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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Enterprise Sales Development Representative

💰 $ - $

SalesBusiness DevelopmentEnterprise Sales

🎯 Role Definition

The Enterprise Sales Development Representative (Enterprise SDR) is the frontline hunter for enterprise accounts, responsible for identifying and qualifying mid-market and Fortune 500 prospects, executing account-based outreach, and setting high-quality meetings for enterprise Account Executives. This role requires a mix of strategic research, disciplined outbound cadences, and consultative qualification to build a predictable, scalable pipeline. Success is measured by qualified meetings, pipeline value, and contribution to quota attainment at the enterprise level.

Key SEO terms: Enterprise SDR, outbound prospecting, account-based selling, pipeline generation, lead qualification, B2B SaaS sales, enterprise outreach, Salesforce, Sales Navigator.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Business Development Representative (BDR) or Inside Sales Representative
  • Sales Development Representative (SDR) with proven results in outbound/enterprise
  • Customer Success or Sales Operations professionals moving into a quota-carrying role

Advancement To:

  • Enterprise Account Executive (AE)
  • Senior Account Executive or Strategic Account Executive
  • SDR/BDR Team Lead or Manager
  • Revenue Operations or Sales Enablement roles

Lateral Moves:

  • Customer Success Manager (enterprise)
  • Sales Operations / Sales Enablement Specialist
  • Product Specialist or Solutions Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Own and execute targeted outbound prospecting campaigns into named enterprise accounts using account-based selling strategies, personalized messaging, and multi-channel outreach (email, phone, LinkedIn, direct mail) to create a predictable flow of qualified enterprise opportunities.
  • Conduct deep account and stakeholder research (org charts, buying committees, technical stack, pain points) to identify decision-makers and influencers and tailor outreach that resonates with enterprise-level priorities and procurement cycles.
  • Develop and execute multi-touch cadences using Sales Engagement Platforms (SalesLoft, Outreach) and optimize sequences by A/B testing subject lines, call scripts, and messaging to increase response and conversion rates.
  • Qualify inbound and outbound leads to enterprise qualification criteria using frameworks such as BANT, MEDDIC, CHAMP, or custom scoring: capture budget, authority, need, timeline, and technical fit to ensure high-quality handoffs.
  • Coordinate and schedule discovery meetings and strategic demos for Enterprise AEs, ensuring all pre-call research and context (use cases, objectives, competitive landscape) is documented in the CRM to improve conversion rates.
  • Maintain rigorous CRM hygiene in Salesforce (or chosen CRM): log all activities, update opportunity stages, attach relevant account notes, and ensure accurate pipeline and forecasting data for the sales leadership team.
  • Partner closely with enterprise Account Executives to develop targeted outreach plays, share intel from prospect conversations, and participate in weekly pipeline reviews to accelerate deal progression.
  • Drive outreach into cross-functional business units (IT, Procurement, Finance, Line of Business) to surface migration projects, integration pain points, and budgeting cycles relevant to enterprise purchasing.
  • Build and manage high-quality prospect lists using tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo, Clearbit, Apollo, and company filings; enrich records with contact details and role-specific value propositions.
  • Monitor and report on key performance metrics (meetings set, SQLs, pipeline value, conversion rates, response rates) and iterate on playbooks to improve motion efficiency and enterprise pipeline velocity.
  • Facilitate and participate in strategic account mapping sessions with Sales, Marketing, Solutions Engineering, and Customer Success to align on target personas, messaging, and ABM campaigns.
  • Deliver compelling discovery calls that uncover business outcomes, quantify pain, and surface stakeholder alignment — then translate those findings into a clear qualification summary for the AE.
  • Nurture established but not-yet-ready enterprise prospects with targeted content, thought leadership, and executive-level outreach until they reach qualification or conversion readiness.
  • Escalate and coordinate executive-level outreach when appropriate, working with Sales Leadership and Marketing to secure CTO/CIO/CRO introductions and strategic meetings.
  • Collaborate with Marketing to test and scale account-based ads, webinars, and content syndication campaigns, leveraging insights from outreach to refine ICP and campaign creative.
  • Leverage competitive intelligence gathered in outreach to inform win/loss analysis, product positioning, and objection-handling playbooks used by the broader sales organization.
  • Support sales leadership in forecasting and monthly/quarterly business reviews by providing up-to-date pipeline health, expected meeting conversion rates, and time-to-close estimates for enterprise-sourced opportunities.
  • Coach and mentor junior SDRs on enterprise outreach techniques, objection handling, and CRM best practices; contribute to team onboarding and enablement content.
  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of product capabilities, release notes, integrations, and security/compliance features that influence enterprise buying decisions; articulate these clearly during prospect interactions.
  • Represent the company at industry events, virtual conferences, and partner webinars to generate enterprise leads and expand the pipeline through targeted networking and follow-up.
  • Drive continuous improvement by documenting successful outreach templates, call recordings, and case studies that can be reused across the enterprise sales organization.
  • Manage complex prospecting cycles that span months, keeping detailed trackers of touchpoints, stakeholder movements, budget cycles, and procurement timelines to avoid gaps in coverage.
  • Ensure alignment with legal and procurement constraints by identifying contractual triggers and internal procurement processes early in the qualification process, facilitating a smoother AE handoff.

