I’m only talking about Netsuite BDR stuff because so many people keep asking about it. Honestly, while there is a lot to be said about so many aspects of Netsuite, and while this aspect is really important … some parts of it aren’t really that well suited by this particular forum of discussion.
But, we’re left no choice but to look at the Netsuite BDR topic, because it still falls in our domain. The problem with this topic is, it’s not a software use thing. It’s actually a job position, and that’s a bit weird for an SaaS guy to try to talk about.
Optimism:
On the one hand, I’ve mentioned in the past how this new form of technology and its future furtherance of presence in work and life would bring about new jobs and skills. This is just such a case.
The Discipline:
While this is based around the implementation and use of a business technology, it’s not about the direct operation or maintenance of it. What it stands for is business development representative.
This title has existed for a long time in other disciplines, and it can take a few general shapes. There exist consultants who work for a company during transitive times, where new technologies and processes are being adopted as a project, they work to represent the needs, concerns and current events from the actual technical side, to the stakeholders and financial people and others concerned.
Some businesses have them on staff permanently, as a result of being much more technology-based in operation, causing endless change. Still others are on staff with technology providers, available to serve this purpose for customers adopting their technology.
In any of these forms, they will often work alongside other relevant disciplines, such as change managers, training specialists and enterprise resource planners.
With Netsuite:
Most companies, as I said, have support people that can serve this role, during the purchase and delivery/support phase of the customer experience cycle.
However, if you’re wanting to employ a consultant or appoint the role to someone from within, which is very practical to do, we should look over what their duties will be and what they should know.
This is simple to sum up, but has many implications nonetheless.
Skills:
They will need to be very familiar with the base sciences behind general SaaS and web services, to an able level. While not performing management or operation of the technology, to represent the concerns, they must understand them.
They must also have a grasp of finances, planning logistics and human resources, as these are the forms through which ramifications travel with Netsuite.
Duties:
They will need to translate the technical and department jargon aspects of implementing Netsuite, using it, and accomplishing expansion of business projects through it. They will relate to the technical side to handle the needs for allocation of resources and other things as well.
They will have to have a sense of leadership, as any peace keeping position is wont to be, basically.
So, if you’re going to give someone the Netsuite BDR position, be sure these skills and capacities hold up with them.