The Ultimate Guide to Hiring a Business Development Rep

Can you guess what the average turnover is in the typical sales department? Our Voice of the Sales Manager survey reveals the number is 30%. To reduce that number, you want to fill open positions with the right people. That’s especially true if you’re hiring a business development rep.

How to hire the right business development rep

It’s astonishingly easy to hire the wrong person into a sales role. C. Lee Smith, SalesFuel founder and CEO, says the problem often starts with a job description. “The hiring manager and the HR department aren’t always on the same page with what the position entails.” Start the process the right way: By writing a fresh job description.

This information can be customized on a behavioral and sales skills assessment platform such as TeamTrait^TM. This strategy allows the organization to prioritize hiring a person with the sales skills and personality traits needed to succeed in the business development role.

In our Voice of the Sales Rep survey, around 22% of BDRs identified their personality as adaptable/persuasive/charming. Another 22% reported that they are dedicated/observant/conscientious. Personality traits matter. But hiring managers should also review candidates' assessment scores for likely on-the-job behavior and evaluate sales skills.

What do business development reps do?

At 6sense, the BDR role is defined as working on accounts that are assigned to them by a sales leader or marketing team member. And these assignments are based on the buying signals exhibited by the account.

New research from 6sense and MarketOne reminds us that BDRs are often the first point of contact between a buyer and the selling organization. Yet it will require many types of outreach to find solid leads, the ones who are ready to make a decision.

The typical BDR reaches out 34 times per contact in 2026. This number has increased significantly in the past two years.

And outreach doesn’t equate to effectiveness. Instead, actions like reaching more than one contact at an account, receiving enough training and “feeling supported” are what matter in terms of closing more deals. That “feeling supported” aspect can include access to good tools such as AI. These are all job aspects that managers should be offering.

What roadblocks do BDRs encounter?

BDRs are given qualified leads, but that doesn't mean closing deals will be easy. The challenges they encounter are best handled by individuals with specific work traits.

According to the Voice of the Sales Rep, the top challenges that a business development rep encounters include:

• Prospect is satisfied with current supplier/locked in 42% (37% of all reps say this)
• Price is too high 38%
• Currently happy or afraid to make a change 36%

Facing these odds means that BDRs will encounter a high rejection rate. Managers should hire resilient individuals for these roles because they must be able to move past rejection and start connecting with the next prospect.

What is the current sales climate for business development reps?

37% of BDRs in our Voice of the Sales Rep survey (versus 31% of all reps) say it’s harder to get/stay motivated in the current market. BDRs emphasize specific characteristics are needed to succeed in the role.

• Self-motivation 45%
• Positive/optimism 44%
• Confidence 58%

As hiring managers study the talent of their applicant pool, they should keep these characteristics in mind.

How does the BDR candidate fit with the sales manager?

When a BDR candidate appears to be a good fit for a position, the hiring manager should also review their personal fit with the individual. The TeamTrait platform highlights where a manager and a team member fit well and where they might have difficulty.

For example, managers with a high need for control may struggle to oversee a BDR who prefers to be self-reliant. Managers should develop a plan for how to manage an independent-minded BDR.

Do BDRs have specific concerns about their managers? Yes. They point out that their managers:

• Are not motivating 30% (25% of all reps)
• Shift blame 28%
• Don’t hold everyone accountable 24%

How can sales managers meet team member needs?

In addition to modifying their behavior to meet the needs of individual BDRs, managers can also try to enrich the job experience. The top motivators at work for BDRs are the ability to learn new things (47%) and to be self-reliant (40%).

Conclusion

Hiring the right business development rep can impact the bottom line in a big way. When sales managers use behavioral assessments, they increase the likelihood of finding the individual who will become the next rainmaker.

Image by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.