What Does a Typical Business Development Representative Do?

Written by Kira Grieve

Kira is a Senior Campaign Manager at The Selling Factory. Over the last year and a half, she has used her education (Double Gator from UF) and experiences from traveling to coach and encourage over 100 college/UF students on sales outreach, sales tactics and personal goals. 

Did you know that a Business Development Representative makes over a hundred thousand dollars per year on average? 

Business Development Representatives provide a valuable service. If you’ve ever heard the job title before, you might be wondering what they do and how one can benefit your company.

In this article, you’ll learn what a Business Development Representative is and what their duties are. You’ll also learn why you should use one and which companies to go to if you decide to outsource. 

All you need to do is read on. 

What Is a Business Development Representative?

A Business Development Representative, or BDR, is a specific person in a sales team. It’s their responsibility to create new opportunities for business by using a variety of methods.

Business Development Representatives make sure that all channels of opportunity are as optimized as they can be. This ensures a constant flow of opportunities to your sales team, boosting the amount of sales your company completes.

A BDR’s role can be split into three separate categories. 

First, they look for new leads. Then they check to make sure those leads are valid. Lastly, they pass the leads on to the rest of the sales team.

Business Development Representative Duties

The Business Development Representative job description is to find new opportunities. They are not responsible for closing sales, only presenting opportunities to a salesperson.

Their specific tasks vary depending on their employer or the industry they’re in. However, they’re typically responsible for quite a few things.

BDRs analyze target demographics in order to generate leads. They also compile lists of leads that they could contact with information. 

A BDR will also be responsible for cold-calling potential clients. In addition, they create e-mail campaigns to reach either a wide or a targeted audience.

Finally, BDRs will do research on competitors to ensure your company can stay at the top of the market.

Skills Business Development Representatives Should Have

Business Development Representatives need to have a wide variety of skills.

The first and most important skill is the ability to customize outreach. Being able to reach out to a specific set of customers will make those customers more likely to be interested in your business.

Next, you need to be an active listener. 

Active listening will help you identify a lead. More than that, it will give you clues on what to say. When you really focus on someone’s words, you’ll know how to respond to make sure that lead becomes solid.

Adaptability is also important. Chasing down leads isn’t about sticking to a checklist. It’s about knowing when to deviate from the checklist to dig deeper.

How Business Development Representatives Go Above and Beyond

Being a Business Development Representative takes more work than you’d expect. In addition, many people go above and beyond in their efforts to generate leads.

BDRs learn to hone their communication skills to the best of their potential. They learn how to establish a rapport with people that allows your company a larger network than you would have had otherwise. In addition, BDRs help you build a loyal customer base due to the trust they establish.

BDRs are also highly organized people. They have many given tasks in a day and need to know how to prioritize. They also keep track of all the information they take in, so that they can help you or the sales team understand it.

Why Use Business Development Services?

It’s important that you hire one specific Business Development Representative. Don’t make your entire sales team responsible for generating leads and closing contracts.

Hiring a specific person means the work will be more efficient. Your BDR can track down leads while your sales team focuses on other important tasks.

In addition to efficiency, the system will also be more organized. Now one person will keep track of the leads instead of multiple people trying to keep everything organized.

Finally, potential customers like seeing a familiar face. If it’s one person regularly meeting with them, your employee and customer will establish a rapport that will serve you well.

Should You Outsource Business Development Services?

Rather than establishing your own BDR and sales team, you should consider outsourcing your sales. This will allow you to fit the sales team to your exact needs and budget. Outsourcing is actually more cost-effective than having an in-house sales team.

In addition, outside consultants have all the skills you need a team to have. The expertise these people bring will help increase sales to your company, as they know exactly how to approach sales growth.

Outsourcing your sales is also a solution that helps you to be flexible. You can hire more or fewer people as your needs for a given project change. This allows you to better budget other departments of your company.

Why Use the Selling Factory?

If you’re thinking of outsourcing your sales, there’s nowhere better to do it than The Selling Factory. 

We offer a variety of services, all designed to help you grow your sales. With our On-Demand Sales Support, Fractional SDR teams, and Network Placement services, you’ll have everything you need.

At The Selling Factory we hire, coach, and manage college students so that you don’t have to. This gets rid of any hassle you might have to deal with.

Our sales teams work in micro shifts of two to four hours to avoid burnout or turnover. You’ll have reliable, efficient employees who are ready for their tasks!

Get a Free Consultation

Now that you’ve learned how a business development representative can help you, are you ready to hire one of your own? If so, you might be interested in the services we provide.

If you’re ready to see how The Selling Factory can help you, schedule a free consultation with us! Each consultation is half an hour long, so we can understand what you need.

Don’t wait- reach out to The Selling Factory today! Get the high-quality help with your business you deserve.

