What are the responsibilities and job description for the Business Development Representative position at Perplexity?
What You’ll Do
Drive Revenue & Qualify Opportunities
Core competencies
Drive Revenue & Qualify Opportunities
- Balance dual responsibilities of direct revenue generation and pipeline development for the broader sales team
- Qualify enterprise prospects using BANT criteria to identify high-value opportunities for Account Executive handoff
- Own and close small to mid-sized accounts (lower seat/FTE requirements) through efficient email communication and concise 15-minute discovery calls
- Execute targeted outbound campaigns to penetrate specific industry verticals
- Use social selling to represent the Perplexity brand—posting, commenting, and experimenting with new formats to stay top-of-mind with prospects
- Research and map accounts within assigned verticals to build comprehensive prospect lists
- Develop vertical-specific messaging that resonates with industry pain points and use cases for Perplexity Enterprise
- Contribute to top of funnel strategy
- Maintain pristine data hygiene in Salesforce, ensuring all prospect interactions and qualification criteria are documented
- Respond rapidly to inbound inquiries with consultative, value-driven communication
- Build and iterate on outbound sequences that drive consistent pipeline generation
Core competencies
- Exceptional communication skills: Ability to articulate complex AI/search solutions clearly via email and phone, adapting tone and technical depth to various stakeholders
- Vertical expertise: Demonstrated understanding of at least one key industry (e.g., Financial Services, Healthcare, Legal, Consulting) with ability to speak to industry-specific challenges
- Sales acumen: Proven ability to qualify prospects using BANT methodology while maintaining velocity in the sales cycle
- Technical aptitude: Comfort discussing enterprise software, APIs, and AI capabilities at a high level
- Self-starter mentality with ability to manage competing priorities (closing deals vs. qualifying for AEs)
- Data-driven approach to tracking conversion rates, response times, and pipeline metrics
- Intellectual curiosity about how AI and advanced search transform enterprise workflows
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment where processes are still being defined
- 1-2 years in SaaS sales development or business development roles
- Experience selling to technical and non-technical buyers
- Familiarity with enterprise AI/ML solutions or search technologies
- Track record of consistently achieving 100% of quota
- Pulling data with Salesforce Reporting, SQL or Business intelligence tools
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience
- Experience at a high-growth technology startup
Salary : $90,000 - $130,000