An SDR generates top-of-funnel pipeline by identifying target accounts, running outbound sequences, making cold calls, and booking qualified meetings for your Account Executives. It looks simple from the outside, but done well it is a highly skilled role. Here's what to look for, when to make the hire, what to pay, and how to set a new SDR up to succeed instead of washing out in their first 30 days.
See what to look for in an SDRAn SDR (Sales Development Representative) is responsible for top-of-funnel pipeline generation. They identify target accounts, run outbound sequences, make cold calls, and book qualified meetings for Account Executives. They do not close deals, their job is to get the right people in the room for your AEs to close.
It sounds simple, but done well it is a highly skilled role. Great SDRs have sharp written communication, thick skin, a systematic mindset, and genuine curiosity about the buyer. That combination is less common than it looks on a resume.
Hire your first SDR when:
Your AEs are spending more than 25% of their time on prospecting instead of closing.
You have a proven outbound sequence that already books meetings.
You can define your ICP precisely enough to give the SDR a clear target list.
If you hire an SDR before you have a working outbound motion, you are paying someone to figure out something that should be figured out at the founder or AE level first. This is one of the most expensive and common early-stage mistakes, especially in markets like Boston and Chicago where SDR salaries have climbed with the broader GTM talent market.
Coachability is more important than experience. Work ethic is more important than polish. For a first SDR, look for:
0–2 years of sales or customer-facing experience.
Real curiosity about your product and your buyer.
High energy and resilience under rejection.
The ability to write a compelling cold email without help.
Run a writing test, give them your ICP and ask them to write a 3-email cold sequence. How they do tells you more than their resume. Look for clarity, specificity, and a hook in the first line that would make you want to keep reading. Most candidates fail this test. The ones who pass are worth pursuing hard.
| Component | Range |
|---|---|
| Base | $45K–$60K |
| OTE | $65K–$85K |
Variable comp should be tied to meetings booked and pipeline generated, not revenue closed. Pay monthly. Provide a laptop and all tools they need from day one. Do not make them share a Salesforce seat or wait two weeks for a sequencing tool license. Those friction points signal disorganization and set a bad tone early.
Do not make them build it themselves.
Give them your best-performing sequences to start from, not a blank page.
Assign them to shadow your best AE for the first two weeks.
With specific activity metrics (calls, emails, meetings booked) for each phase.
Focused on skill development, not just pipeline review.
The SDRs who wash out fastest are the ones left to figure things out alone in their first 30 days.
In months 1–2, track activity volume (calls, emails sent) and response rates. In month 3 and beyond, track meetings booked, show rate, and pipeline generated.
A good SDR should be booking 8–15 qualified meetings per month by month 3, depending on your ICP and sales cycle. That range is supported by Bridge Group SDR metrics research. If they are not hitting those numbers by month 4, diagnose whether the gap is effort, skill, or tooling, before assuming the hire was wrong.
The biggest SDR hiring mistake: hiring someone great and giving them nothing to work with. Great SDRs need a target list, proven sequences, and a manager who coaches. Without those three things, even the best SDR will fail.
Hire your first SDR once your AEs are spending more than 25% of their time on prospecting instead of closing, you already have a proven outbound sequence that books meetings, and your ICP is precise enough to hand over a clear target list. Hiring before you have a working outbound motion means paying someone to figure out something the founder or AE should solve first.
Expect a base salary of $45K–$60K with OTE of $65K–$85K at the early stage. Variable comp should be tied to meetings booked and pipeline generated, not revenue closed, and paid monthly.
A good SDR should be booking 8–15 qualified meetings per month by month 3, depending on your ICP and sales cycle, consistent with Bridge Group SDR metrics research. If they are not hitting those numbers by month 4, diagnose whether the gap is effort, skill, or tooling before assuming the hire was wrong.
Coachability over experience, and work ethic over polish. Look for 0–2 years of sales or customer-facing experience, genuine curiosity about your product and buyer, resilience under rejection, and the ability to write a compelling cold email without help. A writing test, asking a candidate to draft a 3-email cold sequence against your ICP, tells you more than their resume.
Hiring someone great and giving them nothing to work with. A new SDR needs a target account list on day one, your best-performing sequences to start from, time shadowing your best AE, and a 30-60-90 day ramp plan with specific activity metrics. Without those, even a strong SDR will wash out in their first 30 days.
We place SDRs at startups across New York, San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles. See how Beacon runs an SDR search.
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