30-60-90 day plan for sales development reps
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A sales development rep's job looks simple on paper: book qualified meetings for account executives. In practice the first 90 days decide whether the rep learns to research and write outreach that gets real replies, or learns to hit an activity number with templates that train the market to ignore your company. A 30-60-90 day plan for sales development reps should protect the first month for learning, then measure what the AE team actually values: meetings that happen and turn into pipeline.
This plan is for the SDR manager or sales leader hiring into an outbound or mixed inbound and outbound team. If the hire will also close deals, see the 30-60-90 day plan for account executives or the 30-60-90 day plan for sales reps. The general version for any role is the 30-60-90 day plan template for new hires.
Agree what a qualified meeting is before day one
The single most useful thing to settle before an SDR starts is the definition of a meeting that counts. If the AE team and the SDR team disagree, the new rep will be caught in the middle within weeks. Write it down and get the AE lead to sign off.
| Element | Example definition (example only) |
|---|---|
| Account fit | In the ideal customer profile by industry, size and region |
| Contact | A person who owns or influences the problem the product solves |
| Reason | A stated problem or trigger, recorded in the buyer's words |
| Logistics | Calendar invite accepted, agenda sent, notes handed to the AE |
| Acceptance | The AE marks it accepted or rejected, with a reason, within an agreed time after the meeting |
Rejection reasons are the best coaching data an SDR manager has. Track them from the first meeting, so a pattern such as "wrong persona" or "no real problem" shows up before day 60.
The 30-60-90 day plan
30-60-90 day plan — [Name], Sales Development Rep, [segment / region]
Manager: [name] Paired AE(s): [names] Start date: [date]
Tools: [CRM], [sales engagement tool], [data provider], [dialer]
Meeting definition: [link to signed-off definition]
DAYS 1-30 — Learn the buyer and the message
Goals:
- Pass the product and messaging certification: a 2-minute
pitch, answers to the top [8] objections, and a mock cold call
- Listen to [20] recorded calls from top SDRs where recording
is permitted, and note the openers and objection handling
- Build [N] researched accounts in the ICP, with 2-3 contacts each
and a written reason to reach out now
- Write first-touch emails for [20] accounts, reviewed by the
manager before sending
- Learn the opt-out, do-not-contact and data rules for outreach
Deliverables by day 30:
- Certification passed
- First sequences live on researched accounts
- Activity tracked (calls, emails, connects, replies), not targeted
Check-in: day 30
DAYS 31-60 — Reach a ramped activity level
Goals:
- Reach [X]% of the team's standard activity, with researched
personalization on the top tier of accounts
- Book first meetings to the agreed definition
- Weekly call review with the manager: [2] recorded calls
- Weekly sync with paired AE(s) on rejected meetings
Deliverables by day 60:
- Meetings held and accepted tracked weekly against a ramp target
- A short write-up of which messages got replies and which did not
Check-in: day 60
DAYS 61-90 — Produce pipeline
Goals:
- Reach the team's full activity standard
- Hit the ramp target for accepted meetings for [3] straight weeks
- Track pipeline created from accepted meetings
- Test one new message or sequence against the current one
Deliverables by day 90:
- Accepted meetings at ramp target
- The message test result, shared with the team
Check-in: day 90 — full reviewActivity, conversion and outcome
SDR dashboards often show activity first because it is easiest to count. Activity matters, but only as the input to replies, meetings and pipeline. Track all three layers, and coach the layer where the numbers fall off. The examples below are illustrative; set real targets from your own top performers and segment.
| Layer | Measures | If this layer is weak |
|---|---|---|
| Activity | Calls, emails, social touches, accounts worked | A time-management or tooling problem; check the calendar and the dialer setup |
| Conversion | Connect rate, reply rate, positive reply rate, meetings booked | A targeting or messaging problem; review the lists and the copy |
| Outcome | Meetings held, meetings accepted, pipeline created | A qualification or handoff problem; review rejection reasons with the AE |
A new SDR with high activity and low replies needs help with research and copy. One with good replies and many rejected meetings is booking the wrong people or the wrong reasons. The plan only works if the manager looks at the layers separately.
