{"id":2804,"date":"2025-08-11T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/?p=2804"},"modified":"2025-08-21T10:53:24","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T10:53:24","slug":"inside-the-world-of-ai-bdrs-can-ai-replace-human-business-development-representatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/index.php\/2025\/08\/11\/inside-the-world-of-ai-bdrs-can-ai-replace-human-business-development-representatives\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the world of AI BDRs \u2014 can AI replace human business development representatives?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"background-color: transparent\">If you\u2019re like me, you\u2019ve asked this question: What is the difference between a salesperson and a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/business-development\">business development representative<\/a><span style=\"background-color: transparent\"> (BDR)? Well, here\u2019s what I found. A salesperson usually deals with warm leads. That is, people who already know what they want and just need some guidance to make a decision. But a BDR? That\u2019s outbound territory.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: transparent\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"cta_button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/cs\/ci\/?pg=05ea94a6-06a8-47e9-841d-a65a84c72426&amp;pid=53&amp;ecid=&amp;hseid=&amp;hsic=\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img \" style=\"height: auto !important;width: auto !important;max-width: 100% !important;border-width: 0px;margin: 0 auto;margin-top: 20px;margin-bottom: 20px\" alt=\"Download Now: Free AI Agents Guide\" height=\"58\" width=\"338\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/53\/05ea94a6-06a8-47e9-841d-a65a84c72426.png\" align=\"middle\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re the ones doing the digging, researching prospects, identifying opportunities, and building a pipeline of potential clients from scratch. They\u2019re the ones picking up the phone, sending those cold emails, and sparking interest where there was none.<\/p>\n<p>After nearly a decade of hunting down leads for my business, I\u2019ve become a one-person business development team. Now, here\u2019s the kicker. AI means the hours I\u2019ve spent researching leads and trying to break through the noise may be automated. Efficiently. At scale.<\/p>\n<p>Naturally, I had to investigate.<\/p>\n<p>Read on to discover what I found about AI BDRs and how they are changing the game.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: bold\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#what-is-an-ai-bdr\">What is an AI business development representative?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#how-ai-bdrs-work\">How AI BDRs Work<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#can-ai-bdrs-replace-human-reps\">Can AI BDRs replace human reps?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#why-hire-an-ai-bdr\">Why hire an AI BDR?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#best-ai-bdr-agents-and-tools\">Best AI BDR Agents and Tools<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2><strong>What is an AI business development representative?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s be honest. These days, \u201cAI\u201d is pretty much prefixed to everything from toothbrushes to to-do lists. So, before we get swept up in the buzzwords, I like to break things down. First, let\u2019s strip it back to basics. Who is a BDR?<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gartner.com\/en\/sales\/glossary\/business-development-representative-bdr-\">Gartner<\/a>, a BDR is \u201cresponsible for generating new business opportunities by qualifying leads and prospecting through existing business accounts to engage with potential buyers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In simple terms, they\u2019re the ones who research, reach out, and start conversations that (hopefully) lead to sales. Now, let\u2019s bring AI into the mix. At its core, artificial intelligence is here to automate, augment, or optimize tasks, especially those that are repetitive or data-heavy.<\/p>\n<p>So, when we put the two together, here\u2019s what we get:<\/p>\n<p>An AI BDR is a software agent that uses artificial intelligence to automate and optimize core and repetitive business development tasks, such as prospecting, lead qualification, and outreach, with the goal of generating new business opportunities at scale.<\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2><strong>How AI BDRs Work<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Like many AI solutions, AI BDRs use machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) to mimic parts of the BDR process and replicate it with incredible speed and scale. Now, what does a typical BDR process look like? In 2020, <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/HlinSurS1Lc?si%3DNNAxUjwwFe-rT_up\">BDRs at HubSpot walked us through<\/a> what a typical day in their lives looked like.