Hiring SDRs is Just the Start—Here’s How to Make Sure They Succeed
- Brian A. Wilson
- Jun 19
- 3 min read
At Adgility B2B, we work with companies that have taken the critical first step: hiring Sales Development Reps. But hiring alone won’t move the needle. What makes the difference? Strong, intentional SDR management.
Here are the most overlooked (yet most powerful) areas we focus on when building and managing high-performing SDR teams:
🔹 Set Realistic Expectations from Day One
Before onboarding even begins, be transparent during the hiring process. Too many companies sugarcoat the SDR role, only to face early turnover when reps hit unexpected resistance. Be honest. SDR work is tough, strategic, and requires serious grit. The right candidates will respect the truth—and stick around longer.
Once onboard, make sure expectations and SMART goals are crystal clear. SDRs should be evaluated based on what they can control—
• Activity-based metrics (calls, emails, meetings booked)
• Quality-based metrics (meeting relevance, pipeline impact)
And no, base pay shouldn’t hinge on closed revenue if they’re not involved past the first meeting. Bonuses? Sure. Quotas on what’s out of their hands? That’s a fast way to burn them out.
🔹 Onboarding Should Be Strategic, Not Just Administrative
Teaching your product isn’t enough. SDRs need to know who they’re speaking to and why it matters. What pain points do your buyers have? What pressures are they under? That insight powers better outreach than any script ever could.
Invest in training that teaches your SDRs how to think—not just what to say.
🔹 Use Tech to Coach Smarter
Gone are the days of sitting on live calls and taking notes. Today, we integrate tools like Gong, Zoom IQ, and Balto to streamline coaching, highlight trends, and save hours on feedback. Weekly team reviews of the best (and worst) calls create a culture of shared learning and fast wins.
And yes, we love call breakdowns over lunch.
🔹 Retention Requires More Than a Commission Plan
Performance reviews should go deeper than KPIs. Understand what motivates your reps as people. Is someone training for a half-marathon? Juggling parenthood? Learning music production? Show interest. Support them. Loyalty follows.
🔹 Account-Based Sales: Quality > Quantity
Especially for outbound SDRs, deep customer understanding beats product fluency. Our reps use customized playbooks and strategic outreach to navigate buying committees—not just pitch features.
We also advise clients to balance remote vs. in-office time based on team size and experience. Junior reps thrive when they can overhear how senior reps handle objections, transitions, and tone.
🔹 Help Reps Visualize Their Wins
Dashboards should be real-time, visible, and celebrated. Reps deserve to see the impact of their effort. We build scoreboards that promote healthy competition and highlight contribution—without creating toxic pressure.
🔹 Invest in Soft Skills & Emotional Intelligence
The best SDRs are resilient, curious, coachable, and empathetic. But these traits don’t just appear—they’re developed. We train managers to lead as coaches, not bosses. Feedback becomes more actionable, morale stays high, and growth accelerates.
🔹 Performance Starts with Hiring
Great SDRs aren’t just good talkers. They’re problem-solvers. During our interview process, we screen for traits like accountability, adaptability, and growth mindset—not just resumes and buzzwords.
🔹 Don’t Let Tech Collect Dust
From CRMs to sequencing tools, SDRs need full command of their tech stack. Regular training and workflow optimization keep your team focused on what matters: starting real conversations that lead to revenue.
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Bottom line:
If you’re building or scaling an SDR team, management isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s the multiplier that turns raw talent into results. At Adgility B2B, we partner with founders, revenue leaders, and internal teams to coach, build, and support SDR programs that last.
👉 DM us if you want to talk about SDR playbooks, training strategies, or how we help companies build pipelines that don’t rely on hope.
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