The 5 Best AI BDRs + Ideas For How To Use Them (2024)
As a startup founder or sales leader, prospecting is a necessary evil,but who has time for all that manual outreach?
Maybe it’s time to meet the AI BDR (Business Development Rep). In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about these AI-powered secret weapons.
We’ll cover:
What is an AI BDR?
What tasks can an AI BDR take off your plate?
Why use an AI BDR at all?
The top 5 AI BDRs in 2024
Let’s get started!
What is an AI Business Development Rep? (BDR)
So you’ve heard about AI BDRs, but what exactly are they?
In short, they’re like your virtual sales assistants, times a million. These AI-powered reps can handle many of the tedious tasks real BDRs dread, like cold calling, email outreach, and lead qualification.
An AI BDR is the intern you never have to train. They come pre-programmed with industry knowledge and sales skills so they can start prospecting right away. The best part? They’re always there when you need them.
Tasks your AI BDR can take off your plate
What can these bots handle so you can focus on the important stuff?
Turns out, a lot. A lot:
Cold calling and email outreach. Nobody likes cold calling or sending hundreds of emails. Your AI BDR was born for this. They can call through lists and send personalized emails faster than you can pour your morning coffee. Talk about productivity!
Research and prospecting. Want to find new leads or gather info on your current prospects? An AI BDR can dive into the depths of the internet and come up with more leads and useful details than an intern with six coffees in them. They live for the hunt and uncover every last detail. (Creepy, but oh so helpful!)
Data entry. If the thought of manually entering hundreds of records into your CRM makes you want to poke your eyes out, just leave it to your AI BDR instead.
Numbers, charts, graphs, oh my! An AI BDR can churn through all your metrics and activity and spit out custom reports that give you more insights than you can use in two lifetimes. They track everything so you know exactly what's working and not working. Plus, they do it with a smile. (Or they would, if they had a face).
Appointment setting. Sick of playing email tag to schedule a meeting? Your AI BDR is like a persistent personal assistant. They can reach out, handle the back-and-forth, and get those demos or sales calls booked.
Lead qualification: Not every lead is a good one. Let your AI BDR act as a first-line filter. They can gather basic info, ask pre-set questions, and weed out leads that aren't a great fit.
Customer service backup: Simple, repetitive questions eat up time. An AI BDR can handle basic FAQs, troubleshoot common issues, or route inquiries to the right person, freeing up your support team for the tricky stuff. Or for a much-needed coffee break.
Social media monitoring: Want to stay on top of what people are saying about your brand or identify potential leads online? An AI BDR can keep an eye on social channels, flagging mentions, sentiments, and keywords that matter to you.
Post-meeting follow-ups: Don't let those hot leads cool down! Your AI BDR can keep the conversation moving by sending personalized follow-up emails, scheduling reminders, or even gathering additional information after a sales call.
Event logistics: Planning a webinar or attending a conference? Let your AI BDR handle some of the nitty-gritty details like confirming registrations, sending reminders, or gathering attendee information.
Language translation: Working with a global audience? Some AI BDRs can translate emails, documents, or even conversations on the fly, breaking down language barriers and opening up new opportunities. It’s not quite Star Trek’s universal translation, but it’s getting there.
And yes, there’s way, way more where that came from.
Why use an AI BDR?
There are plenty of reasons to go the AI BDR route.
Let’s check them out:
Save mucho moolah. Your time is precious, and hiring a team of BDRs is expensive. AI BDRs can handle a ton of the tedious tasks like research, email outreach, and call scripts so you can focus on more important things...like strategizing, closing deals, or enjoying a leisurely round of golf! AI BDRs work 24/7. That’s all day, every day, year-long.
Personalize at scale! AI BDRs can personalize outreach for each and every prospect using dynamic fields to address people by name and mention specific details about their company or role. At the same time, AI BDRs can reach out to thousands of prospects each day and ask for seconds.
Beat the competition. Let’s face it, your competitors are probably already leveraging AI for business development. If you’re not, you’re at risk of getting left behind. AI BDRs give you an advantage by working smarter and faster to identify the most promising leads and get in front of them before your competitors.
