Business Development Representative

Applause; Framingham (MA); Hybrid; USD 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Applause is seeking a Business Development Representative to be the first contact for prospects, driving early-stage sales cycles, and generating qualified outbound opportunities to support our field sales team.

You will collaborate with marketing and sales, qualify inbound inquiries, and manage pipeline using Salesforce, LinkedIn, and other tools. This role requires willingness to work 1–2 days per week at our Framingham, MA office and to develop regional acquisition strategies.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to prospect and develop accounts in B2B SaaS/tech environments.
• Experience with outbound prospecting and building pipeline.
• Familiarity with CRM and sales engagement platforms.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate outbound sales opportunities within targeted industry accounts and qualify based on challenges, infrastructure, timeline, and budget.
• Qualify inbound inquiries and transition them to the appropriate sales executive.
• Contribute to marketing initiatives and solution-specific campaigns.
• Partner with sales to execute territory planning and research key industry verticals.
• Articulate a compelling value proposition and convert opportunities with the sales team.
• Maintain records and forecasts in Salesforce; leverage LinkedIn and Hoovers for prospecting.
• Engage in proactive tele-prospecting across accounts; exceed pipeline targets.
• Develop regional business acquisition strategies with activity goals and milestones.

Skills

Outbound prospecting

Account development

CRM software

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Self-motivated

Problem solving

Tools

CRM

LinkedIn

Hoovers

Sales engagement tools

Job description

Applause is raising the bar for digital quality and employee experience. Recognized as a Top Workplace, Applause provides award-winning software testing and UX research solutions to top brands. Our fully managed services leverage a global team and the world's largest independent testing community. We improve digital experiences for global innovators like Google, Microsoft, PayPal, Starbucks, Vodafone, and BMW.

As a Business Development Representative you will act as the first contact for many Applause prospects with the objective of assisting our field sales team in selling products and services. You will focus on driving early-stage sales cycles, generating qualified outbound opportunities, and collaborating closely with marketing and sales teams. Successful candidates will possess strong communication skills, background in enterprise SaaS or tech industries, and a proven track record in lead generation and customer acquisition.

Key Responsibilities:

• Cultivate high-quality outbound sales opportunities within targeted industry accounts, ensuring each prospect is thoroughly diagnosed for business challenges, mapped to Applause solutions, and qualified based on infrastructure, timeline, and budget.
• Serve as the primary liaison for inbound inquiries within your territory, qualifying potential leads before transitioning them to the appropriate sales executive.
• Contribute to the success of regional marketing initiatives, events, and solution-specific campaigns.
• Partner with sales executives to execute strategic territory planning and perform deep-dive research into key industry verticals.
• Articulate a compelling value proposition tailored to every prospect while working in lockstep with sales to convert new opportunities.
• Maintain meticulous records and pipeline forecasts within Salesforce.com, utilizing advanced prospecting tools such as LinkedIn and Hoovers to maximize efficiency.
• Engage in proactive tele-prospecting and qualification across both targeted and non-targeted accounts.
• Meet or exceed monthly and quarterly objectives for pipeline generation and forecasting to ensure field sales has a steady stream of qualified prospects.
• Develop and present comprehensive business acquisition strategies for your assigned region, outlining specific activity goals, key performance milestones, and necessary resources.

Job Requirements and Preferred Skills:

• Ability to learn and execute outbound prospecting and account development strategies across assigned markets and accounts.
• Strong communication skills with an interest in building a career in B2B sales, SaaS, technology, or a related field. Previous sales experience is a plus.
• Comfortable learning and using sales and prospecting technology, such as CRM, sales engagement, and lead generation tools.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, a collaborative team-first orientation, and a proven aptitude for engaging and influencing key stakeholders.
• Driven, self-motivated, and results-oriented with a strong sense of urgency to bring initiatives to completion.
• Creative problem solver with strong leadership skills to translate ideas into effective execution.
• Willingness to work from our Framingham, MA corporate office 1–2 days per week

Why Applause?

We're proud to cultivate an inspiring, engaging employee culture that’s consistently reflected in high employee retention rates and satisfaction. Our talented team - known as Applause Nation - is set up for success with the latest collaboration and learning tools, opportunities for career advancement, and more.

• We have a flexible work environment with top talent from across the globe
• Collaborate with an international team of 450+ passionate, talented co-workers
• Expand your portfolio with exciting, hands-on projects providing exposure to well-known, global brands
• Learn and grow through structured onboarding, in-house knowledge sessions and access to thousands of virtual courses available on demand
• Incorporate AI and other exciting technologies into your work, to help you prioritize and boost productivity
• Experience a supportive culture that emphasizes teamwork, innovation and transparency
• Share your voice! Contribute and integrate creative and innovative ideas across roles and departments

Applause Core Values:

As a global employee community, we strive to uphold the following core values, which are critical to business success and how we measure individual and team performance. Do you share our core values?

• Be Accountable: You love to take ownership, and hold yourself and others accountable to increase empowerment and success.
• Celebrate Authenticity: You love bringing your true self to work and creating genuine and trustful relationships within a diverse environment.
• In It Together: You have a team-first mindset and love collaborating with your peers.
• Create Value for Our Customers: You love delivering meaningful business impact and being a release partner for all aspects of digital quality.
• Crush Your Goals: You always strive for excellence and constantly seek ways to be better, more effective and more efficient.

Compensation:

Beyond Applause's award-winning culture, our employee-centric benefits and competitive compensation strategy are designed to support your physical and mental well-being, promote work-life balance, and fuel your professional growth.

Base Salary $50k plus uncapped commissions.

Accommodations:

Applause is a place where everyone belongs and where we believe everyone deserves the exceptional. We continue to celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive, equitable environment for our employees. If you believe you require a reasonable accommodation und.er any of the legally protected characteristics, please click here to complete an accommodation request. Please note, Applause will only review requests for applications that have been submitted. We will review your qualifications and follow up with you regarding your request if your qualifications meet our current needs.