What is a Sales Development Representative?

The sales industry has drastically changed since the 2020 pandemic. Today's Sales Development Representatives (SDR) team members are no longer tied to an office desk. They're connecting with potential customers who are increasingly working from outside the office. To succeed, SDRs need more than grit. They need smarter workflows, access to sales lead intelligence tools, and seamless collaboration with sales and marketing teams.

At Seamless.AI, we’re helping SDRs work smarter, not just harder. Our team has researched over a million leads and booked more than 30 million appointments (and counting). And we’re not gonna gatekeep our strategies.

In this guide, you’ll get expert insights from top-performing SDRs, recruiters, and team leads. Whether you’re launching your sales career, refining your training program, or looking to grow your SDR team, you’ll find actionable tips, product recommendations, and career advice to level up.

What is a Sales Development Representative?

A sales development representative (SDR) executes outbound prospecting. SDRs find and qualify cold leads. While an SDR might not close the deals, one of their biggest responsibilities is to warm up cold leads, nurture them, and gradually move them through the sales pipeline until the prospect is ready to buy.

Whether close rates are down or up, one of the smartest offensive tactics SDRs can execute is to keep their team’s pipeline filled with qualified prospects that fit their company’s ideal customer profile. The more leads you can find. And the more potential customers you can introduce your brand, the better, because those are just “At Bat” opportunities to close deals in the future.

What Skills Are Required for an SDR?

SDRs are often a prospect's first exposure to your brand. Strong research and communication skills are essential to build trust quickly and stand out from competitors.

Here are some more SDR skills that are needed to thrive: ‍

Finding, researching, and prospecting potential clients
Qualifying leads effectively
Demonstrating the unique value of your company’s product or service
Building a pipeline of sales leaders, business owners, and decision-makers
Booking appointments with qualified prospects
Developing strong sales relationships that drive business growth
Maintaining a strong work ethic, being positive, and being coachable
Communicating clearly and listening actively
Taking initiative as a self-starter
Showing a strong drive for excellence
Using Salesforce or other CRM tools
Leveraging LinkedIn for outreach and networking
Holding a bachelor’s degree (preferred, but not required)
Having cold-calling experience and the ability to get past gatekeepers (a plus)

What Tools Do SDRs Use to Succeed?

SDRs thrive with tools that streamline prospecting and boost productivity. A strong tech stack can make or break quota attainment.

Essential tools include:

B2B Contact Database: Platforms like Seamless.AI provide verified contact data and company insights.
Sales Intelligence Tools: For lead enrichment, trigger events, and buyer intent signals.
Sales Engagement Platforms: Automate and scale outreach via email, calls, and social media.
CRM Systems: Track interactions and pipeline progress.
Call Recording + Analytics: Tools for call coaching and pattern analysis.‍
LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Ideal for account research and social selling.

Where Can SDRs Find Leads?

If you’re looking for leads, your best bet is a B2B contact database or sales prospecting software.

Once you start finding different sales opportunities, you’ll want to use these resources to make a great first impression, whether your first interaction is via email, cold call, or virtual:

What Is The Top SDR Salary?

One of the greatest benefits of working as an SDR is that there are no fixed salary rates. You’re earning potential is limitless. Your salary depends on your experience level, the number of meetings you book, and the pipeline you generate for your team.

According to ZipRecruiter, top SDR performers can earn as much as $75,500 in annual salary. On top of that, SDRs typically earn a commission for every appointment they book that converts into a closed sale, with the standard commission rate in SaaS sales sitting at 10%.

How Do You Handle Rejection as an SDR?

Rejection is part of the job, sometimes it's unfortunately a BIG part. As the first point of contact, SDRs face more “no’s” than any other role in the sales pipeline. But knowing how to handle sales objections can shape your long-term success.

