What Is the SDR Role (and What It’s Not)? [2024 Version]

Vlad Oleksiienko 15 Sep 2024

When it comes to a company’s success, sales development is the lifeblood that provides valuable insights into consumer behavior and habits. This crucial behind-the-scenes work has a direct impact on the entire team, opening (or closing) doors that will ultimately expand the customer base.

Within this umbrella, the sales department representative or SDR plays a critical role in managing consumer outreach and guiding potential customers through the sales pipeline.

In this article, we’ll explore the role an SDR plays in growing a company’s customer base, including the sales development representative job description and how you can become a highly successful SDR.

So, what exactly does an SDR do, and why is this role so crucial?

What is a Sales Development Representative? [SDR meaning]

It’s simple—SDR stands for sales development representative.

The SDR works within the sales development team, playing an important role in customer engagement and understanding. An SDR job is one of the most important parts of any successful business as it helps drive sales and points the company in the right direction when it comes to connecting with customers.

Let’s break it down—what does an SDR actually mean in the world of sales?

What is SDR in sales?

An SDR is a professional tasked with generating sales for a company by gaining a deeper understanding of the consumer and their needs. An SDR job involves interacting with potential customers, gaining market research into the consumer mindset, and helping close sales through follow-ups.

The SDR has the crucial task of connecting with customers in order to gain more leads for the company. It’s not overstating that the SDR job can truly make or break a company.

Wondering why having an SDR team can be a game-changer for your business?

Why does your business need an SDR team?

An SDR team is an invaluable resource and a crucial part of a company’s sales process.

They are the ones that create a comprehensive sales pipeline through lead generation and conversion. An SDR team can generate up to 55% of sales, increasing productivity, boosting ROI, and creating a loyal customer base.

Not sure if it’s time to bring on SDRs? Here are the signs you shouldn’t ignore.

When is the right time to hire an SDR team?

Knowing when to hire an SDR team can make a significant difference in your business growth. Here are some clear signals it might be time:

Your marketing team is overwhelmed with inbound leads

If your marketing team is struggling to track, qualify, and respond to all the inbound leads coming their way, it’s a sign you need dedicated SDRs to manage this critical process.

If leads are slipping through the cracks or responses are delayed, you’re likely missing valuable sales opportunities.

SDRs specialize in promptly engaging leads to ensure none go cold, turning interest into booked meetings.

Your speed to lead is slowing down

Speed is crucial in sales.

If you’re noticing that it’s taking longer to follow up with new leads—whether inbound or outbound—you’re likely losing deals to faster-moving competitors. An SDR team ensures that leads are followed up on quickly and consistently, which is vital for converting high-quality prospects.

You need to scale your sales pipeline

If your current lead sources are running dry or your sales pipeline isn’t as fresh as it used to be, an SDR team can help by proactively generating new leads. They’ll work on outbound strategies and find new prospects to keep your pipeline full, ensuring you’re not relying solely on inbound marketing to drive sales.

Meet Your New AI SDR

Ready to scale faster? Let AI SDRs handle the heavy lifting of prospecting, outreach, and lead nurturing while your team focuses on closing deals.

Scale with AI Today!

Your business is growing

As your company grows, so does the complexity of your sales process.

At some point, your existing team won’t be able to handle the increased volume of leads and deals. By bringing in an SDR team, you create a structured, scalable system to manage lead generation, allowing your AEs to stay focused on closing high-revenue deals without getting bogged down by prospecting.

You’re seeing a gap between marketing and sales

If there’s a disconnect between your marketing team generating leads and your sales team converting them, an SDR team can bridge that gap.

They ensure that leads are properly qualified and nurtured before being passed on to sales reps, which leads to a higher close rate and a smoother handoff.

An SDR team is not just a nice-to-have; it’s a key driver of sustainable sales growth. By focusing on the early stages of the sales process, they ensure that your pipeline stays full, your sales reps stay productive, and your business keeps growing. If any of these signs sound familiar, it’s probably time to invest in an SDR team to take your sales to the next level.

So, what exactly does an SDR’s day-to-day look like?

What are the main duties of an SDR?

An SDR has a wide range of duties they must perform to support and uplift the sales team. While these responsibilities may vary depending on the industry, they generally include similar tasks.

Provide the sales manager with results on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis
Set up calls or meetings between prospective leads and your sales executives
Be proactive in seeking new business and sales opportunities within the market
Establish and build trusting, long-term relationships with potential customers to convert leads to sales opportunities
Identify the prospect’s needs and suggest the appropriate service and products
Utilize emails, cold calls, and Salesforce to create new sale opportunities

Understanding the duties of an SDR helps you better position yourself to fulfill the requirements necessary for success.

