Sales development representatives (SDRs) are business professionals responsible for finding potential customers to fill the sales pipeline. Their primary role is to contact prospects that could benefit from their company’s offers, assuming the first step in client-business relationships. SDRs use methods like cold calls to generate new leads, creating business opportunities that will then be sent to account executives.
To build a strong sales team, business leaders need to know what to look for when interviewing potential employees. Although candidates with sales experience are valuable, the skillset for this job is ranged and the requirements go beyond having a professional background.
When writing or analyzing a sales development representative’s resume, it’s important to keep in mind the daily challenges of lead generation. Having a business education is a competitive advantage, but practical skills like relationship building and active listening can lead to outstanding professionals.
How to Write a Sales Development Representative’s Resume: Step-by-Step
An effective SDR’s resume summarizes top-priority information on work experience, educational background, hard and soft skills, and relevant accomplishments. Knowing how to deliver this content in a clear, organized format is a crucial point that makes the best applicants stand out.
Here is a step-by-step writing guideline to create a sales development representative’s resume that works.
1. Start with contact information
The right candidate will facilitate the reading by displaying all contact information at the top of the first page. This section must include name, phone number, professional email, and address. A link for an online portfolio or a professional website is also highly recommended.
Golden tip: When writing this first section, choosing suitable typography and font size is vital. Sales managers will spend most of their time and focus on resumes with clear segments and title heads, so readability is a top priority. Relying on classic, neutral typography such as Arial and Times New Roman is a go-for decision to show professionalism.
2. Create a professional summary
The professional summary is a brief paragraph with relevant information about the candidate. It doesn’t have to be longer than five or six sentences and its main function is to give the employer a general view of your professional trajectory.
Golden tip: The best summaries include objective information such as experience time in the field, professional goals, and relevant skills. This section can also include accomplishments related to the job position, like an increase in the sales numbers of companies the candidate has worked for.
3. Describe your work experience
Create a list of work experiences to guide the employer through your professional path. You can use the reverse-chronological format to put the most recent experience on the section’s top.
This segment is a great opportunity to exhibit your professional record visually appealingly. Each experience should contain the company’s name and location, job title, and the time period in which you had the position.
Golden tip: To make your work experience stand out, include a list of relevant tasks for each job position. You can write these topics based on the requirements of the job you’re applying for.
4. List your educational background
The educational background is an essential part of any resume. It includes a list of diplomas and certificates that can be relevant to a potential employer; from a college degree to a highly-specialized certification in sales.
For each topic in this section, make sure to include the following information:
- School’s name;
- Degree’s name;
- Years of study.
Golden tip: Use the reverse-chronological format to prioritize your recent education.
5. Highlight your skills
In this section, you have space to highlight what makes you a great candidate for the position. A sales development representative’s job is full of challenges that can become easier when faced by a professional with the right skill set. Use this segment as an opportunity to show your potential employer the knowledge and character traits that make you a perfect fit for the job.
Golden tip: You can combine hard skills and soft skills to show the employer your professional and personal profile.
Hard skills are technical abilities like reporting or knowing how to use a software program, while soft skills are personality traits that influence relationships and other people.
Here are some of the most common hard and soft skills sales leaders look for when hiring an SDR:
Hard skills for SDRs:
- Product Knowledge
- CRM Experience
- Office tools such as excel
Soft skills for SDRs:
- Rapport Building
- Writing
- Product Presentation
- Negotiation
- Closing Sales
- Lead prospecting
- Sales pitch
- Adaptable
- Persuasion
- Time Management
- Active listening
- Empathy
- Problem-solving
- Teamwork
6. If you speak other languages, include them
Speaking a second – or third – language is a plus for any job. Even if the company you’re interviewing for does not require it, including this information in your resume can make you stand out from the other candidates.
If you understand other languages besides your native, make sure to include them on your resume along with your proficiency level. These include:
- Elementary proficiency;
- Limited working proficiency;
- Professional working proficiency;
- Full professional proficiency;
- Native / bilingual proficiency.
Golden tip: The language section can appear before or after the skills section; depending on the relevance they have for the job you are applying to.
7. List relevant accomplishments
In this section of the resume, you can list professional accomplishments or awards relevant to your career. It can go from publishing an article to winning salesperson of the month; or from completing a business course to developing a new skill.
This segment can distinguish you from other candidates by showing where you focus your efforts.
Golden tip: To make your list clear and visual, highlight the name of the award or accomplishment and follow it by the year of occurrence.
8. Read, read, and read again
Proofreading is crucial before submitting your resume to job applications. Read it carefully and try to spot any grammatical or spelling errors you might have missed before.
Golden tip: You can ask for a friend or colleague to give it a final look and make suggestions on the content and readability.
Sales Development Representative’s Resume Sample
You can use the sample below to create your own resume and start or leverage your career as an SDR.
[Your name]
[Phone number] | [Professional email address] | [City, State] | [Portfolio or website]
Professional Summary
[Summarize your professional trajectory mentioning relevant jobs and responsibilities]
Work Experience
- [Job title], [Start-end date]
[Company’s name], [City, state]
[Bullet list with most relevant responsibilities during the role]
- [Job title], [Start-end date]
[Company’s name], [City, state]
[Bullet list with most relevant responsibilities during the role]
Education
- [Degree]
[Institution name], [Date]
- [Degree]
[Institution name], [Date]
Skills
Hard skills:
- [Hard skill]
- [Hard skill]
- [Hard skill]
Soft skills:
- [Soft skill]
- [Soft skill]
- [Soft skill]
Languages
- [Language]: [Level of proficiency]
- [Language]: [Level of proficiency]
Awards and accomplishments
- [Award or accomplishment], [Date]
- [Award or accomplishment], [Date]
Bottom Line
Sales teams need well-prepared sales reps to generate and qualify leads. When looking for an SDR to hire, managers should select candidates not only with relevant work experience in the field, but also with a skill set that includes efficient communication, active listening, and problem-solving capacity.
