Why Is Everyone Hiring BDRs - And How To Make Sure Yours Perform?
- Hannah
- Mar 28
- 3 min read
If you’re building a startup in mobility, EV, or anything vaguely SaaS-shaped, you’ve probably heard it: “We need BDRs. Lots of them.”
And yes, done right, Business Development Representatives (BDRs) can be a massive unlock for growth. But without the right approach, you’ll end up with a bloated sales team full of empty calendars and missed targets.
Why is everyone hiring BDRs, what separates the great from the forgettable, and how do you actually get value from them?
The real value of a great BDR
Let’s start with the good news. When you hire an exceptional BDR, you're not just adding headcount, you’re adding leverage.
A high-performing BDR:
Keeps your pipeline warm with qualified, relevant leads
Frees up your AEs and commercial leads to focus on closing
Surfaces insight about your market, competitors, and messaging in real-time
Helps you test what works, faster
Basically, they’re your early warning system, your frontline brand rep, and your volume engine all rolled into one. When done right, they make sales scalable. When done badly, they make it expensive.
What good BDRs actually look like
Everyone talks about resilience, hunger, grit, etc. Sure. That’s baseline.
But if you want BDRs who actually move the needle, look for these:
1. ❓ They ask smart questions
Curiosity is their superpower. They don’t just follow scripts, they want to understand. The product. The buyer. The objections. Good BDRs are also high in EQ: they know when to push, when to pause, and how to read between the lines.
2. 🔢 They know the numbers
Great BDRs obsess over data. Their conversion rate. Their teammate’s. The average call-to-meeting ratio. They know what works and they replicate it, refining their process with military precision.
3. 📦 They’re creatively relentless
Let’s face it - most outreach is forgettable. The best BDRs cut through. They find angles others don’t. Personalised videos, smart subject lines, hyper-relevant messaging… They make people want to respond.
If you’re not hiring for these traits, you’re hiring noise.
How to help them succeed
Now let’s flip it. Once they’re in, how do you set BDRs up to actually succeed?
Clarity over chaos: Clear ICPs, clean messaging, and a CRM that isn’t held together with duct tape.
Regular feedback loops: Not once a quarter, weekly. What’s landing? What’s falling flat? What are they hearing that product or marketing should know?
Training that isn’t just call shadowing: Think objection handling, product deep-dives, mock sessions, not just “sit next to Tom for a week.”
Incentives that drive behaviour: Are you rewarding inputs and outcomes? Are you nudging the right activity?
A route to progress: Top BDRs are ambitious. No career path = no retention.
Red flags to watch out for
Sometimes, it's not them, it's the hiring process. But also, sometimes... it's them.
Watch for:
🚫 “Spray and pray” outreach with zero targeting
🚫 No curiosity in interviews (or life)
🚫 Can’t explain why they’re doing what they’re doing
🚫 Poor time management masked as “busy”
🚫 Resistance to feedback or coaching
You don’t need perfect, just coachable, curious, and hungry to improve.
So, should you hire BDRs?
Probably. But only if you know what you’re looking for and what you’re setting them up for.
Don’t just hire because your board said “go outbound.” Hire because you’ve got a clear commercial plan, a well-defined ICP, and the infrastructure to support success.
Thinking about building your first BDR team or scaling the one you've got?
We help fast-moving companies hire sales and customer success talent that actually delivers. Whether you need a single standout or a whole outbound function, we’ll help you build it right.
Let’s talk about what good looks like.
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