Sales Development
What Is an SDR? Sales Development Representative Explained
Short answer
An SDR (sales development representative) works the front of the sales process: finding and contacting potential buyers, qualifying their interest, and booking meetings for the people who sell. BDR (business development representative) often means the same job, and sometimes means the outbound version of it. An AE (account executive) usually takes the qualified meeting and owns the deal through to close. Companies define these titles differently, so the job description matters more than the acronym.
What an SDR does
An SDR's job is to create qualified sales conversations. The day-to-day work usually includes:
- Research: finding companies that fit the ideal customer profile, and the right people inside them.
- Outreach: calls, emails and sometimes social messages to start a conversation.
- Follow-up: staying in touch with people who showed interest but weren't ready.
- Qualification: checking whether there's a real fit, against criteria the sales team has set.
- Scheduling: booking a meeting between the prospect and a salesperson.
- Documentation: recording calls, outcomes and notes so the next person has the context.
What an SDR usually doesn't do: run the full sales process, write proposals, negotiate price or close the deal. That's typically someone else's job.
SDR vs. BDR
This is where terminology gets messy. You'll see all of these in practice:
- The same role, different name. Many companies use SDR and BDR interchangeably.
- SDR for inbound, BDR for outbound. Some companies have SDRs follow up on people who came to them, and BDRs reach out to people who didn't.
- The reverse. Others use the labels the opposite way round.
- BDR as something else. In some companies "business development" means partnerships or channel sales, not prospecting at all.
None of these is the "correct" one. If you're hiring, or hiring a provider, describe the work you need rather than relying on the title.
SDR vs. AE
| Role | Main job | Typical output | Often measured on |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDR | Start and qualify conversations | Qualified meetings or opportunities | Qualified meetings held, pipeline created |
| BDR | Often the same as SDR; sometimes outbound-only or partnerships | Depends on the company's definition | Depends on the company's definition |
| AE (account executive) | Run the sales process and close | Signed customers | Revenue closed |
In smaller companies, one person often does both jobs. Separating them is a choice, not a rule.
Inbound and outbound SDR work
Inbound SDR work starts with someone who has already raised a hand: a form fill, a demo request, a call. The job is to respond quickly, find out what they need, qualify, and route them to the right salesperson.
Outbound SDR work starts with someone who hasn't. The SDR picks target accounts, researches them, and reaches out cold by calling, email or both. It takes more attempts per conversation, but you choose exactly who you talk to.
Many teams mix the two. The skills overlap, but the pace and tone are different. For how the two approaches compare as a strategy, see Inbound vs. outbound.
What makes a good SDR
- Curiosity. Asking good questions beats delivering a good pitch.
- Listening. Hearing what the prospect actually said, not what you hoped they'd say.
- Resilience. Most outreach ends in no response or a no. Good SDRs don't let that change how they sound on the next call.
- Organization. Follow-ups, notes and next steps across many conversations at once.
- Judgment. Knowing when a conversation is qualified, and being honest when it isn't.
Why companies separate prospecting from closing
The main argument is focus. Prospecting and closing are different skills with different rhythms. A closer who spends half the week prospecting has half a week to close. A dedicated SDR function can also make prospecting more consistent, instead of happening only when the pipeline looks thin.
The cost is the handoff. Every time a conversation moves from one person to another, some context can get lost. Clear qualification criteria and good notes make handoffs work. Without them, the AE starts the first meeting from scratch.
Does every business need SDRs?
No. If enough good opportunities already come in, or the owner can prospect consistently without hurting the rest of the business, an SDR may not add much. SDR work tends to earn its place when prospecting is inconsistent, when it depends on someone whose time is worth more elsewhere, or when there's a defined set of target customers who won't find you on their own.
Hire, or outsource?
If you need SDR work done, you can build the role in-house or use an outside team. Each has real tradeoffs in cost, control and management. Outsourced SDR vs. in-house SDR lays them out side by side. MIE's outsourced sales development is one way to get the work done without building the team yourself.