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/thalesbrito?miniProfileUrn%3Durn%253Ali%253Afs_miniProfile%253AACoAABmUx8IB3-nm-P-kaZY28Ak7qmB0NNMUhBQ%26lipi%3Durn%253Ali%253Apage%253Ad_flagship3_search_srp_all%253BGabvsJrERKSGwLJ0Yq5gGg%253D%253D\">Thales Brito<\/a> kicked things off with what might sound simple but is essential \u2014 getting coffee, checking his calendar, and getting mentally prepared for the day ahead. <a href=\"https:\/\/sg.linkedin.com\/in\/jenise-thng\">Jenise Thng<\/a> shared that she spends her mornings sourcing companies she plans to reach out to, while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/natsumi-uchida\/overlay\/about-this-profile\/?lipi%3Durn%253Ali%253Apage%253Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%253BhSUqR6XCRySAwlNChKFBcw%253D%253D\">Natsumi Uchida<\/a> mentioned her work phone had \u201cbasically become [her] best friend\u201d thanks to the number of calls she makes each day.<\/p>\n<p>Then there\u2019s the deeper work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/juliana-bermudez-alvarado\/overlay\/about-this-profile\/?lipi%3Durn%253Ali%253Apage%253Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%253B%252Bdkxy65UR2SzX9NuyHP3Ng%253D%253D\">Juliana Bermudez<\/a> talked about connecting with clients and learning about their business models, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/sarah-stamp-8307ab190\/overlay\/about-this-profile\/?lipi%3Durn%253Ali%253Apage%253Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%253BAySjPY0SRP21p6GYGT3BnA%253D%253D\">Sarah Stamp<\/a> described filtering through inbound leads to find the best-fit accounts. She says, \u201cI go filter through all of the inbound leads that HubSpot generates through the back of its really excellent blog content and from there, I will find the best-fit leads.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/alexandrabrillaud\/overlay\/about-this-profile\/?lipi%3Durn%253Ali%253Apage%253Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%253BYaEZmfHwTDuoGCNvPjK6Uw%253D%253D\">Ally Brillaud<\/a>, on the other hand, focused on administrative tasks that involved follow-ups and making sure prospects were armed with the right information before they talked to an account executive.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" alt=\"youtube thumbnail of hubspot bdr behind the scenes video featuring twenty bdrs\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 480px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/youtube20thumbnail20of20hubspot20bdr20behind20the20scenes20video20featuring20twenty20bdrs.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"font-size: 12px;font-style: italic\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/HlinSurS1Lc?si%3DNNAxUjwwFe-rT_up\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s interesting is how many of these tasks (calendar checks, lead sourcing, phone outreach, research, or even follow-ups) are now supported by <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/AI-sales-tools\">AI sales tools<\/a>, and have now formed a core part of the AI BDR offerings.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"1\">\n<li>Where Thng once manually sourced companies to contact, AI tools can now use <strong>predictive analytics to pre-select prospects based on firmographics, buying signals, and engagement history.<\/strong> AI will also leverage the same technologies to support BDRs like Stamp to <strong>filter high-intent inbound leads<\/strong> automatically.<\/li>\n<li>Where Brillaud prepares her follow-up emails, <strong>natural language tools can draft emails tailored to the lead\u2019s industry or behavior<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>For someone like Uchida, whose day revolves around calls, AI can quietly <strong>sit in, transcribe the conversation, and flag key moments<\/strong> which would save time and boost productivity.<\/li>\n<li>AI BDRs can also <strong>optimize calendar and workflow planning<\/strong> for BDRs like Brito, setting priorities based on lead scoring and urgency, especially when integrated with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/products\/crm\">CRMs like HubSpot<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Providing administrative support is unarguably AI\u2019s domain. These days, AI BDRs can <strong>fully automate follow-up workflows, provide tailored content recommendations, and log every interaction into the CRM automatically<\/strong>. 2020 Brillaud would be grateful for that.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If AI is so wonderful at BDR, it begs the question \u2026<\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2><strong>Can AI BDRs replace human reps?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Uh, no.<\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019ll explain why.<\/p>\n<p>When asked whether AI BDRs can replace human reps, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/reinosoglobal\/\">Johnny Lee Reinoso<\/a>, founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c-levelpartners.com\/about\/\">C-Level Partners<\/a>, counters with this. \u201cCan AI ever sell as well as humans do?\u201d His answer? Not really.<\/p>\n<p>As Reinoso <a href=\"https:\/\/c-levelpartners.com\/will-ai-replace-b2b-salespeople-answering-the-million-dollar-question\/%23:~:text%3DIn%2520other%2520words%252C%2520AI%2520will,when%2520it%2520comes%2520to%2520sales\">puts it<\/a> (and I agree), the heart of real selling lies in \u201cshowing true empathy, building trust, and forging human-to-human connections.