Secondary Functions

  • Collaborate with Sales Enablement to create and refine outbound playbooks, objection-handling guides, and persona-based messaging for enterprise segments.
  • Support cross-functional ABM campaigns by sharing real-time prospect feedback to Marketing and Product teams.
  • Provide input to product and marketing teams on feature requests, enterprise concerns, and competitive positioning learned from prospect conversations.
  • Participate in weekly stand-ups and pipeline reviews; assist with ad-hoc competitive or market research requests from Sales Leadership.
  • Track and report on enterprise account engagement metrics (content downloads, event attendance, product trials) to identify upsell and expansion opportunities.
  • Help organize and host webinars or executive roundtables targeted at enterprise audiences; follow up with registrants to qualify interest and convert into meetings.
  • Participate in continuous learning: product certifications, sales methodology workshops, and negotiation training to improve enterprise selling capabilities.
  • Assist with special projects such as territory realignment, ICP redefinition, and pilot program outreach for strategic enterprise initiatives.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • CRM proficiency: Advanced use of Salesforce (or equivalent) for pipeline management, opportunity stage updates, and reporting.
  • Sales engagement tools: Hands-on experience with SalesLoft, Outreach, or similar platforms to build and optimize outbound cadences.
  • Prospecting tools: Skilled with LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo, Apollo, Clearbit, or similar for account and contact discovery.
  • Data enrichment & list-building: Ability to build high-quality target lists, conduct firmographic/technographic research, and maintain contact accuracy.
  • Outreach analytics: Track and analyze email open/click rates, call connection rates, and sequence performance to iterate on outreach tactics.
  • Qualification frameworks: Practical use of MEDDIC, BANT, CHAMP, or equivalent for disciplined enterprise qualification.
  • Enterprise research: Strong capability to map buying committees, procurement cycles, and organizational structures at large companies.
  • Presentation & demo coordination: Ability to prepare contextual briefing notes and pre-call materials for AEs and Solutions Engineers.
  • Security & compliance literacy: Familiarity with common enterprise concerns (SOC 2, ISO 27001, data residency) to surface during early qualification.
  • Sales reporting: Generate and interpret pipeline reports, forecast contribution, and SDR KPI dashboards for leadership review.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional verbal and written communication tailored for C-Level and executive audiences.
  • Strong resilience and persistence in long-cycle enterprise sales with the ability to maintain momentum over months.
  • High emotional intelligence to navigate complex buying committees and multi-stakeholder negotiations.
  • Strategic thinking with the ability to prioritize accounts based on ARR potential, timing, and fit.
  • Consultative listening: uncover business outcomes and translate pain into quantified impact for qualification.
  • Time management and organization to manage dozens of active enterprise relationships simultaneously.
  • Collaborative mindset to work cross-functionally with Marketing, Product, SEs, and Customer Success.
  • Rapid learning agility to absorb product updates, industry trends, and competitive shifts.
  • Problem-solving orientation to identify creative ways to reach hard-to-access decision-makers.
  • Coachable and data-driven: uses feedback and metrics to continuously improve outreach and conversion rates.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Business, Marketing, Communications, or related fields (preferred but not required if strong sales track record).

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, or a technical discipline for SaaS/technical enterprise roles.
  • Relevant certifications: Sales methodology certifications or industry-specific compliance/security training valued.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Marketing
  • Communications
  • Information Technology / Computer Science (for technical enterprise products)
  • Economics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1–5+ years in B2B sales, within SDR/BDR roles; enterprise-focused experience preferred (2+ years ideal).

Preferred:

  • Proven track record of setting qualified enterprise meetings and influencing pipeline for enterprise AEs.
  • Experience using CRM and Sales Engagement platforms in a quota-driven, data-oriented sales organization.
  • Prior success executing account-based outreach into mid-market and enterprise accounts.
  • Experience working with cross-functional teams (Marketing/SE/Product) and participating in ABM campaigns.
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