Business Development Representative

Perplexity•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

What You’ll Do 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 Strategic Outbound & Market Development 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 Sales Operations & Excellence 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 What You'll Need 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 Nice to Haves 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

Requirements

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

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

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
Strategic Outbound & Market Development
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
Sales Operations & Excellence
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