How it works
A BDR starts from a list of companies that haven't asked to hear from you. The work is research, then outreach, then follow-up, until a prospect agrees to a meeting that the account executive, or AE, runs. Like an SDR, a BDR is usually measured on meetings or qualified opportunities rather than closed revenue.
The difference from an SDR is the company's call. The common split is SDR for inbound and BDR for outbound. T2D3 counted how the top search results defined the two and found 6 using that split and 2 using the reverse. Some companies give both titles to one job, so read the job description.
Worked example, with made-up rates: you need 12 meetings a month. If 1 in 10 conversations becomes a meeting, that's 120 conversations. If 1 in 6 calls connects, that's 720 calls, or 36 a working day over 20 days. Get the meeting rate to 1 in 8 and it drops to 96 conversations, 576 calls and about 29 a day.
That's why BDR managers watch the calls as well as the meetings. The meetings show up weeks after the calls that made them.
Where it shows up in your week
Outbound works at volume, and the volume is invisible unless someone counts it. The activity log records each call and meeting in one tap, adds up your day on its own and keeps your streak going.