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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for SDR Manager

💰 $110,000 - $160,000

SalesManagementBusiness Development

🎯 Role Definition

As an SDR Manager, you are the engine of our sales pipeline and a pivotal leader within our Go-To-Market organization. You will be responsible for recruiting, training, and managing a high-performing team of Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) focused on generating qualified opportunities for our Account Executives. This role is a unique blend of strategic planning, hands-on coaching, process optimization, and data-driven decision-making. Your primary objective is to build a predictable and scalable pipeline machine that directly fuels our company's growth trajectory. You will be a mentor, a strategist, and a key partner to both Sales and Marketing leadership.


📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior or Team Lead Sales Development Representative
  • High-Performing Account Executive (especially with a background in prospecting)
  • Sales Enablement Manager

Advancement To:

  • Director of Sales Development
  • Director of Inside Sales
  • Head of Sales

Lateral Moves:

  • Sales Operations Manager
  • Revenue Operations Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Recruit, interview, hire, and onboard a team of ambitious and talented Sales Development Representatives to build a world-class outbound engine.
  • Develop and execute a comprehensive training and continuous enablement program covering product knowledge, sales methodology, objection handling, and use of our sales technology stack.
  • Provide daily, hands-on coaching, mentorship, and performance feedback through call shadowing, email review, role-playing, and one-on-one meetings to foster skill development.
  • Establish and manage clear performance expectations, activity targets, and quotas (e.g., meetings booked, Sales Qualified Leads) for the SDR team, holding them accountable to achieving ambitious goals.
  • Design, implement, and refine innovative multi-channel outbound prospecting strategies across email, phone, social media (LinkedIn), and video to engage target accounts.
  • Continuously analyze and optimize outbound cadences and messaging to improve key metrics like open rates, reply rates, and conversion to meetings.
  • Build, maintain, and interpret detailed dashboards and reports within Salesforce and other analytics tools to track individual and team performance against KPIs.
  • Deliver regular, data-driven performance reviews and pipeline forecasts to sales leadership, highlighting key trends, insights, and areas for improvement.
  • Foster a high-energy, positive, and results-oriented team culture that promotes healthy competition, collaboration, and continuous learning.
  • Partner closely with the Marketing team to ensure seamless lead handoff processes, provide feedback on lead quality, and align on campaign strategies and follow-up.
  • Collaborate with Sales leadership and Account Executives to ensure the SDR team is generating high-quality, well-qualified opportunities that align with territory plans and revenue goals.
  • Own and manage the sales development technology stack, including CRM (Salesforce), sales engagement platforms (e.g., Outreach, SalesLoft), and data enrichment tools (e.g., ZoomInfo, LinkedIn Sales Navigator).
  • Develop and maintain a comprehensive playbook for the SDR role that documents all processes, best practices, and talk tracks for scalability and consistency.
  • Act as a "player-coach" when necessary, demonstrating best practices by actively prospecting and setting meetings to lead by example.
  • Create and manage motivational contests, spiffs, and incentive programs to drive performance and reward top achievers.
  • Refine the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and target personas in collaboration with Sales and Marketing based on market feedback and performance data.
  • Manage team capacity planning to ensure adequate coverage and support for the sales organization's pipeline needs as the company grows.
  • Conduct A/B tests on email subject lines, body copy, and call scripts to identify the most effective approaches for engaging prospects.
  • Stay current on industry trends, new sales tools, and best practices in sales development to ensure our team remains on the cutting edge.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for all operational and administrative needs of the SDR team.
  • Effectively manage and resolve conflicts or performance issues within the team in a professional and constructive manner.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc reporting and data analysis requests from senior sales and executive leadership.
  • Contribute to the organization's overall go-to-market strategy and annual planning process.
  • Collaborate with product and marketing teams to refine messaging and positioning based on prospect feedback gathered by the SDR team.
  • Participate in budget planning and resource allocation for the sales development function.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • CRM Proficiency: Deep expertise in Salesforce, including creating reports, building dashboards, and managing lead/contact/opportunity objects.
  • Sales Engagement Platform Expertise: Mastery of platforms like Outreach, SalesLoft, or Groove, including building, testing, and optimizing sequences/cadences.
  • Data Analysis & Reporting: Ability to analyze sales data to identify trends, measure performance against KPIs, and make data-driven decisions.
  • Lead Generation & Prospecting Tools: Proficiency with tools such as LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo, Lusha, or similar data providers.
  • Cadence Building & Optimization: Proven ability to design, implement, and A/B test effective multi-touch prospecting sequences.
  • Sales Methodology: Strong understanding of and ability to coach on sales frameworks like BANT, MEDDIC, or Challenger Sale.

Soft Skills

  • Leadership & Team Management: Inspiring and effective leadership with the ability to hire, train, and motivate a high-performing team.
  • Coaching & Mentorship: A passion for developing talent and providing actionable, constructive feedback to help individuals grow their careers.
  • Strategic Thinking: Ability to see the bigger picture, design effective long-term strategies, and align team activities with company goals.
  • Exceptional Communication: Clear, concise, and persuasive communication skills, both written and verbal, for internal and external audiences.
  • Problem-Solving: Proactive and resourceful in identifying and resolving challenges, from process inefficiencies to team performance issues.
  • Motivational Skills: Ability to create a high-energy, results-driven, and positive team environment.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree or equivalent practical experience in a B2B sales environment.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Marketing
  • Communications

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 5-7 years of experience in a B2B sales role, with at least 2-3 years in a people management or team lead capacity overseeing an SDR, BDR, or inside sales team.

Preferred:

  • Direct experience managing an SDR team in a high-growth, B2B SaaS environment is highly preferred. A proven, quantifiable track record of consistently meeting and exceeding team quotas and pipeline generation targets. Experience building an SDR function from the ground up is a significant plus.