Let’s get into the details—what does an SDR actually do every day?

What does a Sales Development Representative actually do?

For those seeking to pursue a career in sales, one of the top questions asked is, “What is SDR, and what do they do?”

A sales development representative plays many roles within the company and is crucial for helping decode consumer behavior. The SDR wears many hats but is ultimately responsible for initial stage marketing and sales. Their job is to open contact with the company’s target customers who haven’t shown interest in its products or the overall brand.

Unlike roles that focus on inbound sales where the consumer already shows interest in the company, the SDR specializes in cold lead generation that allows the sales team to ultimately close the sale.

sales development representative job description

Here are a few examples of a sales development representative’s responsibilities.

Consumer prospecting

For a company to be successful, it must first understand its target customers.

While it may seem better to reach a large group of people (think throwing a fish net into the water) and see how many show interest in the company’s products, this tactic is time-consuming and doesn’t yield the desired results.

Instead, connecting with a smaller group of consumers who are looking for the products the company sells generates more high-quality leads and, ultimately, greater success. That’s where an SDR comes in!

The sales development representative job description entails connecting with prospective customers by meeting them where they are. That could mean utilizing social media, attending in-person or online conferences, visiting trade shows, getting referrals from established customers, and more.

To do this, the SDR must start by developing a description of the target customer and building a profile of their consumer behavior. Once you understand their buying patterns and habits, you can create a prospective customer list.

From there, the SDR can use that information to connect with customers, generally by email or cold calls, gathering information about their needs, budgets, goals, and interests. As an SDR, your goal is to create a good first impression that accurately represents your brand or company.

Make sure your first contact is concise and friendly and shows a genuine interest in the information you’ve collected about each customer.

Looking for the Perfect SDR Tool?

Stop searching—Reply is the all-in-one SDR tool built to streamline your outreach, nurture leads, and scale your sales effortlessly. Ready to level up?

Try Reply Now!

Qualifying leads

Once you’ve gathered a list of high-quality leads, it’s the SDR’s job to filter out which ones they should pursue.

Here, you’ll look more closely into the identified customers’ challenges and needs and see how they align with your product offerings. Within this role, you’ll also focus on outreach, both for new and existing customers.

Your goal as an SDR isn’t only to generate new leads but also to identify additional opportunities for sales within the existing customer base.

Nurture leads

Once you’ve vetted potential leads, it’s the job of an SDR to nurture them and monitor their responses. This step entails educating the customer on the brand or company and providing deeper insight into the services and products you provide.

Here, you’ll ask questions that will help you better understand their consumer behavior, like what they’re looking for in different types of products and what experiences led them to show interest in the services or products you’re offering.

It’s important for the SDR to have a comprehensive understanding of their company so they can answer questions and help funnel customers toward sales.

Additionally, the information gained helps the sales team personalize future messaging that guides the consumer through the sales funnel. The entire goal is to build trust with the target customer while providing education and encouraging engagement so your company is at the top of their mind when they’re ready to make a purchase.

Close the deal

While the role of the SDR may not be to close the deal for all sales, it’s their job to put the sales representative in a position for success. You do this by filtering out any low-quality prospects and forwarding only nurtured, high-quality leads to the sales team.

There’s a number of reasons why a lead may not be a great fit once you’ve gone through the vetting process, including showing a lack of interest, uncertainty of what products or services they’re looking for, or not having an adequate budget.

Let’s talk about the essential skills every SDR needs to thrive.

What skills does an SDR really need to succeed?

A sales development representative plays a key role in securing sales and ensuring the company succeeds. While there’s no denying it’s a tough role, it provides a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

What skills does an SDR really need to succeed_

Let’s explore the skills an applicant should possess when seeking an SDR position.

