Did you know that sales teams spend about 21% of their workweek on prospecting activities, which a business development representative (BDR) is primarily responsible for.
By taking care of this essential task, BDRs free up the sales representatives to prioritize closing deals – creating a more streamlined sales funnel. Business development representatives serve as the first point of contact with partners, clients, patrons. They market the business and brand to generate a wide interest and boost revenue.
In this article, we’ll understand what a business development rep does and the ten must-have skills they need to excel at their job.
What Is Business Development Representative?
A business development representative (BDR) brings new business opportunities to the organization. Their primary role is to generate leads by optimizing all channels in the sales pipeline. BDRs duties usually include lead qualification, lead nurturing, prospecting, booking meetings for the account executives, and sourcing new vendors to improve inventory. So, a BDR is essentially responsible for all things under the spectrum of business expansion.
Business development representatives are not just tied to the organic leads, but a major part of their job is to tap into new territories and opportunities to expand their market. They are essentially the front line of the company – reaching out to people who probably don’t even realize how they could benefit from your business.
SDR Vs. BDR: How Are They Different?
The terms BDR and SDR are often used interchangeably in businesses, but they often have distinctive business development roles in their specific companies. Some organizations, for instance, may assign the inbound calls to the SDRs while tasking BDRs with inbound assignments. BDRs create outbound opportunities through channels like email prospecting and cold calling.
When it comes to the non-sale domains, these channels may involve marketing campaigns, sourcing, and brand analysis. In the context of sales, however, BDRs develop new strategies for generating inbound leads and creating prospecting tools – even though they don’t directly engage with these leads. A lot of these are turned over to the sales team for the closing stage of the sales funnel.
What Important Skills Does A BDR Need?
Business development representatives need a diverse range of skills to perform optimally at their job. These include a bunch of soft skills like strong communication, problem-solving, adaptability, interpersonal skills, strategic thinking, and a decent understanding of client needs.
Some hard skills might include understanding the sales and marketing software, knowledge of sales automation and analytical tools, and experience with Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. While BDR hires are expected to come with a wide range of skills, a lot of the essential qualifications are soft skills instead of hard ones.
Let’s look at some of the non-negotiable skills every BDR needs to revolutionize the business development process and perform well in their job.
1- Communication Skills
One of the most critical skills in business development is communication. It is essential to build strong relationships with clients, partners, and colleagues. Presenting ideas effectively is very important in business development. Having strong communication skills makes a BDR more convincing when it comes to closing deals with investors and clients.
2- Active Listening
Good speaking skills alone are not enough – being an active listener is imperative to become a good business development representative. Connecting with your customer’s message and understanding what they are trying to communicate is of paramount importance. Truly acknowledging what is being said helps BDRs establish a connection with their clients, making them feel special and well taken care of.
3- Creativity
Creativity is another crucial skill when it comes to business development. A BDR’s job depends on their ability to generate novel ideas that engage their audience. Negotiating with leads can be quite tricky. A BDR must come up with new and creative solutions to any objections they might find themselves against. Sometimes, it’s necessary to go off-script and think outside the box to generate quality leads.
4- Prospecting and Research Skills
A business development representative should know how to identify potential clients and track down their contact details. They must find points of commonality to create a mutual connection. Finding innovative ways to make personal connections is critical to build lasting client relationships.
5- Business Intelligence
Business representatives need to have a thorough understanding of the market they are operating in. It helps them understand the needs and wants of their customers. They must be able answer the following questions:
- Who are my customers?
- What drives their behavior as a consumer?
- What are their business objectives and goals?
- What are their likes and dislikes?
Such preliminary knowledge helps a BDR reach out to the right audience researched and tailored strategy. It also helps them tap into new market opportunities and make the most of existing campaigns. When you approach a potential client with data-driven intelligence, it increases your chances of success a great deal.
Why Are BDRs Important?
BDRs assist AEs in doing their tasks more effectively by allowing them to devote more time to successfully closing deals. For businesses, this provides three major benefits:
- Increases sales pipeline velocity: By investing all the effort to identify and qualify prospects, BDRs help keep the sales pipeline optimized while shortening the sales cycle.
- Offers Useful Customer Insights: BDRs’ research during the qualifying stage enables AEs to tailor their pitches to each prospect’s specific requirements. More personalized pitches are usually more successful in closing sales.
- Improves sales efficiency: When BDRs carry out their jobs properly, AEs must spend less time with unqualified prospects. Instead, they may direct their efforts towards leads that are more likely to close.
So, how do you drive revenue growth and optimize your sales pipeline? Partner with Abacus Outsourcing to optimize your business development efforts. Our business development resources are experts in identifying, and qualifying leads efficiently.
Let our professionals take care of lead generation and prospecting – freeing your other teams for their own particular tasks.
Get in touch today to find out how we can help transform your sales funnel and optimize your growth strategies.
FAQ's
A BDR is primarily tasked with qualifying prospects and generating leads, whereas an AE focuses on managing post-sale relationships and closing deals.
BDRs generate a consistent flow of leads, optimizing the sales pipeline, which eventually leads to a steady market expansion and revenue growth.
BDRs use different tools like sales automation platforms, data analytics, and CRM systems to optimize communication efforts, manage leads, and streamline prospecting.
The key metrics for measuring BDRs’ success include:
- Meeting appointment sets
- Qualified leads generated
- Conversion rates
- Time taken to push the prospects through sales pipeline
BDRs are particularly useful for industries like tech startups, B2B services, SaaS, and outsourcing – where complicated products and long sales cycles need committed lead nurturing.