Outreach rules the new SDR must know
Cold outreach is regulated, and new SDRs often assume B2B email is exempt. According to the FTC's CAN-SPAM compliance guide (checked October 2026), the law makes no exception for business-to-business email. Commercial messages need accurate header information and subject lines, a valid physical postal address, and a clear way to opt out, and opt-outs must be honored within 10 business days. Rules on calling and texting, especially to mobile numbers, and privacy laws in other countries are separate and vary. Ask your legal or compliance team for the company's rules and include them in week one. This section is not legal advice.
A filled example
SDR: Tomás Herrera (invented), first sales job after two years in retail management, joining an outbound team selling scheduling software to multi-site clinics.
Day 30: Passed the certification on the second try after struggling with the pricing objection. Built 60 researched accounts. His first reviewed emails were long; the manager cut them to four sentences with one question. Activity was tracked but not targeted.
Day 60: Reached most of the team's standard activity. Booked nine meetings; six were held and four accepted. The two rejections were both office managers without budget authority, so he shifted his first touch to operations directors.
Day 90: Hit the ramp target for accepted meetings three weeks running. His test of a shorter, problem-first opener against the team's standard email produced more positive replies over a month of sends (example result for this invented team), and the team adopted it for the clinic segment.
What "on track" looks like
| Checkpoint | On track | Worth a direct conversation |
|---|---|---|
| Day 30 | Certification passed; researched lists; reviewed outreach live; knows the opt-out rules | Unreviewed mass sends; lists pulled without research; certification not attempted |
| Day 60 | Activity near standard; first accepted meetings; uses rejection reasons | High activity, almost no replies, and no change in approach |
| Day 90 | Accepted meetings at ramp target for several weeks; a tested message | Meetings booked but rarely held or accepted; blames the AEs |
What the manager owes the new SDR
- The signed-off meeting definition and a named AE partner.
- Clean tools on day one: CRM, engagement tool, dialer and data provider set up and tested.
- Weekly call reviews using real recordings, with one specific thing to change each week.
- A territory or account list that is not already exhausted. New reps given accounts every other SDR has worked for a year will look weak for reasons outside their control.
- A visible path: what it takes to be promoted to an AE role, so the 90-day plan connects to something.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Result | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A full meeting target in month one | Low-quality bookings and burned accounts | Track activity in month one; target accepted meetings from month two |
| Counting meetings booked only | No-shows and rejections hidden | Report held and accepted meetings |
| Templates with no research | Low replies and a damaged sender reputation | Personalize the top tier; review copy weekly |
| No AE feedback loop | The same wrong persona booked for weeks | Rejection reasons reviewed in a weekly SDR-AE sync |
Adapting the plan
- Inbound SDRs: replace research and sequence goals with speed to lead, qualification notes and routing accuracy. Response time to inbound requests becomes the key day-30 measure.
- Enterprise SDRs: fewer accounts, deeper research, and account plans built with the AE. Meeting targets are lower and pipeline value matters more.
- Experienced SDRs from another company: shorten the first phase but keep the certification. Messaging and the ideal customer profile are new even when the craft is not.
If you are still hiring, the sales development representative screening questions test for coachability and written outreach before the offer, and the interview guide for sales roles covers a role-play you can reuse as the day-30 certification.
Questions people ask
What should an SDR be measured on in the first 30 days?
On learning and quality rather than meetings: passing the messaging and call certification, building researched account lists, and sending reviewed outreach. Activity counts can be tracked from the second or third week, but a meeting target in month one mostly rewards luck and pushes new reps toward low-quality bookings.
Should SDRs be measured on meetings booked or meetings held?
Meetings held and accepted by the account executive are a better measure than meetings booked, because a booked meeting that no-shows or gets rejected creates no pipeline. Many teams track all three, and some add the pipeline created from SDR meetings once the rep has been in seat long enough for deals to move.
How many calls and emails should a new SDR make a day?
It depends on the segment, the deal size and how much research each touch needs. Teams selling to large accounts usually expect fewer, more researched touches than teams selling to small businesses. Set the target from your own top performers' activity, and review quality alongside volume.
Do email rules apply to B2B cold outreach?
Yes. The FTC's CAN-SPAM guidance states that the law makes no exception for business-to-business email, so commercial outreach must include an opt-out and a valid postal address, and opt-outs must be honored within 10 business days. Calling and texting rules are separate; check them with your legal team. This is not legal advice.