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Sales development manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Adry S. Clark Ph.D.,

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Sales development manager example skills

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical sales development manager skills. We ranked the top skills for sales development managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 8.7% of sales development manager resumes contained sdr as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a sales development manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 sales development manager skills for your resume and career

1. SDR

SDR is a currency instrument used for internal accounting operations by the IMF. They are exchange assets, most associated with the foreign space, and are used as a form of exchange.

Here's how sales development managers use sdr:

Manage and train Sales Development Representatives (SDR) on product, services and sale techniques to convert leads into sales.
Developed & Promoted 3 SDR's to Solutions Engineer, Senior Sales Development & Global Financial Services respectively.

2. Salesforce

Salesforce is an American cloud-based software company based in San Francisco, California. This company provides customer relationship management services that enable the customers to be closer to the company. It gives the company detailed information about each customer, including marketing, sales, commerce, and services. Salesforce also helps market a product to attract more buyers, and helps win more customers by targeting the right audience.

Here's how sales development managers use salesforce:

Optimized SalesForce for best lead referral to RVP's.
Directed training for customer relation management software; Salesforce.com.

3. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how sales development managers use customer service:

Changed culture from purely operational to more balanced approach which included sales management and customer service.
Developed and implemented customer service and leadership development training for 29 stores.

4. CRM

CRM stands for Customer relationship management and it is a complete process through which a business or organization monitors and administers its interactions with the customers. A process in which large amounts of data are collected through marketing via a company's website, polls, surveys, and other social media applications. The basic goal of CRM is to target the right audience for their product, and then fulfill their needs, to increase the sales and revenue of the company.

Here's how sales development managers use crm:

Maintain CRM customer database for assigned and newly developed customers.
Created the communication of leads into the sales CRM to be followed up on by the inside sales force.

5. Sales Process

Here's how sales development managers use sales process:

Re-tasked job descriptions with sales-driven functions and aligned compensation to sales process.
Developed and implemented sales processes to increase production.

6. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how sales development managers use business development:

Analyzed territory, customer requirements, business development opportunities and determined need for sales focus and penetration for our 13 centers.
Developed and implemented an account classification/business development program locally that was adapted worldwide by corporate sales management in 2009.

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7. Lead Generation

Here's how sales development managers use lead generation:

Developed lead generation strategies through self-education, interviewing account executives, and research.
Specialize in lead generation through various marketing channels using data collection & analysis.

8. Training Programs

Here's how sales development managers use training programs:

Managed training curriculum for all Sales personnel and delivered training programs; planned and facilitated annual off-site Sales conferences.
Designed and implemented sales training programs, integrated learning modules into core curriculum.

9. Product Knowledge

Product knowledge is the skill of having better information and knowledge about the product you are selling. Product knowledge is essential for the employees of the companies so they can communicate and inform the customers about the product. Having great product knowledge is essential for a better sales pitch and to give the customer a better and complete idea of the product that will influence him to buy the product eventually.

Here's how sales development managers use product knowledge:

Managed day to day relationships with internal and external strategic partners to ensure product knowledge and long term business strategies.
Work with jobber salesman when calling on installers using sales promotions and product knowledge to help increase automotive parts sales.

10. Sales Targets

Here's how sales development managers use sales targets:

Achieved an average of 148% of sales targets every month.
Filled in as Sales Manager often while exceeding individual sales targets.

11. Sales Training

Here's how sales development managers use sales training:

Developed and facilitated multiple sales training classes for entire company.
Redesigned processes and curriculum for regional office sales training.

12. Sales Strategies

Here's how sales development managers use sales strategies:

Implemented corporate sales strategies by building strong relationships with internal and external business partners.
Identified sector-specific sales strategies to pro-actively identify and engage key target clients.

13. Sales Professionals

Here's how sales development managers use sales professionals:

Motivated and identified sales professionals strengths while also helping in the self-discovery of development opportunities to improve overall sales success.
Work extensively with sales professionals, sales management, and company executives to embrace proven value-creating methodology.

14. Sales Plan

Here's how sales development managers use sales plan:

Develop sales plans and coordinate all outside sales efforts, develop customer base, increase base and profitability in market.
Helped define strategic global sales plans and associated tactics related to the international revenue component within the targeted client base.

15. Enterprise Sales

Here's how sales development managers use enterprise sales:

Account facing enterprise sales role to identify, prospect, qualify and present on-site to regional hospitals and large physician organizations.
Increased enterprise sales & OEM revenue 25% year over year.

