SDR vs. BDR: Understanding the Key Differences and Choosing the Right Role for Your Business in 2025

Sales Development Representative (SDR) and Business Development Representative (BDR) are two terms that frequently pop up in modern sales organizations—yet they often cause confusion. Are they just two names for the same position, or is there a meaningful difference that can shape your go-to-market strategy?

In this blog post, we’ll clarify the distinction between SDRs and BDRs, discuss how each role can supercharge your pipeline, and show you how to decide which role your organization really needs.

Table of Contents

• What Is an SDR?
• What Is a BDR?
• SDR vs. BDR: Key Differences
• SDR vs. BDR: Responsibilities and Daily Tasks
• Real-World Examples and Scenarios
• Choosing the Right Role for Your Business
• How SDRs and BDRs Collaborate
• Conclusion

What Is an SDR?

A Sales Development Representative (SDR) typically focuses on inbound leads—people who have already shown interest in your product or service. These prospects might fill out a “Request a Demo” form on your website, sign up for a webinar, or download a whitepaper. It’s the SDR’s job to qualify these leads by ensuring they meet certain criteria (e.g., budget, authority, need, and timeline) before handing them off to an Account Executive (AE) or closing sales rep.

Key Traits of an SDR:

• Inbound-Focused: Primarily engages with leads who have taken some action indicating interest.
• Quick Response Times: Often the first point of contact; speed is crucial to capitalize on a prospect’s initial interest.
• Lead Qualification: Uses frameworks like BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline) or MEDDIC to vet potential deals.
• Metrics: Common performance indicators include speed-to-lead response, number of qualified leads, and conversion rates to sales opportunities.

What Is a BDR?

A Business Development Representative (BDR), on the other hand, is often outbound-focused—proactively seeking out new markets, industries, or segments where your company has little to no brand presence. They’re essentially “hunters,” tasked with researching, cold-calling, and cold-emailing prospects who haven’t yet raised their hand or shown explicit interest.

Key Traits of a BDR:

• Outbound-Focused: Proactively targets potential customers in new or underexplored segments.
• Strategic Research: Invests time in LinkedIn Sales Navigator, prospect databases, and industry reports to identify ideal targets.
• Market Expansion: Plays a critical role in penetrating new regions or verticals.
• Metrics: Common performance indicators include the number of prospecting calls/emails, new pipeline generated, and meetings booked with net new accounts.

💫 Curious about the latest outbound tactics? Check out our outbound lead generation guide. 

SDR vs. BDR: Key Differences

While the roles can overlap in some organizations, here are the core distinctions:

SDR vs. BDR: Responsibilities and Daily Tasks

While both roles contribute significantly to pipeline growth, their daily activities and key responsibilities differ. Here’s a break down of the specific tasks each role undertakes.

SDR Responsibilities & Daily Tasks

1. Inbound Lead Triage
   • Monitor website demo requests, webinar sign-ups, or campaign responders.
   • Quickly follow up with phone calls or personalized emails.
2. Lead Qualification
   • Use lead scoring tools to separate high-intent from lower-intent leads.
   • Conduct discovery calls to assess needs and pain points.
3. Scheduling Appointments
   • Coordinate calendars with AEs.
   • Ensure each qualified prospect’s details are documented in the CRM.
4. Relationship Nurturing
   • Send follow-up content (case studies, success stories).
   • Keep potential leads warm until they’re ready to move forward.
5. % Tasks Breakdown
   • ~40% qualification calls, ~30% follow-up emails, ~20% CRM updates and scheduling, ~10% internal meetings.

BDR Responsibilities & Daily Tasks

1. Outbound Prospecting
   • Identify target accounts using platforms like LinkedIn Sales Navigator or ZoomInfo.
   • Craft personalized cold emails and voicemails.
2. Market and Persona Research
   • Investigate industry pain points, competitor landscape, and relevant trends.
   • Refine outreach strategy to resonate with specific titles or verticals.
3. Strategic Networking
   • Attend virtual or in-person industry events to discover new contacts.
   • Build relationships through social selling tactics (e.g., LinkedIn messages, event follow-ups).
4. Pipeline Generation
   • Book meetings with new prospects for the sales team.
   • Work closely with marketing to identify new campaign opportunities.
5. % Tasks Breakdown
   • ~40% cold calling, ~30% research, ~20% email campaigns, ~10% internal reporting.