Here are smart ways SDRs handle rejection and stay in the game:

Expect it at the top of the funnel. Top-funnel audiences convert 47% less than bottom-funnel ones. So don’t take every “no” personally. It’san essential part of the process.
Build thick skin. If you want to be an SDR, you have to hone your resilience. Tenacity is one of the more important traits you can have as an SDR.‍ Never forget that rejection isn’t a reflection of your worth or skill. ‍
Have a support system. Peer encouragement, manager check-ins, and even quick breaks (don't underestimate the value of a 10-min walk to get some sun and fresh air) can all help reset your mindset.
Get creative with objections. Find new angles to spark interest. Social proof, compelling value props, or personalized insights go a long way.
Follow up consistently. “Not now” doesn’t mean “Never.” Rejection today could turn into revenue tomorrow.

What Does Remote SDR Work Look Like?

More and more people are working from home, and the Sales Development Representative role isn’t any different. On average, 33% of sales reps work from home, and 26% trade between the office and home in a hybrid position.

Seamless.AI is 100% remote, meaning our employees can work from wherever they want and on their own terms. Our Outbound SDR, Connor Swanson, highlights flexibility as one of the incredible benefits of working from home. As Connor puts it, “If I were in an office, I would not be able to enjoy my breaks with my dog. Being able to take a few minutes outside with my pup here and there makes such a difference.”

For our Senior Enterprise SDR, Eduardo Reyna, working remotely means diving deep into outreach tasks without distractions. Here is Eduardo’s daily routine:

Research and review daily reports and insights to make strategic decisions on which accounts to prioritize for the day for 30 minutes.
Collaborate with leadership and account executives on game plans and strategies for 30 minutes.
Make TONS of cold calls, email outreach, follow-ups, LinkedIn lead generation, and messages for four hours. This activity is done with the goal of setting up introductory meetings and building revenue pipeline.
Call prospects to confirm their demos for the day.
Take intermittent breaks throughout the day to cook, do chores, work out, head to the park with the dog, etc.

If you’re worried about maintaining a work-life balance at home, create a space at your house that’s exclusively reserved for work. It doesn’t have to be a full-on office if you don’t have the room. Just a place where, as soon as 5 PM hits, you can walk away from your work, unplug, and thoroughly enjoy your personal time with friends and family.

What Is the SDR Career Path?

The career path of an SDR is fast-paced. On average, most SDRs only work in this role from six months to two years, depending on the results and revenue they generate.

Typically, when an SDR is at the end of their tenure, they move on to work as an account executive (AE), where they are responsible for closing deals on leads that SDRs find and qualify.

Related: How to be a Great SDR

Sales Development Playbook author, Trish Bertuzzi, details the common career path of the SDR role. They usually start out as an Inbound SDR and then shift to Outbound SDR. After that, they work as Senior SDRs and eventually get promoted to different AE positions, including Associate AE, Commercial AE, and Enterprise AE.

Even though this is the typical trajectory, the beauty of the SDR role is its versatility. There are several different paths that you can take, and it all depends on your interests and natural talents:

1. Account Executive

An Account Executive (AE) is responsible for managing and closing deals with qualified leads, often passed along by SDRs. AEs operate at the bottom of the sales funnel and focus on converting prospects into paying customers. This is a natural next step for many SDRs who have mastered lead qualification and are ready to own the full sales cycle, from pitch to contract.

One of the reasons our Growth Sales AE, Kwab Ayesu, transitioned into the AE role from working as an SDR was the financial opportunities he could help create for his clients. Kwab notes that “The people we work with need us to change the trajectory of their businesses. So being able to impact our customers’ businesses positively is amazing.”

Responsibilities:

Negotiate Contracts
Close Deals
Drive Sales and Revenue

Skills Needed:

Analytical/Problem Solving
Negotiation
Project Management

If you’re interested in becoming an AE, Kwab urges you not to wait until you’re an AE to start learning the skills needed for the role:

“I can’t stress this enough, but learning how to run discovery, listen, and identify customer pain points while you’re an SDR won’t only help you as an SDR but will significantly reduce your learning curve as a new AE. And don’t be afraid to share your goals. I told my director on the second day on the job that I would be one of the fastest-promoted SDRs to AEs. I consistently talked about it and what it would look like. Then, five months later, I was an AE!”

