TL;DR
SDR performance is best measured by a combination of activity metrics (emails sent, calls made, LinkedIn touches), pipeline metrics (meetings booked, meetings shown, qualified opportunities), and quality metrics (MQL-to-SQL conversion rate, average deal size from SDR-sourced pipeline). Activity alone is a bad KPI — always connect to pipeline outcomes.
Measuring SDR performance poorly is one of the fastest ways to create a toxic, high-churn SDR culture. Here's the measurement framework that balances accountability with quality incentives.
The three layers of SDR metrics
Layer 1: Activity metrics (leading indicators) Emails sent per day/week, LinkedIn connection requests sent, calls made per day. These are leading indicators — they tell you if the SDR is working. But activity without outcome is not success. Benchmarks: 80-120 personalized emails/week (not 500 generic ones), 20-40 calls/day, 15-25 LinkedIn touches/week.
Layer 2: Funnel conversion metrics (the real metrics) Email reply rate: percentage of emails that get any reply (benchmark: 3-8% for cold). Positive reply rate: percentage of positive responses (benchmark: 1-3%). Meeting acceptance rate: percentage of positive replies that convert to booked meetings. Meeting show rate: percentage of booked meetings that actually happen (benchmark: 70-85%). Meeting-to-opportunity rate: what percentage of shown meetings qualify as legitimate pipeline (benchmark: 40-70% depending on ICP definition).
Layer 3: Quality metrics (lagging indicators) Pipeline generated from SDR-sourced meetings. Win rate of SDR-sourced deals vs. inbound. Average ACV of SDR-sourced opportunities. These tell you if the SDR is booking the right meetings with the right people.
The weekly SDR review Review weekly: meetings booked, show rate, pipeline added from new meetings. Discuss: which sequences are getting the best reply rates? Which prospect segments are converting best? What objections are coming up in conversations? This 30-minute review surfaces coaching opportunities and process improvements.
From Cactus: Cactus tracks meeting show rate and meeting-to-opportunity conversion for every SDR we coach — these two metrics together tell you 90% of what you need to know about SDR performance and ICP targeting accuracy.
Cactus Marketing embeds with B2B tech startups to turn strategy into pipeline. We've worked with 60+ companies, supported 12 exits, and contributed to $7B+ in client valuations.
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Book a free strategy call →How do I hire my first SDR?
Hire your first SDR only after you've personally closed 5–10 customers and can articulate exactly what messaging, ICP, and objection handling worked. An SDR hired before the founder has figured out the sales motion will fail — they need a playbook to follow, not to build one from scratch.
What should an SDR quota be?
A typical SDR quota in B2B SaaS is 8–15 qualified meetings booked per month, or $150–300K in pipeline generated per quarter. The right number depends on your ACV, lead source, and market. Set quota based on what's achievable from proven activity metrics, not what would be convenient for the business.
How do I onboard an SDR?
Build a structured 30-60-90 day plan with clear milestones: product mastery in week 1, ICP and messaging training in week 2, supervised calling in week 3, and independent ramping with quota from day 31. Document everything — the SDR should have a playbook on day one, not six weeks later.
What is a good SDR conversion rate?
A good SDR conversion rate is 2–5% of outbound contacts to qualified meeting, and 25–40% of qualified meetings to SQL (sales accepted opportunity). Below these benchmarks suggests targeting, messaging, or qualification issues — not necessarily SDR execution.