\u201d He drives the point home with a memorable analogy. \u201cIn sales, AI will always be playing checkers while humans are playing chess.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cue this funny but true <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/demandjen1_we-should-get-rid-of-sdrs-theyre-not-good-activity-7324075352153096192-GnXP?utm_source%3Dshare%26utm_medium%3Dmember_desktop%26rcm%3DACoAAEstlCUBFbhOtSkDpgkXvR9htflICCYzGxU\">LinkedIn post<\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/demandjen1?miniProfileUrn%3Durn%253Ali%253Afsd_profile%253AACoAAABQnroBX8dwYQQrkYBa03B_fkKZSjUO_yM%26lipi%3Durn%253Ali%253Apage%253Ad_flagship3_search_srp_content%253BdxG8ocoCQKCnylOGrCaclw%253D%253D\">Jen Allen-Knuth<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" width=\"450\" height=\"480\" alt=\"ai bdr linkedin post from jen allen-knuth sharing a satirical post about ai replacing everybody except dogs\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 450px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ai20bdr20linkedin20post20from20jen20allen-knuth20sharing20a20satirical20post20about20ai20replacing20everybody20except20dogs.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;font-size: 12px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/demandjen1_we-should-get-rid-of-sdrs-theyre-not-good-activity-7324075352153096192-GnXP?utm_source%3Dshare%26utm_medium%3Dmember_desktop%26rcm%3DACoAAEstlCUBFbhOtSkDpgkXvR9htflICCYzGxU\"><em>Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>But don\u2019t take just mine, Allen-Knuth\u2019s, or Reinoso\u2019s word for it. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/offers.hubspot.com\/sales-trends-report\">HubSpot\u2019s 2024 Sales Trends Report<\/a>, 82% of salespeople (including BDRs) agree that while AI tools reduce manual tasks, building strong relationships is still the most critical and rewarding part of the job. It\u2019s not just about sending emails or qualifying leads, it\u2019s about understanding people and being able to connect in a way that can\u2019t be replicated by code.<\/p>\n<p>And buyers feel the same.<\/p>\n<p>HubSpot\u2019s research also found that 96% of prospects do their own research before ever talking to a rep, which means by the time they get to you, they\u2019ve already read the blog posts, watched the demos, and compared your product to others (if you cared to put that online, of course).<\/p>\n<p>What they\u2019re looking for now isn\u2019t information, it\u2019s resonance. Something to click. Someone who gets it. And that\u2019s where human BDRs shine.<\/p>\n<p>Even subtle things like referencing a past conversation, a mutual connection, or any prior contact can dramatically increase trust and engagement. According to industry benchmarks, referencing prior interactions can improve lead conversion rates <a href=\"https:\/\/sopro.io\/resources\/whitepapers\/the-state-of-prospecting-25\/\">by up to 50%<\/a>. That context, that tailored relevance, it\u2019s all deeply human.<\/p>\n<p>Now, that\u2019s not to say AI BDRs don\u2019t have a place. AI BDRs are incredible at the repetitive, tedious, admin-heavy stuff \u2014 and this is why there is a record <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/state-of-AI-sales\">increase in AI adoption in sales<\/a>. They can find leads, sort them, score them, and even kick off the first wave of outreach.<\/p>\n<p>However, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/tido-carriero\/\">Tido Carriero<\/a>, co-founder of Koala, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dock.us\/events\/koala-dock-buying-signals\">cautions<\/a> against going all-in on automation too soon. \u201cI think we\u2019re seeing a pulling back on AI SDRs just because they\u2019re not quite hitting the mark on really thoughtful, genuinely helpful context. At the end of the day, if you\u2019re not offering value in that outbound message, you\u2019re not gonna book a meeting. And a lot of the AI SDRs have kind of fallen short of that promise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bottom line? Until AI BDRs can connect with people on an emotional level, until they can read the room, adapt, and build trust in real time, they\u2019re here to assist, not replace.<\/p>\n<p>And honestly, that\u2019s probably the best-case scenario. As Michael Brown, Columbia Business School professor, says in an <a href=\"https:\/\/africa.businessinsider.com\/news\/salesforce-sellers-are-using-ai-to-improve-their-face-to-face-client-meetings-and\/6k14xlg\">interview with Business Insider<\/a>, \u201cI don\u2019t know any buyer who wants to be sold to by a copilot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, this CEO <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/migueldybuncio_my-aha-brilliant-ai-idea-to-start-the-year-activity-7327656291298934785-yzUf?utm_source%3Dshare%26utm_medium%3Dmember_desktop%26rcm%3DACoAAEstlCUBFbhOtSkDpgkXvR9htflICCYzGxU\">found out<\/a> the hard way:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" width=\"450\" height=\"499\" alt=\"linkedin post from miguel dy buncio sharing a business failure triggered by not properly deploying ai sdr tools\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 450px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/linkedin20post20from20miguel20dy20buncio20sharing20a20business20failure20triggered20by20not20properly20deploying20ai20sdr20tools.