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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Graduate Sales Development Representative

💰 $40,000 - $65,000

SalesEntry LevelB2BFull-time

🎯 Role Definition

The Graduate Sales Development Representative (Graduate SDR) is an entry-level sales professional responsible for generating pipeline through inbound lead qualification and proactive outbound prospecting. This role is designed for recent graduates who will learn consultative outreach, objection handling, and qualification frameworks while executing multichannel cadence strategies (phone, email, social, and direct messaging). The Graduate SDR will partner closely with Account Executives, Marketing, and Customer Success to drive qualified meetings, maintain CRM hygiene, and meet defined KPIs such as number of qualified meetings booked, SQL conversion rates, and activity targets.

Keywords: Graduate Sales Development Representative, Graduate SDR, Sales Development Representative, SDR, lead generation, cold calling, prospecting, B2B sales, Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, SalesLoft, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, sales cadence, pipeline generation.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Recent graduate (Bachelor’s) completing internships in sales, marketing, or client-facing roles
  • Customer service or retail sales roles transitioning into B2B sales
  • Business development or marketing internship experience with lead generation exposure

Advancement To:

  • Senior Sales Development Representative
  • Account Executive (AE) or Inside Sales Representative
  • Business Development Manager or Enterprise SDR
  • Sales Manager or Team Lead

Lateral Moves:

  • Customer Success Representative or Customer Success Manager
  • Marketing Specialist (demand generation, content, or events)
  • Sales Operations or Revenue Operations analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Execute targeted outbound prospecting campaigns across phone, email, and social channels by developing and personalizing outreach cadences using platforms such as Outreach or SalesLoft to generate meetings for Account Executives.
  • Qualify inbound leads quickly and consistently using qualification frameworks (e.g., BANT, CHAMP, MEDDICC-lite) and convert Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) into Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) by assessing budget, authority, need, and timeline.
  • Research, map, and prioritize prospect accounts using LinkedIn Sales Navigator and public company data to create tailored value propositions that address the prospect’s industry, role, and pain points.
  • Engage in high-volume cold calling with a professional and consultative approach, consistently hitting daily call and contact KPIs while recording outcomes and follow-up actions in the CRM (Salesforce or HubSpot).
  • Build, maintain, and execute multistep email sequences with strong subject lines, concise value messaging, and A/B testing, optimizing open and reply rates to increase qualified meeting bookings.
  • Book qualified discovery meetings and demos for Account Executives by effectively uncovering pain points and articulating the company’s core value proposition in a concise manner.
  • Maintain 100% accurate CRM records, including activity logging, contact details, opportunity stages, lead sources, and notes to support reliable pipeline forecasting and handoffs.
  • Work closely with Account Executives to create smooth lead handoffs, share prospect context and insights, and ensure timely follow-ups on prioritized opportunities.
  • Consistently meet or exceed activity and outcome-based targets including calls, emails, meetings booked, SQLs created, and pipeline influenced metrics.
  • Use sales engagement and dialing tools (e.g., Outreach, SalesLoft, Gong, Dialpad) to streamline outreach workflows, record calls, and analyze engagement patterns for continuous improvement.
  • Leverage intent data and marketing campaign results to prioritize outreach to accounts showing buying signals or content engagement and to tailor messaging accordingly.
  • Conduct discovery-level conversations to uncover both technical and business pain points, qualify decision-making processes, and recommend the appropriate next steps or resources.
  • Participate in daily standups, weekly coaching, and peer call review sessions to build sales skills, refine messaging, and share effective techniques across the SDR team.
  • Track and report on personal and team KPIs (activity metrics, conversion ratios, pipeline generated) using dashboards and regular reporting cadences to senior sales leadership.
  • Execute targeted account-based prospecting efforts in collaboration with marketing and sales to drive engagement within named accounts, including personalized outreach and multi-touch campaigns.
  • Maintain up-to-date product knowledge and industry trends by attending product training, certifications, and shadowing sessions with AEs to articulate value and answer basic product questions confidently.
  • Collaborate with Marketing to provide feedback on campaign performance, messaging resonance, and persona fit to continuously improve lead quality and nurture strategies.
  • Nurture long-term prospects through multi-quarter rhythms, maintaining periodic outreach and value-add touches until disposition or conversion criteria are met.
  • Respond promptly to inbound inquiries, web leads, and demo requests, providing a high-touch, consultative first experience that reflects the company brand and accelerates time-to-first-meeting.
  • Qualify and disqualify leads to ensure pipeline quality, documenting rationale for disqualification and consistently updating lead status to support sales forecasting accuracy.
  • Participate in regional or industry-focused events, webinars, and virtual conferences to support lead capture efforts, engage attendees, and follow up on post-event interest.
  • Utilize lead enrichment tools and data services to enhance contact records, improve segmentation, and increase personalization accuracy for outreach campaigns.
  • Conduct competitive and market research to identify trends, competitor positioning, and common objections, sharing insights with Product Marketing and Sales leadership to sharpen messaging.
  • Proactively manage calendar scheduling for meetings and demos, coordinating availability between prospects and AEs and ensuring all pre-call materials are provided.
  • Implement objection-handling techniques and escalation paths for technical or procurement questions, documenting recurring objections to inform training and collateral needs.