Make fact-based, data-driven decisions. AI BDRs provide detailed analytics and insights into your prospecting campaigns so you can optimize for the best results. See which messages and CTAs are generating the most engagement, which industries and job titles are most receptive, the best times of day to reach people, and more. The data can help you make sure you’re allocating your time and money where they belong.
Lindy allows you to have a squad of mini-assistants (“Lindies”) ready to dominate your sales efforts. You can start with one, and rapidly develop a huge team of interconnected BDRs.
It tackles outreach, research and prospecting, and even post-sales support. It also keeps track of important details, handles repetitive tasks, and even proactively reminds you of those easily forgotten things like follow-ups.
Plus, Lindy doesn't just wait for commands — it learns your patterns and steps in to take care of the tedious stuff. Need those sales meeting notes summarized? A quick draft email whipped up? Maybe some help finding that perfect template to track custom metrics? Lindy’s got you covered.
Plus, it’s got 3,000+ integrations out of the box —Chances are, your CRM, outreach platform or sales tool of choice already works directly with Lindy.
Dooly is a good option if your team is bogged down updating a CRM like Salesforce and hasn't experienced the magic (and relief) of AI BDRs.
Dooly offers an AI-driven sales assistant designed to improve Salesforce management, freeing up to five hours each week for every BDR.
In essence, Dooly provides a user-friendly app that consolidates critical Salesforce fields into one view and syncs your changes in real time. Its AI capabilities adapt to your input, offering suggestions and even pre-filling some entries based on your discussions.
11x’s Alice is an AI-powered sales development engine designed to make outreach easy and boost lead generation. It analyzes massive amounts of data to pinpoint ideal customers, then personalizes communication and books qualified meetings.
Alice also integrates very well with existing tools and automates repetitive outreach processes. It constantly seeks out new leads, tailors messaging for maximum engagement, and scales sales efforts far beyond what a human team could achieve. With Alice, teams typically generate much more efficient leads and have a rapidly growing pipeline.
Conversica stands out as another great AI sales assistant. It primarily focuses on enhancing interaction across the sales and marketing spectrum, targeting every stage from awareness to purchase.
Conversica fits effortlessly into your current sales framework (including Salesforce, Hubspot, and Microsoft Dynamics 365), using your hard-earned sales data to initiate contact with prospects that BDRs may otherwise overlook.
AiSDR is an excellent AI BDR solution designed specifically for sales development and boost lead generation. It functions like a tireless, data-driven SDR, analyzing vast information to pinpoint ideal prospects and personalize communication.
AiSDR automates the usual tasks like lead qualification, email campaigns, and meeting bookings, working around the clock to free up sales teams to focus on closing deals.
Summing up
Those are the top AI BDRs and how you can use them to crush your outreach game. Don't let the competition leave you in the dust.
So, maybe it’s time to finally get yourself an AI wingman (or woman) and watch those cold outreach efforts turn into hot leads!
Next steps
Lindy can seem like just another app, but it’s actually your own team of AI-powered BDRs, ready to revitalize your sales outreach and grow your pipeline.
Here's where Lindy shines as your AI BDR:
Lindy embraces the grind: Just picture a squad of Lindys scouring the internet, finding perfect leads, and gathering valuable insights — all day, every day.
As customizable as can be: Lindy helps tailor your outreach, crafting messages that resonate with potential customers.
Leave follow-ups in the back of your mind: Never miss a beat! Lindy automatically follows up, nurtures leads, and helps you book more meetings.
Template expert: Lindy's got pre-built templates to handle common BDR tasks, saving you precious time.
3,000 integrations: Lindy can integrate with your existing workflow easy-peasy, gathering important analytics and leading you to new business insights.
Proactive, and invisible until you need it: Lindy is always in the background while you focus on closing deals. It learns your preferences, adapts to your style, and helps you streamline your sales process.
Cost-effective: At just $49/mo, Lindy goes easy on your finances.
