The First 90 Days: Setting Up New SDRs for Success
Hiring a Sales Development Representative (SDR) is a big investment of time, salary and the future of your pipeline. But, too many companies stop at the offer letter and expect their new SDRs to magically perform. Spoiler alert: they won’t.
The truth is, how you structure the first 90 days will make or break your new SDR’s success. Done right, it sets the tone for high performance, confidence, and long-term retention. But, research found that 88% of businesses aren’t maximising the effectiveness of their onboarding. By doing this you risk early burnout, underperformance, and a high turnover of staff.
At Prime, we’ve supported thousands of SDRs through finding and starting their first sales role. We even set up our own Prime Sales Academy (PSA) to help employers ramp up their new hires faster without the time drain on their managers. So, here’s our guide for onboarding SDRs effectively and setting them up for success in sales from day one.
Why the First 90 Days Matters
The first 90 days are about more than getting them ‘up to speed’. It’s a chance to embed them into your culture as well as build their capabilities. It’s also a chance to show them a future in your business, as 90% of employees decide whether to stay at a company within the first 6 months there
In short, if you want performance and a sales team that grows with your business, you need a plan. So, let’s break it down.
Start with Structure
Your new SDR is likely very fresh to sales, new to your product and unsure of what is expected of them. So, it’s important to meet them where they are. This means crafting a plan that covers every part of the new SDR journey. This could include:
- A clear day-one schedule (Who are they meeting? What’re they learning? What systems do you need to set up with them?)
- A clear week-by-week onboarding plan with learning built-in
- Defined responsibilities – when are they getting on the phones? When will they be trained on ICPs & what counts as an early ‘win’?
- An internal buddy or mentor to check in with them regularly
SDRs don’t need hand-holding forever, but they do need scaffolding and support at the start. If you build a structure, you build their confidence. In turn, they progress and you have better outreach, sooner.
Focus on Input Over Outcome
Sales is a numbers game. But, if your new SDR is chasing KPIs before they even understand how to reach them, or what they’re selling, you’re setting them up to fail.
Instead of obsessing over targets in month one, shift your focus to quality input from your new salesperson. There are ways you can still track their progress by keeping an eye on:
- Number of meaningful conversations
- Mastery of key messaging
- Identifying pain points
- Completion of learning / mock calls
By tracking learning and behaviours early, you create a performance culture without overwhelming your new hires. You can also ensure they’re building good habits, which lead to long term success over time.
Coach New SDRs Early and Often
Your new SDR won’t magically pick things up by osmosis. And feedback once a month won’t cut it – new starters need coaching. Not micromanaging, but consistent, constructive support that builds skills and mindset.
You should make coaching a natural part of every stage of your onboarding process. Make time for daily check-ins in week one to keep them feeling supported. Then, progress to weekly 1 to 1s to catch any problems early. Conduct call listening sessions where SDRs can break down their own calls and those of others.
It’s important to create an atmosphere where your team can ask small or ‘silly’ questions without feeling self-conscious. They face enough rejection on the phones, they need gentle support from their managers.
Our Prime Sales Academy utilises regular coaching sessions with our dedicated & experienced sales trainer. This is a space to catch up on their metrics, look for gaps in their knowledge & stop any bad sales habits from forming.
Embed Culture From Day One
Your SDR isn’t just learning your processes or products, they’re joining your team. For graduates or those in their first corporate role, culture is incredibly important. It’s even been proven that when employees feel like they belong, they’re more productive. But, what does culture look like during onboarding?
- Welcoming them properly to the team – buddy lunches, team calls
- Talking about your values, not just what they are but how they show up
- Including them in wins, team meetings and the fun stuff
- Creating psychological safety – they should feel safe to make mistakes and ask questions.
Show Them Their Future
One of the top drivers for a career in sales is progression. People drawn to sales are often very target-driven and want to see the fruits of their labour. So, it’s understandable that one of the first things an SDR thinks when they start a new role is “where does this go?”
If they can’t see a path beyond cold calls, they’ll assume it’s a short-term gig. And, with so many roles available, they probably won’t stick around to find out. So, build in future-focused conversations early on. Share examples of internal progression, explain what excellence looks like & offer small stretch goals to give them something to push for.
It’s also important to create a schedule of reviews and long-term development. If they can see a future with you, they’ll build the present with more intent.
Onboarding Mistakes That Kill SDR Performance
Even experienced sales leaders fall into these traps. So, if you’re onboarding new SDRs, avoid the following:
- No structured plans: Guesswork creates stress, especially in a new environment where they’re starting at the bottom.
- Overloading too soon: Dumping call quotas onto a new hire doesn’t make them resilient. It just makes them anxious.
- Generic Training: Some SDRs ramp up fast, others need more support. Keep up with your team’s needs and be flexible with your approach.
- All Pressure, no Praise: Recognition is a performance tool, use it like one.
- No Long-term Plan: If new hires don’t know what’s next, they’ll start looking elsewhere for the progression they want.
Final Thoughts
You can hire the most enthusiastic, high-potential candidate in the world. But without the right onboarding? You’ll never see what they’re really capable of.
At Prime, we don’t just find brilliant SDRs — we help companies ramp them right. Our training, onboarding support, and coaching frameworks are built to turn potential into performance.
