Sales Development Representative

About us

The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading news organisations, globally recognised for its authority, integrity and accuracy, with a mission to deliver quality information and services worldwide.

At the FT, curiosity thrives and ambitious thinking is rewarded. Here, you’re given the chance to reach millions, create work that matters and deliver impartial journalism in a polarised world.

In our warm, collaborative culture, you’ll connect with a diverse community of experts who support your growth, career aspirations and wellbeing.

Your future at the FT will be filled with opportunities that challenge and inspire you. With no fixed path, you’ll discover new skills and forge a career that can take you anywhere.

Build a newsworthy career at the FT.

Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion 

We believe in the power of unique perspectives and want all voices in our organisation to be heard, respected and valued. A supportive workplace is one where employees feel they can be themselves and operate to their full potential. We are committed to removing barriers for everyone, with a focus on addressing those faced by underrepresented groups.

Job Description

Position Title: Sales Development Representative, Asia Pacific

Location: Singapore 

Reports to Position: Head of New Business, APAC – FT Professional

The FT Professional Sales team is responsible for licensing FT content directly to corporate and education customers around the world, with clients across finance, government, professional services, education and media sectors. 

The Sales Development Representative will be responsible for pre-qualifying leads and prospects for the Business Development team to close into new business revenue. The role will support the field sales team through a number of activities which include pre-qualification of leads/opportunities, identifying potential budget holders, proactive prospecting for new contacts, booking appointments with prospects,  responding to inbound and webchat inquiries amongst others, gathering testimonials/evidence for proposals amongst others.

The role reports into the Head of New Business. This role requires the applicant to actively prospect for new contacts. The candidate will need to possess professional telephone manners and the confidence in speaking to senior executives at organisations across a range of industry sectors. This role requires the applicant to actively prospect for new contacts as such, they must be comfortable in making 30+ calls per day to develop a good understanding of the FT product offerings. 

In this role you will:

• Prospect and build a sales pipeline for the business development team via outbound calling and email communication
• Source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up, through internal tools, FT content, and general market research.
• Work with marketing to ensure timely lead follow-up and feedback
• Research and contact potential budget holders/decision-makers
• Pre-qualify leads and book appointments/call backs for the business development team
• Assign qualified leads/opportunities to the business development team for further development and closing
• Follow up with each business development manager to gather feedback and agree next steps
• Contact readers to gather testimonials and evidence to support sales proposals
• Weekly reporting, including successful calls made and any challenges faced. 
• Record conversations with prospects on the CRM system for reporting purposes

Qualifications / Competencies / Skills / Experience

• Experience in lead nurturing, lead generation and appointment setting
• Strong communication skills, particularly on the phone, and cultural awareness 
• Fluency in English and Cantonese or Mandarin
• Proactivity and readiness to cold call
• Highly motivated and target driven
• Previous experience as an SDR preferred
• Organised and ability to prioritise busy workload in a fast paced environment
• Ability to work accurately, with strong attention to detail
• Display initiative in undertaking all aspects of the role
• Good team player with a willingness to collaborate

What’s in it for you? Our benefits

Our benefits vary by location but we are committed to providing best-in-class perks across all our offices. These include generous annual leave, medical cover, inclusive parental leave packages, subsidised gym memberships and opportunities to give back to the community. Full details of our benefits are available here.

We’ve embraced a 50% hybrid working model (averaging two to three days onsite) that fosters trust and remote adaptability while encouraging in-person camaraderie and peer learning. Additionally, we are open to accommodating specific flexible working pattern requests for all roles where feasible.

Accessibility

We are a disability confident employer and Valuable 500 signatory.

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments/personalisation as part of the application process or to enable you to attend an interview. If you would like to discuss your requirements or have any questions, email [email protected] and a member of our team will be happy to help.

Further information

At the FT, we embrace innovation and the use of technology and appreciate that individuals may leverage AI tools as part of their job application process. Whilst we are happy for you to use AI to assist with your application, it is essential that all information provided is authentic and accurately represents your skills, experience, and qualifications.

Candidates should be aware that the use of AI throughout the application process may be monitored to ensure a fair and transparent hiring process for all.

Please beware of fraudulent job postings and offers claiming to be from the Financial Times. All legitimate opportunities will direct you to apply through the official Financial Times careers site, and the FT will never ask for financial information, payments, or referrals to third parties during the hiring process. If you have any concerns about the legitimacy of a job posting or suspect any scam activity, please contact [email protected]. 

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