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Traits Every Successful Business Development Rep Needs

Aug 24, 2020 | Appointment Setting, Call Center, Perspectives and Opinions

When it comes to telephone lead generation, success is all about the list. It’s also about the numbers and the process.

All of this is true. In fact, a good list is the best foundation for success when you’re making calls. Determining the right process for repeated calls and emails contributes significantly as well. But these are not the sole ingredients of a successful campaign.

At VSA, we focus on the quality of the rep.

A great business development rep has a fantastic combination of tolerance, perseverance, and tenacity. They also have the ability to be assertive, proactive, and positive.

A great rep is intuitive. They hear the slightest hesitation in a prospect’s voice and are able to ask the right questions to keep the conversation going. They know when to hang up and go to the next record and when to keep pursuing a particular prospect because they sense an opportunity.

Let’s review these qualities: tolerance, perseverance, tenacity, assertiveness, proactivity, positivity, and intuition, the icing on the cake.

How many people do you know with this combination of qualities? And if you do know someone, have they chosen business development as their profession?

It’s not easy to find good BDRs today. Sometimes it’s downright difficult.

When we find a staff of great outbound reps, we do whatever we can to keep them. We allow for flexible schedules. We balance calling time with off-phone work to give reps needed breaks. We acknowledge successes and challenge reps who are underperforming.

We’ve repeatedly seen that this special kind of personality can turn a mediocre program into a successful one.

A Few Examples of Successful BDRs

Here are two examples. Names and products have been changed for privacy:

Sally
Sally makes outbound calls for a healthcare SaaS offering. She begins talking to a prospect. As she is building camaraderie, the prospect says he doesn’t need the service. Then out of the blue, the prospect shares that he has another location that might have a need. Sally sets up a sales appointment. 

At first glance, this example isn’t unique. But it’s likely that an average BDR wouldn’t have made this conversation look so easy. The prospect might have said, “Sorry, I’m just not interested.” But Sally made the conversation easy and fun. A few more minutes on the phone with a positive and engaging rep held the prospect’s interest and transformed this at-first failed opportunity into a viable one. 

Jenny
Jenny has been calling prospects for hours. She rarely gets to speak to a decision maker. This is her third time calling the same list of senior-level executives. Neither the executives nor their administrative assistants answer the phone. 

Jenny knows that although she hasn’t spoken to an executive, she must seem completely relaxed and knowledgeable when a decision maker eventually answers the phone. Jenny is determined. 

Suddenly a C-level executive answers his own phone. Jenny starts a conversation. A moment ago she felt desperate and defeated because she wasn’t able to reach a decision maker. Now she is upbeat, positive, and confident. To Jenny’s delight, the prospect decides to listen to her pitch, and Jenny is able to set up a phone appointment with the client’s sales rep the next day. 

Why You Want the Best BDRs

Cold callers with less experience likely wouldn’t have moved from ‘perseverance mode’ into ‘conversation mode’ as quickly as Sally and Jenny. Their positive attitudes and intuition helped greatly. 

At VSA, we work hard to attract BDRs with underlying talent. We retain them by maintaining a positive environment. Our clients benefit directly from our efforts to hire and retain the best reps. 

Lists, numbers, and process are critical to a solid campaign. But if you don’t have a great team, you can’t fully optimize your results. 

In other words, don’t underestimate the benefits of an excellent rep!

Are you ready to take your conversations with prospects from okay to great? Let’s have our own conversation about how our skilled BDRs can help you generate more qualified leads.