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SAE (Senior Account Executive)

Opinionated
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+2

Explain BDR/SDR relationship to AE

We are a fairly small sales group, less than 10 AE's. We do everything, from prospecting, to closing deals, to ongoing account management. I've never worked in an environment with a SDR/BDR role.

If you have SDR/BDRs, how does that work in your organization? Where is the "handoff"? Who attends demos or initial meetings? How is commission handled? What are some challenges? Does anyone wish they could do both roles instead of just the AE role?

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Kosta_Konfucius
Politicker
4
Sales Rep
Our handoff is at the point of the initial meeting. The SDR is on the first call, does intro then we take over. Usually the meeting is on the SDR's Zoom link so they will be on the call the entire time.

As far as commission, I am not an SDR, but I believe they are comped based on quota for opportunities created and number of qualified opportunities. AEs on closed revenue.

I am an AE and see prospecting as a "necessary evil" and do not really enjoy it, so I would not like to do both roles at once. Unless they add SDR base to my base also....money cures most of my complaints.
antiASKHOLE
Tycoon
3
Bravado's Resident Asshole
same here as the handoff. outside of that, I don't have much control over what they call.
Diablo
Politicker
2
Sr. AE
Exactly this
Maximas
Tycoon
1
Senior Sales Executive
Exactly that's how things usually work !
TennisandSales
Politicker
4
Head Of Sales
first off, NO i dont want to do the SDR role, but I do want to have influence over what accounts are being called on.

in my opinion, I dont mind if the SDR wants to sit in on demos but I am running the call.

The hand off is best done via email after the discovery call.
SDR can say something like "im CC'ing Sam here who will be running the demo for you next week"

Again, IMO i think SDRs should have an OTE that is made up of Base pay, then a flat amount they get for each qualified meeting that is KEPT (not just set).

I also think that SDRs should get a small cut of any deal they source that closes, but this should not make the AE's cut smaller.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
4
🦊
This seems like the easiest way. I am careful as to how many people I put on a call/demo too.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
3
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
Our BDRs hand off after their initial call (the qualification call). Usually they are on the next call - discovery - to hand off, but our process is not so rigid that if it makes sense, I can't just take over from that point. They get comped when I take that call and convert the lead to an opportunity.
Diablo
Politicker
1
Sr. AE
Our BDR does the initial discovery/exploration and set up a meeting with us directly in other calendar. So generally it’s more of an email handoff and we continue to nurture from there.

As for the commission, not sure about the percentage but the quota is on number of Qualified leads that we Accept and the amount of pipeline they build.
Epad
Executive
1
Snr Business Development Executive
Honestly I have no clue. I do it all + Account management and customer success after the sale. Looking to hire someone to join my team and genuinely don't know what to put as the job title 😂
LittleDoesThings
Executive
1
Account Executive
With all those responsibilities, it sounds like you were a full cycle sales manager 😅
VFG
Good Citizen
1
SDR
1. The handoff typically occurs once a meeting is booked. The SDR will have a link to schedule prospects onto the AE’s calendar.

2. The AE runs the demo. Sometimes the SDR sits on for educational purposes, but it’s not typical or necessary.

3. SDR’s will typically be paid for qualified shows and a small % of any deals closed from meetings they sourced.

4. The main challenge with the SDR and AE relationship is the perverse incentive structure. AE’s are held accountable for their leads, meaning that if a lead doesn’t close, there is an incentive for them to find a reason to disqualify that lead so it doesn’t count against their closing ratio. This takes money out of the SDR’s pocket, as they are usually only paid on qualified leads. In my experience, this is the main source of conflict between SDR’s and AE’s.

There are many other fair criticisms of the SDR model. Many argue that they frustrate decision makers with their lack of product knowledge and professional experience.

Ultimately, there’s a time and a place for SDR’s when done properly. The biggest determinant of whether I would prefer having one personally would be the product itself. The more narrow the TAM / ICP, the less I’d want an SDR. As the viability of the solution expands, so does my willingness to include an SDR in my workflow.
Pachacuti
Politicker
0
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
Don't they already have that process laid out for you?

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