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;font-size: 12px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/migueldybuncio_my-aha-brilliant-ai-idea-to-start-the-year-activity-7327656291298934785-yzUf?utm_source%3Dshare%26utm_medium%3Dmember_desktop%26rcm%3DACoAAEstlCUBFbhOtSkDpgkXvR9htflICCYzGxU\"><em>Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2><strong>Why hire an AI BDR?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Now that we\u2019ve established what AI BDRs are good at, let\u2019s look at <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/AI-in-sales\">what they actually<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/AI-in-sales\"><em>do<\/em><\/a> for your business and why it matters.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>1. They take over the manual tasks (so your team can actually sell).<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>No one wants a BDR who just clocks in, makes 50 calls from a spreadsheet of 7,000 cold leads, and checks out for the day. Real business development isn\u2019t about mass dialing. It\u2019s about value-based outreach.<\/p>\n<p>AI BDRs step in to handle the grunt work \u2014 researching leads, scoring them based on fit and intent, etc., so your human reps can focus on conversations that convert. Take <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/\">Ceros<\/a>, a creative content design platform, for example. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/case-studies\/ceros-sales-hub\">As their business scaled<\/a>, their sales process became tangled in disconnected systems and bloated spreadsheets.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/douglas-botchman-218b3a102?miniProfileUrn%3Durn%253Ali%253Afs_miniProfile%253AACoAABonG7QB-P8RSNsLqbiOB-5Fnqc_eXPQeeM%26lipi%3Durn%253Ali%253Apage%253Ad_flagship3_search_srp_all%253B22DGAcCYQBSf4wnRxFgH7w%253D%253D\">Douglas Botchman<\/a>, director of revenue operations, \u201cOur approach to prospecting was \u2018volume over value.\u2019 Our systems and processes got so complex and disjointed. Our reps were wasting time and lacking insight. Their productivity tanked. They were playing darts in the dark. The worst part: Our customers suffered as a result. Because reps were so bogged down, they lost sight of what they do best: actually connecting with prospects.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ceros adopted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/products\/sales?hubs_content%3Dwww.hubspot.com\/case-studies\/ceros-sales-hub%26hubs_content-cta%3DSales%2520Hub\">HubSpot\u2019s Sales Hub<\/a>, streamlining workflows and surfacing key insights directly within contact records. No more digging through tabs. With AI-driven automation, reps could zero in on diagnosing pain points and driving deals forward.<\/p>\n<p>The result? A 180% increase in deals generated and a greater than 18% growth in sales qualified leads over five years. Proof that giving reps time back equals serious pipeline growth.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. They enhance client conversations by making reps smarter.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Even the most experienced reps won\u2019t be experts in every vertical. But AI can help them sound like they are. Take <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/haley-gault-%25E2%2598%2581-6150ba100\/overlay\/about-this-profile\/?lipi%3Durn%253Ali%253Apage%253Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%253BJVbBGBthQMa9ygvIYIVA4w%253D%253D\">Haley Gault<\/a>, a Salesforce seller who <a href=\"https:\/\/africa.businessinsider.com\/news\/salesforce-sellers-are-using-ai-to-improve-their-face-to-face-client-meetings-and\/6k14xlg\">found herself preparing for a conversation<\/a> with a customer in the electric vehicle charging space, a topic she wasn\u2019t familiar with.<\/p>\n<p>She instead turned to Salesforce\u2019s Agentforce AI to help her prep. \u201cI don\u2019t have a vertical, so I\u2019m no industry expert in regards to electric vehicle contracting,\u201d she said. To prepare for the call, she asked her AI sales agent for relevant info regarding the business (industry trends, call recordings, previous sales, etc.).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s a way for me to really quickly get up to speed on who this customer is. What were the previous conversations with Salesforce? Who are the key stakeholders?\u201d Working remotely from Pittsburgh, Gault emphasized how AI tools help her prepare for meetings when she doesn\u2019t have colleagues nearby to role-play with or bounce ideas off.<\/p>\n<p>These kinds of AI tools also support personalization and consistency, ensuring reps bring relevant context into every call. As one B2B sales rep put it in a <a href=\"https:\/\/offers.hubspot.com\/sales-trends-report\">sales research survey by HubSpot<\/a>, \u201cThanks to AI tools, buyers know more about my products, and I know more about their needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. They never forget to follow up.