Sales Development Representative (SDR)
A rep dedicated to top-of-funnel prospecting — qualifying leads and booking meetings for account executives rather than closing deals.
A sales development representative focuses solely on the front of the funnel: researching prospects, running outbound cadences, qualifying interest, and booking qualified meetings that account executives then close. Splitting prospecting from closing lets each role specialize, and it is the standard structure in B2B outbound teams.
An SDR's output is measured in meetings booked and pipeline created, which depends on list quality, cadence discipline, and speed-to-lead on inbound replies. Because the role is repetitive and volume-driven, much of it — sequencing, follow-up timing, and first-reply handling — is increasingly automated or AI-assisted so the human can focus on live conversations.
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