Victoria Zamitalo

Campaign Manager

Victoria received a BA in History and Economics from the University of Florida in May 2023. She is a driven sales professional with over 5 years combined experience in customer service, consumer relations and outbound sales, and is deeply passionate about fostering close relationships between consumers and sellers. She aims to train the next generation of sales professionals in not only the tricks of the trade, but also interpersonal skills that make sales the exciting and ever-changing industry that it is.

victoria@thesellingfactory.com

Mia Semel

Campaign Manager

Before graduating with a B.A. in Sustainability Studies, Mia took on multiple roles while interning at The Selling Factory, including sales development, recruiting, and leading campaigns. She is an active listener and effective communicator, specializing in fostering genuine connections and finding common ground among differing perspectives. She aims to find practical, creative solutions regarding sustainable development, biodiversity and the climate crisis.

mia.semel@thesellingfactory.com

Kira Grieve

Senior Campaign Manager

Kira graduated from the University of Florida and received her Master of Science in Entrepreneurship. She is passionate about helping businesses grow and connecting with new people. Some of her hobbies include traveling and hiking. She hopes to visit all of the National Parks one day!

kira@thesellingfactory.com

Jared Glosser

Vice President

After graduating from UF in 2014 with a B.A. in history, Jared started his professional career Fundraising for a non-partisan political lobby in South Florida. In 2016, Jared moved back to Gainesville to work for a non-profit, recruit students for international travel opportunities, and pursue his MBA at UF. Jared has been with The Selling Factory since 2019 focusing on operations, client onboarding, and client success.

jared@thesellingfactory.com

Ian Massenburg

Chief Operating Officer

A graduate of University of Florida (B.A. 2001), Ian Massenburg brings over 18 years of sales executive and sales management experience to The Selling Factory. Before coming on-board, Ian worked alongside Brad at Infinite Energy, and then spent his next 3 years as VP of Partnerships selling SaaS products B2B. Ian brings his vast knowledge and experience to the team and to our partner companies served.

ian@thesellingfactory.com

Damien Paulk

Campaign Manager

Damien is a University of Florida graduate that recently joined the team full time after working as a Sales Development Intern for one year. As a Campaign Manager, Damien looks forward to contributing to the growth and success of The Selling Factory. When Damien is not at work he enjoys exploring Gainesville with his girlfriend and dog or watching the Gators dominate college football.

damien@thesellingfactory.com

Brendan Viehman

Campaign Manager

Brendan graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Project Management. For the past 5 years, he has enjoyed working with blockchain technology and cryptocurrency development. In his free time, he surfs and makes personal finance videos for his YouTube channel.

brendan@thesellingfactory.com

Savannah Howard

Campaign Manager

A graduate from the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, Savannah obtained her Bachelor of Science in public relations with a concentration in French. After almost two years as a sales development intern for The Selling Factory, she joined the leadership team in 2021 taking on the role of Campaign Manager. In her free time, Savannah enjoys going to concerts and festivals and cooking for her friends and family.

savannah@thesellingfactory.com

Zack Kampf

Campaign Manager

Zack is a creative technologist with experience in advertising, event planning, and game design. He started as an SDR in 2018 and has been with TSF ever since. Upon graduating UF in 2019 he became a campaign manager and is currently seeking a master's degree from NYU. In his spare time, you can find him at the intersection of Art & Technology!

zack@thesellingfactory.com

Josiah Blakemore

Growth Manager

Josiah has over 10 years of sales experience, worked with Brad and Ian at Infinite Energy, and also spent time selling SaaS as Director of Partnerships at SharpSpring. He’s always been very competitive and has a love for sports and games. He enjoys solving problems and coaching team members to do the same!

josiah@thesellingfactory.com

Sue-Ming Frauenhofer

Marketing Manager

Sue-Ming received both her B.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Management from The University of Florida. As a student, she took on multiple roles while interning at The Selling Factory, including sales development, marketing, and recruiting, eventually leading to her current role as Marketing Manager. She enjoys refining her taste in music and visual art, engaging in mindfulness and meditative practices, and frolicking outside with her sidekick pup.

sueming@thesellingfactory.com

Adam Grossman

Chief Development Officer

Adam is an ordained rabbi, who has founded multiple ventures focused on workforce development. Hired as CEO by a failing non-profit, in over 5 years, his ingenuity saved the organization, which led Slingshotfund.org to recognize it as one of North America’s most innovative Jewish non-profits. His expertise to identify, cultivate, and on-board talent ensures our student teams meet our partners’ needs.

adam@thesellingfactory.com

Brad Gamble

Chief Executive Officer

After graduating from UF in 1999 with a B.S.B.A, Brad Gamble has dedicated himself to sales management, branding, coaching, and building companies. He served as the VP of Sales & Marketing for Infinite Energy until 2014, when he founded The Selling Factory. He has dedicated himself to teaching critical skills to tomorrow’s leaders, and helping companies achieve sales success and revenue growth.

brad@thesellingfactory.com