A BDR function is a system, not a headcount
When outbound is not producing enough meetings, the first instinct is to hire more BDRs. It rarely works. More people running a weak process produce more of the same results, faster.
A productive business development function is a system with five parts.
1. Data
Target lists built from your ideal customer profile, enriched and cleaned. Bad data wastes every hour that follows.
2. Sequences
Multi-touch email by industry and role, with a clear reason to reply. Generic sequences get generic results.
3. Calls and social
Several attempts per contact, across channels, logged against the same record.
4. One CRM record
Every touch lands in the CRM. If email, the dialer and social tools do not talk to each other, nobody can see what is working.
5. Qualification and hand-off
Clear rules for what counts as qualified, and a written agreement with sales on how meetings are handed over. Leads that are not ready go back to nurture with a reason.
Build it or run it
Some companies need this function in-house. Others need pipeline now and want to prove the model first. Either way, the process, playbooks and tools should belong to you.
Questions
What does a BDR do?
A business development representative finds and qualifies new opportunities, usually through email, calls and social outreach, and books qualified meetings for account executives.
Should we build a BDR team or outsource it?
Build it when you need the capability in-house for the long term. Outsource it when you need pipeline quickly or want to prove the model first. Either way, the process and tools should belong to you.
Where is your growth stuck?
Ten questions, three minutes. See which part of your go-to-market needs attention first.