What is an SDR?
The Harp team ·
A sales development representative (SDR) creates sales opportunities. They find the right accounts, research them, reach the right people by email, phone and LinkedIn, and turn interested replies into meetings for an account executive (AE), who runs the deal from there.
SDR vs BDR vs AE
- SDR: often works inbound leads and outbound, qualifying and booking meetings.
- BDR (business development rep): usually focused on outbound to accounts that have not raised their hand. Many companies use the two titles interchangeably.
- AE (account executive): takes the meeting and runs the deal to close.
What the job is made of
- Research: deciding which accounts are worth contacting, and why now.
- Writing: a first line that could only have been sent to this person.
- Cadence: following up across channels without being a nuisance.
- Replies: answering fast and booking the meeting.
- Bookkeeping: recording what happened so nothing is done twice.
What AI changes
Research and writing are exactly what AI agents are good at. Cadence, replies and bookkeeping need a system around the agent. That is the split behind the two kinds of AI SDR tools: platforms with their own agent, and harnesses such as Harp for the agent you already use.
Questions
Will AI replace SDRs?
It already does much of the research and writing. Judgment about who to sell to, and the relationship once someone replies, still benefit from a person.