Real-World Examples and Scenarios

Example 1: Inbound-Heavy SaaS Company

Situation: A growing SaaS startup receives around 200 inbound demo requests per month from marketing campaigns.

• SDR Action: The SDR quickly qualifies these leads, checking budget and timeline. Once deemed suitable, they pass them to an AE within 24 hours.
• BDR Relevance: If the company is only operating in one region and has enough inbound pipeline, they might deprioritize BDR activities. Over time, they might hire BDRs to expand into new industries or geographies.

Example 2: New Product Launch into International Markets

Situation: A mid-market company wants to introduce a brand-new product in a different country where they have zero brand awareness.

• BDR Action: Conducts extensive market research, identifies top verticals, and contacts potential decision-makers through cold outreach.
• SDR Relevance: SDRs may not have immediate leads to qualify because inbound interest might be low. However, if any inbound leads trickle in from marketing efforts, the SDR can handle them effectively.

Choosing the Right Role for Your Business

Determining whether you need an SDR, a BDR, or both boils down to your current pipeline strategy and market presence:

1. If You Have High Inbound Demand
   • Likely Need: SDR
   • Reason: You have warm leads who need quick qualification. Speed and a personable approach to inbound requests can increase lead-to-opportunity conversion rates.
2. If You Need Market Expansion
   • Likely Need: BDR
   • Reason: You’re tapping into brand-new territories or verticals where awareness is low. You need an outbound specialist.
3. If You Have Both
   • Likely Need: SDR + BDR Team
   • Reason: You have a steady flow of inbound leads and you’re looking to aggressively grow your market share. Splitting the roles can sharpen focus and results.

💎 Pro Tip: In lean startups, you might have one hybrid role that combines SDR and BDR tasks or you might outsource sales to a reputable agency. As you grow, specialize your team to maximize efficiency.

How SDRs and BDRs Collaborate

Though each role has a distinct focus, collaboration amplifies results:

• Feedback Loop
  • BDRs share new market intel with SDRs and marketing—“We keep hearing about X pain point in the finance sector.”
  • SDRs share data on which messaging resonates with warm leads. This helps BDRs refine their outreach approach.
• Marketing Alignment
  • Marketing campaigns can generate leads for SDRs while also sparking interest in potential BDR outbound lists (e.g., targeting the same persona that downloaded a whitepaper).
• Pipeline Continuity
  • Both roles ensure the sales funnel remains full: BDRs feed top-of-funnel opportunities, SDRs qualify mid-funnel leads.
  • A strong SDR-BDR tandem creates a robust pipeline that fuels your sales organization with fresh opportunities and well-qualified prospects.

Conclusion

SDRs and BDRs serve as two critical engines driving your sales pipeline. While SDRs specialize in responding to and qualifying inbound leads, BDRs focus on proactively identifying new opportunities in unfamiliar markets. Each role is essential, but the one you prioritize depends on your current volume of inbound leads, growth strategy, and resource availability.

For companies flush with marketing-generated leads, an SDR team can turbocharge conversions. On the other hand, if you’re targeting new industries or territories, a BDR team is indispensable for opening doors and building initial brand awareness. In many cases, having both roles operating in tandem ensures a steady flow of fresh leads and well-qualified prospects, positioning your sales team for success.

For businesses not quite ready to scale internally or looking to quickly break into a new market, outsourcing the BDR role can be a strategic solution. Many companies partner with providers like Martal Group to support their SDR efforts by handling outbound lead generation and appointment setting. This ensures Account Executives always have a full pipeline of qualified leads, helping to maintain momentum and drive growth.

FAQs: SDR vs. BDR

References

• https://www.kalungi.com/blog/sdr-bdr-difference
• https://www.omi.co/sales/sdr-vs-bdr/
• https://memoryblue.com/blog/sdr-vs-bdr-whats-the-differences/
• https://www.amplemarket.com/blog/bdr-vs-sdr-whats-the-difference-and-which-sales-role-is-right-for-you
• https://clickup.com/blog/sdr-vs-bdr/
• https://www.akimbo.eu/en/blog/sdr-vs-bdr-whats-the-difference
• https://www.activatedscale.com/blog/sdr-vs-bdr-key-differences-and-how-to-choose-the-right-role-a905a
• https://www.lusha.com/blog/bdr-vs-sdr/