What Does An SDR Do?

What Does An SDR Do? – Day in the life

Troy Buckholdt

September 24, 2021

What does an SDR Do? Well, the entry point into a technology sales career often starts as an SDR (Sales Development Representative).

This SDR is the most entry-level technology sales role inside of a B2B organization. Your job is to find companies that would benefit from your technology solution and set an appointment for them to meet with a more senior salesperson at your company, the AE (Account Executive).

SDRs are the foundation of a sales team since they’re the ones who are bringing in the new business. In sales, they call this the top of the funnel. This means that the majority of the revenue a company brings in is solely dependant on its sales development team. This is why SDRs usually have one of the highest starting salaries of any entry-level business job.

At CourseCareers, we train students online in sales development where we teach you everything you need to know in-depth and connect you with an internship to start your career. Check out our free introduction course to learn the basics about starting your career as an SDR.

If you’re still wondering what does an SDR do? Well, your day usually consists of three functions. Research, Outreach, and Discovery.

The job of an SDR can be broken down into these three steps going in order. This is the simplest way to think of what the job of an SDR is.

Step 1: Research companies, contacts, contact info, and relevant information

Step 2: Reach out to your prospects and teach them about your technology solution

Step 3: Have a conversation with these prospects to see if they’re qualified

What Kind of Background Do You Need to Be an SDR?

Background: The type of background needed to be an SDR is very diverse which means you don’t need any specific type of background. You can also use a sales development career as an alternative to college.

Recent high school graduate looking for a college alternative
Employee wanting to switch industries
College drop-out figuring out their next move in life
College graduate considering what their options are

Qualifications: There are only a few basic qualifications you need to start a career as an SDR.

Have a strong desire to learn and improve
Have great verbal and written communication skills
Enjoy helping people and have great interpersonal skills
Have a strong work ethic and grit
Desire to be judged and paid based on your performance

Day in the Life of an SDR

Here is what you can expect as an average day in the life of a sales development rep.

8:00 am

Arrive at the office & get your coffee

8:00 – 9:00 am

Responding to emails & checking calendar

9:00 – 10:00 am

Researching companies and adding in new prospects

10:00 – 12:00 pm

Making phone calls to people in your outreach

12:00 – 1:00 pm

Lunch Time

1:00 – 3:00 pm

Sending personalized emails and LinkedIn messages to people in your outreach

3:00 – 3:15 pm

Take a break and get ready to finish off your day strong

3:15 – 4:00 pm

Making your scheduled discovery calls

4:00 – 5:00 pm

Making afternoon calls to people in your outreach

If You Want to Start Your Career as an SDR

If you want to start your career in technology sales as an SDR, then the next best step would be to go through our free introductory course. We teach you everything you need to know about a career as an SDR and also go in-depth about the various ways you can get your first position. Go ahead and sign up for our free introduction to technology sales course here.