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Here\u2019s a stat every sales leader knows deep down: <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/sales-follow-up-infographic%23:~:text%3DAccording%2520to%2520a%2520study%2520by,of%2520salespeople%2520have%2520given%2520up.\">80% of deals<\/a> require at least five follow-ups, but <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/sales-follow-up-infographic%23:~:text%3DAccording%2520to%2520a%2520study%2520by,of%2520salespeople%2520have%2520given%2520up.\">94% of reps give up<\/a> before that fifth attempt. Why? It\u2019s not a lack of hustle. It\u2019s a lack of capacity. Reps are juggling many conversations, calendars, and tools. Eventually, some leads just fall through the cracks.<\/p>\n<p>AI BDRs handle the ongoing follow-up with surgical precision \u2014 sending the right message at the right time, based on behavior, engagement, and context. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/case-studies\/golds-gym-so-cal?hubs_content%3Dwww.hubspot.com\/case-studies\/ceros-sales-hub%26hubs_content-cta%3DDirectory\">Gold\u2019s Gym SoCal<\/a> is a prime example. After growing their leads from 750 to 4,000 using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/products\/marketing?hubs_content%3Dwww.hubspot.com\/case-studies\/ceros-sales-hub%26hubs_content-cta%3DDirectory\">HubSpot\u2019s Marketing Hub<\/a>, they hit a wall.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/brian-morris-b9526012?miniProfileUrn%3Durn%253Ali%253Afs_miniProfile%253AACoAAAKHZKEB9XQ8moNi_LHDK1hh7nTmX-_l5Zk%26lipi%3Durn%253Ali%253Apage%253Ad_flagship3_search_srp_all%253Bwd6g%252FKuoSeyo8sK6bfYUzQ%253D%253D\">Brian Morris<\/a>, VP of sales, \u201cIt worked great until it didn\u2019t. Leads fell through the cracks. Sometimes delayed by weeks. Suddenly, I was playing IT guy instead of focusing on strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Once they integrated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/products\/sales?hubs_content%3Dwww.hubspot.com\/case-studies\/ceros-sales-hub%26hubs_content-cta%3DSales%2520Hub\">HubSpot Sales Hub\u2019s AI-powered follow-up and automation tools<\/a>, everything changed. Reps now get real-time alerts when a lead clicks an email or visits the site, and all relevant engagement data is instantly available.<\/p>\n<p>Their outreach is now timely, tailored, and data-backed. And the growth speaks for itself, \u201cOur people are growing with the business,\u201d says Morris. \u201cWe\u2019ve gone from 12 clubs to 23, and we\u2019re just getting started.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>4. They scale what humans can\u2019t.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>AI doesn\u2019t get tired, distracted, or discouraged, and that\u2019s a huge advantage in high-volume outreach. As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kubovski?utm_source%3Dshare%26utm_campaign%3Dshare_via%26utm_content%3Dprofile%26utm_medium%3Dios_app\">Inna Kubovski<\/a>, VP of marketing at <a href=\"https:\/\/vendict.com\/\">Vendict<\/a>, explains, \u201cAI is unbeatable at consistency, follow-through, and scale.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Vendict \u2014 an AI-native government, risk, and compliance solution \u2014 built their own in-house AI BDR \u201cMaya\u201d as a core part of their go-to-market stack. Maya qualifies inbound leads, runs outbound campaigns, powers web chat, and supports sales enablement, all without dropping a ball.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaya never forgets a lead, never misses a follow-up, and doesn\u2019t get discouraged when someone ghosts her,\u201d says Kubovski. Interestingly, she\u2019s noticed that some prospects actually prefer talking to Maya first.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe offers prospects a lower-pressure way to engage. Some people actually prefer chatting with a bot first \u2014 it feels safer, more on their terms, and helps them avoid the early-stage sales pressure they\u2019d rather skip. That lowers the barrier to entry and increases reply rates, especially in complex or crowded markets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2><strong>Best AI BDR Agents and Tools<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Here are some of the AI BDR agents and tools moving the needle right now.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Disclaimer:<\/strong>\u00a0The terms AI BDR and AI SDR (sales development representatives) are often used interchangeably, especially when the platform\/tool handles outbound prospecting since both roles overlap in driving pipeline through the early stages.<\/p>\n<h3>1. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/products\/sales\/ai-prospecting-agent\">Breeze Prospecting Agent and Sales Hub by HubSpot<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/products\/sales\/ai-prospecting-agent?hubs_post-cta=image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" alt=\"ai bdr screenshot of breeze prospecting agent\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ai20bdr20screenshot20of20breeze20prospecting20agent.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/products\/sales\/ai-prospecting-agent\">Get started with Breeze Prospecting Agent.