Sales Development Representative (SDR), Memberships

Job Description Job Description Location: East Coast/Remote
Comp: $65,000-$80,000 (full compensation package)

The Company
Ragan Communications is the leading media company for communicators worldwide. For nearly 60 years, we've been serving communicators, marketers, and HR professionals at all stages of their careers with learning, development and networking opportunities. We are an entrepreneurial organization and proud to be recognized on Inc.'s Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the U.S. in 2025. Everything we do at Ragan is in the service of giving communicators ideas, intelligence, resources, connections and inspiration to help them advance their brand's mission and goals. Ragan's Communications Leadership Council is the premier membership organization for communications teams at global brands.

Position Summary
Ragan Communications is seeking a motivated Sales Development Representative (SDR) with drive, curiosity and a strong interest in building a career in consultative B2B sales. This role is ideal for an early-career professional with up to 1-2 years of experience who is excited to develop outreach skills, build qualified business pipelines and contribute directly to the growth of Ragan's membership community.
As an SDR, you will identify and engage prospective members, generate qualified opportunities and secure meetings for the sales team. A key part of this role is Ragan's tandem selling approach: SDRs partner closely with membership sales leaders and subject matter experts to help prospects understand how Ragan's memberships, events and resources can support their goals. You will serve as an ambassador of the Ragan brand while learning how to research accounts, personalize outreach and support thoughtful sales conversations.
What You'll Gain

• Hands-on training in B2B sales, prospecting, pipeline development and CRM discipline
• Mentorship from experienced sales leaders and subject matter experts through a tandem selling model
• Exposure to senior communications, marketing and HR leaders at top global brands
• Experience supporting discovery calls, membership conversations and business wins in a high-growth media company
• Opportunities to attend and support industry-leading events
• A clear path for career growth within sales, memberships and client-facing roles

Responsibilities

• Prospect and identify new business opportunities through outbound outreach, including email, phone and LinkedIn.
• Research target accounts and contacts to support thoughtful, personalized outreach.
• Qualify inbound and outbound leads, and secure meetings for the sales team.
• Partner with membership sales leaders and subject matter experts to prepare for prospect conversations, tailor messaging and support a tandem selling process.
• Build and manage a consistent pipeline of qualified prospects.
• Maintain accurate records of activities, contacts and opportunities in the CRM.
• Follow up with prospects in a timely and professional manner.
• Collaborate with marketing and sales leadership to refine outreach messaging and campaign follow-up.
• Learn Ragan's suite of memberships, events, resources and services, and articulate how they deliver value to communications teams.
• Stay curious about industry trends, communications challenges and professional networking opportunities that can inform outreach.
• Meet or exceed monthly targets for outreach activity, meetings booked and pipeline generated.
• Represent Ragan Communications professionally in all interactions.
• Other duties as assigned.

Attributes/Qualifications

• Recent college graduate or early-career professional with 1-2 years of experience in sales, business development, customer service, internships, campus leadership or another client-facing role.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with an interest in crafting thoughtful outreach.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented and comfortable managing multiple follow-ups at once.
• Self-motivated, coachable and eager to learn a structured sales process.
• Comfortable with outreach by email, phone and LinkedIn, or willing to build confidence in high-volume prospecting.
• Strong research skills and curiosity about companies, communications teams and business challenges.
• Ability to learn and clearly explain value propositions with guidance from sales leaders and subject matter experts.
• Familiarity with CRM tools such as HubSpot is a plus but not required.
• Interest in media, communications, professional development, membership communities or events is a plus.

More About Ragan

• Ragan's Communication Leadership Council
• The Ragan Lookbook: Take a Look!
• Ragan's Center for AI Strategy

Benefits and Perks
Our core values - Connection, Curiosity, Innovation and Integrity - guide all we do and help define what's important to us at Ragan.

• Comprehensive benefits, including health, dental and vision
• 401(k) with employer match
• Company-paid disability and life insurance
• Generous PTO and paid holidays
• Professional development support
• Early close on Fridays year-round

How to Apply
We're looking for someone who pays close attention to detail - the kind of communicator who understands the importance of thoughtful outreach and follow-through.
To demonstrate that, please include a brief cover letter explaining:

• What interests you about this Sales Development Representative role, and why do you think you'd be successful in finding prospects, building relationships, learning from sales partners and supporting Ragan's sales goals?

Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. This helps us identify candidates who take the time to fully read and engage with our job description.

Xp4L4y6bE8