Creativity → Sales outreach requires a creative mindset to be effective, especially in today’s ultra-competitive landscape. Learning how to incorporate new and unique strategies, as well as using up-and-coming tools like AI, can transform how you approach prospects and ultimately lead to greater success.
Research skills → Sales development representatives must have comprehensive research skills in order to make the best impression on potential customers. You don’t want to go into a lead blindly; instead, a successful SDR will take the time to look at the prospect’s location, industry, and job title. It doesn’t stop there; in your role, you’ll also want to stay up-to-date on market trends and similar buyers in your field and stay well-versed in the competitive landscape. Using this information, you can create a personalized pitch that resonates with the prospect, creating a seamless experience from start to finish.
Inquisitiveness → While the saying may go, “Curiosity killed the cat,” when it comes to an SDR job, it’s one of the top skills necessary for success. A curious SDR’s goal isn’t just to make a sale; it goes further, seeking to gain a deeper understanding of the prospect and solve the challenges they face. Curiosity, when paired with empathy, dramatically increases your chance of making the sale and creating a loyal customer who’s excited about your company.
Conciseness → There’s nothing that can kill a deal faster than a rambling SDR. Customers don’t want to spend an extended amount of time listening to you go on and on about multiple issues; they want you to get to the point as quickly as possible. When it comes to the initial discovery call, learning how to communicate effectively and concisely allows you to articulate what you want to say while keeping the prospect’s attention. Once you’ve worked with the customer, you can begin focusing on building a relationship, but you’ll never get to that point if you’re not able to grab their attention and connect with them quickly.
Listening → Active listening is a skill that an SDR can’t live without. It isn’t enough to simply hear what the prospect is saying; a successful SDR must process that information in real time and use it to help create a solution. Utilizing active listening skills, you can become a consultant to your prospect, going off script to connect with them on a deeper level. You’ll also gain better insights into whether the lead is truly a good fit for the company or if you should look elsewhere. Learning to be an active listener is one of the most valuable skills any SDR can possess.

Additionally, an SDR must have strong technical skills specific to their role. These include:

Being proficient with numerous marketing tools like email and social media.
Understanding how to use multiple CRM tools for easier task automation and data tracking.
Possessing a comprehensive knowledge of the company’s services and products for greater confidence during customer presentations. This skill will also help you answer questions regarding the products and help drive prospects through the sales funnel.

Want to stand out as an SDR? Here’s how to go from good to great.

How can you really succeed as a Sales Development Rep?

While being an SDR isn’t easy, it’s more than possible to succeed in this fulfilling role. However, you must go into the role ready to work hard and not give up.

Utilizing the skills mentioned above, like active listening, creativity, inquisitiveness, knowing how to conduct research, and being concise, is a great first step, but you can even take it a few steps further.

Here are a few tips you can use to ensure you succeed as an SDR.

Be coachable → A successful SDR learns from others and isn’t afraid to take advice and grow. They’re always studying the services and products they sell to ensure they’re knowledgeable and informed.
Continue learning → While many SDR jobs don’t require you to have a degree, continuing your education can give you a step up in the field. Sales courses can teach you crucial skills like lead generation techniques, concepts, and technologies you can implement for easier conversions.
Be resilient → Sales isn’t an industry for the weak; the truth is you will face setbacks and rejections. Learning how to stay on track and use rejection as motivation to close deals is what sets a successful SDR apart.
Increase your sales experience → Although an SDR is an entry-level position, having sales experience before applying for the job can set you on the path to success. The experiences and tools you gain from working in sales or even participating in training can help you build your resume and grow your confidence.
Manage your time → Time management allows you to prioritize and manage your tasks so you can easily meet all of your sales targets. It also helps you manage stress and avoid burnout, which can make you less effective in your role.
Network → Networking is one of the most powerful tools for any professional, including SDR’s. Attending conferences, training classes, and more allows you to familiarize yourself with the professional landscape, build relationships, and gain recognition in your field.
Adapt → Adaptability lets you take on new and unexpected situations and find solutions quickly.
Know your worth → This tip may sound a little strange, but as an SDR, knowing your worth and not letting your team’s failures or successes define you can help you stay on track. Being confident in your abilities will help you face challenges and thrive rather than crumble.

Curious about the earning potential in this role? Here’s what SDRs typically make.

What is the average salary for an SDR?

A sales development representative’s salary can vary greatly depending on a few factors, including how you deliver on your role.

Many companies provide a base salary and offer performance bonuses as an added incentive. The top job portals provide varying reports on the average SDR salary, which we’ll examine below:

Payscale reports a $49,292 base SDR salary with $3,000 to $25,000 in yearly bonuses.
Builtin reports a $57,512 base SDR salary with $24,523 in yearly bonuses.
Comparably reports a $57,524 base SDR salary with $17,222 in yearly bonuses.
Indeed reports a $36,185 base SDR salary with $10,900 in yearly bonuses.

Of course, the lower salaries represent those who enter the position with no prior experience, as opposed to senior sales development representatives who have the ability to negotiate a higher base salary.

Wondering how tech can make an SDR’s life easier? Let’s explore the tools that boost efficiency.

What is SDR software and how can it help?

SDR software are specific tools designed to make an SDR’s job easier and more effective.

