Lead Nurturing & Business Development | Remote | South Africa

Position Overview

We are looking for an experienced Sales Development Representative (SDR) to join a growing US-based commercial furniture business. This is a full-time remote opportunity focused on B2B outbound sales, lead nurturing, prospect qualification and business development.

The successful candidate will work with company-provided, enriched lead lists and engage US-based decision makers across the hospitality, events, education, religious and municipal sectors.

This is not an entry-level SDR role. The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years of B2B outbound sales experience, be confident conducting unscripted calls with senior decision makers, and be highly self-managed with the ability to manage their own pipeline and reporting without close supervision.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and work through company-provided B2B lead lists to generate qualified sales opportunities.
• Conduct outbound prospecting through cold calling, email, LinkedIn and SMS.
• Nurture longer sales-cycle opportunities until prospects are genuinely sales-ready.
• Qualify prospects based on business need, buying intent, timing, decision-making authority and potential opportunity value.
• Build relationships with US-based decision makers, including:
• General Managers
• Facility Directors
• Purchasing and Procurement Officers
• Parks and Recreation Directors
• School Administrators
• Church Administrators
• Event and Venue Managers
• Handle objections confidently and maintain natural, unscripted conversations.
• Identify qualified opportunities and hand them over to Territory Sales Representatives.
• Maintain accurate and detailed CRM records for all prospect interactions and opportunities.
• Follow up consistently with prospects and manage multiple opportunities through different stages of the sales cycle.
• Use sales intelligence and prospecting tools to research accounts and personalise outreach.
• Use AI tools to support prospect research, personalisation, summarisation and productivity.
• Provide regular reporting on activity, pipeline progression, qualified opportunities and follow-up requirements.
• Work independently and proactively without requiring constant supervision or prompting.
• Potentially support opportunities further through the sales process, with closing ability considered a strong advantage.

Key Performance Indicators

Success will not be measured purely by call or appointment volume.

The primary focus will be on:

• Number and quality of qualified opportunities generated.
• Opportunities accepted by the Territory Sales Representatives.
• Quality and accuracy of qualification.
• Consistent pipeline development and lead nurturing.
• CRM accuracy and documentation.
• Follow-up discipline.
• Self-managed reporting and communication.
• Ability to maintain a consistent outbound activity level.
• Contribution to revenue-generating opportunities.

Requirements

Experience

• Minimum 3 years' experience in B2B outbound sales, SDR, BDR, lead generation, lead nurturing or inside sales.
• Proven experience generating qualified opportunities for an outside or field sales team.
• Experience selling into the US market is highly advantageous.
• Experience working with longer B2B sales cycles is preferred.
• Experience within SaaS, BPO, commercial services, furniture, hospitality, events or other B2B environments is advantageous.
• Previous fully remote experience is strongly preferred.

Communication

• Fluent, professional spoken English is essential.
• Must have clear, neutral and easily understood English suitable for speaking with US-based decision makers.
• Strong telephone presence and confidence communicating without relying heavily on scripts.
• Excellent objection handling, rapport building and questioning skills.
• Ability to communicate professionally with senior business decision makers.

A voice sample or recorded call example is required with every candidate submission.

Self-Management

The successful candidate must be highly independent and capable of managing their own workload.

You should be able to:

• Manage your own daily pipeline and priorities.
• Work effectively without constant supervision.
• Proactively report on activity and progress.
• Identify when follow-up is required without being prompted.
• Maintain consistent productivity while working remotely.
• Demonstrate strong accountability and ownership.

Sales & Technology Skills

Experience with the following tools is advantageous:

• EspoCRM or comparable CRM platforms
• RingCentral or similar cloud-based diallers
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator
• ZoomInfo
• Apollo.io
• Mautic or other marketing automation platforms
• ChatGPT and other AI productivity/research tools
• Magento 2

Candidates do not need experience with every platform, but should demonstrate strong overall CRM, sales technology and prospecting-tool proficiency.

Working Hours

Monday to Friday

US Eastern Time: approximately 09:00–17:00 ET

South African Time: approximately 15:00–23:00 SAST, shifting to approximately 16:00–00:00 SAST during US winter time.

Candidates must be comfortable and able to maintain this schedule on a long-term basis.

Short-term or temporary evening availability will not be suitable.

Remote Working Requirements

Candidates must have:

• A dedicated, quiet home office.
• Reliable high-speed internet.
• A suitable computer/laptop and professional working environment.
• Reliable backup power for outages/load shedding, such as an inverter or UPS.
• Mobile internet/data failover.
• A demonstrated ability to remain operational during power or connectivity interruptions.

Candidates will be required to confirm their internet and backup power arrangements in writing.

Benefits

What We Offer

• Full-time remote position.
• Opportunity to work with an established US business.
• Direct exposure to the US B2B market.
• Long-term growth opportunity.
• Initial one-month trial period, followed by ongoing employment based on performance.
• Potential for additional opportunities as the business expands.
• Potential commission structure linked to performance.

Recruitment Process

Shortlisted candidates may be required to complete:

1. CV and experience screening.
2. One-way video introduction.
3. Voice sample or recorded sales call.
4. Interview.
5. Potential live/mock sales call or blind role-play.
6. Final client interview.

Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their ability to conduct a natural, unscripted B2B sales conversation and qualify a prospect effectively.