Sales Development Representative

What is a Sales Development Representative?

A Sales Development Representative (SDR) is an outbound prospector whose job is to generate qualified pipeline for Account Executives. SDRs research target accounts, craft personalized outreach, and book discovery calls — their metric is meetings set, not deals closed. At a startup, SDRs are often the engine of top-of-funnel growth, scaling outbound in a way that founders and AEs can't sustain alone.

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At what stage should you hire a Sales Development Representative?

Series A and beyond, once you have at least one AE to receive the meetings the SDR generates. Hiring an SDR before you have a functioning sales process and a quota-carrying AE to close deals leads to wasted pipeline. The signal: your AEs are spending significant time on prospecting that an SDR could handle, reducing their closing capacity.

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Common titles for this role

• Sales Development Representative
• SDR
• Business Development Representative (BDR)
• Outbound Sales Representative
• Market Development Representative (MDR)
• Junior Sales Representative

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What does an SDR do at a startup?

• Research target accounts and identify the right contacts to reach out to
• Execute outbound sequences via email, phone, and LinkedIn
• Qualify inbound leads and route them to the appropriate AE
• Book discovery calls and demos for the sales team
• Maintain CRM hygiene: accurate activity logging, contact data, and pipeline status
• Provide feedback on message resonance and ICP signal to sales leadership
• Hit weekly activity metrics: emails sent, calls made, meetings booked

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Key skills and qualifications

• 1–3 years of sales or business development experience (or exceptional first-time SDR candidates)
• Strong written communication — SDR emails are often the first impression your company makes
• Resilience and consistency: SDR work is high-volume and high-rejection
• Research skills: ability to personalize outreach based on account and contact research
• CRM proficiency: Salesforce or HubSpot activity logging and pipeline management
• Coachability: openness to feedback and willingness to iterate on messaging

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Why hire your SDR through Recruiting from Scratch?

• SDR is a high-volume role — we move fast and screen for the right mix of grit, communication skill, and learning agility
• 29-day average time to hire — SDR searches should be fast; with Recruiting from Scratch they are
• 300+ placements at VC-backed companies across all GTM functions
• Pre-vetted for written communication quality and track record of quota attainment
• No upfront fees — contingency model

Frequently Asked Questions: Sales Development Representative

What does a Sales Development Representative earn?

Based on 157 real postings in our database, a Sales Development Representative typically earns a median salary of $85K. The compensation range for this role generally falls between $80K and $103K, reflecting various factors like experience and location.

How long does it take to hire a Sales Development Representative?

Our average time to hire a Sales Development Representative is approximately 29 days, significantly faster than the industry average of 45-60 days. This efficiency is a result of our extensive network and streamlined recruitment process, ensuring you find the right talent quickly.

What should you look for when hiring a Sales Development Representative?

When hiring an SDR, we advise looking for strong communication skills, resilience, and a genuine curiosity about business and people. Candidates should demonstrate coachability and a proactive, results-oriented mindset, as these traits are crucial for success in a demanding sales environment.

How do you assess a Sales Development Representative candidate effectively?

We recommend assessing SDR candidates through behavioral interviews that uncover their motivation and problem-solving abilities. Role-playing scenarios can effectively gauge their prospecting skills, ability to handle objections, and overall communication style under pressure.

Is Sales Development Representative typically a remote or in-person role?

The SDR role has seen a shift, with both remote and in-person setups being common today. We find that the best fit depends on your company culture, team collaboration needs, and the specific market you're targeting.