SDR
What is SDR?
An SDR is a sales development representative — a specialized sales role focused on outbound prospecting and inbound lead qualification, booking qualified meetings that account executives then run to close.
Also known as: Sales Development Representative, BDR, Business Development Representative
Common Mistakes with SDR
- Hiring SDRs before the founder has personally closed enough deals to write the playbook — SDRs scale a motion, they don't discover one.
- Measuring SDRs only on activity volume (dials, emails) rather than qualified meetings held and pipeline created.
SDR vs Related Metrics
- SDR vs Account Executive — how the two differ and when each matters.
SDR FAQ
What does an SDR do?
An SDR prospects: researching accounts, running cold email and call sequences, qualifying inbound leads, and booking meetings for account executives. The role exists so closers spend their time closing, not hunting.
What is the difference between an SDR and an AE?
The SDR opens and the AE closes: SDRs generate and qualify pipeline, then hand qualified meetings to account executives who run demos, negotiate, and sign the deal. It is the classic assembly-line split of a scaled SaaS sales team.
How many meetings should an SDR book per month?
Commonly 8–15 qualified meetings per month in B2B SaaS, varying with ACV and market — higher-ACV enterprise motions expect fewer, better-researched meetings.
More questions? See the full SDR FAQ.