AI SDR
Let AI handle your email responses with human-like intelligence. AI SDR automatically replies to prospects within minutes, handles objections, and books meetings on your behalf.
Watch the setup video:
What is AI SDR?
AI SDR is an AI-powered sales development rep that automatically responds to email replies from your outbound campaigns. Instead of manually handling hundreds of responses, AI SDR:
- Analyzes incoming replies to understand intent
- Crafts personalized, contextual responses
- Handles objections intelligently
- Books meetings when prospects are interested
- Responds within 5 minutes, 24/7
Key Benefits
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Speed | Responds within 5 minutes, any time of day |
| Scale | Handle unlimited responses simultaneously |
| Consistency | Never miss a reply or forget to follow up |
| Intelligence | Understands context, sentiment, and intent |
| Conversion | Optimized responses that book more meetings |
How It Works
1. Reply Classification
When a prospect responds, AI SDR first classifies the reply:
| Classification | Description | AI Action |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting Request | Wants to schedule a call | Send calendar link, confirm meeting |
| Interested | Positive response, wants more info | Provide info, move toward meeting |
| Objection | Raised concern or pushback | Address objection, handle gracefully |
| Not Interested | Clear rejection | Respectful acknowledgment |
| Come Back Later | Not the right time | Schedule follow-up |
| Question | Asking for information | Provide relevant answer |
| Out of Office | Auto-reply | Wait and follow up later |
| Wrong Person | Not the decision maker | Ask for referral |
2. Context Analysis
AI SDR analyzes the full conversation context:
- Original outreach email
- Prospect's company and role
- Previous interactions
- Your pitch and value proposition
- Relevant objection handlers
3. Response Generation
Based on classification and context, AI SDR crafts a response that:
- Matches your brand voice and tone
- Addresses their specific concern
- Moves the conversation forward
- Includes appropriate call-to-action
Setting Up AI SDR
Step 1: Access AI SDR Settings
- Go to https://app.salestools.io
- Navigate to Settings → AI SDR
- Click Enable AI SDR
Step 2: Configure Your Pitch
Provide information about your offering:
Your Pitch:
We help B2B SaaS companies increase their outbound
response rates by 3x using AI-powered personalization.
Our customers typically see:
- 40% increase in reply rates
- 3x more meetings booked
- 50% reduction in SDR time on email
Tips for Your Pitch:
- Keep it concise (2-3 paragraphs)
- Focus on benefits, not features
- Include specific results/metrics
- Mention your ideal customer
Step 3: Add Objection Handlers
Prepare responses for common objections:
| Objection | Handler |
|---|---|
| Too expensive | Focus on ROI: "Most customers see 3x return within 3 months..." |
| Using competitor | Differentiate: "Unlike [competitor], we offer..." |
| No budget | Offer flexibility: "We have plans starting at..." |
| Not the right time | Create urgency: "I understand. Would it help to..." |
| Need to think about it | Offer more info: "Of course. What questions can I answer?" |
| Send more info | Provide value: "Here's a case study showing..." |
Step 4: Add Competitor Information
Help AI SDR handle competitive objections:
Competitor: Outreach.io
- We offer AI-powered personalization they don't have
- Our pricing is 40% lower for similar features
- We include LinkedIn automation in all plans
Competitor: Apollo.io
- Our data quality is higher (95% vs 80% accuracy)
- We offer dedicated support at all tiers
- Better integration with European GDPR compliance
Step 5: Connect Your Calendar
Enable automatic meeting booking:
- Go to https://app.salestools.io/setting
- Click Connect Calendly (or your preferred calendar tool)
- Authorize the connection
- AI SDR will include your booking link in responses
Step 6: Set Response Parameters
Configure how AI SDR responds:
| Setting | Description | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Response Time | How quickly to reply | 5-15 minutes |
| Tone | Formal, casual, or match prospect | Match prospect |
| Response Length | Short, medium, or detailed | Medium |
| Follow-up Cadence | How often to follow up | Every 3-5 days |
| Max Follow-ups | Stop after X unanswered messages | 3-4 |
AI SDR in Action
Example: Handling a Meeting Request
Prospect Reply:
"This sounds interesting. Can we schedule a call next week?"
