In my 5 years in SaaS, I have seen very few sales organizations that actually know how to start an SDR team and then actually run one.
I'm helping a SaaS startup at about $2m ARR who has grown pretty organically fix their SDR organization. Here's the thing: they only have one SDR and they have a sales director. Their other AE's are just all self-sourcing leads and living off of inbounds.
The SDR they hired? From preHIRED with zero experience as an SDR and is selling to a new market segment to sell remotely. The SDR is hungry and teachable, so will probably be okay at some point but they just need so much help. I know that they were trying to pay SDRs like 35/30 for a split. So it's hard to get really good talent that are equipped and fit to open a new market.
On top of that, they don't have Outreach or SalesLoft or anything of the sort. They bought a list and said "go call!" and are wondering why their SDR is making 250+ calls to make an appointment and their show rate is sub 60%.
A good sales development program has training, organization, and active feedback. You can't hire a brand new SDR to do an experienced SDR's job. And you can't pay an experienced SDR 35K as a base salary.
Obviously it's my job to help fix it -- but I don't know how I can just entirely change their system and tell them that their SDR isn't going to hit 25 meetings a month with the system they've set up, and if they want to change their system they've got to be prepared to invest the time and money into it.
Rant over.
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