Secondary Functions

  • Support marketing and sales operations with ad hoc data requests, lead hygiene tasks, and CRM clean-up projects to improve data quality and campaign performance.
  • Contribute to the creation of email templates, playbooks, and call scripts that incorporate best practices and test learnings to scale high-performing outreach.
  • Assist in small pilot projects or cross-functional initiatives to test new messaging, cadences, and vertical go-to-market approaches and report measurable outcomes.
  • Participate in customer case study collection and testimonial capture by coordinating follow-up with Customer Success and Marketing teams.
  • Help maintain a repository of competitive intel and battle cards that SDRs and Account Executives can use during prospect conversations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficiency with CRM systems such as Salesforce or HubSpot, including data entry, opportunity/lead management, and basic reporting.
  • Experience or familiarity with sales engagement platforms (Outreach, SalesLoft) to build and manage cadences, sequences, and multi-touch campaigns.
  • Skilled in using LinkedIn Sales Navigator for prospecting, account mapping, and contact discovery.
  • Comfortable with high-volume outbound calling and using power-dialers or softphone tools (e.g., Dialpad, Aircall).
  • Email sequencing and personalization skills, including A/B testing subject lines and content for better deliverability and reply rates.
  • Ability to build simple reports and dashboards in Salesforce, HubSpot, or spreadsheets (Google Sheets / Excel) to track KPIs and conversions.
  • Familiarity with calendar and meeting scheduling tools (Calendly, Chili Piper) to manage cadence-to-demo conversions.
  • Basic data enrichment and lead quality tools knowledge (Clearbit, ZoomInfo, Hunter) to improve contact information and segmentation.
  • Experience working with sales analytics and activity metrics, translating performance into actionable improvements.
  • Comfortable using collaboration and communication tools (Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365).

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional verbal communication and active listening skills to conduct professional cold calls and discovery conversations.
  • Strong written communication and concise email-writing ability with attention to tone, clarity, and call-to-action.
  • Resilience and determination to handle frequent rejection and maintain high activity levels with a positive attitude.
  • Coachability and rapid learning mindset to absorb feedback, iterate on messaging, and improve conversion rates quickly.
  • Strong time management and organizational skills to prioritize outreach, follow-ups, and pipeline tasks in a fast-paced environment.
  • Curiosity and research orientation to uncover prospect challenges, industry drivers, and buying signals.
  • Problem-solving mindset and adaptability when facing process changes, new tools, or shifting target markets.
  • Team collaboration and cross-functional communication to align with Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success goals and campaigns.
  • Attention to detail for accurate CRM record keeping, follow-up scheduling, and consistent reporting.
  • Persuasion and negotiation instincts to position next steps and secure meetings without overselling.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree OR equivalent practical experience in customer-facing roles; recent graduates from accredited institutions welcome.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, Economics, Computer Science, or related fields.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business / Business Administration
  • Marketing / Digital Marketing
  • Communications / Public Relations
  • Economics / Finance
  • Computer Science / Information Systems
  • Sales / Entrepreneurship

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 0–2 years of experience in sales, customer service, retail, or internships with lead generation tasks — ideal for recent graduates and early-career candidates.

Preferred:

  • 6–12 months internship or prior role in inside sales, business development, tele-sales, or marketing operations; prior experience with Salesforce/HubSpot, Outreach/SalesLoft, or LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a strong plus.
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