Lead generation and prospecting tools – These tools (like Reply) aid SDRs in finding high-quality leads and nurturing prospects through targeted marketing and AI.
CRM software – CRM or customer relationship management software helps SDRs manage prospect interactions and the resulting data, which helps improve the customer relationships.
Email automation platforms for SDRs – Email automation platforms streamline SDR outreach by automating tasks high-volume tasks like email. They also make it easy to track engagement and personalize content for greater customization.
Dialer software for phone outreach – Dialer software is an exciting tool for SDR’s as it helps you get the most out of every call. This tool makes managing calls easier by logging conversations, tracking connectivity, finding the best call time by time zone, and even offers automation options. The most common types to consider are power dialers and smart dialers.
Sales intelligence tools – Sales intelligence tools allow SDR’s to target quality prospects by analyzing data from multiple sources and providing insights necessary for closing deals.

Looking to grow beyond the SDR role? Here’s what your next career steps might look like.

SDRs, We’ve Got Everything You Need!

Want to hit your goals faster? Reply’s got it all—multichannel outreach, lead management, and AI help. Everything your SDR team needs to crush it!

Let’s Go with Reply!

SDR career growth: What’s next after the SDR role?

As an entry-level job, understanding what comes after the SDR role will help you stay on track with your long-term professional goals.

After progressing as an SDR, the next step is becoming an account executive or AE. An AE’s job is to maintain long-term business relationships with customers, finalize deals, and expand existing accounts. Here’s a concise and practical comparison of SDR (Sales Development Representative) vs AE (Account Executive) roles:

Aspect	SDR	AE
Primary focus	Prospecting & qualifying leads	Closing deals and managing customer relationships
Main tasks	Cold outreach (emails, calls), research, booking meetings	Demos, negotiations, and sealing contracts
Sales cycle	Early stage of the sales funnel	Middle to end stage – deal closing
KPI	Number of leads generated & meetings set	Revenue generated, deals closed
Skills needed	Research, communication, persistence	Negotiation, presentation, relationship-building
Tools used	CRM, outreach tools (e.g., email, call software like Reply)	CRM, proposal & contract tools
Work focus	High volume, fast-paced, focused on outreach	More strategic, focused on deal value & closing
Role handoff	Pass qualified leads to AE for further engagement	Take over from SDRs to move prospects through to closing
Career path	Often transitions into an AE or other sales roles	Can progress to senior AE, sales manager, or leadership roles like SDR leader or Head of Growth

Also, not all SDR’s choose to take on AE roles; many progress to the following:

Content managers – Create customer-related and product content and manage PR campaigns.
Customer success managers – Help your customers achieve their sales goal.
Community managers – Build consistent brand personality and voices while handling online communication.
MDR managers – Identify marketing qualified leads or MKL’s, and pass high-quality prospects to the sales teams.
SDR managers (or SDR leader) – Manages SDR’s, trains new employees, and onboards starters.

The path you take depends on your personal goals, strengths, and passions. There’s no wrong choice; it’s what fits you best. Ready to take charge?

Here’s how to move up to leadership as an SDR.

How do you become an SDR leader?

An SDR leader supervises and guides an SDR team, motivating and supporting them as they generate leads for their sales team.

As you progress up the ladder, you can use these tips to become an SDR leader faster.

Develop a clear career path → Having a clear career path lets you stay on track and know your professional goals. It keeps you from getting sidetracked and ensures you’re pursuing the right path for personal success.
Communicate → Communication is key when establishing yourself as an SDR leader. Remember, your team can’t read your mind, and showing your boss that you’re not afraid to ask questions or offer guidance proves that you have the skills to handle more responsibility.
Educate yourself → SDR leaders must be proficient in sales and must show a mastery of lead research, market analysis, communication, and more. Continuing to educate yourself through courses, mentors, and on-the-job experience shows initiative and gives you the experience necessary for success.

To wrap it all up—let’s look at how you can succeed and grow as an SDR.

Wrapping things up: Final thoughts on SDR success

A sales development representative role is a crucial part of generating high-quality leads, nurturing prospects, and converting sales. While the job can be demanding, an SDR role is highly fulfilling and can open doors to help you reach your long-term professional goals.

No matter if you plan on becoming an account executive, SDR manager, MDR manager, or other career path, understanding the duties of an SDR and the skills needed for the role can help you position yourself for success.

Supercharge your sales team through cutting-edge lead generation with Reply. Sign up for free and discover the difference next gen lead generation can make for your business. Reply handles everything from audience discovery and multichannel conversations to meeting scheduling and more, ensuring you enjoy greater sales engagement that propels your business forward. Sign up today and enjoy a 14-day free trial!