While there is no one-size-fits-all example of the perfect BDR, there are some overarching qualities and skills that top BDRs exhibit over the course of their careers. They are as follows:
Resilience against "NO" Many cold calls or cold emails are often needed before a BDR can pique someone's interest. Strong BDRs can stay the course in the eyes of rejection and improve their skills in order to increase their success rate.
What distinguishes the best from the rest is their ability to pick themselves up and make a phone call or send another email right away.
Their resilience and inner strength keep them going because they understand that business development is a long-term attempt that can take time to accomplish.
Empathy Empathy is an important skill for building trust because it allows reps to prove that they care more about the prospect's business issue than they do about closing the deal.
According to a
study, 66 % of customers expect companies to understand their needs and expectations. BDRs with empathy listen more than they speak. That way, they can truly understand what the prospect is telling them.
It's essential for BDRs to put themselves into the shoes of the prospect. Understanding what they think and feel is what a BDR has to be able to do.
Communication Prospects will not be qualified by a BDR who sounds like they are reading from a script.
Of course, they want to reach out to as many prospects as possible via phone, email, and social media, so the quality of their communication is vital.
They must spend time personalizing their outreach in order to be successful.
Also repeating what the prospect has just said to make sure to understand their point of view and not be afraid to keep asking questions will help to get to the root cause of a problem, not just the symptoms.
Curiosity Curiosity will drive a BDR to want to learn more about the industry in which they work, the competition they face, and the customers they interact with on a daily basis.
It is not sufficient to rely on managers to get information.
BDRs must be proactive and inspired to improve constantly.
BDRs must be willing to constantly learn, share, and improve their skills. Everyone learns in different ways, so spending time with their colleagues, and industry experts, reading, using LinkedIn, and participating in events all contribute to your learning.
A curious attitude shows that a BDR has the right mindset to grow as a person and improve the company they're working for.
Creativity BDRs are no longer limited to reaching out to prospects.
A creative BDR is always able to bring their message to prospects with personalized cold emails and calls, videos, voice messages, and leveraging Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or events as just a few examples.
Finally, the B2B space is competitive when it comes to getting your voice heard and message seen, but this gives room for innovation and creativity.
The market is constantly evolving and demands more expertise to not be outperformed.
According to Simon Morden CEO and Chairman at Prosell Learning Ltd and On.Board,
sales is becoming more complex, and cold outreach has to be personalized and more consultative.
There are many opportunities to stand out and find platforms that work for lead generation.
Working with
top performers in lead generation who have the skillset generates 2.7x more sales meetings than THE REST can do.
Therefore it makes a lot of sense to work with BDR experts to get the maximum out of your business.