Dear SaaStr: How Do I Build a Great SDR Team?
Building a great SDR team is one of the most critical steps in scaling a SaaS company, especially when you’re selling to the C-suite or enterprise. SDRs are the engine of your pipeline, and if you get this right, it can transform your sales organization.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Hire for “Fire in the Belly”
– **What to Look For**: SDRs don’t need prior experience in sales, but they need grit, hunger, and a relentless drive to succeed. Look for candidates who are coachable, curious, and have a strong work ethic. These traits are far more important than a polished resume.
– **Pro Tip**: Many great SDRs come from unconventional backgrounds—teachers, military veterans, or recent grads. They’re often looking for a career change and bring fresh perspectives.
2. Start with Two SDRs, Not One
– **Why?**: Hiring a single SDR creates a lonely and unproductive environment. By starting with at least two, they can learn from each other, compete in a healthy way, and share best practices. Plus, if one doesn’t work out, your pipeline doesn’t collapse.
– **Pro Tip**: Pair them with your best AEs early on to build trust and ensure they’re learning from the best.
3. Build a Clear Onboarding Roadmap
– **What It Includes**:
- Week 1: Product training, ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) deep dives, and tool onboarding (e.g., HubSpot, Outreach)
- Weeks 2-3: Role plays, email/phone training, and certifications (e.g., mock emails and calls reviewed by managers)
- Weeks 4-13: Gradual ramp-up to full quota (e.g., 40% of goal in Month 2, 70% in Month 3, 100% in Month 4.
– **Pro Tip**: Create a repository of winning email templates, call scripts, and objection-handling guides to accelerate their learning curve.
4. Set the Right Metrics and Quotas
– **Key Metrics**:
- Meetings booked per month (e.g., 15-20 per SDR).
- Pipeline generated (e.g., $1M-$2M annually per SDR).
- Lead-to-opportunity conversion rates.
– **Quota Design**: Focus on activities early (e.g., calls, emails) but shift to outcomes (e.g., qualified opportunities) as they ramp up. Make sure quotas are achievable to keep morale high.
5. Invest in Coaching and Management
– **Why It Matters**: SDRs are often early in their careers and need hands-on coaching. A great SDR manager can make or break your team.
– **What to Do**:
- Provide real-time feedback on calls and emails.
- Celebrate wins and milestones to keep morale high.
- Create a culture of learning by sharing best practices regularly [8].
**Pro Tip**: If you don’t have a dedicated SDR manager yet, ensure your AEs or VP of Sales are actively involved in coaching until you can hire one.
6. Align SDRs with AEs
– **Why?**: SDRs and AEs need to work as a team. SDRs generate the pipeline, and AEs close it. Misalignment here can kill productivity.
– **How to Do It**:
- Pair SDRs with specific AEs to build trust and accountability.
- Encourage SDRs to join AE calls to learn how deals progress and improve their qualification skills.
- Ensure AEs provide feedback on lead quality and help SDRs refine their approach.
7. Create a Career Path
– **Why?**: SDRs are often entry-level hires, and they’ll want to see a path forward. Without it, you’ll lose them to other companies.
– **What It Looks Like**:
- SDR → Senior SDR → AE or other roles (e.g., Customer Success, Marketing)
- Promote internally whenever possible. It’s less risky, and they already know your product and processes.
– **Pro Tip**: Highlight success stories of SDRs who’ve moved up in the company to inspire your team .
8. Leverage Tools and Data
**Must-Have Tools**:
– CRM (e.g., Salesforce) for tracking leads and pipeline.
– Outreach or SalesLoft for email and call automation.
– Lesha, Apollo, ZoomInfo, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, etc. for prospecting.
– **Why It Matters**: Clean data and the right tools make SDRs more efficient and effective. Bad data or outdated tools will frustrate them and hurt performance.
9. Hire SDRs from Many Backgrounds
– **Why?**: SDR teams are a great place to build a diverse talent pipeline. By hiring people from different backgrounds, you’ll not only improve your team’s creativity but also set yourself up for long-term success [11].
– **Pro Tip**: Invest in training and onboarding programs to help SDRs from non-traditional backgrounds succeed.
10. Iterate and Improve
– **What to Do**:
- Regularly review your Ideal Talent Profile (ITP) to refine what “great” looks like for your SDRs.
- Analyze performance data to identify patterns and adjust your hiring, onboarding, and coaching strategies.
- A/B test messaging and outreach strategies to find what works best for your ICP.
Final Thoughts
A great SDR team doesn’t just generate pipeline—it becomes a talent pipeline for your entire company. Invest in hiring, training, and coaching, and you’ll see the ROI not just in revenue but in the future leaders you develop.
A deep dive here:
