TL;DR
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.
SDR quota is one of the most debated topics in sales because it sits at the intersection of motivation and business math. Set it too low and you're paying for underperformance. Set it too high and you'll lose your team.
Meeting-based quota (most common for early-stage): - Junior SDR: 8–12 qualified meetings/month - Senior SDR: 12–18 qualified meetings/month
These numbers assume a mix of outbound-generated and some inbound-assisted. Pure outbound in a low-brand-awareness market should be on the lower end.
Pipeline-based quota (better for measuring real business impact): $150–300K in quarterly pipeline contributed is a reasonable benchmark. This is better than meetings-based if you're experiencing a quality problem — SDRs gaming meetings with low-quality leads to hit the number.
How to calculate the right quota:
Work backward from what the business needs: 1. What's the sales team's quarterly revenue target? (e.g., $500K new ARR) 2. What's the average deal size? (e.g., $25K) 3. How many deals are needed? (e.g., 20 closed deals) 4. What's the close rate from qualified meeting? (e.g., 25%) 5. How many meetings are needed? (e.g., 80 per quarter) 6. If you have 2 SDRs: 40 meetings each = ~13/month
This is the right way to set quota — not benchmarking against Glassdoor.
Ramp period: New SDRs should have a reduced quota for the first 60–90 days. A common structure: 50% quota in month 1, 75% in month 2, 100% from month 3 onward.
OTE structure: Most SDRs are paid 50–60% base, 40–50% variable tied to quota. Total OTE should be reachable at 100% quota — if your "OTE" requires 150% attainment, it's not an OTE.
From Cactus: Cactus helps clients set SDR quota as part of our sales enablement engagements — we've seen quota set both too high (burnout and attrition) and too low (underperformance baked in) and know how to find the right number.
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.
Book a free 30-minute call — we'll give you a concrete plan for your situation.
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.
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.
How do I build a sales sequence?
Build a 5–8 touch sequence over 3–4 weeks across email and LinkedIn. Alternate channels, add value at each touch, and end with a breakup email. Each touch should have a clear purpose — not just 'following up.' Test copy variants systematically rather than changing everything at once.