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>What it does: <\/strong>Breeze is built into HubSpot\u2019s Sales Hub and is designed to research, score leads, personalize outreach, and optimize follow-up timing. Fully integrated with HubSpot\u2019s CRM, it allows reps to run AI-powered workflows inside a unified platform \u2014 from discovery to outreach to scheduling.<\/p>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/karin-tamir_inbound2024-salestools-prospecting-activity-7310582842743267329-Ed4r?utm_source%3Dshare%26utm_medium%3Dmember_desktop%26rcm%3DACoAAEstlCUBFbhOtSkDpgkXvR9htflICCYzGxU\">LinkedIn Post<\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/karin-tamir?miniProfileUrn%3Durn%253Ali%253Afsd_profile%253AACoAAAETP_4BAtVkmTAmSCqbYIayyasgJ4xDzf4%26lipi%3Durn%253Ali%253Apage%253Ad_flagship3_detail_base%253BvMPh8PYTS66EinLdrey46w%253D%253D\">Karin Tamir<\/a>, CEO at Glare Marketing Technologies, she shares, \u201cI\u2019ve been working with the Breeze Prospecting Agent for two weeks, and I\u2019m genuinely impressed. It\u2019s not just about automation \u2014 it\u2019s about efficiency and consistency in how we engage with prospects. Whether reaching out to high-value accounts or keeping lower-priority segments engaged, this tool has got you covered.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>What I like: <\/strong>It\u2019s deeply integrated into the HubSpot ecosystem, which means CRM data, contact history, and templates are all centralized, making personalization far more effective. Also, it sticks to what AI does best: research, automation, and data monitoring and analysis \u2014 without overpromising what AI can\u2019t yet do.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pricing: <\/strong>Included in Sales Hub Professional and Enterprise tiers (starting from $90\u2013$150 per seat\/month).<\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artisan.co\/ai-sales-agent\">Ava by Artisan<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" alt=\"ai bdr agent screenshot of the website homepage of ava sdr by artisan\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ai20bdr20agent20screenshot20of20the20website20homepage20of20ava20sdr20by20artisan.webp\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>What it does: <\/strong>Ava is a fully autonomous outbound AI SDR that handles everything from email and LinkedIn campaigns to leaving voicemails and qualifying leads. It can send hundreds of personalized messages at scale and integrates directly with your CRM.<\/p>\n<p>Despite controversy over its bold <a href=\"https:\/\/media.hubspot.com\/dystopian-marketing?__hstc%3D233929665.97d52f433b9049c24f84ca3de4cd5a4a.1746997741033.1746997741033.1747171636646.2%26__hssc%3D233929665.2.1747171636646%26__hsfp%3D886599181\">\u201cStop Hiring Humans\u201d ad campaign<\/a>, Artisan claims the campaign generated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artisan.co\/blog\/stop-hiring-humans\">$2M in new ARR<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Recently, the founder, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/jaspar-carmichael-jack_prioritization-is-everything-for-a-startup-activity-7325153801487749120-jM6k?utm_source%3Dshare%26utm_medium%3Dmember_desktop%26rcm%3DACoAAEstlCUBFbhOtSkDpgkXvR9htflICCYzGxU\">Jaspar Carmichael-Jack<\/a>, shared that they would be doubling down on Ava\u2019s capabilities by introducing new intent triggers to surface in-market leads at the right moment, data enrichment from customers\u2019 existing CRM to help uncover untapped segments, additional outreach channels for more diversified prospecting and self-optimizing messaging, using AI to improve response rates over time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What I like: <\/strong>There\u2019s something both eerie and strangely reassuring about interacting with AI tools that have avatars, and Ava leans into this personality-driven design.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond aesthetics, Ava is backed by a massive database of 300 million contacts and more than 65 targeting filters, making it incredibly flexible for outbound. It also features automated email deliverability management \u2014 adjusting timing, sender identity, and message structure to avoid spam folders and maintain high inbox placement.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pricing: <\/strong>Pricing depends on the number of leads you\u2019re targeting and your outreach volume. Artisan splits this between BDR and AE seats. You\u2019ll need to book a consultation for specific pricing.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/evecalls.com\/en\">Eve by Conversica<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" width=\"650\" height=\"317\" alt=\"ai bdr agent screenshot of the website homepage of eve conversational ai by conversica\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ai20bdr20agent20screenshot20of20the20website20homepage20of20eve20conversational20ai20by20conversica.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>What it does: <\/strong>Eve is an AI sales assistant designed for natural, two-way conversations, especially via email, voice, and SMS. It uses Conversica\u2019s proprietary Large Language Model, Automatic Speech Recognition, and Natural Language Understanding to sound impressively human. Eve qualifies leads, conducts follow-ups, updates CRMs, and speaks over 120 languages.