Market Development Representative (MDR)

Overview

You're an MDR at Verkada cold calling facilities managers, IT directors, and heads of security to book product demos. You're selling physical security hardware (cameras, access control, alarms, intercoms) that runs on cloud software. Your job is to get past gatekeepers, qualify prospects, and hand off meetings to Account Executives who close the deals.

Role Snapshot

Company Context

Stage: Late-stage private (likely Series D+)

Size: 2,654 employees

Growth: Rapidly expanding - hiring multiple MDRs in waves, posting suggests they can move fast on offers

Market Position: Established player in cloud-based physical security, competing against traditional on-prem systems and newer cloud competitors

GTM Reality

Pipeline Sources:

• 80%+ Outbound - cold calling into target account lists, email sequences, LinkedIn outreach
• 15% Inbound - some warm leads from website, events, word-of-mouth from 30K+ existing customers
• 5% Referrals - customer referrals to similar orgs

SDR/AE Structure: MDRs book meetings → AEs run demos and close → likely AM/CSM handles post-sale

SE Support: Likely shared SE pool for complex technical demos (this is hardware + software)

Competitive Landscape

Main Competitors: Traditional systems (Avigilon, Genetec, Milestone), cloud competitors, incumbent on-prem vendors already installed at prospects

How They Differentiate: Cloud-based platform vs on-prem, plug-and-play hardware, AI search features, single pane of glass for multiple security products

Common Objections: "We already have cameras," "Too expensive vs our current system," "Security team doesn't trust cloud," "IT won't support another vendor"

Win Themes: Easy deployment, remote management, AI features, scalability across multiple locations

What You'll Actually Do

Time Breakdown

Cold Calling (50%) | Email/LinkedIn (25%) | Meeting Prep/Admin (15%) | Team Meetings (10%)

Key Activities

• Cold Calling: 60-80 calls/day to facilities managers, IT directors, heads of security. You're interrupting their day to pitch security cameras. Most don't pick up. Of those who do, most say "not interested" or "send me info." You're looking for the handful who have a pain point (security incident, expanding locations, outdated system).
• Qualifying Conversations: When you get someone engaged, you ask about current security setup, number of locations, decision-making process, timeline. You're trying to determine if they're worth an AE's time or if you should nurture them.
• Email Sequences: Follow-up emails to people who didn't answer, breakup emails to cold prospects, forwarding case studies or spec sheets. Lots of "just checking in" that goes unanswered.
• Meeting Coordination: Booking times that work for prospect + AE, sending calendar invites, confirming attendance day-of (because people forget or ghost). You own the show-up rate.

The Honest Reality

What's Hard

• High rejection volume: Most calls end in "no thanks" or voicemail. You hear "we're all set" 30+ times a day. You need thick skin.
• Gatekeepers: Receptionists are trained to block you. Getting to the actual decision-maker takes persistence and creativity.
• Product complexity: You're selling hardware that needs to be installed. Prospects have questions about integrations, existing systems, wifi requirements, storage - stuff you may not fully understand yet.
• Internal competition: Multiple MDRs fighting for the same patch of accounts. If territories aren't clean, you'll clash with teammates.
• No-shows: You book a meeting, AE shows up, prospect ghosts. Reflects poorly on you even though you can't control it.

What Success Looks Like

• 15-25 qualified meetings booked per month (number varies by team, but this is typical for tech BDR roles)
• 40%+ show rate on meetings you book
• 60%+ of meetings accepted as qualified by AEs (they don't kick them back to you)
• Consistent pipeline: Hitting quota every month, not feast-or-famine

Who You're Selling To

Primary Buyers:

• Facilities Managers (day-to-day security operations)
• IT Directors (technical buying, integration concerns)
• Heads of Security / Chief Security Officers (budget holders)
• VP Operations (multi-location orgs)

What They Care About:

• Ease of deployment: Don't want a 6-month install project
• Remote access: Need to check cameras from anywhere
• Cost vs current system: Is this cheaper/better than what we have?
• Reliability: Can't have cameras go down during an incident
• Scalability: Need to add cameras/locations without ripping out infrastructure

Requirements

• Comfort making 60-80+ cold calls per day to people who don't want to talk to you
• Ability to learn technical product (hardware specs, software features, integrations)
• Competitive mindset - you're measured against other MDRs and want to win
• Coachable - willing to iterate on talk tracks, objection handling, qualification criteria
• In San Mateo office (role is on-site, fast-paced environment)
• Ideally 6-12 months of sales experience (internship, retail, previous BDR role) but will train right person