What Is an SDR?
Sales Development Representative definition, daily activities, and outsourced SDR explained.
Definition
A Sales Development Representative (SDR) is a sales role focused exclusively on outbound prospecting, cold outreach, and lead qualification. SDRs do not close deals. They identify and qualify opportunities and pass them to Account Executives for commercial conversion.
Why it matters
Separating prospecting from closing allows both activities to be optimised independently. An AE spending time on cold outreach is using their most expensive resource on the lowest-value activity. An SDR working a qualified pipeline delivers better meetings, faster cycles, and higher close rates for the AE team. The SDR model is the structural foundation of every scalable B2B outbound programme, whether built in-house or outsourced.
In practice
A Rev-Empire outsourced SDR working for a logistics technology client makes 70 outreach touches per day across cold email, calling, and LinkedIn. In a typical month they contact 400 unique prospects, reach 60 in live conversations, and book 14 qualified discovery calls onto the client's calendar. The client's founder does not make a single cold outreach touch that month.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between an SDR and an AE?
>An SDR focuses exclusively on outbound prospecting, cold outreach, and qualifying leads. They do not close deals. An AE (Account Executive) takes qualified opportunities from the SDR and manages the commercial conversation from discovery through to contract close. Separating these roles allows each to be optimised independently and prevents AEs from wasting time on unqualified leads.
What does an SDR do day to day?
>A typical SDR day involves reviewing target prospect lists, executing cold email sequences, making cold calls, sending LinkedIn connection requests and messages, logging all activity in the CRM, handling replies, booking discovery calls, and passing qualified meetings to the AE team. High-performing SDRs make 60 to 100 outreach touches per day across all channels.
What is an outsourced SDR?
>An outsourced SDR is a sales development representative provided by an external agency who operates under the client company's brand, using the client's email domain, CRM, and messaging. The client receives all the output of a dedicated SDR without the cost and complexity of hiring, training, and managing one in-house. Rev-Empire provides outsourced SDRs from $1,000 per month.
How many meetings should an SDR book per month?
>A well-performing B2B SDR working a targeted ICP list should book 8 to 20 qualified meetings per month depending on the industry, deal size, and outreach channels used. High-volume, shorter-cycle industries can see 20 or more meetings per month from a focused SDR using multi-channel outreach.
Rev-Empire provides dedicated outsourced SDRs from $1,000/month.No hiring overhead. No ramp time. Meetings on your calendar from day 30.
Related terms