So don’t forget to speak your success into existence!

2. SDR Manager:

An SDR Manager leads a team of Sales Development Representatives, focusing on coaching, pipeline development, and hitting team KPIs. Former SDRs are a perfect fit for this role because they understand the challenges of prospecting, what motivates reps, and how to refine outreach strategies. This role blends people management with process optimization.

Responsibilities:

Train and Mentor New SDRs
Lead an SDR Team
Identify Opportunities for Improvement

Skills Needed:

Leadership and Team Management
Sales Growth Strategies
Problem-Solving

3. Customer Success:

A Customer Success Manager ensures that once the sale is made, new customers learn how to use the product, drive results, and get set up to win. CSMs onboard clients, provide ongoing support, and work to retain and grow accounts. Former SDRs often thrive here because of their problem-solving mindset and communication skills, especially if they enjoy building long-term relationships instead of cold outreach.

Customer Success Manager, Jenna Cusker, notes that she decided to make the switch from the SDR role to Customer Success because “As an SDR, I loved that your mindset focused on solving companies’ problems…but [I] wanted to be able to see the outcome of us actually helping them.”

Responsibilities:

Customer relationship-building
Customer onboarding and troubleshooting
Boost customer renewals and retention rates and cut churn

Skills Needed:

Sociable
Active Listening
Customer-Centric

Looking to venture into Customer Success but need some advice? Check out these gems from our CS Team:

Michelle Vecchione (Mid-Market CS Manager): “Keep making those dials! Make the uncomfortable conversations comfortable, take your manager on your growth path, and never take your focus off your goals.”

Ashley King (Enterprise CS Manager): “Know that improving your discovery questions and how to pivot that to plans of action, along with follow-up, are even more crucial in Customer Success to ensure all pain points are met during their service and more opportunities to for growth and a stickier customer relationship.”

How Do You Make Hiring SDRs Foolproof?

Whether you’re a startup, a medium-sized business, or an enterprise, every company needs a strong team of SDRs to get your brand in front of more people. Because more eyes on your brand means more sales opportunities and more revenue.

But how do you find the right people who are qualified for the SDR role?

Our outstanding Sales Recruitment Lead, Kelly Keperling has multiple ways that she finds SDR talent:

Online Job Boards: Handshake, Indeed, etc.
Referrals: This is Kelly’s favorite way to find a candidate. She says, “I love when I bring someone on to the team and they enjoy Seamless.AI so much they want to shout it to their network!” Referrals are great for growing your team and your product sales.
Seamless.AI Career Page: Your company’s career page is a great resource for talent. And if you’re looking for a sales job, you can see all the roles we have open here at Seamless.AI and apply (it only takes a few minutes).
LinkedIn (LI): With 1 billion users, LI is one of the best tools for finding top talent. And if you’re looking for SDR jobs, keep your profile up-to-date (i.e., employment history, etc.). Make sure you have your “Open to Work” banner on and make it clear in your “About Me” section that you’re looking for SDR work. Kelly urges you to follow these steps because recruiters look through hundreds of candidates a day, and they’re often on autopilot. Taking these steps will bring your profile to the front of the line when recruiters are searching for SDR candidates.

Now that you know where to plug your skills and experience, what exactly are recruiters looking for? Do they want you to be a seasoned sales pro? Can you have equivalent experience in a different field?

For Kelly, these are some core skills and experiences that could put you ahead of the pack:

Cold calling experience: Cold calling is the bread and butter of the SDR role. So if you have some experience on the dialer, either through an internship or your current position, you’re golden!
College sales team experience: Just like with cold calling experience, if you have any kind of sales experience, that’s always a plus.
Former athletes: Believe it or not, if you played sports during school, that is an incredible asset. A lot of the skills it takes to thrive on the field are the same skills needed to succeed in sales like being a team player, bouncing back from loss and rejection, having a healthy competitive spirit, and knowing how to set and achieve goals.

