UK

United Kingdom · Sales · Entry Level (0-2 years)

Sales Development Representative

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

Start my Sales Development Representative plan, free

Free to start: a plan built for this role, and a Future Fluency module to try first. No card.

Keep this job description

Where should we send it?

One email: what AI is changing in this job, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

Upskilling a team in this role? Talk to us

  • Experience bandEntry Level (0-2 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toSales Manager
  • UK framework levelUsually someone starting out, or keeping a process running

Also advertised as Junior Sales Development Representative · Business Development Representative · Lead Generation Specialist

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
Automation Fluency building AI into how work runs
Start my Sales Development Representative plan, free

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Sales Development Representative?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • AI-Powered Personalisation
  • Advanced Social Selling
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Sales Development Representative plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

Start my Sales Development Representative plan, free Ready to pay? Subscribe for £70 a month

3What this role really is

A sales development representative finds and contacts potential clients, sparking interest and booking them in to talk with an account executive.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Salesforce Intermediate

Managing your own pipeline of prospects, logging all calls, emails, and meetings accurately, and pulling basic reports to track your personal performance against targets.

Outreach / Salesloft (Sales Engagement Platform) Expert

This is where you'll live! Building and executing multi-touch sequences (automated email/call cadences), A/B testing your messaging, and managing your daily tasks efficiently to hit activity metrics.

Gong / Chorus.ai (Conversation Intelligence) Basic

Reviewing your own calls for self-coaching, using transcripts to pull key details for follow-ups, and listening to top performers' calls to learn best practices.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator Expert

Mastering advanced search filters, account mapping, and InMail prospecting to build and nurture your book of business and connect with key decision-makers.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Prospecting List Selection Choose prospects from assigned lists or within defined target accounts, with manager review for new approaches. Independently identify and prioritise prospects within a specific territory or segment. Define criteria for ideal prospect profiles and build new prospecting strategies.
Outreach Messaging Use approved templates and scripts, personalising within given guidelines. Any new messaging ideas need manager approval. Adapt messaging based on prospect feedback and A/B test variations with manager oversight. Design and implement new messaging frameworks for specific campaigns or market segments.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Daily Activity Volume
The number of outbound activities you complete each day – think calls, emails, and LinkedIn messages.
Target · 100+ activities per day

On Monday, you made 60 calls, sent 30 emails, and 15 LinkedIn messages, hitting 105 activities for the day.

Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) Generated
The number of meetings you book that actually turn into a qualified opportunity for an Account Executive. This means they meet our specific criteria for a good lead.
Target · 10-12 SQLs per month

You booked 15 meetings this month, and 11 of them were accepted by the AEs as genuine SQLs.

Conversion Rate (Activity to SQL)
The percentage of your total activities that result in a qualified meeting. This shows how efficient your outreach is.
Target · Roughly 1.5% - 2% (depending on market)

If you did 1000 activities and booked 15 SQLs, that's a 1.5% conversion rate. We'll aim to optimise this over time.

Pipeline Contribution
The total potential value of the deals that originate from the SQLs you generate.
Target · £50K - £100K in new pipeline value per month

Your SQLs this month resulted in three new opportunities, with a combined potential value of £75,000.

Learning & Development Engagement
How actively you're seeking feedback, participating in training, and showing progress in your sales skills.
  • Regularly asking for call reviews, completing assigned sales training modules, applying coaching feedback in subsequent calls, showing improvement in call recordings over time.
Process Adherence & Data Quality
How well you follow our sales processes and keep our CRM (Salesforce) data clean and up-to-date. This is super important for everyone else.
  • All calls and emails logged in Salesforce within 24 hours, prospect information accurately entered, no 'happy ears' notes in deal records, following sequence guidelines in Outreach.
Team Collaboration & Contribution
How you work with your immediate team and the Account Executives you support. Are you a good team player?
  • Sharing best practices with peers, providing constructive feedback to Marketing on lead quality, proactively communicating with AEs about upcoming meetings, helping out with team-wide initiatives.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Hitting Targets & Earning Commission

You'll feel a real buzz when you hit your daily activity goal or book a great meeting. The idea of earning extra cash through commission will genuinely drive you to make that extra call or send that perfect email.

