How to Successfully Build a Sales Development (SDR) Team

– Who are your SDRs?
– What qualities should they possess?
– What do they look like?
– What should they have in common?

These are questions that dominate the minds of most sales development leaders when they thinking of how to successfully build an sales development (SDR) team.

But the harsh reality is, that it doesn’t matter.

What matters is that you need an effective strategy that will deliver qualified sales leads to your business or sales team. That sounds simple enough, and the good news is, it is.

If this sounds like a challenge you want to take, keep on reading! We’ve got you covered with all the information you’ll need to build a solid SDR team that works!

Sales development is essentially a better way of doing sales – the right mix of personnel, processes, and tech automation. It focuses on finding, connecting, and qualifying leads then transferring them to the sales team for closing.

Building a successful inside sales or sales development team is hard. By investing in a sales excellence program, the company can enhance the effectiveness of its sales development strategies through continuous training, coaching, and access to resources for sustained improvement.

For most startup Sales Development leaders or managers, it’s their first time not only building a team but leading a non-sales function. Obtaining the right mix of people who fit the company culture while also being great at sales development can be difficult. 

It is equally important for sales leaders to adapt to the latest technology which help sales development teams scale and hit their targets faster and efficiently.

With only $24 per month, sales engagement software like SmartReach.io go a long way in making sales leader stand out in a crowd. So what does SmartReach.io?

Sales Development Reps (SDRs) can play a major role in your company’s ability to close deals. In this article, we’ll take a look at how to build an effective sales development (SDR) team.

Who are SDRs (Sales Development Representatives)?

SDR stands for “sales development representative” or “sales development rep,” and is the title given to the person building the pipeline for your outbound sales team.

Even if you haven’t built an outbound sales team yet, you’re probably already thinking about how you’ll build one. 

An SDR performs three key functions:
– Lead generation
– Lead qualification
– Lead nurturing

The first part of their job is to generate leads by finding new people who might be interested in buying products or services from your company.

For the purpose of generating leads, SDRs generally use several B2B lead generation or prospecting tools like ProspectDaddy (Free Linkedin Email Finder), Zoominfo, Crunchbase, Anymail finder, etc.

Right from connecting prospects from several websites, and digging deep inside the social media to running cold email campaigns, an SDR does it all. It then qualifies those leads by determining whether they’re viable prospects or not (i.e., whether they have a budget, authority, and interest in making a purchase).

This is done by manually reaching out to these prospects via email or Linkedin or automating the entire sales outreach process using sales engagement platforms like SmartReach.io which starts at only $24 per month but will save you man hours and increase productivity

Finally, once they’ve determined that someone is a good prospect, they’ll need to nurture them over time until they are ready to buy from you.

Things to remember when building an SDR team (Sales Development)

Here are some interesting things to remember when you are building a SDR team.

1. Provide a high-level overview of the company and its mission

To build a successful SDR team, you need to start with a clear vision.

The first step is to provide a high-level overview of the company and its mission.

This can be done by having the CEO or CMO speak about the long-term vision of the organization and then talking about ways that the SDRs will help achieve these long-term goals.

As a sales development manager, you should also speak out about the goals and targets that the team carries. 

The next step is to talk about how each member of the team will be able to contribute. This can be as simple as explaining that they will be responsible for reaching out to new prospects and setting up demos for salespeople.

Everyone on your team must understand what their role is going to be from day one.

2. Discuss the strategic goals of the team and how their job helps contribute to those goals.

Discuss the strategic goals of the team and how their job helps contribute to those goals.

Make sure every member of your SDR team knows what these goals are and how their work contributes to them.

If possible, make sure everyone on your team has a clear understanding of what success looks like for your organization.

This way, everyone will know what’s expected of them at any given time and how their actions align with those expectations.

3. Describe the day-to-day work environment, including work hours and schedule flexibility.

3 things to discuss here –

• Work environment: Explain the day-to-day work environment, including work hours and schedule flexibility. If you’re open to candidates who have families or other obligations outside of work, make sure they know it’s OK to talk about those things during interviews.

• Compensation model: Make sure every candidate knows what kind of compensation model you use (a commission-based or salary structure) before they come in for an interview. That way, there aren’t any surprises when they’re offered a position and start working at your company.

Suggested Reading: 9 Sales Commission Structures To Motivate Your Team | SmartReach.io

• Team dynamic: Explain how your team works together and what role each person plays within that dynamic. If you have an open floor plan where everyone can see each other all day long, let candidates know this upfront, so they don’t expect privacy or quiet time when they walk into the office for their first day of work.

4. Give an overview of your typical day in sales development, including meetings, calls, emails, research, and so on.

Sales development helps identify and qualify leads and is also responsible for developing relationships with those leads over time.

The best SDRs are highly organized, detail-oriented people who are comfortable working independently but can also thrive in a team environment.

They need to be comfortable with technology and software, as well as with their own emotions and those of others.

A successful SDR must be willing to learn new skills quickly, be adaptable, and think critically about problems. The most important quality of an SDR is how-to manage rejection (self-motivation)

5. Technical reliance on SDR.

The best SDRs are good at building a sales pipeline.

And they’re also technical experts who can troubleshoot concerns and be your first line of defence against bugs and downtime.

SDRs are responsible for everything from setting up new apps to making sure that customers are using their devices correctly. Because of this, it’s essential to have a support team that’s on the same page as you and provides query resolution to your team whenever required.

