How do I become an SDR salesperson? Trainings & studies

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The role of Sales Development Representative (SDR) is quite recent in France, even if the basis of the profession has always existed in the end. Business & Sales jobs are becoming more and more segmented and specialized in their field. SDR is no exception. It is a commercial profession dedicated in practice to prospecting outbound leads, via hunting.

In theory, however, its role is to qualify opportunities generated by marketing. FYI, many Akimbers become SDR after their Bootcamp at Akimbo !

What is the job of SDR salesperson? Definition

The Sales Development Representative intervenes in early in the sales cycle (lead cycle).

It generates its own opportunities and retrieves contacts from targets initiated by the Marketing department. Its missions are prospecting and determine if these profiles represent opportunities for the company.

Once they are qualified as customers, he forwards them to Account Managers (AEs) or Sales Managers (SMs) so that they can continue negotiating the contract.

It is a key role in the sense that it sets up the sales cycle strategy by providing the customer base. He is able to manage a large number of cases.

Its primary objective is not to sell but to Hunt. It provides relevant profiles and prepared for its successors in the sales team (=more experienced salespeople).

Good preparation based on management and organizational tools and skills promotes optimal results.

The salary of an SDR depends on his performance but also of sound experiment (junior or senior).

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What are the skills of an SDR?

• Demonstrate determination and resilience

The SDR has a hunter profile that, with perseverance, knows bounce back after a failure and take on new challenges. He quickly identifies the potential of his target and determines whether it is profitable to focus on it or not.

He has a concern for results that pushes him to be responsive and vibrant in his research. Once the right lead has been targeted, he will put all his energy into doing evolve this Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) into Sales Qualified Lead (SQL). And this while continuing to manage other commercial relationships and looking for other profiles.

• Know how to organize yourself in your work and in your time

An SDR works with a large number of leads (prospects). Its mission is twofold : find new profiles and continue to work with existing ones until they are qualified.

It is essential that the SDR is capable of manage his tasks and the time he devotes to them. For each profile, he must be able to provide a personalized approach, and therefore maintain lots of details in mind. To maintain this rigor, he has at his disposal numerous prospecting and analysis tools (CRM, database, emailing and calling tools, etc.).

Keeping up is the condition for maintaining good productivity in the application of action plans.

• Be able to listen and advise your prospects

The SDR should be familiar with the product or service of the company they are trying to sell. A good knowledge of sound offering And of marketplace Allows him to better Position And better communicate. This makes it safe to talk to the right people and to give the right information. He is constantly learning.

At the same time, the exchange is not one-sided. If he talks a lot, he should also be able to take into consideration the prospect.

Active listening is the key to learning about the lead's questions or needs, to better answer them. In addition, the prospect will feel listened to. This encourages a commercial relationship based on trust. Once the files are equipped with these returns, he determines the best solution.

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What are the courses to become an SDR?

To date, there are no training courses that are 100% dedicated to the job of Sales Development Representative (SDR). Although they can be an advantageous factor, academic background and professional experience are not prerequisites. The SDR is a sought-after profile in the world of work and business that still remains. accessible to a wide audience.

1. Classic courses: Business schools, IAE, IUT and BTS

If it is possible tobeing recruited without qualifications or Coming from a completely different field, the required level of study is often > bac +2. There are numerous training courses which can provide students with the keys to the professional world and the elements useful for the SDR position.

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• Business schools and IAE

Business schools and IAEs offer multiple courses specialized in Sale, Negotiation Or in Business Development. These courses deliver Bac +3 level diplomas, but they are generally Bac + 5 diplomas (Master level) that are in demand.

The training includes periods of internships but remains relatively Theoretical. The practice is there... Very often forgotten.

These lessons are Longs but allow students to take the time toexplore the different areas of commerce and to make their choice.

Graduates are generally trained in group work and have knowledge on a variety of topics.

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• IUT - Marketing techniques

IUTs train in sales professions in theory, but also in practice. Professionalizing, students acquire numerous professional experiences. At the same time, they learn commercial techniques and The tools that they will have to apply in the world of work. Once they graduate, they are generally more autonomous and versatile than the average.

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• BTS MUC or NRC

BTS are shorter courses (bac + 2) but concentrate the fundamentals of sales in a short time.

These courses introduce students to The theory, only in practice.

At the end of this training, students are quickly operational on the labour market. They can also choose to complete their bachelor's or bachelor's degree.

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2. Learn online to become a Sales Development Representative

For complete your curriculum or completely Get started with Business Development, there are numerous online courses (ex: MOOCs).

These educational contents are adapted to all levels and all rhythms. This is a good course for those who want to reorient themselves or just learn in an innovative way in this field.

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• Thanks to online training

These courses are in the form of factsheets Or of interactive videos illustrating a lesson or mechanism.

Each platform (Coursera, Udemy, Openclassrooms) has its own course, some of which deliver Of accreditations or follow-up certificates.

They are structured forms of learning and often accessible to as many people as possible.

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• Thanks to social networks and listening platforms

Whether in the form of podcasts (The Sales Game, etc.), blog posts (Salesforce, HubSpot...), these sources of knowledge are now easy to access. But the quality is variable.

There are influencers, salespeople or enthusiasts, specialized in Business Development who transmit their knowledge via the internet, in particular on LinkedIn.

These formats are a source of daily information news or facts about the field, often Free.

It is also a good way of communication and unity for Bringing other people together around the same subject of interest.

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3. Learning to practice: Bootcamp and work-study

• Bootcamps

Bootcamps are practical training courses. Initiated by Akimbo (formerly Humind School), this format trains individuals to methods, tools and processes essential for these positions. The format is that of Full Time Bootcamp : at the end of 10 intensive weeks of training, candidates receive a permanent contract from one of Akimbo's partner startups.

Beyond the binary vision of whether or not to be made for a type of job, Bootcamps aim further. These are supervised and formative courses accessible to all candidates.

• Alternation

Some courses offer alternating courses that concentrate theoretical training and practical application.

These students are immersed in the world of work at an early age and integrate the codes.

These courses are becoming more and more popular and even sought after by companies for their autonomy And their expertise.

In addition to receiving funding for part of their studies, learners benefit from a good professional integration (often permanent offers upon release).

Candidates mainly develop skills that are not acquired by most students in traditional courses.

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