Lead development representative (LDR)
Also known as: LDR, lead development rep
In short
A lead development representative (LDR) is a sales role focused on reaching out to and qualifying leads so that account executives can spend their time on real opportunities. Its work covers early research, outreach, and booking meetings.
LDR is largely a naming variant of sales development representative (SDR). Some companies use it to stress inbound lead handling or to separate the role from outbound-focused titles.
What an LDR does
- Reaches out to leads: Contacts inbound and outbound leads by phone, email, and social.
- Qualifies: Confirms need, authority, and timing against agreed criteria.
- Books meetings: Schedules qualified conversations for account executives.
- Documents activity: Records notes and status in the CRM for a clean handoff.
LDR vs. SDR vs. BDR
The titles overlap heavily. In many companies SDR means inbound and outbound qualification, BDR leans toward outbound to new accounts, and LDR often emphasizes working leads. Since usage differs, define the scope in the job description rather than relying on the title.
Handoff rules that matter
Define a qualified lead
Write down the criteria that make a lead ready for an account executive, so both roles agree.
Agree on response time
Set how fast the LDR contacts a new lead and how fast the account executive accepts a meeting.
Close the loop
Account executives should give feedback on rejected leads so qualification improves.
Measuring an LDR
Common measures are activities completed, conversations held, meetings set, and meetings accepted. Say an LDR books 12 meetings and 9 are accepted and held; the acceptance quality matters as much as the raw count. These numbers are only an example.
Lead development representative FAQs
What is a lead development representative (LDR)?
A lead development representative is a sales role that researches, contacts, and qualifies leads, then hands sales-ready ones to account executives. It focuses on the early part of the funnel so closers can concentrate on active opportunities.
What is the difference between an LDR and an SDR?
In practice they are close to identical. Both qualify leads and book meetings. Some companies use LDR to emphasize working leads, often inbound, while SDR is the more common title. Always check the specific job description.
What does a lead development representative do every day?
A typical day includes researching leads, calling and emailing them, following up on inbound interest, qualifying needs, booking meetings for account executives, and updating the CRM with notes and next steps.
How is a lead development representative measured?
Teams usually track activity volume, conversations, qualified leads, meetings booked, and the share of meetings that account executives accept and hold. Quality indicators, such as pipeline created from those meetings, give a fuller picture.
