Business Development Representative

📋 Description

• • As a Business Development Representative (BDR) at Perplexity, you will be at the forefront of driving revenue growth and shaping the future of how businesses access and leverage information. This role is a dynamic blend of direct revenue generation and strategic pipeline development, offering a unique opportunity to impact Perplexity's expansion into the enterprise market. You will be instrumental in identifying, engaging, and qualifying high-potential prospects, ultimately contributing to the success of our sales organization and the broader adoption of our groundbreaking AI-powered search technology.
• • A core facet of your responsibility will be to directly generate revenue by owning and closing small to mid-sized accounts. This involves efficiently managing your outreach through email and conducting concise, impactful 15-minute discovery calls. Your ability to quickly assess needs, articulate value, and guide prospects through the initial stages of the sales cycle will be crucial for success in this area. You will be empowered to manage these accounts independently, demonstrating a strong sense of ownership and a results-oriented approach.
• • Simultaneously, you will serve as a critical pipeline development engine for our broader sales team. This involves meticulously qualifying enterprise prospects using established methodologies like BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline) to identify high-value opportunities that are best suited for our Account Executives. Your keen ability to discern genuine potential from initial interest will ensure that our sales resources are focused on the most promising leads, maximizing efficiency and conversion rates.
• • Strategic outbound campaigns and market development will be a significant part of your role. You will execute targeted outbound initiatives designed to penetrate specific industry verticals, understanding their unique challenges and demonstrating how Perplexity Enterprise can provide transformative solutions. This requires a proactive and research-driven approach to identifying key decision-makers and crafting compelling outreach strategies.
• • Leveraging social selling techniques will be essential to represent the Perplexity brand effectively. This includes actively posting engaging content, commenting on relevant industry discussions, and experimenting with new formats across social platforms to maintain top-of-mind awareness with your target audience. Building and nurturing your professional network will be a key component of your success.
• • You will be responsible for researching and mapping accounts within your assigned verticals to build comprehensive and actionable prospect lists. This deep dive into target organizations will enable you to develop highly personalized and effective vertical-specific messaging that directly addresses industry pain points and showcases the unique use cases for Perplexity Enterprise.
• • Your insights and efforts will directly contribute to the top-of-funnel strategy, providing valuable feedback and data that informs our overall go-to-market approach. You will be encouraged to share your learnings and ideas for optimizing our outreach and engagement tactics.
• • Maintaining pristine data hygiene in Salesforce is paramount. You will ensure that all prospect interactions, qualification criteria, and deal progress are meticulously documented, providing a clear and accurate view of the sales pipeline for yourself and the wider team. This commitment to data integrity is fundamental to our operational excellence.
• • You will respond rapidly and effectively to inbound inquiries, employing a consultative and value-driven communication style. Your goal will be to quickly understand the prospect's needs and guide them towards the most appropriate next steps, whether that's a direct engagement for smaller accounts or a qualified handoff to an Account Executive.
• • Building and iterating on outbound sequences that consistently drive pipeline generation will be a key performance indicator. You will have the opportunity to experiment with different messaging, cadences, and channels to optimize your outreach efforts and achieve predictable results.
• • Exceptional communication skills are at the core of this role. You must possess the ability to articulate complex AI search solutions clearly and concisely via email and phone, adapting your tone and technical depth to suit a diverse range of stakeholders, from technical experts to business leaders.
• • Demonstrating vertical expertise in at least one key industry, such as Financial Services, Healthcare, Legal, or Consulting, is highly valued. This expertise will enable you to speak credibly about industry-specific challenges and position Perplexity as a strategic partner.
• • A strong sales acumen, including a proven ability to qualify prospects using the BANT methodology while maintaining velocity in the sales cycle, is essential. You need to be adept at moving prospects forward efficiently without sacrificing thoroughness.
• • Possessing technical aptitude means being comfortable discussing enterprise software, APIs, and AI capabilities at a high level. You should be able to engage in meaningful conversations about how our technology integrates and provides value.
• • A self-starter mentality is crucial, coupled with the ability to effectively manage competing priorities, such as closing deals for smaller accounts while simultaneously qualifying opportunities for Account Executives. This requires excellent time management and organizational skills.
• • Adopting a data-driven approach to tracking conversion rates, response times, and pipeline metrics will enable you to continuously refine your strategies and demonstrate your impact. You will be expected to monitor your performance and identify areas for improvement.
• • Cultivating intellectual curiosity about how AI and advanced search technologies are transforming enterprise workflows is vital. You should be eager to learn and stay abreast of the latest developments in the AI space and their business applications.
• • Finally, the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment where processes are still being defined is key. You should be comfortable with ambiguity and eager to contribute to shaping our future success.