SDR vs BDR: What's the Difference?

It’s no secret that having a strong sales team is essential to the success of any business. Selecting an SDR or a BDR for your sales team is one of the most critical choices you’ll make when building the foundation for your company.

But why would you need an SDR vs BDR? Which solution is better for your business? Or for your career? To answer these questions and more, it’s important to understand an SDR and BDRs respective roles and responsibilities.

While one position isn’t necessarily better than the other, knowing their differences can help you make a better decision for yourself and your business. Whether you’re looking to hire an SDR or BDR, find a top job, pursue career training, or review salary information, read on to find out everything you need to know about these important sales roles:

What is a SDR (Sales development representative)?

SDRs are responsible for generating leads and scheduling appointments for the sales team. SDRs achieve this through outbound prospecting, such as cold-calling or emailing potential customers who are a fit for a business.

In short, SDRs generate leads. They work closely with the marketing department to ensure that the leads they generate are high-quality and aligned with the organization’s buyer’s persona.

What does an SDR DO?

A day in the life of an SDR will usually consist of a few things:

They might begin their day researching target accounts and building lists of contacts. Some companies have lead generation specialists to build prospecting lists for SDRs. This can allow them to focus on what really matters, which is getting in contact with new leads.

SDRs also qualify leads once they’ve researched them. This can be done by phone, email, or social media. LinkedIn is a great tool for SDRs because it usually has all of the information needed to conduct outreach to a prospect.

Once SDRs have qualified the leads they’ll begin making contact. They can send personalized emails and make cold calls. SDRs are responsible for tracking all outreach activity within the sales team’s CRM (customer relationship management) software.

Another thing SDRs are responsible for is attending weekly meetings to report progress. Since SDRs are the ones talking to potential clients, they can often give the marketing team a better understanding of the lead quality coming through the marketing and sales funnel.

How much does and SDR make?

The national average pay for an SDR is $51,720 per year. When you break down industry, experience, and location these figures can vary greatly.

For example, an SDR with only one year of experience working in Florida makes around $42,000, while that same SDR in California might make a starting salary of $53,000. SDRs in the 90th percentile earn around $72,500 annually across the United States.

How to Be a successful SDR?

The best SDRs are excellent communicators with a natural ability to build rapport quickly. They’re also highly organized and detail-oriented.

SDRs that properly manage their outreach efforts ensure that no leads slip through the cracks. The most successful SDRs are resilient, in the pursuit of a “yes” from a prospect. They also make an effort to collaborate with other members of the sales team to get feedback and improve their performance.

Listening to veteran SDR outreach calls is a good way for newcomers to learn how to book more meetings. Finding the best SDR training programs can also be valuable for the success of individuals and businesses.

What is a BDR (Business Development Representative)?

BDRs are responsible for developing relationships with potential customers to sell products or services. They work closely with SDRs to ensure that the leads they’re given are qualified and ready to buy.

While the end goal for a BDR is also selling, they’re more focused on account development through educating the customer and nurturing the relationship.

What does a bdr do? 

There are a few things that BDRs do on a day-to-day basis that may seem similar to an SDR. Yet, there are distinctive differences:

For starters, BDRs develop relationships with potential customers. That means they may conduct business lunches with prospects. Or they could attend conferences to drive awareness. BDRs are responsible for prospecting new accounts through email, calls, and social media – some of the functions similar to SDRs.

However, BDRs tend to do a deeper dive into customer accounts. Instead of cold pitching, they might instead conduct “needs analysis” conversations with potential buyers. BDRs will also make the decision of when to pass a lead onto a member of the sales team.

One of the things that BDRs do is provide feedback to improve the lead generation process. Since they’re always having conversations with potential customers, BDRs can be a huge source of knowledge for both marketing and sales teams.

How much does a bdr make?

The national average base pay for a BDR is $47,240 per year. The highest paid BDRs are earning around $80,500, with about two to four years of experience on average.

Just like SDRs salary can vary as well. BDRs typically are paid commissions, which can make their earning potential even greater.

How to be a successful BDR

The best BDRs are natural relationship builders with exceptional communication skills. They’re also competitive by nature and possess strong negotiation skills. The most successful BDRs are organized and willing to try new things. 

Finding a balance between personalization and efficiency will go a long way in a career as a BDR. BDRs that thrive don’t get discouraged easily and remain creative to foster the right relationships.

What’s Better? SDR vs. BDR 

If you’re in the early stages of growth and need leads, choosing an SDR might be your best bet. Yet, if you want to better understand and develop your product-market-fit, adding a BDR role into your sales organization can help you refine your approach. 

Since BDRs can do what SDRs do, you could go the route of hiring a BDR first and then adding an SDR to your sales team later. Ultimately, looking at what stage your company is in, is a good place to start before hiring for either role.

Your Sales Team Deserves the Best SDRS and BDRS!

If you’re looking to get started with an SDR and BDR for your business, consider outsourcing the roles on a fractional basis. The Selling Factory hires college students to work micro-shifts (two to four hours per day) that can help your company scale. Our student hires are from top universities, native English speakers, eager to learn, and high-energy.

The companies we serve receive superior results because our teams are better communicators versus overseas options, more productive than internal hires, and more affordable than domestic outsourcers.

Interested in learning what The Selling Factory can bring to your business’s sales efforts? Contact us today to learn more!