What does a sales development representative do?

An SDR starts the sales process: you research companies, reach out to the people who might buy, and book meetings for account executives. It is the usual first job in software and business-services sales. A typical day includes: research target companies and contacts; send emails and make calls to start conversations; qualify interest against the team's criteria; book meetings and hand them to an account executive; log every touch in the CRM.

What skills do you need to be a sales development representative?

The skills this job uses most are cold outreach (email and phone), active listening, prospecting research, CRM software, resilience after "no", clear writing. Most can be learned before the first day through coursework, short courses, practice or a related job.

Where can a sales development representative job lead?

People in this job commonly move to business development representative, account executive, inside sales representative, account manager. The link between jobs is the shared skills; the path is not guaranteed and depends on the employer.

Entry-level sales development representative jobs (SDR): what the job is, skills and open roles

An SDR starts the sales process: you research companies, reach out to the people who might buy, and book meetings for account executives. It is the usual first job in software and business-services sales.

What a sales development representative does

In the sales family of jobs. Roles that start conversations with buyers, qualify them and close deals.

A typical day

1. Research target companies and contacts
2. Send emails and make calls to start conversations
3. Qualify interest against the team's criteria
4. Book meetings and hand them to an account executive
5. Log every touch in the CRM

Do you need experience?

Entry-level sales development representative jobs exist, but none are open on the career sites we track at this moment, so we cannot say how many ask for experience. Each posting states its own requirements, so read the requirements section before you decide a job is out of reach.

Open entry-level sales development representative jobs

Taken from employers’ own career sites and checked to still be open within the last week.

No entry-level sales development representative jobs are open on the career sites we track right now. Save a search above and we will email you when one is posted, or search all sales development representative jobs, including ones that do not say entry level.

Skills for sales development representative jobs

The skills this job uses, most important first. Most can be learned or shown before the first day.

Skills to build or show

1. Cold outreach (email and phone)
2. Active listening
3. Prospecting research
4. CRM software
5. Resilience after "no"
6. Clear writing
7. Time management

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The market for sales development representative work

Every figure names its source.

Open entry-level sales development representative jobs: 0
Employment outlook, the closest government category: Projected to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035 (about as fast as average).

Outlook and AI-use figures are for the government category “Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel”, the closest match to this job.

More jobs like sales development representative

Roles that use the same skills, and where this job commonly leads.

Where it can lead

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All entry-level sales jobs · Sales Development Representative jobs at every level

Questions about sales development representative jobs

What does a sales development representative do?: An SDR starts the sales process: you research companies, reach out to the people who might buy, and book meetings for account executives. It is the usual first job in software and business-services sales. A typical day includes: research target companies and contacts; send emails and make calls to start conversations; qualify interest against the team's criteria; book meetings and hand them to an account executive; log every touch in the CRM.
Can I get an entry-level sales development representative job with no experience?: Entry-level sales development representative jobs exist, but none are open on the career sites we track at this moment, so we cannot say how many ask for experience. Each posting states its own requirements, so read the requirements section before you decide a job is out of reach.
What skills do you need to be a sales development representative?: The skills this job uses most are cold outreach (email and phone), active listening, prospecting research, CRM software, resilience after "no", clear writing. Most can be learned before the first day through coursework, short courses, practice or a related job.
Where can a sales development representative job lead?: People in this job commonly move to business development representative, account executive, inside sales representative, account manager. The link between jobs is the shared skills; the path is not guaranteed and depends on the employer.

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