SDR vs BDR: what is the difference?
An SDR usually qualifies inbound enquiries; a BDR usually prospects outbound. Many firms use both titles for one job, so judge a role by its duties, not its initials.
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An SDR (sales development representative) usually qualifies inbound interest: people who have already enquired or downloaded something. A BDR (business development representative) usually prospects outbound: contacting businesses that have never heard from you. Both book qualified meetings for an account executive or owner to close. Many companies use the two titles for the same job, so read the duties in the advert before the title. If you want either side of the prospecting covered, a lead generation virtual assistant can do it.
On this page
What is an SDR?
An SDR is a sales development representative: the person who takes interest your marketing has created and turns it into qualified sales meetings. For the full picture of the role, see our guide on what an SDR is.
Responsibilities of an SDR
- Respond quickly to new enquiries, demo requests and downloads
- Ask qualifying questions to confirm need, decision-maker and timescale
- Nurture leads that are interested but not ready, with planned follow-up
- Book meetings in the account executive's or owner's calendar, with notes
- Keep every contact and conversation logged in the CRM
Inbound focus and qualifying
The inbound SDR's main enemy is delay. A person who enquired this morning has probably enquired elsewhere too, so the SDR who answers first and asks good questions books the meeting. Qualifying matters as much as speed: inbound leads include students, competitors and people who were only curious, and the SDR's job is to pass on only the ones worth a seller's time. Our guide to inbound vs outbound lead generation covers both approaches.
What is a BDR?
A BDR is a business development representative. The letters stand for that full title, and the job is to create new opportunities, usually by contacting businesses that have not yet shown any interest.
Responsibilities of a BDR
- Build and research lists of target companies and the right contact in each
- Screen phone numbers against the TPS and CTPS registers before calling
- Run outbound sequences of calls, emails and LinkedIn messages
- Handle early objections and follow up over weeks, not days
- Qualify and book meetings, and log every touch in the CRM
Outbound focus and building accounts
Outbound work starts from nothing. The BDR picks the accounts, finds the decision-maker and earns the first conversation, often after many attempts. In some companies BDRs are given a list of named target accounts and work several contacts in each one. The UK rules on calls apply here: the ICO's business-to-business marketing guidance says you must not make live marketing calls to TPS or CTPS registered numbers without consent, the caller must identify themselves and display a number, and sole traders and some partnerships are treated as individuals. This is general information, not legal advice. Our guide on whether cold calling is legal in the UK covers the detail.
Key differences between the roles
Are SDR and BDR the same thing?
Sometimes. In many small and mid-sized firms the two titles describe one role that handles both inbound leads and outbound prospecting. Where a company does separate them, the split is usually by where the lead comes from: SDRs work leads marketing has produced, BDRs go out and find new ones. If you are weighing SDR vs BDR because you want the role filled without a hire, our outsourced SDR page shows how one dedicated person can cover either side.
Comparison table
| Aspect | SDR (sales development representative) | BDR (business development representative) |
|---|---|---|
| Main source of leads | Inbound: form fills, demo requests, downloads, chat | Outbound: lists of target businesses that have not enquired |
| Main job | Respond fast, qualify, book the meeting | Research, open the conversation, qualify, book the meeting |
| Typical channels | Email, phone call-backs, chat | Cold calls, cold email, LinkedIn |
| Works closely with | Marketing | Account executives and target account lists |
| Key skill | Speed and sharp qualifying | Resilience and good research |
| Measured on | Qualified meetings from inbound leads | Qualified meetings and pipeline from new accounts |
| Hands over to | Account executive or owner | Account executive or owner |
The table describes the most common split. Your business can define the roles differently, as long as the job description says so.
Is a BDR higher or better than an SDR?
Neither title is senior to the other by definition. In companies that separate them, the outbound BDR role is sometimes treated as the next step after inbound SDR work, because starting conversations from nothing is harder than following up interest. In other companies the order is reversed, or there is only one title. Judge a role on its duties, targets and pay, not its initials.
Do SDRs and BDRs do cold calling?
BDRs usually do, because outbound prospecting relies on calls as well as email and LinkedIn. SDRs call too, but mostly to people who have already enquired, which is a warm call rather than a cold one. In a combined role, expect both. Our outsourced cold calling page covers phone campaigns run for you.
Who earns more, an SDR or a BDR?
There is no official UK salary figure for either SDRs or BDRs, and no official source shows a pay gap between them. The National Careers Service publishes profiles for two related roles, and these are the closest official reference points:
- Sales representative: a typical starting salary of £23,000 and £50,000 when experienced, according to the National Careers Service sales representative job profile.
