SDR Job Description Guide For 2021 | Modern JD's For Modern Candidates

At Uvaro, we have a passion for sales, and we genuinely enjoy graduating job-ready sales reps. But we don't only provide job placement services for our students after they graduate from our tech sales Bootcamp.

In addition, we help managers just like you find talented, well-prepared sales development representatives (SDR) without the chore of sorting through mountains of online applications.

Over the 30 or so years, we've seen how the SDR role has evolved from the unrelenting cold-calling of the ‘80s to today’s ultra-enabled, online sales floor. It's truly astonishing to see how many sales jobs are now available, especially since remote work looks like it's here to stay as the pandemic subsides.

According to LinkedIn's latest jobs report, Jobs on the Rise in 2021, hiring for sales and business development roles increased by 45 percent year-over-year. Furthermore, at the time of this writing, the job site Indeed.com alone has over 56,000 listings for sales development representatives in the U.S.

Clearly, the demand for talented SDRs with the proper skill set isn't slowing down anytime soon. In fact, these numbers suggest that it'll only be more challenging to find the best talent before your competitors do.

So, the question is this: are you targeting today’s best and brightest candidates by appealing to a modern skill set… or are you just getting everyone else’s leftovers?

This article shows you how to compose an effective SDR job description listing that converts the right kinds of candidates. After going through the essentials outlined in this downloadable PDF, you'll have everything you need to build your first SDR job posting – and attract stellar, next-gen talent.

If you need help hiring a sales rep as soon as possible, we encourage you to talk to our business products team about hiring one of our graduates!

What's the business value of hiring a sales development representative?

If you're building out your first sales team, you may not be familiar with why the SDR role is so vital. Nowadays, SDRs play a crucial role not just to your sales team, but also to your whole business because they make the initial contact with hot” inbound leads: prospects who want to learn more and have reached out to you with intent. It pays to have SDRs who are well-trained and can handle this type of lead.

Generally speaking, a good SDR excels at:

• Discovering what problems or pain points prospects have
• Giving those prospects a preview of how your products or solutions may be able to help
• Determining which prospects will most likely close a sale and handing them off to an Account Executive.

An SDR's primary responsibility is to guide prospects along the sales pipeline smoothly. The more friction there is in a sale, the less likely your prospect is to convert. It’s that simple.

In addition, they save time and resources as mid-level or senior salespeople no longer waste time with unqualified, less-than-desirable prospects. Not to mention that a well-trained SDR can outperform a traditional closer” in these types of conversations.

If you want to feed your sales engine with high-quality prospects, you need a talented sales development representative with a modern skillset.

Sales development representative job summary, responsibilities, and requirements

Without an SDR guiding prospects through the sales pipeline and laying the groundwork for quota-carrying salespeople, it'll be much more difficult to convert those outbound prospects into loyal customers.

But how do you attract the best applicants who have these skills if there's no one-size-fits-all formula to find them?

Simply put, the way you compose your SDR job description can make or break your hiring success; it sets up and anticipates who applies for the position. It can even turn great candidates away before they apply – one reason why it’s so important to scan your entire job description for non-inclusive language and jargon.

So, if you want great SDR applicants, you need to start with a great job summary with clear definitions of responsibilities and requirements.

These three sections combined will form the overall SDR job description. It is this SDR job description that will help you stand out from the competition in the eyes of job seekers. But like we said, there is no one-size-fits-all formula… and since variety is the spice of life, we decided to give you variations of these sections to help you build the perfect SDR job description for you!

Variations of SDR job summaries

A job summary has two key goals: grab a candidate’s attention and provide an overview about the role. It sets the stage for everything that follows, so it’s important to address the core needs of your team and your business. Think of it like a short pitch that sells candidates on why they’d want to work for you and what they can expect if they get hired.

In general, the best job descriptions are both concise and accurate, yet there's more to writing job descriptions that convert.

The last thing you want to do is end up sorting through poorly qualified applicants simply because your job description wasn't clear upon the first read.

Example 1:

XYZ Inc. is searching for our very first sales development representative to join our remote sales team. Our ideal candidate will be creative and resilient under pressure and demonstrate a passion for sales. This team member will fill an integral role in the sales organization and have a direct effect on the success of XYZ Inc.

