Sales Development Representative

About the role

You are the initial point of human contact for Payscale, acting as the trusted first voice that introduces our compensation intelligence to the market. In this position, you will own the end-to-end discovery and qualification process for inbound and outbound prospects, ensuring that every interaction builds a clear path toward a business case for modern pay. You will partner daily with seasoned Account Executives to co-create strategic territory plans that uncover hidden opportunities within your assigned verticals and geographies. This role demands that you become a student of the compensation landscape, translating complex market data into simple, relatable narratives for busy compensation professionals. You will be measured by your ability to convert curiosity into qualified meetings while maintaining the highest level of professionalism in every email and call. Your work will directly feed the pipeline that powers our revenue engine and reinforces Payscale's position as the leader in pay transparency. As a representative of the brand, you will challenge objections with data-driven insights and collaborate cross-functionally to relay market signals that shape product and messaging.

Key facts

What you'll do

Conduct in-depth research on prospective companies and decision makers to build a data-backed list of target accounts that align with our Ideal Customer Profile.

Use consultative discovery techniques to uncover pain points around compensation planning, benchmarking, and pay equity before introducing Payscale solutions.

Qualify leads by applying a structured methodology that separates surface-level interest from genuine buying intent and budget authority.

Leverage innovative prospecting strategies across email, phone, and LinkedIn to engage compensation leaders, HR business partners, and finance stakeholders.

Articulate Payscale's value proposition by connecting product capabilities to business outcomes such as retention, market competitiveness, and compliance.

Maintain precise records in Salesforce, ensuring that every interaction, note, and next step is captured for maximum team transparency.

Provide actionable market intelligence and trend insights to Marketing, Sales, and Product teams based on real conversations with prospects and customers.

Collaborate with Account Executives on territory planning to identify gaps, prioritize accounts, and sequence outreach for maximum impact.

Utilize sales enablement tools like Outreach or Salesloft to manage cadences, track engagement, and optimize follow-up sequences over time.

Achieve and exceed monthly pipeline goals by balancing volume with quality, iterating on approaches that generate the highest response rates.

Commit to continuous learning through formal training, mock calls, and feedback sessions that refine your questioning and messaging skills.

Grow into a leadership position within the first year by mentoring newer SDRs and sharing proven techniques for effective discovery and objection handling.

Act as a product evangelist by staying current on industry trends and competitor offerings, allowing you to confidently differentiate Payscale in the marketplace.

Own the full sales cycle from first contact to handoff, ensuring a seamless experience for prospects and a smooth transition for Account Executives.

Use data to prioritize high-impact activities, focusing on the channels and messages that generate the strongest pipeline growth.

Requirements

Hold a Bachelor's Degree or possess equivalent experience that demonstrates a proven track record in a professional environment.

Bring 1+ years of professional experience, with a preference for candidates who have spent 1-2 years in sales roles focused on phone-based lead generation, inside sales, or business development.

Show a history of success in territory planning, including the ability to segment markets, prioritize accounts, and manage a structured outbound prospecting strategy.

Demonstrate proficiency with Salesforce or a similar CRM, ensuring you can accurately log activities, update stages, and forecast pipeline movement.

Be fluent with sales enablement platforms such as Outreach, Salesloft, or Highspot, and understand how to leverage these tools to scale personalized communication.

Comfortable working with MS Office Suite, especially Outlook, to manage calendars, communications, and detailed documentation.

Possess exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to speak clearly and write persuasively to senior-level audiences.

Adept at active listening, you can distinguish between stated needs and underlying concerns, drawing out the full context of a prospect's challenges.

Resilient by nature, you view setbacks as learning opportunities and maintain consistent performance even when facing frequent rejection.

Detail oriented, with the discipline to follow processes, meet deadlines, and ensure accuracy in every interaction and record.

Tech savvy, excited to learn new platforms quickly and integrate them into your daily workflow without extensive hand-holding.

Collaborative by mindset, you share knowledge freely and contribute to a team environment where collective success is prioritized over individual glory.

Committed to ethical sales practices, representing Payscale with integrity and aligning every conversation with our core values.

Capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment, balancing pipeline targets with the need for thoughtful, research-driven outreach.

Practical notes

Hours may vary based on business needs.

This role may involve travel once local regulations and office policies permit.

Employment eligibility to work in the United States is required at the time of hire.

New hires must complete any required onboarding and training programs before handling live prospects.