DISCLAIMER: These experiences and skills aren’t make or break. If you have never picked up a football or you have ZERO sales experience, that doesn’t mean that your SDR application is dead in the water. As you’re filling out applications, think about the professional and personal experiences where you demonstrated these skills. Any relevant experience is good experience!

For a lot of people, the most nerve-wracking part of the job application process is the job interview, but they don’t have to be when you know some of the more common SDR interview questions that recruiters ask:

When you are looking for roles, what are the top three things that need to be a part of an opportunity to make it a great fit for you? For Kelly, this is an important question because it helps her gauge a candidate’s knowledge of sales basics. Do they know what an ideal candidate looks like? This helps her understand whether a candidate is a good fit for the SDR role and Seamless.AI.
Please tell me a time you overcame rejection. Kelly points out that rejection is a massive part of the SDR role, so with this question, recruiters want to see how capable an SDR candidate is of bouncing back from rejection or turning a closed door into opportunity.
What previous experience do you have that would directly relate to a sales role? This question is more obvious, but expect to hear it in any SDR job interview. And remember, any relevant experience is good experience, even if it isn’t in sales.

Here’s a bonus SDR interview question that’s a bit unusual and unexpected, but Kelly loves to keep this one up her sleeve:

Describe an experience when something unexpected happened at work or school and you needed to adapt quickly. How did you handle it?

This is a question you might hear if you’re interviewing with a startup. According to Kelly, this gives the recruiting team insight into how a candidate deals with change, which is crucial if your company is a startup (where changes happen daily).

How Do You Develop a Successful SDR Team?

To build top-performing SDRs, you need more than just a quick ramp-up. You need hands-on training and a solid curriculum. At Seamless.AI, we invest in a four-week training program to level the playing field, whether reps are new to SaaS or already have sales experience, because everyone deserves a fair shot at success.

According to our SDR training manager, Garrett Salyer, “Sales is a skill that requires practice, real-time feedback, and repetition…This hands-on experience is crucial for building confidence and efficiency in real-world sales scenarios.”

Here’s a summary of some of the major topics the Seamless.AI SDR Training Program covers week to week:

Week 1: New hire orientation essentials are covered, as well as a tech stack breakdown and process training, so reps are comfortable with the tools they will have to use every day. Reps will learn secrets from the best in their field by shadowing top-performing SDRs and practicing cold calls (role-play and sales prospecting sessions).
Week 2: Trainees dive deeper into the role with sales pitch and objection-handling training so they feel more prepared to handle cold calls. In addition to process reviews, there are Q&A sessions with top account executives so SDR trainees can learn more about their potential career path at Seamless.AI.
Week 3: SDR trainees do a competitor deep dive to understand the SaaS market. They also learn about our most common buyer persona (their pain points, goals, etc.), as well as hold rate training and more prospecting sessions.
Week 4: Trainees do a discovery question deep dive to learn the right qualifying questions to ask. We wrap up with more hands-on prospecting sessions, and new SDRs get assigned to teams.

Once training wraps up, the SDR career development doesn’t stop there. There are daily sales team stand-ups and team stand-ups where SDRs (and anyone else) can ask questions and work through any problem areas they’re facing, from specific objections to follow-up. Reps also get weekly one-on-ones with their sales manager for more personalized training.

In addition, SDRs get access to free sales development books, video courses, and a library of product training to read on their own time so they can become experts in their role and at Seamless.AI.

Ready to Build an SDR Team That Delivers?

Whether you’re looking to break into tech sales, improve your team’s close rates, or scale outbound efforts, the SDR role is where it all begins. The best SDRs don’t just hit activity numbers; they learn fast, adapt faster, and help fuel the entire sales and marketing engine.

At Seamless.AI, we don’t just talk about SDR success—we train for it, we hire for it, and we’ve built tools that support it. If you want to hire smarter, generate better leads, and create an SDR playbook that actually works, we can help you get there.

Let’s redefine what sales development can do. Book a demo now.

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