What does an AI SDR actually do?
It responds to inbound sales conversations, answers from approved company knowledge, asks the next qualification question, books qualified meetings, updates the CRM and escalates the conversations that need a human.
Is this a chatbot?
It includes conversational AI, but the product is the operating system around it: channel intake, identity, thread memory, qualification state, calendars, CRM writes, compliance, handoff and an audit trail. A chat window alone does not do that work.
Which channels can it handle?
SMS, email, website chat and supported social DMs can share the same routing and company knowledge while keeping channel-specific rules for length, links, timing and policy.
Can it book meetings without sending a calendar link?
Yes. It can read availability, offer specific slots, confirm timezone and create the event inside the conversation. A direct link remains available for buyers who explicitly ask to book immediately.
When does it hand off to a person?
On explicit triggers such as a direct human request, frustration, custom pricing or scope, technical depth, competitor discussion, or repeated misunderstanding. Those rules are configured with the team.
Will it quote prices?
It can share approved package ranges. It should not invent a custom quote or scope; that state hands off to the person responsible for pricing.
How do you handle SMS consent and opt-outs?
The implementation carries the company's consent source, honors reasonable opt-out language, confirms once, suppresses future sends and applies quiet-hour rules to proactive messages. Final campaign and legal review remains the company's responsibility.
How do we measure whether it works?
Held meetings, qualified opportunities per held meeting, speed to first useful response, escalation quality and lead-to-appointment conversion. Reply volume and raw bookings are not enough.