skills development. Offer sales tips based upon industry experience. 
• Provide necessary tools and equipment: Make sure new BDRs are provided with everything they need. This can include a laptop computer, sales software and more. 
• Introduce recruits to the company: Educate new recruits on the history of the company and how the company currently operates within the industry.
• Set clear goals: Make sure you provide recruits with clear goals to strive towards. 

What is the best tool to help BDRs?

There are multiple tools and software applications that BDRs will find helpful for enhancing performance. One type of software tool that is particularly important are CRM systems which can help to keep track of multiple prospects and clients at the same time. Another useful tool is a sales data analytics software application. 

Of course your BDRs will need a comprehensive and effective email marketing tool. One of the best is BookYourData which is known as one of the highest quality and most cost-effective available. With real-time email verification at a 97% accuracy rate you can be sure to provide your BDRs with the highest quality of sales data.

BDR vs. SDR: What’s the Difference?

Although both a BDR and a SDR (Sales Development Representative) are sales positions these two roles fulfill different job functions. Of course both positions aim to increase sales for the company, however the difference between the two is the avenue which sales leads are pursued. A SDR mostly focuses on inbound sales leads which means pursuing prospects that have initiated contact with the company. On the other hand, a BDR focuses more on expanding the company’s current market share, which means cold calling and other forms of cold outreach for outbound lead generation purposes.

Assist Your BDRs by Investing in a Feature-Rich CRM

Investing in a CRM is a good idea if you are looking to improve the efficiency of your BDR team. Choosing a CRM with an extensive amount of features can streamline a BDRs workflow by keeping a record of customer interactions with the company and brand for numerous clients. The CRM will help track how far along a lead is in the sales funnel, which will allow a BDR to customize communications with the prospect to fit the specific circumstances. Some of the CRM features that could be particularly beneficial for BDRs are the following:

• Customer data analytics
• Sales funnel management
• Workflow automation 
• Omnichannel communication
• Artificial intelligence
• Sales forecasting
• Mobile device compatibility

Key Takeaways

BDRs can play a key role in expanding the marketshare of a business. These sales team members do this through identifying new and untapped markets. Here are some aspects that you should keep in mind about BDRs:

• BDRs focus mostly on outbound lead generation.
• BDRs usually work more autonomously.
• BDRs need certain skills such as adaptability, creativity, business acumen and interpersonal skills to be successful.
• Providing BDRs with the right software and tools can enhance effectiveness.
• Sales training is essential for BDR success and customer acquisition.
• Product knowledge is important for BDRs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is BDR an Entry-Level Job?

The BDR position is considered an entry-level job. Although some BDR positions require a certain amount of education, most positions do not. Also, there is usually no previous sales experience required for BDR jobs. However, you should be aware that different companies and industries may have varying approaches.

What is the Career Path for BDR?

A potential career path for a BDR may be to start out as a member of the sales team and then move on to be a supervisor of a team of BDRs. This can lead to further professional growth and promotions into management and executive positions. Also, the skills in sales and business sharpened while working as a BDR can help a person in their own entrepreneurial venture.

How Do You Succeed As a BDR?

To succeed as a BDR you need to have certain qualifications and skills such as adaptability, creativity, a positive attitude, business acumen, interpersonal skills, product knowledge, marketing insights and sales training. 

How Long Should I Stay As a BDR?

It really depends how far you want to get in a sales career. There is definitely potential to grow career-wise by sticking it out as a BDR. Typically, after 2 to 4 years as a BDR you may end up moving into a Senior BDR position and then a couple years later into an Account Executive position. Within 5 years or so you may earn a Sales Manager position and then a Director of Sales position after another 5 to 10 years. 

How Many Leads Should a BDR Have?

This really depends on the industry and the sales targets. First, determine how many sales you will need to reach your success metrics goals, then find out the general cold call and email marketing conversion rate for sales leads within your industry. Then, consider the number of BDRs you have recruited to your sales team. 

How Many Calls a Day Should a BDR Make?

Each industry functions differently which means the proper daily call goal for BDRs will vary greatly depending on what type of business you are in. The number of daily calls a BDR can realistically aim for will depend on how the prospects are obtained. If the BDR has to scout for prospects as well as make calls, then the daily number of calls will be lower. However, if the BDR is provided a call list then the daily call goal will be significantly higher. Also, you should also consider the importance of the quality of the calls rather than simply the quantity of calls made.

[CTA1]

[CTA2]