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What I like: <\/strong>It\u2019s one of the few tools that truly sounds natural in cold-call-like interactions. A great fit for teams that need AI to handle early-stage conversations or scale multilingual outreach.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pricing: <\/strong>Custom quote required.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>4. <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/relevanceai.com\/inbound\">Bosh by Relevance AI<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" width=\"650\" height=\"291\" alt=\"ai bdr tool screenshot of the website homepage of bosh by relevance ai\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ai20bdr20tool20screenshot20of20the20website20homepage20of20bosh20by20relevance20ai.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>What it does: <\/strong>Bosh is a customizable AI sales agent from Relevance AI\u2019s no-code platform. You can train it using your own product data, and it will manage end-to-end workflows: prospecting, conversations, scheduling, and CRM updates. It also features SOC 2 compliance and data privacy controls.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What I like: <\/strong>Its privacy-first approach is a standout, ensuring none of your proprietary data is used to train external models. It\u2019s also highly customizable and integrates with over 20 platforms.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pricing: <\/strong>Pricing via sales consultation.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>5. <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/reply.io\/jason-ai\/\">Jason AI by Reply.io<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" alt=\"ai bdr screenshot of the website homepage of jason by reply.io\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ai20bdr20screenshot20of20the20website20homepage20of20jason20by20reply.io_.webp\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>What it does: <\/strong>Jason is a sales agent within Reply.io that leverages over 1 billion real-time data points. It handles prospecting, personalized outreach, multichannel campaigns (email, LinkedIn, SMS), and automatic follow-up. Jason also helps define your ICP and adapts messaging accordingly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What I like: <\/strong>Jason\u2019s ability to auto-generate and refine ICPs using your value prop is powerful for lean sales teams. You can also toggle between autopilot and copilot modes for response automation, depending on how much control you want over messaging.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pricing: <\/strong>Starts at $300\/month for 500 active contacts. Higher tiers (e.g., 50,000 contacts) are $15,000\/month.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Say hello to AI-assisted human selling.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>More than 40% of sales professionals already use AI at work, and 76% believe that by 2030, most people will rely on some form of AI or automation to assist them in their jobs. From what I\u2019ve gathered, that\u2019s not just a prediction. It\u2019s reality. Having AI BDRs handle routine outreach will give you back hours in your week \u2014 hours you can pour back into the work that makes a real difference for your company.<\/p>\n<p>But before you start, Kubovski offers some guidance. \u201cStart by building the foundation \u2014 don\u2019t rush into automating. That means defining your messaging, audience, and the kind of conversations you actually want to have. We trained Maya first: Not just on email syntax, but on how we talk about our product, who we\u2019re selling to, and what they care about.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, whether you\u2019re launching an AI BDR or automating compliance workflows, the advice is the same: Invest in context before you invest in execution. That\u2019s how you make AI feel less like a shortcut \u2014 and more like a smart teammate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" style=\"min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/track.hubspot.com\/__ptq.gif?a=53&amp;k=14&amp;r=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.hubspot.com%2Fsales%2Fai-bdr&amp;bu=https%253A%252F%252Fblog.hubspot.com%252Fsales&amp;bvt=rss\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019re like me, you\u2019ve asked this question: What is the difference between a salesperson and a business development representative (BDR)? Well, here\u2019s what I found. A salesperson usually deals with warm leads. That is, people who already know what they want and just need some guidance to make a decision. But a BDR? That\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2806,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2804"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2815,"href":"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2804\/revisions\/2815"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.coclea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}