How to Apply and Prepare for SDR Roles

Four areas that can improve your chances and reduce common mistakes

One of the main pillars of every successful Sales department is its Sales/business development team members. For many people starting in sales, the Sales Development Representative or Business Development Representative (SDR & BDR) role serves as the entry point, providing the foundational skills needed to advance in the field. From initial outreach, and qualifying potential leads, to learning about new technologies, these professionals play a vital role in the growth of the company. Breaking into an SDR role, however, isn’t always straightforward, and there are different paths to get there. In this post, I’ll explore these paths and highlight what it takes to succeed in this first step

After over five years of recruiting SDR teams for tech companies like GitLab and Elastic, I’ve seen firsthand what sets top candidates apart in interviews. Through these experiences, I have noticed some key patterns that can make a candidate successful during an interview process and even before that point.

In this post, I will focus on what are the steps for making your application stand out and providing a recruiter's perspective on interviewing for an SDR role. What are the common points that are often overlooked which can affect a process negatively, in addition, I’ll cover often-overlooked details that can impact your success and share five actionable steps to improve your chances.

Before diving into the specifics, let’s first examine what you can expect from a standard SDR interview process.

Common Interview Stages

1. Application

2. Interviewing

   • Recruiter screen

   • Hiring Manager interview

   • Case study/ Panel interview

   • Team member interview

   • Leadership interview

3. Offer stage: If all goes well, you move on to the job offer and negotiation phase.

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Key Focus Areas for SDR Candidates

Having a grasp of what a usual SDR interview process looks like, you should be able to focus on the 4 key areas that can impact your application.

1. Resume

2. Preparation

3. Motivation

4. Attitude

Resume

Your resume is your first chance to make an impression. Here’s what recruiters and hiring managers typically look for:

• Experience Type: Inbound or Outbound experience

• Market knowledge: (SMB, MM, ENT, Public Sector) & country/region (Netherlands or Benelux, etc)

• Activities: number of calls/messages

  • Type of activities: cold calls, LinkedIn messages, Video messages, etc

• Role Clarity: Clearly articulate your responsibilities and achievements

Early Career: If you are just starting your career in Sales, any experience that shows your ability to sell, negotiate and use your network effectively is important. The experience in sell derives in more than one area and I have seen candidates showcase their abilities by e.g. explaining how they built and grew their own company.

Note: You may be tempted to avoid including some specific parts of your experience that you think you are lacking or simply include them regardless to increase your chances of getting an interview. While this may get you a first call, my experience has shown that failing to support your claimed experience can damage trust and future opportunities.

Preparation

The A and Z for every interview for SDR are being prepared. This can include researching the role, the company you are applying for, as well as the industry landscape trends and competition.

In terms of research, devoting an hour to research some basic points can make all the difference.

• Main research areas: Understand the product and industry of the company you are applying for. Throughout my career, I was surprised by the candidates who failed to mention the information on the landing page of the company they applied for. Looking at competitors, current news of the company, funding rounds, products, subscription models and revenue streams, and even history and leadership of the company can have a significant impact during an interview.

  It goes without saying that you would need to know about your own company as well since some questions may include a short pitch of your current products or industry.

• In-Depth analysis

  • Case studies show examples of the product of a company and give a discussion point during the call. In most cases, sales team members will look into knowledge and motivation by asking examples of case studies. Ideally, in case you want to showcase your research, the case study can be relevant to the region instead of the first one shown on the company website.

  • Product and Industry Knowledge: Dive deep into the products and services offered by the company. For example, when I was recruiting for GitLab, I noticed that candidates who could speak confidently about Gitlab’s solutions and how they compared to competitors often made an impression.

• Culture: Research the different sections of the company’s website and culture from the careers page. Most recruiters can ask about current knowledge and there are additional resources for different teams. Understanding a company’s culture is as important as understanding its business. Review the “About” page, career site, and any related media. In interviews, you can share anecdotes about how the company’s values align with my own experiences, which helps illustrate a genuine cultural fit.