AI SDR Response:
"Great to hear you're interested, [Name]!
I'd love to walk you through how we've helped companies like [Their Company] achieve [specific result].
Here's my calendar - feel free to grab any time that works for you: [Calendly link]
Looking forward to connecting!"
Example: Handling an Objection
Prospect Reply:
"We're already using Outreach for this."
AI SDR Response:
"Thanks for letting me know, [Name]!
Many of our customers actually switched from Outreach. The main differences they found valuable:
- AI-powered personalization that writes unique emails at scale
- Built-in LinkedIn automation (no separate tool needed)
- 40% lower cost for comparable features
Would you be open to a quick comparison call? Often helpful to see side-by-side.
[Calendar link]"
Example: Handling "Not Interested"
Prospect Reply:
"Not interested, please remove me from your list."
AI SDR Response:
"Understood, [Name]. I've removed you from our outreach list.
If your priorities change in the future, feel free to reach out. Wishing you and [Company] continued success!"
Monitoring AI SDR
Dashboard Metrics
Track AI SDR performance:
| Metric | Description | Good Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Responses Handled | Total replies processed | Varies by volume |
| Meeting Conversion | % of interested → booked | >30% |
| Response Time | Average time to reply | Under 10 minutes |
| Sentiment Score | Prospect satisfaction | >4.0/5.0 |
Review Queue
Monitor and override AI responses:
- Go to AI SDR → Review Queue
- See pending and sent responses
- Edit responses before they send (optional)
- Flag responses for improvement
Training AI SDR
Improve AI SDR over time:
- Review sent responses weekly
- Mark good responses as "approved"
- Edit poor responses to show preferred version
- AI SDR learns from your feedback
Advanced Settings
Pause Conditions
Automatically pause AI SDR when:
- Prospect requests human contact
- Negative sentiment detected
- Multiple unanswered follow-ups
- Specific keywords detected
Human Handoff
Configure when to involve a human:
- Go to Settings → AI SDR → Handoff Rules
- Set conditions:
- Prospect mentions legal/contract
- Pricing negotiation detected
- Escalation requested
- Notifications sent to assigned rep
Custom Instructions
Add specific instructions per campaign:
Campaign: Enterprise Outreach
Special Instructions:
- Always mention SOC 2 compliance
- Reference enterprise case studies only
- Offer personalized demo, not generic
- CC account executive on meeting confirmations
Best Practices
Optimizing Response Quality
- Provide detailed pitch info - More context = better responses
- Update objection handlers - Add new objections as they appear
- Review regularly - Weekly review improves AI performance
- Keep tone consistent - Match your brand voice
Maximizing Conversions
- Respond quickly - Under 15 min response time
- Make booking easy - Always include calendar link
- Personalize - Reference their company/role
- Follow up - Don't give up after one exchange
Avoiding Issues
- Don't over-automate - Review complex situations
- Set handoff rules - Know when humans should step in
- Monitor sentiment - Watch for frustrated prospects
- Respect unsubscribes - Always honor removal requests
Troubleshooting
AI SDR Not Responding
- Verify AI SDR is enabled for the campaign
- Check email account is connected and healthy
- Review inbox for the reply
- Check if prospect was paused/unsubscribed
Poor Response Quality
- Add more detail to your pitch
- Update objection handlers
- Review and provide feedback on responses
- Check tone settings match brand
Missing Meeting Bookings
- Verify calendar integration is connected
- Check calendar availability
- Ensure booking link is correct
- Review meeting confirmation settings
Support
Need Help?
- Email: info@salestools.io
- Live Chat: Available in the Salestools dashboard
- Documentation: https://docs.salestools.io
Last Updated: January 2025 Version: 2.0