Sales Development Representative Job Description
A Sales Development Representative generates qualified pipeline by reaching out to prospects, qualifying their interest and fit, and booking meetings for Account Executives. They are the top-of-funnel engine — turning cold prospects into warm opportunities through persistent, personalized outreach. The role is high-volume, metrics-driven, and foundational to the sales team's success.
All roles Sales Development Representative
What does a Sales Development Representative do?
A Sales Development Representative spends their day sending personalized cold emails, making phone calls, engaging prospects on LinkedIn, qualifying inbound leads, and booking discovery meetings for AEs. They research target companies, build prospect lists, follow up on marketing campaigns, attend networking events, and track all activity in a CRM. The role is fast-paced and heavily measured on activity volume and meeting conversion rates.
Sales Development Representative responsibilities
- Prospect into target accounts using cold email, phone, LinkedIn, and other channels
- Qualify inbound leads based on fit, interest, and budget
- Book discovery meetings or demos for Account Executives
- Research prospects and personalize outreach to their specific context
- Build and maintain a pipeline of qualified opportunities in the CRM
- Follow up with prospects consistently to convert interest into meetings
- Collaborate with marketing on campaign targeting and messaging feedback
- Achieve daily and weekly activity targets (calls, emails, meetings booked)
- Attend networking events, webinars, and industry conferences to generate leads
- Provide feedback to marketing and sales leadership on prospect responses and market trends
Essential requirements
- Strong verbal and written communication for cold outreach
- Ability to qualify leads based on fit, budget, timing, and authority
- Comfort with high-volume outreach and handling frequent rejection
- Self-motivated with a track record of meeting activity and pipeline targets
- Proficiency with CRM tools and email automation platforms
- Organizational skills to manage multiple prospecting threads simultaneously
Preferred qualifications
- Experience in sales development, business development, or a similar prospecting role
- Familiarity with sales engagement platforms (Outreach, Salesloft, Apollo)
- Knowledge of the target industry or buyer persona
- Track record of exceeding meeting booking quotas
- Experience with LinkedIn Sales Navigator or similar prospecting tools
Core skills
Technical / professional skills
- CRM platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive)
- Sales engagement and sequencing tools
- Email outreach platforms (Reply.io, Lemlist, Mailshake)
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator for prospecting
- Lead research and enrichment tools (ZoomInfo, Apollo, Clearbit)
- Phone and dialer systems (Aircall, RingCentral, Outreach)
- Video messaging tools (Loom, Vidyard)
- Basic spreadsheet skills for tracking outreach metrics
Soft skills
- Resilience — staying motivated through frequent non-responses
- Curiosity — researching prospects to find personalized angles
- Brevity — writing concise, compelling messages that get responses
- Discipline — maintaining consistent activity levels day after day
- Coachability — incorporating feedback on messaging and approach
Experience and education guidance
Most Sales Development Representative roles require 0-2 years of experience, though many are entry-level positions designed for career starters. The role is often a stepping stone to Account Executive positions. Strong performance as an SDR typically leads to promotion within 12-18 months. Evaluate based on communication skills, drive, and coachability rather than prior sales experience.
A bachelor's degree is commonly listed but not required for SDR roles. Many successful SDRs come from non-sales backgrounds. What matters is communication ability, work ethic, and coachability. The role provides significant on-the-job training in sales fundamentals.
What to include in this job description
Include whether the role is inbound-focused, outbound-focused, or both, the target buyer persona and industry, the tools and platforms used, the meeting booking quota expectations, and the path to promotion (typically to Account Executive). Be transparent about the high-volume, metrics-driven nature of the role.
Common job description mistakes for this role
Common mistakes include describing the role as 'sales' without clarifying it is prospecting-focused, not mentioning the path to promotion, listing too many responsibilities without emphasizing the core activity (outreach and qualification), and failing to set realistic expectations about the high-volume nature of the work.
How to customize this job description
After generating an SDR job description, adjust the outreach mix (email, phone, LinkedIn) to reflect the actual role. If the role is primarily inbound-qualified, reduce emphasis on cold prospecting. If it involves strategic account-based outreach, add requirements for research and personalization skills.
Frequently asked questions
What does a Sales Development Representative do?
A Sales Development Representative generates qualified pipeline by reaching out to prospects, qualifying their interest and fit, and booking meetings for Account Executives. They conduct cold outreach, follow up on inbound leads, and track all activity in a CRM. The role is the top-of-funnel engine for the sales team.
What is the difference between an SDR and an Account Executive?
An SDR focuses on prospecting, qualifying leads, and booking meetings. An Account Executive takes those qualified meetings and manages the full sales cycle to close deals. The SDR role is typically an entry point into sales, with promotion to AE after demonstrating consistent performance.
How much experience do I need to become an SDR?
Most SDR roles are entry-level or require 0-2 years of experience. Strong communication skills, work ethic, and coachability are more important than prior sales experience. Many companies provide comprehensive training for new SDRs.
What skills does an SDR need?
Key skills include cold outreach (email, phone, LinkedIn), lead qualification, CRM proficiency, resilience, concise communication, and the ability to research and personalize outreach at scale. The role requires both discipline and creativity.
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