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Sales & Marketing

How to become a Sales Development Representative

From no experience: every step, how long it takes, and the credential it earns.

Time to get there
1–3 months
Typical pay
$50k–$75k
Starting from
No experience

Pay is an estimate of typical US entry-level pay for this role and varies by state, employer and shift. The timeline assumes you are starting from no experience and includes any licence or programme legally required, not just course length.

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The route

  1. Target a software company

    SDR is the standard entry point into tech sales, and it hires career changers.

    Course that covers thisFoundations of SalesUdemy · around $19.99
  2. Learn outbound prospecting

    Sequences, cold calls and research. Volume plus personalisation, not one or the other.

  3. Learn the CRM

    Salesforce or HubSpot hygiene is half of what your manager evaluates.

    Course that covers thisSalesforce Administrator (Admin-201) Practice Exams : 2026Udemy · around $19.99
  4. Get promoted to account executive

    The usual path is 12 to 24 months as an SDR, and the pay roughly doubles.

  5. Destination

    Sales Development Representative

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