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What skills help Sales Development Managers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on sales development manager resumes?

Adry S. Clark Ph.D.

Director, Western Oregon University

The skills that stand out on resumes fall into two categories: 1) Skills required to do the job and 2) Skills almost all employers look for. The most important aspect of resumes is to make sure it reflects exactly what the employer needs. Study the job description, identify key skills, and have them reflected on your resume. Think about transferrable skills, not the specific roles you've had.

Most employers look for skills such as communication (written/oral), flexibility, proactivity, problem-solving, project management, and technical. Make sure to cultivate those skills in whatever role you have, and have examples that demonstrate those skills.

What soft skills should all sales development managers possess?

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Executive Director, Center for Professional Selling, Frank and Floy Smith Holloway Endowed Professorship in Marketing, President, University Sales Center Alliance 2019-2021, Baylor University

Since sales professionals have a lot of information available to them today via customer relationship management (CRM) systems, the sales manager's "supervisory" role is less important (especially for experienced sellers). Consequently, the sales manager needs to be more of a coach and enabler of high performance. Having confidence balanced with humility allows the sales manager to engage more effectively with their salespeople.
One of the critical soft skills for sales managers going forward will be the ability to connect members of the sales team to others in the organization - in other words, the sales manager of the future needs to have strong skills in network building for others. Sellers have access to data which helps them build success.
They also need access to the right people to turn to when they need specific expertise or assistance.

What hard/technical skills are most important for sales development managers?

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Executive Director, Center for Professional Selling, Frank and Floy Smith Holloway Endowed Professorship in Marketing, President, University Sales Center Alliance 2019-2021, Baylor University

One of the growing technical skill requirements for sales managers is in the area of data analytics. Our performance and customer systems provide a myriad of data, and the role of the sales manager is to be a sense-maker of that mound of data. What are the implications for changes in strategy or behavior evident in last quarter's activity? How can the sales manager help a specific seller "see" where the data suggest new approaches?

What sales development manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Associate Dean, Central Connecticut State University

This pandemic taught us many things and one important thing that we have an efficiency gap.

The way of doing business will be much more technology orientated. Hence graduates should be ready to unskill and upskill their credentials. This time it is necessary to forget the old way of doing business and learn new skills to get a job or stay in a current job. Soft skills have become much more important than before, but a different soft skill set would be essential to interact with future market participants. Thus, a gap year should be utilized to unskill-upskill and enhance relevant credentials by getting into short-long term programs, training, and workshops would be highly recommended.

What type of skills will young sales development managers need?

Michael Mikitka

Executive Vice President, MHI – Material Handling Industry

Courses and internships are essential. While the required depth of knowledge may vary from one position to another, employers are generally looking for candidates with strong "people-related" skills, those who are willing to continue to learn, and those with the ability to be flexible and adapt.

By "people-related" skills, I mean the abilities associated with effective communication (listen and express ideas and direction) and the skills related to working independently and a team.

As for the interest to continually learn... from a technology, data, and equipment perspective, today's supply chain looks very different than it did 10-years ago. The willingness and ability to continually learn are essential for anyone in a leadership role.

As for flexibility and adapting...supply chain/logistics is as much about responding to disruption and demand as it is planning for it. There is a predictable demand (i.e., seasonal...everyone knows when back-to-school shopping begins). Then there is the unpredictable demand (i.e., power-outages, wildfires, pandemic) that impact market and the ability to operate. Candidates that express flexibility and problem-solving skills will be much sought-after.

Do you want to know more?

List of sales development manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a sales development manager resume and required skills for a sales development manager to have include:

SDR
Salesforce
Customer Service
CRM
Sales Process
Business Development
Lead Generation
Training Programs
Product Knowledge
Sales Targets
Sales Training
Sales Strategies
Sales Professionals
Sales Plan
Enterprise Sales
HR

Project Management
Sales Performance
Sales Organization
Performance Management
Sales Reps
Revenue Growth
Sales
Digital Marketing
KPI
Customer Satisfaction
Customer Relationships
Sales Objectives
Sales Tools
Account Management
Direct Reports
Market Research

Sales Cycle
Trade Shows
ROI
Sales Territory
Sales Support
Sales Techniques
Sales Volume
Business Plan
Sales Presentations
Product Development
Sales Efforts
Product Training
Sales Growth
R
Blended Learning

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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