You're motivated by seeing your SQL count go up and knowing that each one contributes to your bonus at the end of the month.

Learning & Career Progression

You'll actively seek out coaching sessions, listen to call recordings, and ask questions about the next step in your career. The thought of becoming an Account Executive (or beyond) will keep you focused on mastering this role.

You spend extra time reviewing Gong calls from top AEs, imagining yourself in their shoes and learning their techniques.

Being Part of a Winning Team

You'll enjoy celebrating team wins, supporting your colleagues, and contributing to the overall success of the sales department. You like the camaraderie and the shared goal.

When the team hits its monthly target, you're genuinely excited and feel a sense of shared accomplishment.

What frustrates people
  • Getting hung up on or ignored constantly.
  • Prospects not showing up for meetings you've booked.
  • Feeling like you're just a 'dialling monkey' sometimes.
  • Having to follow strict scripts or processes that feel unnatural.
  • The pressure to hit activity metrics even on 'off' days.
What this role does not give you
  • Full ownership of the entire sales cycle from start to finish.
  • Strategic decision-making power over sales processes or territories.
  • A role where you rarely have to deal with rejection or difficult conversations.
  • A quiet, solitary work environment (it's a busy, often noisy sales floor).

8Who you work with

This role is absolutely foundational for our growth. You're the engine that drives new business opportunities. Without a strong SDR team, our Account Executives don't have enough qualified leads to work with, which means we simply can't hit our revenue goals. You're directly responsible for the health of our sales pipeline at the very top, making sure we always have enough promising conversations on the go.

Inside the business
  • Sales Manager (your direct boss, for guidance and coaching)
  • Account Executives (the folks you book meetings for, so you'll work closely)
  • Marketing Team (they'll give you leads, you'll give them feedback)
Outside the business
  • Potential Clients (the people you're trying to reach)
  • Industry Contacts (for networking and intel)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • A genuine desire to start a career in sales – this isn't just a job, it's a pathway.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
  • A positive attitude and a resilient mindset – you'll need it!
  • Basic computer literacy (using email, web browsers, CRM tools).
  • Some experience in a customer-facing role (e.g., retail, hospitality, customer service) where you've had to persuade or help people.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

CRM Optimisation (Salesforce)

You'll move from just logging data to understanding how your data impacts reporting for your manager and the wider team. Knowing how to keep the CRM clean and efficient becomes a shared responsibility.

Reporting & Dashboards · Data Integrity

  • This month: Learn how to create a basic custom report in Salesforce.
  • Month 2: Understand the key fields and objects in Salesforce that your manager uses for their reports.
  • Month 3: Proactively clean up any duplicate records or incomplete data in your own accounts.

Quick win: Ask your Sales Manager to show you the 3 most important Salesforce reports they look at each week and understand what they mean.

Sales Engagement Platform (Outreach/Salesloft) Mastery

You'll go from simply executing sequences to understanding why certain sequences work better than others, and even suggesting improvements. This is about becoming a power user.

A/B Testing Messaging · Sequence Design Principles

  • This month: A/B test two different email subject lines for one of your main sequences.
  • Month 2: Analyse the performance metrics (open rates, reply rates) of your top 3 sequences.
  • Month 3: Propose a small tweak to an existing team sequence based on your findings.

Quick win: Review the 'analytics' section of Outreach/Salesloft for your own sequences and try to spot one area for improvement today.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly listen to sales podcasts (e.g., 'Salesman Podcast', 'The Sales Evangelist').
  • Read sales books (e.g., 'Fanatical Prospecting' by Jeb Blount, 'The Challenger Sale').
  • Attend industry webinars or online sales training sessions.
  • Seek out mentorship from more experienced SDRs or Account Executives on the team.
  • Actively participate in our internal sales training and coaching programmes.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

AI-Powered Personalisation

Generic outreach just doesn't cut it anymore. Prospects are bombarded, and AI is getting incredibly good at helping you craft highly relevant, specific messages that actually resonate, saving you hours of manual research.

