A Day in the Life of a BDR
Izzy Smith is a Business Development Representative (BDR) in our London office. BDRs are responsible for generating new business opportunities and informing prospects of our solutions.
What do you do at Emex and what are your goals?
I work in the BDR team, and we are responsible for gaining new business for the company. We do this through a variety of channels including LinkedIn outreach, emails, and cold calls. Our goal is to have meaningful conversations with prospects to see if our product could fit well in their business.
What is your background? What lead you to this role at Emex?
A ‘COVID graduate’ from University of Portsmouth, I completed my Business & Management degree last summer and I was on the hunt for a graduate job to start my professional career. Having previously completed a placement year at SAP as part of my degree, I was looking for the perfect role to continue my interest in the technology sector.
Walk us through a typical day as a BDR
A typical day would start with a news round-up, which involves researching current industry news surrounding sustainability and health and safety.
Next, I would go through my list of prospects on Salesforce, which consists of reaching out and qualifying good leads. Each BDR has their different styles and preferred method of doing outreach, however we are all encouraged to get an even spread over all channels. Managing the stages that all conversations are at is important for this role, which suits my methodological approach.
Discovery calls are the initial conversations I have with prospects, and the first opportunity to build the relationship. This is my chance to understand their business needs and whether we would be a good match.
These calls then could convert into product demonstrations, where I would prepare an agenda for discussion and inform the sales engineer on the requirements. At this point, I engage a representative from Customer Success as it then becomes a joint effort in winning the prospect. We are encouraged to learn on the job through the support of more senior colleagues, as every scenario is different.
I would also run the management of various tenders and RFPs. This consists of coordinating with multiple teams to help identify the criteria we meet as a supplier for a company’s requirements.
A very varied and busy day!
What is your favourite thing about your role?
My favourite thing about my role as a BDR is having the opportunity to speak to a range of different people and understanding their reporting pain-points. It has also given me the exposure to build strong relationships with senior personnel – something I would not have had the opportunity to do elsewhere in the same timeframe.
I had responsibility from day one and was able to make an instant impact here – this is something Emex encourages and will reward you for.
What would you say to someone thinking about joining Emex?
If you want to join a friendly team in a growing company, then Emex could be a great fit for you. The team are very welcoming, and we enjoy monthly social events and after work drinks by the river! There is great progression and earning potential for the right candidates, as well as the opportunity to further your professional development.
Emex has been a great company to start my career at, and I would recommend to anyone who wants to be given the key from day one.
