SDRs sit at the front line of revenue. They are often the first human contact a prospect has with your business, usually at a point when interest is low and scepticism is high. The quality of that interaction determines whether a conversation progresses or stops there.
For founders and sales leaders making their first SDR hires, this role carries outsized weight. There is no mature playbook, no safety in numbers, and very little room for inconsistency. Early SDRs do more than book meetings. They shape how your company sounds, feels, and is perceived in the market.
That is why hiring based on confidence, polish, or “sales energy” alone so often disappoints. The SDRs who perform well over time tend to share a different set of skills. They are quieter, more disciplined, and far more deliberate.
Below are the skills that matter most, along with interview tips that genuinely test for them.
1. The ability to listen properly
In early sales motions, discovery is often more valuable than pitching.
Strong SDRs listen with intent. They do not rush to fill silence or force a message through resistance. They pick up on what is said, what is avoided, and what feels unresolved.
This leads to better questions, fewer assumptions, and far more useful handovers to AEs or founders.
Interview tip that works
During the interview, mention a constraint or priority in passing, something small but specific. Later, ask the candidate to summarise what matters most to you right now.
You are testing whether they were genuinely listening, not whether they can perform discovery on cue.
2. Clear, restrained communication
Early SDRs represent your business before trust has been earned.The strongest ones are clear and measured. They explain what you do without exaggeration and ask for next steps without pressure. They respect the prospect’s time and intelligence. They get to the point, avoid jargon, and do not over-claim.
Interview tip that works
Ask, “How would you explain what we do to someone outside our industry in 1 minute?”
Stop them at the one-minute mark. Clarity under constraint is the signal, not enthusiasm.
3. Emotional resilience
Rejection is constant in SDR roles. In small teams, it is also highly visible.
You want people who can absorb a bad day without letting it change how they show up the next morning. Not forced positivity, but emotional steadiness.
This matters because early SDRs influence the tone of your sales culture more than most leaders expect.
Interview tip that works
Ask, “What does a bad day look like for you, and what do you do before starting the next one?”
Look for practical coping behaviour, not motivational language.
4. Thoughtful preparation
Relevance matters more than volume when you are still validating your market.
Strong SDRs prepare just enough to be credible. They understand who they are reaching out to, why it makes sense, and what might matter to that person.
This is how early teams learn quickly and improve positioning in real conversations.
Interview tip that works
Give the candidate a company name and job title during the interview and ask what they would want to know before reaching out.
You are testing judgement and prioritisation, not research depth.
5. Time management and self-direction
Early SDRs are often lightly managed by necessity.
The best ones can structure their own day, prioritise the right accounts, and avoid hiding in low-impact activity. They build routines that are sustainable, not heroic.
This skill is easy to overlook and expensive to miss.
Interview tip that works
Ask, “Walk me through how you would structure a outreach day if no one was checking your activity.”
Strong candidates talk about focus, sequencing, and energy management, not just volume.
6. Coachability
Your first SDR hires will shape how your sales motion evolves.
Coachability determines whether that evolution is productive or painful. Early confidence is optional. The ability to take feedback and apply it is not.
Strong SDRs care more about outcomes than defending their current approach.
Interview tip that works
Give one clear piece of feedback on an answer they just gave and ask them to respond again incorporating it.
You are looking for adjustment without defensiveness, not perfection.
7. Commercial curiosity
Effective early SDRs are curious about how businesses actually operate. They want to understand decision-making, internal pressure, and what success looks like for different roles. This leads to better questions and more credible conversations, especially with senior stakeholders. It also makes them far more valuable partners to founders.
Interview tip that works
Ask, “What would you want to understand about a business before deciding whether they are worth pursuing?”
Strong candidates focus on impact, priorities, and context, not surface-level facts.
8. Consistency over intensity
Early teams often reward effort. Sustainable pipeline comes from consistency.
Strong SDRs show up the same way every day. They track what works, review performance honestly, and keep standards high even when motivation dips.
This steadiness is what turns early traction into repeatable results.
Interview tip that works
Ask, “What do you do when motivation drops but the work still needs to get done?”
Look for routines and discipline, not reliance on mood or adrenaline.
The best SDRs are rarely the loudest or most polished in the interview room. They are curious, resilient, and disciplined enough to improve when the work is repetitive and uncertain.
If you are hiring your first SDRs, your interview process should reflect the reality of the role, not an idealised version of it. Test for judgement, learning speed, and emotional control early.
