Lead Development Representatives (LDRs) are the lifeblood of any company. Without them, there would be no flow of leads coming in and no potential customers being contacted. Though their work is often unseen by the rest of the world, LDRs are an essential part of any organization. In this blog post, we'll take a look at the life of a typical LDR: what they do, how they do it, and what challenges they face. We'll also explore how to become a successful LDR and what tools and strategies you can use to improve your lead generation process. So if you're interested in learning more about this essential but often overlooked role, keep reading!
Before diving deeper into what they do and how they do it, let’s first understand:
A lead development representative (LDR) is an inside sales representative that focuses on outreach, prospecting, and lead qualification.
LDRs don't focus on closing business but connecting with as many leads as possible and identifying good customer fits.
LDRs move leads through the sales pipeline. They connect and learn about their companies and needs. If a prospect is a good fit, LDRs schedule the next steps with a Sales representative in a higher position in the organization.
LDRs educate, answer questions, and send resources to potential customers. They contact every lead and decide who stays and who goes.
Ultimately, sales development reps are educators that leverage insights to assist in solving real problems customers are having.
LDRs are evaluated on the number of qualified leads they move through the pipeline. Their commission is determined by the number of sales they pass compared to their target or quota.
LDR spends a lot of time reaching out to people who know little about their company and asking them to take the first step – booking at a meeting.
LDR's require:
LDRs spend a lot of time getting under the skin of prospective clients, asking them what their company needs are and what is causing them difficulty right now.
One of the best ways to interact with these new buyers is to understand their challenges deeply. And to know their business, you may need to speak to them.
But for good reasons, many prospects don't want to share their real challenges until you understand their business. It's a tricky challenge that sometimes makes salespeople a little jealous of their colleagues in the marketing department.
In most companies, salespeople are trained to pitch how excellent their solution is and how much better the customer would be with their product, which ends up sounding like this: "pitch, pitch, blah, blah."
But with the proper training and processes, LDRs can build and share insights about the customer's main challenges. They can then use those insights to provide prospects with helpful solutions, ideas, and information.
LDRs are arguably the essential part of the sales team because they "bring customers out of thin air." Without them, the other team members wouldn't have contracts to send or customers to make successful.
LDR have to be quick on their feet, excel in having online conversations, master the sales stack, be great content finders, and have a positive outlook not brought down by a bad interaction.
A mid-career LDR can expect total compensation, including a bonus, or around $45,000, according to Glassdoor.
However, they can increase their total compensation by 50% and 150% through rewards, commissions, profit-sharing, and other perks.
The LDR role is usually an entry-level position. In a sales department, the LDRs are the base level –they touch every lead and filter out the ones that aren't good fits.
After speaking to an LDR, qualified leads move to higher-level sales representatives like account representatives (ARs) or account executives (AEs). LDRs may work alongside business development representatives (BDRs) in some larger sales companies.
BDRs usually focus on outbound lead generation and qualification, whereas LDRs focus on inbound leads. ARs and AEs need a steady flow of qualified leads to convert into customers.
The sales cycle takes much longer without the LDR's qualification process (because people focused on closing deals are talking to prospects who aren't looking to buy).
Leads fall through the cracks or sign with a competitor. LDR are quality control for sales leads.
They ensure that every prospect has what they need and is a good customer fit before setting up the next steps.
LDRs primarily do two things:
Here are four tips for finding success as a sales development representative:
If you're a sales manager looking to hire an LDR, you are unlikely to find many candidates with actual sales development experience. Instead, look for transferable skills.
Do they have experience interacting with people, such as working in retail or bartending? Past roles don't need to be in sales to showcase that a candidate has people skills.
Have they displayed adaptability in previous roles, indicating that they'd be able to look beyond the latest popular templates and find ways to stand out creatively?
Sales interviews don't sugar coat the challenges that the role presents. Being an LDR is hard work, and if they're not prepared for that, they won't last long in part.
Use the interview to get an idea of how they'll talk with prospects. Don't just pay attention to what they say but also how they say it. Are they skilled communicators? Do they ask questions?
If a candidate can hold a conversation, it's a good sign that they'll be able to engage naturally with your potential customers.
Getting the job is just the start. Once you're a working LDR, here are four ways you can stand out and ensure you're first in line for a promotion.
1. Work hard, work smart
2. Build a good reputation
3. Be a product expert
4. Know your numbers
Sales development is an essential part of the sales process and a great way to get into sales, even if you don't have any previous experience. Being an LDR is a demanding role within any sales team, but it is essential and advantageous.
Since you are the first line of communication and the person who qualifies leads for salespeople higher up in the funnel, the work you do lays the groundwork for their success and the company's sales success in general.
By developing the right skills, familiarizing yourself with the necessary tools and putting in the hard work, you can stand out and get your sales career off to a great start.