  • Open Handbooks: Many remote companies have open resources like handbooks or videos that offer insight into team culture and in some cases, tips on how you can be successful in the company. Take the time to review these materials as mentioning specific aspects of these resources during your interview can demonstrate your thorough preparation and strong interest in the company’s values.

• Being “Above and Beyond”: Many times, candidates have impressed me or hiring teams with their above-and-beyond mentality and preparation. An example of this has been in cases where a short 3-5 slide preparation of their research of the company and motivation to join was presented during the call. It is important to note that this was not expected of them but appreciated when they asked to showcase it during an interview with a manager.

Motivation

Apart from the skills required for the role, the right motivation is essential for teams. Especially for SDRs, the motivation to succeed and grow inside a company is imperative, considering that it is a more junior role with usually a 2-year development plan that the sales team invests time in. Therefore, demonstrating the right motivation is key—not just for getting the job but for thriving in it.

Strong vs. Lacking Motivation examples

Reasons such as “looking for a better package”, “looking to get my foot in the company,” and “I want to move to Account Executive in the next 6 months” do not indicate interest but rather a use of this position as a stepping stone. Instead, the focus during your interviews should be on long-term professional growth, developing deep business acumen, and a genuine interest in the company's products and industry.

Prepare to discuss your motivation comprehensively and thoughtfully, considering how your personal and professional aspirations align with the company’s goals.

Examples of Motivation-Related Interview Questions:

“Why did you choose this role/company as your next step”

“What is your ideal next role and when would you want that to happen?”

“How do you plan to develop/have developed yourself to achieve that?”

“Why do you want to move on from your current or previous role"?”

Showcasing Genuine Interest and Research

Expressing an informed interest in the company can significantly impact the perception of your motivation. It’s beneficial to discuss how your personal values align with the company's culture and mission, indicating that your interest goes beyond mere job requirements on a job post. This approach not only shows your readiness to contribute but also your potential to grow and adapt as part of the team.

Attitude

Balancing Confidence with Humility

Confidence in someone's own skills can certainly be positive, understanding where to draw the line is essential to make a positive impression during interviews. Showing humility and effort can go a long way and I’ve noticed that candidates who can balance confidence with humility tend to stand out more positively.

In my career, I have experienced many candidate interviews where a person may brag or exaggerate about the best way to operate. This can cause two problems during an interview with a hiring manager:

1. Perceived Arrogance: Overselling success or experience may come out as arrogant and that can indicate a struggle to collaborate properly with other team members.

2. Rigidity: Every team and every company operates differently. What works in one workplace does not necessarily work in another. Demonstrating an unwillingness to adapt to new methods or processes can signal a lack of flexibility, which is especially problematic in the ever-evolving environment of a tech company.

Examples of Attitude-based responses in Interviews

It’s important to craft responses that show your ability to learn from experiences and adapt to feedback:

• Examples of Less Effective Responses:

“I have only missed my targets 2 months but I was due to the market being slow”

“I have only sent messages and it works for me, I don’t think calling will be better”

• Examples of More Effective Responses:

“ I missed my targets for 3 months, but after discussing strategies with my manager and a teammate, I learned from their methods and improved my performance.”

“I was not managing to move people to the next stage of the sales funnel and after discussing with my manager, I understood that I was not showing initiative and gave no dates for follow-up. After I started to suggest options than just asking, I started to hit my targets”

Don’t “Burn Bridges”: Attitude extends also when deciding to decline an offer or interview. There have been many cases where candidates stopped replying or didn't show up for scheduled interviews. It is important to be respectful of everyone’s time and recognize that a simple and courteous response can maintain relationships and keep future opportunities open.

Summary:

Here is a visualization of some actual feedback and/or discussion from teams that I have experienced either before or after interviewing. These can help in understanding how each part section contributes to coming closer to successfully applying and interviewing as well as how all sections help in avoiding common mistakes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, starting from a junior role is always hard but being diligent and having a mature attitude will always be rewarded. While not every company may offer you a role immediately, persistent effort and a professional attitude are often rewarded in the long run.