Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for SDR Manager
💰 $110,000 - $160,000
🎯 Role Definition
As an SDR Manager, you are the engine of our sales pipeline and a pivotal leader within our Go-To-Market organization. You will be responsible for recruiting, training, and managing a high-performing team of Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) focused on generating qualified opportunities for our Account Executives. This role is a unique blend of strategic planning, hands-on coaching, process optimization, and data-driven decision-making. Your primary objective is to build a predictable and scalable pipeline machine that directly fuels our company's growth trajectory. You will be a mentor, a strategist, and a key partner to both Sales and Marketing leadership.
📈 Career Progression
Typical Career Path
Entry Point From:
- Senior or Team Lead Sales Development Representative
- High-Performing Account Executive (especially with a background in prospecting)
- Sales Enablement Manager
Advancement To:
- Director of Sales Development
- Director of Inside Sales
- Head of Sales
Lateral Moves:
- Sales Operations Manager
- Revenue Operations Manager
Core Responsibilities
Primary Functions
- Recruit, interview, hire, and onboard a team of ambitious and talented Sales Development Representatives to build a world-class outbound engine.
- Develop and execute a comprehensive training and continuous enablement program covering product knowledge, sales methodology, objection handling, and use of our sales technology stack.
- Provide daily, hands-on coaching, mentorship, and performance feedback through call shadowing, email review, role-playing, and one-on-one meetings to foster skill development.
- Establish and manage clear performance expectations, activity targets, and quotas (e.g., meetings booked, Sales Qualified Leads) for the SDR team, holding them accountable to achieving ambitious goals.
- Design, implement, and refine innovative multi-channel outbound prospecting strategies across email, phone, social media (LinkedIn), and video to engage target accounts.
- Continuously analyze and optimize outbound cadences and messaging to improve key metrics like open rates, reply rates, and conversion to meetings.
- Build, maintain, and interpret detailed dashboards and reports within Salesforce and other analytics tools to track individual and team performance against KPIs.
- Deliver regular, data-driven performance reviews and pipeline forecasts to sales leadership, highlighting key trends, insights, and areas for improvement.
- Foster a high-energy, positive, and results-oriented team culture that promotes healthy competition, collaboration, and continuous learning.
- Partner closely with the Marketing team to ensure seamless lead handoff processes, provide feedback on lead quality, and align on campaign strategies and follow-up.
- Collaborate with Sales leadership and Account Executives to ensure the SDR team is generating high-quality, well-qualified opportunities that align with territory plans and revenue goals.
- Own and manage the sales development technology stack, including CRM (Salesforce), sales engagement platforms (e.g., Outreach, SalesLoft), and data enrichment tools (e.g., ZoomInfo, LinkedIn Sales Navigator).
- Develop and maintain a comprehensive playbook for the SDR role that documents all processes, best practices, and talk tracks for scalability and consistency.
- Act as a "player-coach" when necessary, demonstrating best practices by actively prospecting and setting meetings to lead by example.
- Create and manage motivational contests, spiffs, and incentive programs to drive performance and reward top achievers.
- Refine the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and target personas in collaboration with Sales and Marketing based on market feedback and performance data.
- Manage team capacity planning to ensure adequate coverage and support for the sales organization's pipeline needs as the company grows.
- Conduct A/B tests on email subject lines, body copy, and call scripts to identify the most effective approaches for engaging prospects.
- Stay current on industry trends, new sales tools, and best practices in sales development to ensure our team remains on the cutting edge.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for all operational and administrative needs of the SDR team.
- Effectively manage and resolve conflicts or performance issues within the team in a professional and constructive manner.
Secondary Functions
- Support ad-hoc reporting and data analysis requests from senior sales and executive leadership.
- Contribute to the organization's overall go-to-market strategy and annual planning process.
- Collaborate with product and marketing teams to refine messaging and positioning based on prospect feedback gathered by the SDR team.
- Participate in budget planning and resource allocation for the sales development function.
Required Skills & Competencies
Hard Skills (Technical)
- CRM Proficiency: Deep expertise in Salesforce, including creating reports, building dashboards, and managing lead/contact/opportunity objects.
- Sales Engagement Platform Expertise: Mastery of platforms like Outreach, SalesLoft, or Groove, including building, testing, and optimizing sequences/cadences.
- Data Analysis & Reporting: Ability to analyze sales data to identify trends, measure performance against KPIs, and make data-driven decisions.
- Lead Generation & Prospecting Tools: Proficiency with tools such as LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo, Lusha, or similar data providers.
- Cadence Building & Optimization: Proven ability to design, implement, and A/B test effective multi-touch prospecting sequences.
- Sales Methodology: Strong understanding of and ability to coach on sales frameworks like BANT, MEDDIC, or Challenger Sale.
Soft Skills
- Leadership & Team Management: Inspiring and effective leadership with the ability to hire, train, and motivate a high-performing team.
- Coaching & Mentorship: A passion for developing talent and providing actionable, constructive feedback to help individuals grow their careers.
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to see the bigger picture, design effective long-term strategies, and align team activities with company goals.
- Exceptional Communication: Clear, concise, and persuasive communication skills, both written and verbal, for internal and external audiences.
- Problem-Solving: Proactive and resourceful in identifying and resolving challenges, from process inefficiencies to team performance issues.
- Motivational Skills: Ability to create a high-energy, results-driven, and positive team environment.
Education & Experience
Educational Background
Minimum Education:
- Bachelor's Degree or equivalent practical experience in a B2B sales environment.
Preferred Education:
- Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field.
Relevant Fields of Study:
- Business Administration
- Marketing
- Communications
Experience Requirements
Typical Experience Range:
- 5-7 years of experience in a B2B sales role, with at least 2-3 years in a people management or team lead capacity overseeing an SDR, BDR, or inside sales team.
Preferred:
- Direct experience managing an SDR team in a high-growth, B2B SaaS environment is highly preferred. A proven, quantifiable track record of consistently meeting and exceeding team quotas and pipeline generation targets. Experience building an SDR function from the ground up is a significant plus.