Jason M. Lemkin explains SDR (Sales Development Representative) and AE (Account Executive) roles in US SaaS sales. He describes SDRs as typically entry-level (often recent graduates) paid about $60–80K in US SaaS; SDRs prospect by emailing and calling, screen inbound leads, and pass qualified leads to AEs. He emphasizes specialization: openers (SDRs) vs closers (AEs).
I think the two ones that are probably less obvious for folks that are new are SDR sales development representative and a account executive. And SDR is generally, although I wish it wasn't, it is generally an entry level position, often fresh out of school, generally paid on the order of 60 to 80 k ot in SaaS and US based SaaS. And their job is to email for dollars, dial for dollars, and to and in many cases to screen to screen inbound leads. It's entry level, and their job is to pass on a lead to a sales executive, an account executive, an AE. And so not all companies have SDRs. It's a longer topic, but pretty much all the best teams have some type of SDR function now. So that because we've learned we want to specialize, we want openers opening and we want closers closing.
