Onboarding Helps SDRs Find Their Way

Without a compass, a map or radio communication, even the most experienced ship’s captain will have a hard time navigating the ocean and reaching a destination. Yet, every day, well meaning sales team leaders put their sales development reps in this same position – they expect SDRs to achieve a goal but don’t give them the tools or guidance they need to get there. The turnover for SDRs is high; on average, they’ll stick with a company for 14 months, but most don’t make it through the first six months. While burnout may be to blame for some of that churn, a lack of effective onboarding is among the top causes behind SDRs floundering.

Provide direction

How long is your current SDR onboarding process? A month? Or longer? You can’t afford to spend that much time on onboarding – especially given the potentially short tenure for SDRs. An intensive,week-long onboard training should give your SDR the knowledge to perform the job effectively. New hires need to know how their role bridges the gap between marketing and sales and how their performance will be measured. They also need to fully understand your product – that means being able to explain its value, without resorting to buzzwords.

Make resources accessible

All too often, important information ends up being siloed in various departments, or people with in-depth knowledge don’t think to share it with their whole team. That’s why you need a repository for sales playbooks, competitor overviews and client reports – any and all information that can help your SDRs be successful. Ideally, your sales and marketing teams should already be using software to track interactions with prospects and clients. Training on how to use that software should be part of the onboarding process.

Make them feel included

Your SDRs will be more likely to last longer than six months when they feel a connection to their colleagues. Always make time to individually introduce a new hire to members of their team or arrange group activities, so your new SDR has opportunity to build relationships with others on the team. Effective, expedient onboarding can help you retain SDRs. Read more about how to develop these key players in your sales organization, in our white paper, “Understanding Your SDR Needs: Identifying Your Input and Output," by filling out the form below.