[GTM glossary](/glossary.md) AI SDR Contextual Intelligence & AI # AI SDR (AI SDR) In short An AI SDR is a software system that does the work of a sales development representative: identifying prospects, researching them, sending outreach, handling replies, and booking meetings. It is built on a large language model connected to data and sending tools. Some AI SDRs only assist a human rep with drafts and research. Others run outbound sequences end to end. Where a team lands depends on how much review it wants before a message goes out. ## AI SDR vs. human SDR * **Speed and volume:** Software can research and draft for many accounts at once. * **Judgment:** People handle nuance, live conversations, and unusual replies better. * **Consistency:** Software follows the process every time, but can repeat the same mistake at scale. --- ## Typical AI SDR workflow ### Build the list The system selects accounts and contacts that match your ideal customer profile, ideally using verified data. ### Research and personalize It reads available signals such as hiring, funding, or tech changes, and writes a message that refers to one of them. ### Send and follow up It runs a multi-step sequence across email and sometimes other channels, with sending limits. ### Handle replies and book It sorts positive, negative, and out-of-office replies, answers simple questions, and offers calendar times. Anything complex goes to a human. --- ## Example Say a company has two human SDRs and a large target list. They let an AI SDR draft first emails for lower-tier accounts, while the humans work top-tier accounts by hand. A manager reviews a sample of sent messages each week and tightens the rules when they see errors. --- ## What to check before adopting one * **Data quality:** Poor contact data causes bounces and damages sender reputation. * **Compliance:** Outreach rules differ by region. Confirm consent and opt-out handling. This is not legal advice. * **Handoff rules:** Define exactly when a human takes over. * **Success metric:** Measure qualified meetings, not emails sent. --- ## Common mistakes * **Volume over relevance:** More messages with weak targeting lowers reply rates and sender reputation. * **No oversight:** Unreviewed output can include wrong facts. --- ## AI SDR FAQs **What is an AI SDR?** An AI SDR is software that performs sales development work such as finding prospects, researching them, sending outreach, handling replies, and booking meetings. It uses a language model and can either assist human reps or run outbound itself. **Will an AI SDR replace human SDRs?** It can take on repetitive research, drafting, and follow-up, but conversations that need judgment and trust still favor people. Many teams use an AI SDR for lower-priority accounts and keep humans on high-value ones. **How is an AI SDR different from sales automation software?** Traditional automation sends pre-written sequences on fixed rules. An AI SDR generates research and message content, interprets replies, and decides next steps, so it adapts to each prospect instead of only running a template. **What should you measure to judge an AI SDR?** Track qualified meetings booked, positive reply rate, bounce rate, spam complaints, and the share of meetings that become opportunities. Messages sent is a weak metric because it rewards volume instead of results. Share term --- ## More related phrases * [AI for sales](/glossary/ai-for-sales.md) * [Sales AI](/glossary/sales-ai.md) * [AI agent](/glossary/ai-agent.md) ## Similar phrases * [AI BDR](/glossary/ai-bdr.md) An AI BDR is software that performs business development tasks such as finding prospects, researching accounts, and drafting outreach, usually with a human approving key steps. * [Sales development representative (SDR)](/glossary/sales-development-representative.md) A sales development representative (SDR) is a sales role that prospects and qualifies leads, then books meetings for account executives to run. * [AI sales agent](/glossary/ai-sales-agent.md) An AI sales agent is software that uses a language model to carry out sales tasks such as research, outreach, and follow-up, deciding its own steps toward a goal with limited human input. * [Outbound sales](/glossary/outbound-sales.md) Outbound sales is a sales approach where reps start the conversation by contacting selected prospects through email, phone, and social, instead of waiting for inquiries. * [Sales automation software](/glossary/sales-automation-software.md) Sales automation software handles repetitive selling tasks such as logging activity, sending follow-ups, routing leads, and updating records so reps can spend more time talking to buyers.