Guide · Roles
Appointment setter vs SDR vs closer: who does what in B2B sales.
By Nouman, founder · 17 October 2026
An appointment setter books meetings from interest that already exists; an SDR creates that interest through research and outreach, then qualifies and books; a closer runs the sales conversation from the first meeting to a signed deal. They hand off in that order. A young software company usually needs the SDR work first, because its problem is starting conversations, not converting them.
The three roles
Appointment setter
Turns existing interest into a booked meeting. Works leads someone else created: inbound forms, event lists, warm replies. Measured on meetings booked and held. B2B appointment setting
SDR (sales development rep)
Creates the interest, then qualifies and books. Researches accounts, writes and sends outreach, handles replies, qualifies against criteria and books the meeting. Measured on qualified meetings or opportunities. Outsourced SDR services
Closer (account executive)
Runs the sales conversation from first meeting to a decision: discovery, demo or proposal, objections, negotiation, contract. Measured on deals won and revenue. Outsourced sales closers
Where the handoffs break
- Setter to closer: meetings booked with people who don't own the problem, because the setter is measured on volume. Fix it with a written definition of a qualified meeting.
- SDR to closer: context lost at the handoff. The closer should get the reply, the reason the prospect agreed, and what was promised.
- Closer to SDR: no feedback on which meetings turned into deals, so targeting never improves. Review lost and won deals together monthly.
Which to add first
Until the founder has closed the first customers, hire none of them. When to hand off from founder-led sales. After that, the first bottleneck is almost always creating conversations: SDR work. Add a closer once there are more qualified meetings than the founder can run well. Add a pure appointment setter only when you already have more interest than anyone can follow up.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between an appointment setter and an SDR?
An appointment setter books meetings from interest that already exists; an SDR also creates that interest through research and outreach before qualifying and booking. Every SDR sets appointments, but not every appointment setter prospects.
What is the difference between an appointment setter and a closer?
The appointment setter gets the first meeting on the calendar; the closer runs the sales process from that meeting to a signed deal. They hand off at the first meeting.
Is an SDR the same as a BDR?
Mostly. Many companies use the titles interchangeably. Where they differ, BDRs usually focus on outbound prospecting and SDRs on qualifying inbound interest, but the split varies by company.
Which role should a startup hire first?
Usually none of them until the founder has closed the first customers and can write down who buys and why. After that, the first gap is normally creating conversations, which is SDR work, done in-house or outsourced.