What gets measured gets managed. But measuring the wrong things leads to bad decisions.
Most SDR teams track activity: dials, emails, LinkedIn touches. These matter, but they are inputs. What you actually care about is output: qualified pipeline that closes.
TLDR: The SDR Metrics That Actually Matter
Track these core metrics: dials per day (50-80), connect rate (8-15%), conversation-to-meeting rate (15-25%), meeting show rate (75-85%), and pipeline generated per SDR ($150K-400K/quarter). Most teams over-measure activity and under-measure quality.
The SDR Metrics Framework
Think of SDR metrics in three categories:
- Activity Metrics: What your team does each day. Inputs that drive outputs.
- Conversion Metrics: How efficiently activity converts to outcomes. The leverage points.
- Outcome Metrics: The results that matter to the business.
Activity Metrics: The Foundation
Dials Per Day
| SDR Type | Dials Per Day |
|---|---|
| Phone-first SDR | 60 to 100 |
| Multi-channel SDR | 40 to 60 |
| Account-based SDR | 20 to 40 |
Below 40 dials per day for phone-focused roles usually indicates inefficiency, call reluctance, or excessive admin burden.
Talk Time Per Day
Target: 90 to 120 minutes talk time per day. Most teams average 45 to 75 minutes.
Talk time is the best leading indicator of meeting output. More conversations equal more opportunities.
Conversion Metrics: Where Leverage Lives
Connect Rate
| Market Segment | Connect Rate |
|---|---|
| SMB | 12 to 18% |
| Mid-market | 8 to 12% |
| Enterprise | 5 to 10% |
How to improve: Call at optimal times (typically 8-9am and 4-5pm local), use local presence dialling, research direct lines.
Conversation-to-Meeting Rate
| Performance Level | Rate |
|---|---|
| Below average | <10% |
| Average | 10 to 15% |
| Good | 15 to 20% |
| Excellent | 20 to 30% |
This is where skill shows. Two SDRs with identical dial volume can have 2-3x different meeting output.
Meeting Show Rate
| Performance Level | Rate |
|---|---|
| Poor | <60% |
| Average | 70 to 75% |
| Good | 80 to 85% |
| Excellent | 85 to 90% |
How to improve: Confirm meetings 24 hours before, send calendar invites immediately, book within 5-7 days.
Email Reply Rate
| Email Type | Reply Rate |
|---|---|
| Cold email (first touch) | 2 to 5% |
| Follow-up email | 5 to 10% |
| Trigger-based email | 8 to 15% |
| Break-up email | 5 to 12% |
Outcome Metrics: What Leadership Cares About
Meetings Booked Per Month
| SDR Experience | Meetings Per Month |
|---|---|
| Ramp (months 1-3) | 5 to 10 |
| Ramped (months 4-6) | 10 to 15 |
| Experienced (6+ months) | 15 to 25 |
Pipeline Generated Per Month
| Deal Size | Monthly Pipeline Per SDR |
|---|---|
| SMB ($10-25K ACV) | $50 to $150K |
| Mid-market ($25-75K ACV) | $150 to $300K |
| Enterprise ($100K+ ACV) | $300 to $600K |
Pipeline generated per SDR is the ultimate measure of team effectiveness.
The Diagnostic Framework
High Activity, Low Connects
Likely causes: Calling at wrong times, poor data quality, ineffective voicemails.
First fixes: Analyse best times to connect, audit data sources, A/B test voicemail scripts.
High Connects, Low Meetings
Likely causes: Weak opening, pitching too early, poor objection handling, wrong ICP.
First fixes: Review call recordings, role-play difficult conversations, validate ICP assumptions.
High Meetings, Low Show Rates
Likely causes: Weak qualification, over-selling to get the meeting, no confirmation process.
First fixes: Tighten meeting criteria, implement 24-hour confirmation, book meetings within 5-7 days.
High Meetings, Low Pipeline Value
Likely causes: ICP mismatch, timing issues, competition already embedded.
First fixes: Review meeting-to-opportunity handoff, survey AEs on meeting quality, refine targeting.
Building Your SDR Dashboard
Activity Section: Total dials, connect rate, total emails sent, email reply rate, LinkedIn touches, talk time.
Conversion Section: Conversations held, conversation-to-meeting rate, meetings booked, show rate, meetings held.
Outcome Section: Pipeline generated ($), average opportunity size, pipeline-to-close rate (lagging).
How Nousu Tracks Metrics
At Nousu, we provide clients with weekly reporting that includes:
- Activity summary: Calls made, conversations held, emails sent
- Conversion funnel: Connect rate through to meetings held
- Meeting details: Who, when, qualification notes
- Trend analysis: Week-over-week and campaign-level patterns
- Optimisation notes: What we are testing and why
Related Resources
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