When you are looking to generate more sales fast, adding a Business Development Rep to your team could be the right way to move forward. Even the most meticulously crafted digital automation campaign can accomplish so much. And when you need better results, it might require a human touch to maximise the lead generation efforts.
Business Development Representative and Sales Development Representatives are the roles that bridge the gap between the sales and marketing teams. Neither BDR nor SDR is responsible for managing sales cycles and converting opportunities into deals. Instead, each role focuses on the Top of Funnel lead qualification process, intending to transition it later to the sales team if the lead meets pre-approved criteria.
These two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, though they shouldn’t, as they have distinctive differences.
Who are the Business Development Reps (BDRs)?
BDRs are engaged in outbound lead generation activities. They are the special force that can help your sales team to get their foot in the door to a prospecting client. Regardless of their experience level, BDRs must have exceptional communication skills and a strong understanding of your organisation’s sales process.
An experienced Business Development Rep can successfully identify the right prospect to fit your company’s Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). However, to help him make it consistently, a significant investment is required in modern sales tools like ZoomInfo, Lusha, LinkedIn Navigator, Outreach, SalesLoft, etc.
Who are the Sales Development Reps (SDRs)?
SDRs work on qualifying and prioritising inbound marketing leads. These leads have already expressed interest in your service or product by either engaging with the company’s online content, filling up a form or visiting a stand at a marketing event. Like BDRs, their goal is to start the potential sales process by generating Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) that could be later converted into Sales Accepted Leads (SALs)
Hire Internally or Outsource?
Both roles play a significant role in the B2B sales activation process. Both experience a growing demand by organisations worldwide. Today, there are over 31,000 live BDR and SDR job openings in Australia on the seek.com.au website alone. Due to the highly competitive scenario, a hiring company might require a much longer time to uncover suitable candidates and allocating more money to win them over.
There are a few essential things to consider when deciding to onboard an in-house BDR:
- What is the total cost of service?
- How structured is your outbound lead generation process?
- What type of support would a BDR require after joining your business?
- What KPIs should you set, and how to manage the process to ensure on-time attainment of the lead generation goals.
So before setting sails into the unchartered waters and investing a substantial amount of time, money and resources into hiring a full-time employee, why won’t you prototype the program with Illicium first? We will help you make sense of the whole lead generation process and cater a sales playbook to ensure your new BDR has all the information they need to hit the ground fast.