Example 2:

Do you genuinely love getting to know people? If so, XYZ Inc. is looking for you! As a critical member of our sales department, you'll be part of a team of professional salespersons who are skilled in educating and qualifying leads on our company's products. You'll enjoy working with a variety of people from all walks of life in our company, and they will give you the training and mentorship you need to excel as a sales development representative.

Example 3:

XYZ Inc. are searching for an entry-level salesperson to join our fabulous team of dedicated professionals. In this B2B role, you'll thrive at qualifying inbound leads and laying the groundwork for the customer's entire experience. This position is a remote work opportunity, and we can't wait to speak with you about your strengths and your insights.

Example 4:

At XYZ Inc., we strive to make a difference in our customers’ lives by providing them access to the latest SaaS solutions for educational institutions. Our ideal candidate will triage inbound leads, qualify them, and schedule follow-up demos or appointments with senior sales reps. You will be an excellent fit for our company if you like to work as a team to accomplish sales goals and drive revenue to the business.

These descriptions are modern and to the point. Use our words or put your own twist on them!

Variations of SDR responsibilities

What does the average day look like for your SDRs? The responsibilities section of your job description outlines the essential functions that the candidate will complete, the tools they’ll use, and who they’ll work with to get the job done.

The way you pitch an SDR's job responsibilities dramatically influences the quality of applicants you'll receive. Similar to the summary, you should make the responsibilities clear and easy to understand for entry-level applicants. If you don't, you'll end up sorting through candidates that don't match your needs.

Space is always a concern when posting a job description online, so you'll usually see the responsibilities of an SDR role listed with bullet points.

Example 1:

What we expect from you:

• Advocate for XYZ Inc.'s products as a genuine, affordable solution
• Manage all inbound leads and educate them on our products via telephone, live chat, email, and video when required
• Collaborate with other sales representatives, senior sales staff, and IT support daily
• Facilitate the purchase of XYZ Inc.'s products to small business with fewer than 100 employees
• Contact and qualify outbound leads with these organizations
• Pass along qualified leads to our mid-level salespersons

Example 2:

Our ideal candidates will take the lead in the following responsibilities:

• Own the top of XYZ Inc.'s sales funnel, qualifying inbound leads and performing other prospecting activities like making initial contact with the customer through their preferred medium (e.g., phone calls versus emails)
• Handle a large volume of leads on a daily basis
• Work closely with XYZ Inc.'s marketing team and IT staff to optimize the customer's purchasing experience
• Work during core selling hours of 8 am to 5 pm (EST) Monday – Friday to accommodate our buyers’ needs and hours of operations.
• Actively participate in Zoom meetings in real-time, as this position is remote

Example 3:

Apply for XYZ Inc.'s entry-level sales development representative position if you know you have the skills to execute these responsibilities:

• Book demos and schedule follow-up appointments with inbound prospects
• Assist the sales team with outbound prospecting when required
• Engage with prospects over a variety of channels such as the phone, live chat, or via email
• Make regular updates to the CRM (Name CRM) (No previous experience required because we'll train you on our procedures).
• Clearly communicate our value proposition to attract prospects most efficiently
• Always communicate with the team to learn how to succeed in an SDR role today and into the future

Example 4:

We'd like you to perform the following tasks daily:

• Generate and handoff high-quality leads for XYZ Inc. and prepare the rest of the sales team to close the deal
• Satisfy weekly and monthly sales goals based on key performance metrics
• Demonstrate deep expertise in XYZ Inc. SaaS products and managed integration services to educate clients
• Always work as a team to accomplish goals
• Stay up-to-date on the latest SaaS industry trends to better position XYZ Inc. as the number one choice for (Name Industry)

Feel free to grab the responsibilities section that suits your needs the best. Or mix and match to make the perfect responsibilities section for you.

Variations of SDR requirements

Your requirements spell out the experience, education and skills that will make a candidate successful once they get the job. Note that this isn’t a wish list for a perfect candidate; rather, it’s an overview of what’s actually needed to be successful on the job.

Of all the details that go into a job posting, the requirements you specify will most heavily determine the quality of your candidates based on the way you phrase your needs and what you believe qualifies an applicant in the first place.

