When to Hire Your First SDR: 6 Signs You're Ready
Hire your first SDR too early and you waste money. Too late and growth stalls. Here are six signs you are ready, and what to prepare before they start.
By the Zenstack team · · 2 min read
In most startups the founder is the first salesperson. That works until the calendar fills up. The question is when to bring in an SDR to keep new conversations coming.
Six signs you are ready
1. You have closed customers yourself. You know the product can be sold, and you know roughly how.
2. You can describe your ideal customer in two sentences. Industry, size and the person who buys. Without this, an SDR has no target.
3. You know which message gets replies. You have a pitch or email that has worked more than once.
4. Prospecting is the first thing you drop. When you are busy with demos and delivery, outreach stops, and the pipeline dips a few weeks later.
5. Your calendar has room for more meetings. An SDR's output is meetings. Someone needs time to take them.
6. You can afford three months. Outbound takes time to build. Judge the hire on a quarter, not a fortnight.
Signs you are not ready yet
- No paying customers
- The product or target customer changes every month
- Nobody has time to give feedback in the first weeks
In these cases, keep selling yourself a little longer. An SDR multiplies a process that works. They cannot invent one.
What to prepare before day one
- Customer profile. One page: who to contact and who to avoid.
- Messaging. Two or three email versions and a short call opener.
- Proof. One or two customer results the SDR can mention.
- Tools. A CRM, a sequencing tool and a contact source.
- A definition of a qualified meeting. Agreed in writing.
- A weekly review. 30 minutes to look at numbers and replies.
Realistic expectations
- First two weeks: learning the product, building lists, first outreach.
- Weeks three to six: replies and the first meetings.
- By month three: a steady rhythm you can measure.
Results depend on your market and message. Track the trend, not single weeks. The numbers to watch are in SDR KPIs: the metrics to track.
Lowering the risk of the first hire
The first sales hire is the riskiest, because you have nothing to compare them to. Three ways to reduce that risk:
- Hire experience. Without a sales manager, a beginner will struggle.
- Keep the cost low. A dedicated remote SDR costs far less than a local hire. See how much an SDR costs.
- Use a replacement period. Through Zenstack, if the fit is wrong in the first 30 days, we replace the person at no cost.
SDR or something else?
If most of your leads are inbound and need fast follow-up, an appointment setter may fit better. See appointment setter vs SDR. If you are weighing an agency, read SDR agency vs dedicated remote SDR.
Ready?
A full-time remote SDR through Zenstack starts at $12 an hour and can begin within about a week. Use these SDR interview questions when you meet candidates.
Frequently asked questions
Should a startup's first sales hire be an SDR or an account executive?
If the founder closes well but lacks meetings, hire an SDR. If meetings are plentiful and nobody has time to run them, hire a closer.
Can a founder keep closing while an SDR prospects?
Yes, and it is the most common setup for early-stage companies. The SDR books meetings and the founder runs them.
How long should I give a first SDR before judging results?
About three months. Look at the trend in replies and qualified meetings, and review messaging together every week.