Sales Development Representative
Generates and qualifies opportunities through outbound and inbound prospecting, feeding the Account Executives' pipeline.
What does a Sales Development Representative do?
- Contacts and qualifies inbound leads generated by marketing before they lose interest
- Complements the inbound flow with outbound prospecting targeting ideal customer profile accounts
- Runs brief discovery calls to validate need, budget, and buying timeline
- Books demos for Account Executives with prospect context already documented
- Cleans and enriches the prospect database to maintain top-of-funnel quality
- Participates in pipeline reviews with AEs to refine qualification criteria
Ideal OCEAN+ Profile
Assertiveness to overcome objections and reach decision-makers without being pushy
High daily variability in prospect type and channel; needs to improvise approach rather than stick to a fixed script
Strengths and Red Flags
Strengths
- High-cadence outbound prospecting
- Rigorous lead qualification using BANT/MEDDIC frameworks
- Message personalization based on prospect profile
- Smooth collaboration with Account Executives on handoffs
Red Flags
- Abandons follow-up after the first rejection
- Fails to log activity in the CRM consistently
- Sends generic outreach messages without personalization
- Competes with AEs instead of collaborating
What does a successful Sales Development Representative do?
The behaviors that separate top performers from average in this role, and the OCEAN+ profile dimension that explains them.
Switches seamlessly between a warm inbound call and a cold outbound sequence, adjusting energy and pitch to each context
ExtraversionThe range's high Extraversion sustains the constant switching between channels and conversation types that defines the SDR's day
Delivers every booked meeting with complete discovery notes, so the AE doesn't have to repeat questions during the demo
ConscientiousnessConscientiousness in this range is measured by handoff quality: meetings that arrive without context expose the SDR who's only chasing their number
Disqualifies an enthusiastic lead that doesn't fit the profile without guilt, even if it costs a meeting toward the monthly target
AgreeablenessModerate-to-low Agreeableness in this profile protects the qualification bar; excessive eagerness to please fills AEs' calendars with demos that never close
Reorganizes their day on the fly when a spike of inbound leads comes in, without dropping already-committed follow-ups
Structure & RhythmThe low range of Structure & Rhythm favors those who operate with a fluid schedule; rigidity turns every demand spike into a backlog
Maintains outreach volume during weeks when response rates drop for no apparent reason
Emotional StabilityEmotional Stability in this range breaks the cycle of paralysis and self-criticism when results cool off, a common occurrence in volume prospecting
Requirements and Skills
- Initial experience in prospecting, lead qualification, or direct-contact sales roles
- Proficiency with CRM and sequencing tools (HubSpot, Salesforce, Outreach, or similar)
- Active listening and the ability to ask discovery questions in short calls
- Personal organization to run inbound and outbound flows in parallel
- Clear written communication for outreach messages and internal handoff notes
Interview Questions
Describe a typical week of prospecting: how many contacts do you attempt, which channels do you use, and how do you prioritize who to contact first?
Evaluates: Conscientiousness and work structure
Tell me about a hard-to-reach prospect you managed to convert into a qualified meeting. What did you do differently?
Evaluates: Creativity and persistence
If a prospect tells you 'we don't have budget right now,' how do you respond and what do you do with that contact going forward?
Evaluates: Objection handling and Emotional Stability
How do you determine if a lead is qualified to pass to an AE? What questions do you ask before booking the demo?
Evaluates: Qualification criteria and Conscientiousness
Career Path
Possible transitions based on OCEAN+ profile compatibility. The higher the fit percentage, the more natural the transition.
Comes from
Customer Success SpecialistSales Development Representative
Career path
Account Executive 82% fit Customer Success Specialist 60% fit Channel Partner Manager 58% fit Sales Manager 55% fitTransition Details
Account Executive 82% fit
Strengths for this transition
- Knowledge of the prospecting process as a foundation for closing deals
- Familiarity with early-cycle sales objections
Areas to develop
- Conscientiousness +8
- Openness +10
- Emotional Stability +6
Sales Manager 55% fit
Strengths for this transition
- Practical knowledge of the funnel from the very start
- Empathy with prospecting teams
Areas to develop
- Openness +12
- Agreeableness +10
- Conscientiousness +8
Customer Success Specialist 60% fit
Strengths for this transition
- Communication and needs-qualification skills
- Tolerance for frustration
Areas to develop
- Agreeableness +12
- Openness +8
Channel Partner Manager 58% fit
Strengths for this transition
- Prospecting skills applicable to partner sourcing
- Ability to generate value-driven conversations
Areas to develop
- Openness +10
- Agreeableness +10
- Conscientiousness +8
Sales Operations Analyst 52% fit
Coming soon
Strengths for this transition
- Deep knowledge of CRM and pipeline metrics
- Field-level perspective on process friction
Areas to develop
- Openness +10
- Conscientiousness +6
Sales Operations Analyst's profile will be available soon.
Similar Roles
Illustrative Example
Openness to experiment with personalized messaging and Stability through the transition
A sales team uses this profile to identify SDRs capable of improving their response rates on their own. An SDR with Openness notices that generic messages aren't converting and experiments with hyper-personalized outreach based on intent signals; their Emotional Stability lets them sustain activity volume during weeks without immediate results; and their Conscientiousness ensures CRM follow-up doesn't slip during the process of change.
Illustrative OCEAN+ Profile
Related Archetypes
Common personality patterns in this role. Detailed profiles will be available soon.
Ejecutor
Turns prospecting into a repeatable system. Executes cadences with surgical precision and measures every variable to improve conversion rate.
Conector
Creates conversations where others see only closed doors. Their ability to connect with people within seconds sets them apart in high-volume outreach.
This Profile by Company Size
Ideal personality dimensions for Sales Development Representative vary by organizational context. Explore the adjusted profile:
In LATAM startups, the Sales Manager is often also the first AE
View profile →In LATAM SMBs, the Sales Manager reports directly to the owner or CEO
View profile →In LATAM enterprise, personal relationships remain decisive
View profile →Must be able to sell upward to HQ in addition to managing local markets
View profile →Further Reading
The Real Cost of a Bad Hire in 2026 (and How to Calculate It)
A transparent framework to calculate the real cost of a bad hire in 2026, grounded in US DOL and SHRM estimates. No invented numbers.
Interviews vs Assessments: The Data Every HR Should Know
Data-based analysis of which method better predicts job success. Spoiler: interviews alone aren't enough.
Evaluating candidates for Sales Development Representative? See how Talen.to compares to Predictive Index.
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