Fazley RabbiA sales development representative, often shortened to SDR, is the person who starts conversations with new prospects. They research companies, make first contact, ask a few qualifying questions and pass promising buyers to someone who can close the deal. In a large company that is a separate job. In a small business in Bangladesh, your first salesperson will probably do some of this and some closing too. So the useful question is less "do we need an SDR?" and more "which part of selling should the first hire take off the owner's plate?"
What a sales development representative does all day
On a normal day, an SDR might:
- research companies that match your ideal customer and find the right contact in each;
- send first emails or LinkedIn messages, or make calls;
- follow up politely with people who did not reply;
- ask early questions to see whether there is a real need, a budget and a sensible timeline;
- book a meeting and pass clear notes to the person who will run it;
- keep the CRM up to date so nothing gets lost.
The SDR's output is not signed orders. It is qualified conversations. That difference matters when you set targets. Judge an SDR on well-researched outreach, honest qualification notes and meetings that the closer finds worth having, not only on how many messages went out.
Who does what in a growing sales team
| Role | Main job | Usually judged by |
|---|---|---|
| Sales development (SDR) | Finds and qualifies new prospects, books first meetings | Number and quality of qualified meetings |
| Account executive or closer | Runs discovery, proposals and negotiation, closes deals | Deals won, pipeline value |
| Account manager | Looks after existing customers and repeat orders | Repeat business, customer health |
| Owner | Prices, key relationships, final decisions | The business as a whole |
In a small firm one person may wear two of these hats. That is fine, as long as everyone is clear which hat matters most in the first months.
Signs you are ready for your first sales hire
- The owner is the only person who can sell, and sales stall whenever they are busy or travelling.
- Enquiries come in from Facebook, WhatsApp or referrals, but follow-up is slow or forgotten.
- You know who your best customers are and could describe them on one page.
- You have some way of tracking leads, even a shared spreadsheet.
- You can afford a learning period before the new person brings in revenue.
If you cannot yet describe your best customer or your sales steps, write those down first. A new hire cannot copy a process that lives only in the owner's head. The guide on writing down a sales process others can follow is a good starting point.
Hunter or all-rounder?
Most first hires fall into one of two shapes. A hunter spends most of the day on new outreach and passes warm prospects to the owner to close. An all-rounder handles enquiries from first message to quotation and order. A hunter fits when leads are scarce and you already have a strong closer, often the owner. An all-rounder fits when leads already arrive and the real problem is handling them well and quickly.
What to look for, and how to test it
A CV says little about sales ability. Short practical tests say more:
- Written outreach: describe a hypothetical customer, such as a garment buying house, and ask for a first email.
- A role-play call: you play a busy buyer. Watch whether they ask questions or simply recite features.
- Notes: after the role-play, ask them to write a short summary as if for the CRM.
- Follow-through: notice whether they reply on time and do what they say during the hiring process itself.
Curiosity, steady follow-up and clear writing usually matter more than a polished pitch. If you sell abroad, add clear written English to the list.
The first weeks in the job
- Explain your product, your customers and the questions customers usually ask.
- Let them listen to real calls before running their own.
- Give them a defined list of target companies, not a vague "go find customers".
- Agree what a qualified lead means, using simple lead qualification rules.
- Review their work together each week, looking at what they learned as well as the activity numbers.
A short call script helps at the start, as long as they reshape it in their own words.
Common questions
Should the first salesperson work on commission only? Pure commission can suit experienced sellers, but a newcomer with no pipeline often struggles. Many businesses combine a fixed salary with an incentive. Check employment terms with a qualified adviser.
Could an agency do this instead? For some steps, yes. The trade-offs are covered in agency versus in-house lead generation.
How soon should I expect results? That depends on how long your buyers take to decide. Early signs are better conversations and a fuller pipeline, not instant orders.
Your next step: write a one-page role description that says which tasks the new person owns, which stay with you, and what a good week looks like. Then interview against that page. If you want help setting up the outreach system the new person will run, see lead generation and B2B outreach.