The Sales Development Rep vs. The Account Executive

Sales development reps (SDRs) and account executives (AEs) are vital to close more deals.

Each has a very specific role to play:

• The SDR focuses on prospecting. These sellers find people who are a good fit for your product and book meetings using phone and email.
• The AE focuses on closing deals. These sellers qualify leads, manage pipeline, and maneuver deals through the sales process.

To have a successful sales team you need to understand both.  (Side note: hunters vs. farmers is a different beast – if you need help there, take our Sales Personality Quiz.)

Here’s a detailed explanation of the difference between sales development reps and account executives:

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