  • Contextual AI
  • Sentiment Analysis
  • Automated Research Agents

Advanced Social Selling

More and more decision-makers are active on platforms like LinkedIn. Simply sending InMails isn't enough; you'll need to engage authentically, build a personal brand, and provide value to your network before asking for anything.

  • Content Curation
  • Personal Branding
  • Engagement Strategies

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Basic Sales Process Understanding
  • Prospecting Techniques
  • Value Proposition Articulation

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Recent Graduate / Apprentice

    0-1 year

    Skills to master

    • Core prospecting, objection handling, CRM hygiene, active listening.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently hitting activity and SQL targets.
    • Demonstrating strong product knowledge and value articulation.
    • Positive attitude and resilience in the face of rejection.
  2. 2

    Customer Service / Retail Professional

    1-2 years

    Skills to master

    • Adapting customer service skills to proactive outreach, understanding sales metrics, time management.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully transitioning from reactive to proactive communication.
    • Showing initiative in learning sales processes and tools.
    • Ability to handle difficult conversations and maintain composure.
  3. 3

    Other Entry-Level Roles (e.g., Marketing Assistant)

    1-2 years

    Skills to master

    • Understanding the sales-marketing handoff, lead qualification, persuasive communication.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Strong understanding of the buyer's journey and lead lifecycle.
    • Demonstrated ability to generate interest and book meetings.
    • Proactive engagement with sales team members for learning.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to senior account executive or enterprise account executive work, sales management, or sales operations.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Sales Development Representative is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

The record names a next step, but the catalogue has no page for it yet:

  • Account Executive (AE)

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

Start my Sales Development Representative plan, free
See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Sales Development Representative
  • Basic Sales Process Understanding
  • Prospecting Techniques
  • Value Proposition Articulation
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Sales Development Representative is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Account Executive (AE)

    18-36 months in SDR role

    From Level 1 to Level 2

    • In-depth product demonstrations and solution selling.
    • Financial acumen (understanding deal profitability).
    • Pipeline forecasting and management.
    • CRM pipeline management (moving deals through stages).
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, sales development involves a lot of repetitive tasks. But what if you could cut down on the grunt work and focus on what you do best – connecting with people? Our AI-powered tools are here to help you do just that.

We're not talking about robots taking over your job, honestly. Think of AI as your personal assistant, handling the tedious bits so you can be more strategic, more human, and ultimately, more successful. You'll spend less time on manual tasks and more time on high-value conversations.

Automated Email & LinkedIn Drafts

AI can help you quickly draft personalised emails and LinkedIn messages based on a prospect's profile and your key talking points. It'll give you a solid starting point, saving you time writing from scratch, so you can focus on adding that human touch.

Enhanced Prospect Research

Imagine getting a quick summary of a company's recent news, financial reports, or key executives before you even make a call. AI tools can pull this info for you, giving you instant insights to make your outreach super relevant and targeted.

Call Coaching & Analysis (Gong)

Our AI-powered call analysis tool (Gong) listens to your calls and gives you instant feedback on your talk-to-listen ratio, filler words, and key topics. It's like having a personal coach for every conversation, helping you improve faster.

CRM Data Entry Automation

Some AI tools can automatically log your calls, emails, and meeting notes directly into Salesforce. This means less time spent on manual data entry after every interaction, freeing you up to make more calls or refine your strategy.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Sales Development Representative?

Common routes in include Recent Graduate / Apprentice (0-1 year), Customer Service / Retail Professional (1-2 years) and Other Entry-Level Roles (e.g., Marketing Assistant) (1-2 years). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Sales Development Representative progress to?

This role can lead on to Account Executive (AE) (18-36 months in SDR role), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Sales Development Representative?

Increasingly, AI-Powered Personalisation and Advanced Social Selling. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

Read the Zavmo manifesto to understand how you will be taught Meet your tutors

Or try another one

17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 2

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in sales

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The skills built as an SDR carry across industries and roles. They can lead to other sales roles, to marketing work such as demand generation, or to customer success, given the understanding of customer needs and business processes it builds.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my Sales Development Representative plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.