Business Development Representative
A Business Development Representative (BDR) is a sales role focused on creating new pipeline through outbound prospecting. BDRs research target accounts, send cold emails and calls, qualify interest, and book meetings for account executives to close. The role is typically measured on qualified meetings and opportunities created.
In most teams a BDR handles outbound, proactively reaching cold accounts that match the Ideal Customer Profile, while an SDR handles inbound leads generated by marketing. Titles vary by company, and some use the two interchangeably, so always confirm the local definition.
A common pitfall is judging BDRs purely on activity volume like calls or emails sent. Tying their goals to qualified pipeline and conversion keeps focus on quality outreach rather than spray-and-pray.
Last updated: 14 June 2026