It may be an accidental oversight, but you may be attracting the wrong type of candidates if you focus on burdensome requirements that have no bearing on an SDR's success. Essentially, if you have complicated conditions, you need to make sure that you're not emphasizing irrelevant, specious skills that don't tie into an SDR's role.

So, it's best to list your "must-have" qualifications and add a few "nice-to-have" qualifications, too. If you’d like, it's OK to entice candidates with an additional set of capabilities to attract your "super applicants" who can do it all.

Example 1:

To thrive as a sales development representative at XYZ Inc., you'll need:

• Knowledge of discovery techniques for inbound prospects
• Eagerness and ambition to learn more about XYZ Inc.'s products
• Self-discipline in a self-paced remote work environment

But these requirements are nice to have, too:

• Bachelor's degree / work experience in a related field
• 2-3+ years of customer-facing experience
• Familiarity with CRM tools (or the ability to learn them quickly)
• Skill with conversational sales techniques and social prospecting

Example 2:

To begin a career as an SDR for XYZ Inc., we ask that you possess the following hard requirements:

• Familiar with modern sales tools
• Able to learn new software quickly during onboarding
• Good at dealing with unforeseen setbacks

• Comfortable with calling leads provided by the marketing team
• Skilled at interpersonal communication and relationship-building

Nice-to-have, secondary requirements:

• Experience in fast-paced environments
• 2+ years of customer service or sales experience (retail preferable), though persistence and willingness to learn go just as far
• A love for start-up technology

Example 3:

XYZ Inc. asks that our salespeople fulfill these minimum requirements:

• An understanding of sales funnel fundamentals
• Working knowledge of sales methodologies
• The ability to work on tight deadlines day-to-day
• Reliable internet access since this is a remote position
• Confidence in your abilities, especially when faced with setbacks

In addition, it would be nice for our applicants to have these qualifications, too:

• Bachelor's degree or related work experience
• Understanding of B2B communication norms and terminology
• People skills and resilience when faced with rejection
• 1+ years of customer-facing experience in a fast-paced role

Example 4:

At XYZ Inc., we'd like you to have these qualifications at a bare minimum:

• Some experience in sales, retail, or the service industry
• Strong knowledge of consumer technology to better position XYZ Inc.’s solutions
• The ability to distill complex concepts into easy-to-understand terms
• A keen eye for detail when speaking with potential prospects

Nice-to-have qualifications:

• Work experience that emphasizes soft skills such as communication and problem solving
• Understanding and knowledge of the SaaS industry
• Experience with or understanding of an educational institution’s operations
• Familiarity with live chat and customer service for a software company
• A positive, approachable and friendly attitude

Finally, a fantastic SDR job posting also calls out modern skills, tools and tactics that weren't necessarily part of a salesperson's toolkit a short time ago.

What modern skills does an SDR need?

There's no equivalent for video conferencing skills when it comes to humanizing and personalizing communication in an increasingly virtual world – after all, it's nothing like making a phone call! Nowadays, video streaming and remote work platforms are sprouting like mushrooms, and a modern SDR should ideally be aware of video's value and comfortable on camera.

Social prospecting is another relatively new skill that SDRs should know (or learn). Social media provides a huge opportunity for salespeople to find, research, and qualify prospective customers. The most successful reps are skilled in using social media analytics to pinpoint which prospects would be open to communication on each platform.

Mobility is also a must for modern SDRs, as many sales teams have shifted to remote roles. A talented SDR is proficient and incredibly comfortable working from home, on the move, or in the office, and can effortlessly switch between smartphones, laptops, and tablets without skipping a beat.

Phew – we just gave you plenty of information to digest! To help you tie it all together here's a sample SDR job description and posting you can use:

Uvaro - Your SDR Talent Pipeline

A great SDR job description is just one step in hiring the best sales talent. As for the rest – why not tap into a qualified pool of talented and knowledgeable applicants straight off the bat?

That’s where Uvaro shines! With our contingent recruiting offering you get access to our grads who are capable and eager to work with you. Plus, with 200+ hours of training already under their belts, they ramp up 70 percent faster than average and often book their first meeting within the first seven days!

Or, try our paid sales residency program that matches employers with our top-performing grads. We manage the employee-employer relationship, you manage the tasks and asks. Then, after 90 days, you can bring them onto your team – the choice is yours!

Contact us to find the best sales talent…before your competitors do.