A BDR, or business development representative, is a sales role that builds pipeline by opening new markets and starting new relationships. In most companies the BDR owns outbound prospecting into net-new accounts — accounts the company has never worked — while the SDR works the inbound leads and existing segments. The qualified opportunity then moves to an account executive. The titles are often used interchangeably, and the exact split varies by company, so ask in the interview.
In plain English
The BDR is the person who makes the company's first move. Where the SDR answers and qualifies the demand that already walked in, the BDR goes and finds demand that does not know the company exists yet. Both produce the same thing: a qualified meeting on the account executive's calendar.
How it's actually used
You will hear "BDR" and "SDR" used almost like the same word, which is why the distinction matters when you apply. Ask whether the role is inbound, outbound, or both — that changes your day. An outbound BDR runs sequences and cold outreach to new accounts, and the metric is meetings booked that show up, not revenue.
Why it matters to you
For a first sales job, BDR and SDR are the same on-ramp with different labels. Pick the interview where the comp and the activity load are clearest, not the one with the fancier title, and expect a ramp before you carry a full quota. The craft — research, relevance, follow-through — is identical, and either role feeds directly into account executive and beyond.