If you don’t ensure quick query resolution, you’ll never be able to scale your team or grow your business as quickly as you’d like.

6. Showcase career growth for the sales team.

As a leader, it’s important that your team is aware of the hierarchy and structure of the organization. SDRs should be reminded of the benefits of consistent performance and the importance of conversions from “sales qualified leads” to an “actual sales”.

You should ensure that the SDRs are using sales automation as much as possible and are adequately trained and certified. 

What is SmartReach.io?

SmartReach.io is a sales automation platform empowers sales leaders to hit revenue goals and grow their business.

It automates cold outreach, personalizes messages, and tracks results using the advanced scheduler and powerful apis & integrations.

Multiple channels = more target prospects + more engagement

SmartReach.io provides outbound sales automation on multiple high-converting channels such as email, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, text messages and calling.

It helps you generate qualified leads, book meetings with them and close more deals.

SmartReach.io helps you reach more prospects, get more engagement on your outbound messages and generate more sales qualified leads on automation.

Unlimited sending email accounts for faster outreach scale-up

SmartReach understands email sending limits set by email providers. Hence, it allows you to connect and send from multiple email accounts, reducing the volume sent from each one.

This lets you send more emails while staying compliant with the privacy and other laws set by email service providers like Gmail, Outlook, Zoho etc.

Pay-as-you-go pricing for maximum savings

SmartReach.io charges based on the number of prospects you contact, the channels you use, and the level of automation you need.

So, you only pay for what you use.

Seamless CRM & API integrations

SmartReach natively Integrates with top CRMs like Pipedrive, HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho. This captures valuable prospect data, helps nurture leads, and boosts conversion rates, leading to higher revenue and larger deals.

Also, using Zapier key you can connect your SmartReach account with any third-party tool required for flexible sales operation and management.

Summing up – How to build an SDR team?

When building your sales development (SDR) team, it’s important to give them a brief overview of what they are going to be doing.

That way, they know exactly what they are getting into and how their job will affect the rest of the organization.

After you have outlined the basics, follow up with an in-depth discussion of their work and how it will impact your business as a whole.

Finally, provide information on typical days in the SDR department so that they can determine if the work environment is right for them.

A liitle more on SmartReach.io, for you to get a better understanding of the platform.

SmartReach.io stands out as a specialized sales engagement platform dedicated to successful cold outreach campaigns. Its standout feature lies in its exceptional deliverability, ensuring messages reach the intended recipients effectively.

The platform boasts an array of valuable features, such as free email verification, free email warmup, personalization, spintax, shared inbox, and many others. Additionally, it utilizes AI to generate email content based on specific inputs, thereby increasing the number of sales-qualified leads.

By leveraging SmartReach.io, sales leaders can experience a surge in lead conversion ratios, reduce the length of sales cycles, and boost average deal sizes. Moreover, the platform enhances sales team efficiency and overall productivity.

Take advantage of SmartReach.io’s 14 day free trial to witness firsthand how it can accelerate your business growth once you have successfully built your sales development (SDR) team.

Building an SDR team: F.A.Qs

Q) What is an SDR team?

An SDR team (Sales Development Representative) is a group of professionals focused on generating leads and qualifying potential customers for a sales team. They typically conduct research, outreach, and initial interactions with prospects.

Q) What does sdr stand for in sales?

SDR stands for Sales Development Representative. They’re the frontline sales reps who find, qualify, and nurture potential customers.

Q) How to build a sales team?

• Define the right business goals
• Hire the right people
• Create a solid sales process
• Provide training and support to the sales reps
• Set clear expectations from the sales team
• Foster a positive culture in the team
• Measure performance of the sales team regularly
• Utilize sales enablement tools to streamline the process
• Continuously improve the sales ecosystem within the organization

Q) What makes a good SDR?

A good SDR possesses these key qualities:

• Excellent communication skills: Ability to build rapport, articulate value propositions, and handle objections effectively.
• Strong interpersonal skills: Ability to connect with potential customers and understand their needs.
• Problem-solving skills: Ability to identify and overcome challenges in the sales process.
• Product knowledge: Deep understanding of the product or service being sold.
• Resilience: Ability to bounce back from rejection and maintain a positive attitude.
• Time management skills: Ability to prioritize tasks and manage a busy workload.
• Tech-savvy: Familiarity with sales tools and CRM software.
• Customer-focused: Genuine interest in helping potential customers achieve their goals.
• Team player: Ability to collaborate effectively with other team members.
• Competitive spirit: Drive to achieve sales targets and exceed expectations.

Q) How to structure an SDR team?

Structuring an SDR team effectively depends on your business size, goals, and the complexity of your sales process. However, here’s a common approach:

1. Determine team Size: Consider your sales pipeline, target market, and desired lead generation volume.
2. Define roles and responsibilities: Clearly outline the tasks and expectations for SDRs, including prospecting, qualifying leads, and scheduling demos.
3. Group SDRs: Organize SDRs into teams based on product lines, geographic regions, or customer segments.
4. Assign a team lead: Appoint a seasoned SDR to oversee the team’s activities, provide guidance, and ensure alignment with sales goals.
5. Implement a performance tracking system: Use CRM software to monitor SDR activity, measure key performance indicators (KPIs), and provide feedback.