The way that companies are approaching their sales has been rapidly changing in response to shifts in consumer trends. More and more, people are shopping for products or services online, and they expect to be sold to via email or phone. It’s just become the nature of things.

Because of this, inside sales has seen a bigger push than outside sales. Gone are the days of the door-to-door salesman. Now selling is all about utilizing technology to track leads in an online, cloud-based system.

This is where the Sales Development Representative (SDR) comes into play. They’re all about tracking and qualifying leads and are focused on getting them through the sales pipeline.

The Tools They Use

Sales Development Reps are heavily reliant on effective lead management software that automates several processes for faster and more reliable lead generation. This includes queue-based lead routing that automatically connects them with the best prospects.

This software also directly connects reps with leads that made queries via online web forms so that they are contacted as soon as possible. The modern consumer doesn’t want to wait – so having this feature is incredibly useful for landing a lead before they get contacted by a competitor.

Call cadence can also be automated so that no lead gets left behind. Basically, this sales software enables an SDR to manage many leads all at once – way more than is humanly possible without it.

Reaching Out to Potential Customers

Sales Development Reps may use multiple ways to reach out to potential customers, including phone, email, or even SMS. In these cases, automated calling software, as well as automated marketing tools, can be utilized to make the SDR’s job easier and more effective.

Manually entering in phone numbers may not seem like a huge time-sink, but it can be if you’re prospecting a ton of people in a single day. There’s also the danger of entering the wrong phone number and losing time.

Auto-dialing lets SDRs efficiently manage their calls and connect with the next lead right-away. It increases their productivity and helps them connect more easily with potential customers, so there’s definitely a huge advantage to utilizing this software.

Email marketing can also be automated with customizable email templates that auto-populate using customer and lead data. Reps experience the benefits of personalized email, along with the time-saving qualities of automation.

The Dreaded “Cold-Call”

Many new SDRs fear cold-calling – that is, reaching out to potential customers in the hopes of finding a qualified lead. The idea of cold calling can definitely be intimidating, which is why many companies supply their SDRs with scripting software that helps them choose the right responses based on the potential customer’s objections.

The best software on the market will use scripting technology that produces natural-sounding dialogue that adapts to the prospect’s questions and objections. The overly pushy sales tactics don’t work anymore, which is why it’s important to approach every potential customer with tact.

Tech-Savvy Sales Reps

To be a good SDR, you need to be great with technology – so be sure to keep that in mind if you are thinking about this role as a potential career path.