Sales Development Reps are the engine of revenue growth. You'll prospect, cold outreach, handle objections, and book meetings — all requiring confident, persuasive spoken and written English.
Habilidades humanas que buscan los empleadores
Herramientas y conocimientos técnicos
Los 10 términos que debes dominar para este rol
A potential customer who might be interested in your product
"I prospect 50 new leads every day using LinkedIn and Sales Navigator."
Contacting someone who hasn't expressed prior interest
"My cold email open rate is 42% because I research each prospect before reaching out."
The total group of leads at various stages of the sales process
"I have 80 active prospects in my pipeline at different stages."
An initial sales call to learn about the prospect's needs
"The discovery call went well — they have the problem we solve and the budget to fix it."
A concern or reason a prospect gives for not moving forward
"The most common objection I handle is 'We already have a solution for that.'"
Contacting someone again after an initial interaction
"I follow up every 3 days using a 7-touch sequence until I get a yes or a clear no."
A prospect who matches your ideal customer profile and has buying potential
"I only pass qualified leads to the Account Executives — it saves them time."
Customer Relationship Management tool used to track leads and activity
"I log every call, email, and LinkedIn message in the CRM the same day."
A short, persuasive explanation of your product's value
"My 30-second pitch is: 'We help companies like yours reduce hiring time by 60%.'"
Key Performance Indicator — metrics used to measure SDR performance
"My KPIs are 60 calls per day, 5 discovery calls booked per week, and 15 SQLs per month."
Qué decir en situaciones reales de este rol
"Hi [Name], this is [Your name] from [Company]. I know you're busy, so I'll be quick — I noticed your company just expanded to three new markets and I think we can help you onboard new sales reps faster. Do you have 90 seconds?"
"That's totally fair — can I ask what you're currently using to solve [problem]? I'm always trying to understand what's already working out there."
"I hear that — timing is everything. What would need to happen on your end for budget to become available? I'd love to stay in touch for when the timing is right."
"Happy to. But to make sure I send the most relevant information — what's your biggest challenge right now with [problem area]?"
"It sounds like there could be a fit here. Are you open to a 20-minute call with our specialist to see if we can actually solve this for you? I have Thursday at 2 PM or Friday at 10 AM available."
"Hi [Name] — I saw that [Company] recently [specific trigger]. Most [job title]s I talk to in this situation struggle with [problem]. Does that resonate?"
"Hi [Name], I help [type of company] companies solve [specific problem] — and based on your recent post about [topic], I thought there might be a relevant conversation to have. Happy to connect."
"This has been really helpful. Based on what you've shared, I think there's a strong case for [next step]. Can I book you with [Account Executive] for a 30-minute deep dive next week?"
Practica esta conversación real hasta que suene completamente natural
Hi Sarah, this is Alex calling from TalentFlow. I know you're busy so I'll be quick — I saw DataCorp just opened offices in three new cities. Most HR Directors I speak to in that situation say onboarding consistency becomes a real challenge. Is that something you're dealing with?
Yeah actually, it is. But we're managing it.
I appreciate that. What does 'managing it' look like right now?
We have a checklist process but honestly it's inconsistent across locations.
That's exactly what I hear most. The checklist works for one site, but it doesn't scale. We actually built our platform specifically for that — consistent onboarding across 3, 10, or 50 locations from a single dashboard. Does that sound like something worth a 20-minute look?
Maybe. When?
I have Thursday at 2 PM or Friday morning — which works better for you?
Friday at 10.
Perfect. I'll send a calendar invite right now and a short intro video so you can see the product before we talk. Looking forward to it, Sarah.
Con respuestas modelo que puedes adaptar a tu experiencia
Tell me about your sales experience.
I spent 18 months as an SDR where I was responsible for prospecting, cold outreach, and booking qualified meetings for the sales team. I consistently hit 110% of my monthly quota, averaging 18 qualified meetings per month. My best month was 24 SQLs, which ranked me first on the team.
How do you handle rejection?
I separate the rejection from the relationship. A 'no' today often becomes a 'yes' in six months. I thank the prospect for their time, ask if I can stay in touch for future conversations, and move on with the same energy to the next call. Rejection is just redirection.
Walk me through your cold outreach sequence.
I run a 7-touch sequence over 21 days: Day 1 — personalized cold email; Day 3 — LinkedIn connection + comment on their post; Day 5 — follow-up email with a case study; Day 8 — cold call; Day 12 — email with a new angle; Day 16 — LinkedIn message; Day 21 — final 'break-up' email. If no response after 21 days, I pause and circle back in 90 days.
How do you research a prospect before reaching out?
I spend 5 minutes on each prospect: their LinkedIn profile, company news, recent funding or expansions, job postings (which reveal pain points), and any content they've published. The goal is to find one specific, genuine reason to reach out — not a generic pitch.
What's your process for handling a discovery call?
I open by confirming the agenda and time commitment. I ask open-ended questions to understand their current situation, problem, impact of the problem, and timeline. I listen more than I talk. At the end, I summarize what I heard, confirm the fit, and propose a clear next step.
How do you handle the 'We're already working with a competitor' objection?
I say: 'That's great — what made you choose them?' I listen without interrupting. Then: 'What would have to be true for you to consider switching?' It opens a genuine conversation without bashing the competitor. Sometimes they stay with the competitor. Sometimes I find a real gap.
What metrics do you track personally?
Daily: calls made, emails sent, LinkedIn touchpoints. Weekly: new prospects added, meetings booked, no-shows, and SQLs passed to AEs. Monthly: quota attainment and pipeline contribution. I track everything in the CRM and review it every Friday.
Why do you want to work in sales?
I'm motivated by measurable results. In sales, I know exactly how I'm performing every single day. I also genuinely enjoy the human element — learning about people's businesses, understanding their challenges, and finding a fit. And the earning potential that comes with strong performance is a clear motivator.
How would you build a prospect list for a new territory?
I'd start with the Ideal Customer Profile: company size, industry, geography, tech stack, and trigger events. Then I'd use LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Apollo, or ZoomInfo to build a targeted list. I'd segment by persona and create tailored messaging for each segment before starting outreach.
What do you think makes a great SDR?
Resilience, curiosity, and discipline. Resilience to handle 50 rejections and still bring energy to call 51. Curiosity to genuinely understand a prospect's world. And discipline to follow the process every single day, even when it's not fun — because consistency compounds.
5 pasos concretos para estar listo para este rol
Practice cold calling out loud every day — record yourself and listen back for filler words and confidence gaps
Memorize 5 objection-handling frameworks in English and practice them until they sound natural
Learn to write personalized cold emails: hook, relevance, value, CTA — under 100 words
Get comfortable with CRM basics: Salesforce or HubSpot free tier are great starting points
Study your target industry's pain points, language, and buying signals so you sound like you belong in their world