Sales Development Representative (SDR)
A sales development representative (SDR) is a salesperson who prospects and qualifies potential buyers and books meetings for account executives, rather than closing deals themselves.
Also called: SDR, sales development rep
Why it matters
SDRs sit at the top of the sales funnel. They research accounts, send cold emails, make calls, send LinkedIn messages and follow up on inbound leads, then hand qualified opportunities to account executives. Separating prospecting from closing lets each role focus, and it gives companies a predictable way to create pipeline. SDRs are usually measured on meetings booked and qualified opportunities created.
Some companies use SDR and BDR as the same title. Where they are split, the SDR often handles inbound leads and the BDR focuses on outbound prospecting, though the split varies by company. An SDR differs from an AI SDR, which is software that automates parts of the same research and outreach work.
Example
A company selling HR software has three SDRs. Each morning, one SDR reviews new demo requests and signups, calls the ones that match the ideal customer profile, and asks about team size and timeline. When a prospect qualifies, the SDR books a demo on an account executive's calendar and logs notes in the CRM.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between an appointment setter and an SDR?
An appointment setter mainly books meetings, often from lists or scripts provided to them. An SDR also researches accounts, qualifies prospects against agreed criteria and runs multi-step outreach before handing qualified meetings to account executives.
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