- Business development manager: £28,000 as a starter and £80,000 when experienced, according to the National Careers Service business development manager job profile.
Neither profile is an SDR or BDR profile, so treat them as context. A business development manager is usually a more senior role than a BDR.
Basic pay and on-target earnings
Both roles are usually advertised as a basic salary plus on-target earnings (OTE), the commission or bonus paid when targets are met. The National Careers Service notes that advertised sales pay may include OTE. Where BDRs are paid more, it is usually because outbound targets are harder, not because of the title. When you set pay, decide what the bonus is paid on: meetings booked, meetings held or pipeline created.
Hiring costs for a small UK firm
For a small UK business, the cost of either hire goes beyond salary: employer National Insurance, pension, holiday, recruitment, tools, training and the time you spend managing. Count all of it before you compare with any outsourced option. Our SDR job description guide includes a UK template you can adapt for either title.
Skills, daily tasks and career path
Shared skills
SDRs and BDRs need most of the same skills:
- A clear, confident phone manner and short, natural writing
- Persistence and a calm response to rejection
- Listening and asking good questions
- Organisation, with every touch recorded in the CRM
- A working grasp of your product and the problems it solves
Both use the same basic tools: a CRM, a calendar, a phone system and an email account. The BDR adds list-building and research tools; the SDR leans on your website forms and marketing systems.
A typical day
An inbound SDR's day is driven by the queue: new enquiries are answered first, then follow-ups, then nurture emails to leads that are not ready. An outbound BDR's day is driven by the plan: research blocks, then calling blocks, then email and LinkedIn touches, then CRM updates. Both end the day with booked meetings handed over and tomorrow's follow-ups scheduled.
Progression to account executive
The account executive (AE) takes the meetings that SDRs and BDRs book and closes the deals. The AE owns the sales conversation, the proposal and the negotiation. SDR and BDR roles are common routes into an AE job, because they teach prospecting, qualifying and objection handling first.
AI SDRs and AI BDRs
What an AI BDR is
An AI BDR, or AI SDR, is software that automates parts of the job: finding contacts, writing and sending emails, sorting replies and sometimes booking meetings. It handles volume and works at any hour. The same UK direct marketing rules apply to automated outreach as to a person.
Where humans still matter
Software struggles with live phone conversations, with replies that need judgement and with prospects who need to trust a person before they give up an hour. Sending high volumes of automated email can also harm your domain's reputation and push messages into spam. Many businesses use automation for research and drafts and keep a person on the calls and the replies.
Choosing between an SDR and a BDR
When to hire an SDR
- Your marketing already brings in enquiries that go unanswered or are followed up late
- Your sales people spend time on enquiries that were never going to buy
- You want faster response and better qualifying on leads you already have
When to hire a BDR
- You get few inbound enquiries and need new conversations
- You know exactly which types of business you want to sell to
- You have, or can build, a list of target companies and contacts
If you need both and can afford one person, start with whichever problem costs you more meetings today. For most small firms with little inbound, that is outbound.
Common hiring mistakes
- Hiring on the title instead of writing down the duties and targets
- Giving an outbound hire no list, no profile and no script
- Paying bonus on meetings booked when you care about meetings held
- Expecting the hire to close deals as well as book them
- Having nobody to coach the hire in the first months
Outsourcing the role
How an outsourced SDR service works
With an outsourced SDR or BDR service, a provider supplies the person, the recruitment and the supervision, and the person works on your outreach as part of your team. You agree the target profile, the definition of a qualified meeting, the channels and the reporting. The person works in your CRM, calendar and email accounts, so the data and the history stay with you. You keep the offer and the sales conversation. If you need outreach beyond one role, outsourced lead generation is the wider option.
A managed team based in Cairo
At Ant Assist your SDR is one dedicated VA, never shared. They are UK-managed and work full time from our own managed office in Cairo, where they are recruited, managed and supervised; they are not freelancers and not AI. They work UK business hours, 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, from 20 hours a week up to a full 40-hour VA, and can run inbound, outbound or both. If the fit is wrong, we replace the VA without restart cost. NDAs, data-processing agreements, password managers and revocable access protect your data. Before you choose, our guide on how to hire a VA for lead generation sets out what to check.
The introductory rate is £5 per hour for the first 6 months on the Entry tier (3 months on Mid, 1 month on Expert). After that, lead generation Entry is £5.50 per hour full time (£880 a month for 160 hours) or £6.50 per hour part time (£520 a month for 80 hours). Compare with an in-house hire in the calculator.
SDR and BDR questions answered
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