SDR stands for Sales Development Representative. An SDR is a B2B sales professional whose primary job is to generate and qualify pipeline for the sales team. SDRs do not close deals. Their role is at the top of the sales funnel: identifying potential customers, reaching out through email, phone, and LinkedIn, qualifying their interest and fit, and booking meetings for Account Executives (AEs) who will carry the deal to close.
The SDR role is the engine of outbound B2B sales. In most technology companies, SDRs are the first person a prospect ever hears from and the first impression they form of the brand. Done well, the SDR function creates a predictable, scalable pipeline machine. Done poorly, it burns out reps and annoys buyers.
What does an SDR do?
- Prospecting: identifying target accounts and contacts that match the ideal customer profile (ICP). Building and enriching lists of decision-makers at target companies.
- Outbound outreach: executing multi-channel sequences (email, phone, LinkedIn) to book discovery meetings or product demos. SDRs typically run structured sales cadences of 8 to 12 touches per prospect.
- Inbound lead qualification: in some teams, SDRs also qualify inbound leads from marketing campaigns, content downloads, and demo requests, ensuring only sales-ready leads reach the AE.
- Discovery: conducting a brief initial call to confirm the prospect fits the ICP, has a genuine need, and is ready for a full sales conversation.
- CRM maintenance: logging activity, updating prospect records, and tracking pipeline metrics in the CRM.
- Handing off to AEs: once a meeting is booked and the prospect is qualified, the SDR transfers the account to an Account Executive with a summary of what was confirmed.
SDR vs BDR vs AE: what is the difference?
- SDR (Sales Development Representative): focuses on top-of-funnel prospecting and qualifying. Does not close deals. Reports to a sales manager or VP of Sales.
- BDR (Business Development Representative): in many companies, BDR and SDR are used interchangeably. Where they are distinguished, BDRs typically focus on outbound to new logos while SDRs qualify inbound. In some companies, BDRs focus on partnerships and channel while SDRs focus on direct sales.
- AE (Account Executive): owns the full sales cycle from qualified meeting to close. Receives qualified opportunities from SDRs and is responsible for converting them to revenue. AEs carry a quota; SDRs are typically measured on meetings booked.
Key SDR metrics
- Activities per day: emails sent, calls made, LinkedIn messages sent. Typically 50 to 100 total activities per day for a high-performing SDR.
- Reply rate: percentage of prospects who respond to outreach. Good B2B reply rates: 3 to 8% for cold email, higher for warm or inbound.
- Meetings booked per month: the primary output metric for most SDRs. Typically 8 to 20 qualified meetings per month depending on deal size and market.
- Show-up rate: percentage of booked meetings that actually happen. Low show-up rates (below 60%) usually signal qualification issues.
- Meeting to opportunity conversion: percentage of SDR-booked meetings that the AE converts to active pipeline opportunities.
SDR salary in India
In India, SDR salaries typically range from INR 4 lakh to INR 12 lakh per annum depending on city, company size, and target market. Entry-level SDRs at Indian B2B tech companies start around INR 4 to 6 lakh. Experienced SDRs targeting global markets (North America, Europe) from Indian offices earn INR 8 to 12 lakh plus variable pay based on meetings booked. An SDR as a Service model offers an alternative: outsourcing the SDR function to a specialist team rather than hiring in-house.
Frequently asked questions
- What is an SDR in sales?
- SDR stands for Sales Development Representative. An SDR is a B2B sales professional focused on top-of-funnel activities: prospecting for potential customers, executing outbound outreach via email, phone, and LinkedIn, qualifying interest and fit, and booking meetings for Account Executives to close. SDRs do not carry a quota for closed deals; they are measured on qualified meetings booked.
- What is SDR full form?
- SDR full form is Sales Development Representative. In some B2B companies the equivalent role is called BDR (Business Development Representative), though BDR sometimes also covers partnerships and channel development.
- What is the difference between an SDR and an AE?
- An SDR (Sales Development Representative) works at the top of the funnel: they prospect, do outreach, and book meetings. An AE (Account Executive) runs the full sales cycle from qualified meeting to signed contract. SDRs hand qualified opportunities to AEs. AEs carry a revenue quota; SDRs are measured on meetings booked and pipeline generated.
- How many meetings should an SDR book per month?
- In B2B technology sales, a well-performing SDR typically books 8 to 20 qualified meetings per month. The range depends on deal size (enterprise SDRs book fewer, larger-value meetings; SMB SDRs book more), the quality of the target list, the product, and the market. Companies targeting global markets from India often achieve 12 to 18 meetings per month with experienced SDRs.