Sales Development Representative (SDR)
A sales team member focused on qualifying leads and setting meetings for account executives.
A Sales Development Representative (SDR) is a sales professional focused on the early stages of the sales process, responsible for prospecting, qualifying leads, and scheduling meetings for account executives.
**SDR Responsibilities:**
• Follow up on marketing-generated leads (inbound) • Prospect into target accounts (outbound) • Qualify leads using frameworks like BANT • Set meetings for account executives • Maintain accurate CRM data • Hit activity and meeting quotas
**SDR Metrics:**
• Activities (calls, emails, social touches) • Conversations/connects • Meetings scheduled • Meetings held • SQLs generated • Pipeline influenced
**The SDR Career Path:**
SDR is often an entry point into B2B sales: SDR → Senior SDR → SDR Manager or Account Executive
**Inbound vs Outbound SDRs:**
• **Inbound SDRs**: Follow up on marketing leads • **Outbound SDRs/BDRs**: Cold outreach to target accounts
Some organizations separate these roles; others combine them.
**SDR Technology Stack:**
• CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot) • Sales engagement platform (Outreach, Salesloft) • LinkedIn Sales Navigator • Intent data providers • Conversational intelligence
Related Terms
Sales Qualified Lead (SQL)
A lead that has been vetted by sales and determined to be ready for direct sales engagement.
BANT
A lead qualification framework assessing Budget, Authority, Need, and Timeline.
Pipeline Generation
Activities focused on creating and advancing opportunities through the sales pipeline toward closed revenue.
Lead Scoring
A methodology for ranking leads based on their perceived value and likelihood to convert.