Starting without a list
A new SDR building their own list from scratch in week one loses a week of practice.
Free sales template
SDR onboarding plan template
An SDR onboarding plan is the company's schedule for getting a new sales development rep from day one to full activity: what is ready before they start, what they learn each week and how you check they are ready to call. This template covers the pre-start checklist, a week-by-week first month, a certification checklist and the milestones to day 90.
What it is and when to use it
Onboarding is the part of ramp the business controls. The new SDR controls their effort; you control whether they have a clean list, working tools, a script that has been tested, someone to shadow and clear feedback. Most slow ramps are onboarding failures, not hiring failures.
The plan is built around one principle: get the new SDR on the phone early, but not before they are ready. A week of reading followed by a cold start is worse than short daily blocks of role-play and live calling from the second week, with a certification call before they get full activity targets.
This template is the onboarding schedule. Pair it with the 30 60 90 day sales plan, which sets the new SDR's own goals for each phase.
Who uses it
SDR managers
Plan the first month before the start date and run the certification.
Founders hiring a first SDR
Make sure the basics are in place before day one: list, CRM, script, qualified meeting definition and someone to shadow.
New SDRs
See what the first month holds and what you need to show at certification.
The sdr onboarding plan template
Every section and column, with what to write in each. Use the fill-in version below to type straight into it and copy, print or download the result.
1. Before day one
| Item | Owner | Done by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRM, dialler, email and LinkedIn accounts set up and tested | Sales ops or manager | Date | Not started, in progress, done |
| First 200 accounts built, washed against the Do Not Call Register and loaded | Manager or list builder | Date | Status |
| Playbook, script and email templates up to date | Manager | Date | Status |
| Qualified meeting definition agreed with AEs | Manager | Date | Status |
| Shadowing buddy assigned | Manager | Date | Status |
| Week one calendar booked | Manager | Date | Status |
2. The first four weeks
| Week | Learn | Do | Checkpoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Company, product, ICP, personas, compliance rules, tools | Shadow live calls, role-play the opener daily, build own call list | Can explain who we sell to and why they buy |
| Week 2 | Opener, discovery questions, top objections | Short live calling blocks with the manager nearby, daily role-play | First live conversations |
| Week 3 | Qualification, booking, handover note | Half daily activity target, full cadence | First meeting booked, handover note checked |
| Week 4 | Triggers and plays, email and LinkedIn | Most of the daily target, own accounts | Certification call |
3. Certification checklist
Run it as a role-play with the manager playing the buyer. Pass every line before full activity targets apply.
| Skill | Standard | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opener | Name, company, reason for the call and a question in under 20 seconds | Pass or not yet | What to practise |
| Gatekeeper | Gets help to the right person without pitching | Pass or not yet | Notes |
| Discovery | Asks at least three open questions before any pitch | Pass or not yet | Notes |
| Objections | Handles the top three objections without arguing | Pass or not yet | Notes |
| The ask | Asks clearly for a specific time | Pass or not yet | Notes |
| Handover | Writes a handover note the AE can use | Pass or not yet | Notes |
| Compliance | Knows the Do Not Call Register, opt-out and email consent rules | Pass or not yet | Notes |
4. Milestones to day 90
| Milestone | Target date | Target | Actual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified | End of week 4 | All lines passed | Date passed |
| Full daily activity | Week 5 | Daily dial and touch target | Actual |
| Ramp target, day 60 | Day 60 | Share of full meeting target | Actual |
| Full target | Day 90 | Full qualified meetings target | Actual |
5. People and feedback
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| New SDR | Name and start date. |
| Buddy | An experienced SDR the new hire shadows and can ask anything. |
| Feedback rhythm | Daily five-minute debrief in weeks 1 to 4, weekly one-to-one after that, plus call note reviews. |
Fill it in online
Type into the template, or load the worked example and edit it. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere: it stays in this browser tab until you copy, download or print it.
Empty fields copy as {{placeholders}} so you can see what is left to fill in.
Worked example
An Australian B2B company using outsourced SDRs. The company is described, not named, and the figures are illustrative.
Worked example: a Brisbane managed IT services company
A Brisbane managed IT provider has used an outsourced SDR team for a year and is adding one in-house SDR to cover existing customer upsell calls. The outsourced team's SDR lead helps with shadowing in week one.
Dates and targets are illustrative.
1. Before day one
| Item | Owner | Done by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRM, dialler, email and LinkedIn accounts set up and tested | Operations manager | 28 January | Done |
| First 200 accounts built, washed against the Do Not Call Register and loaded | Head of sales | 29 January | Done |
| Playbook, script and email templates up to date | Head of sales | 29 January | Done |
| Qualified meeting definition agreed with AEs | Head of sales | 23 January | Done |
| Shadowing buddy assigned | Head of sales | 23 January | Done |
| Week one calendar booked | Head of sales | 30 January | Done |
2. The first four weeks
| Week | Learn | Do | Checkpoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Services, the four customer segments, compliance, CRM | Shadow 10 hours of calls, role-play twice a day | Explained the ICP back to the head of sales |
| Week 2 | Opener, five discovery questions, top objections | One-hour calling blocks each morning | First 12 conversations |
| Week 3 | Qualification and booking | 50 dials a day, full cadence | First meeting booked |
| Week 4 | Upsell triggers: contract renewal, new site, security incident | 70 dials a day | Certification passed on Friday |
3. Certification checklist
| Skill | Standard | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opener | Under 20 seconds with a question | Pass | Slowed down by day three |
| Gatekeeper | Gets help without pitching | Pass | None |
| Discovery | Three open questions first | Pass | Ask what happens if nothing changes |
| Objections | Top three handled | Not yet, then pass on retest | 'We are happy with our provider' needed work |
| The ask | Specific time | Pass | None |
| Handover | Note the AE can use | Pass | Add the contract end date |
| Compliance | Do Not Call Register, opt-out, email consent | Pass | None |
4. Milestones to day 90
| Milestone | Target date | Target | Actual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified | 27 February | All lines passed | 2 March, after one retest |
| Full daily activity | Week 5 | 100 dials and 20 emails a day | Week 5 |
| Ramp target, day 60 | Day 60 | 4 qualified meetings | 5 |
| Full target | Day 90 | 8 qualified meetings a month | 7, on track for 8 |
5. People and feedback
- New SDR
- In-house SDR, starting Monday 2 February
- Buddy
- Senior SDR on the outsourced team, for shadowing in week one and weekly call reviews
- Feedback rhythm
- Daily ten-minute debrief at 4pm for four weeks. Weekly one-to-one on Fridays from week five. Two calls a week reviewed from notes.
What to notice
- The pre-start checklist was done before day one, so the new SDR made first calls in week two instead of week four.
- Failing one certification line was useful. It showed exactly which objection to practise, and the retest passed three days later.
How to use it, step by step
- Finish the pre-start checklist. Tools, list, playbook, qualified meeting definition, buddy and calendar, all done before day one.
- Book week one in full. Shadowing, product sessions, role-play and tool training. An empty calendar in week one costs a week of ramp.
- Start live calls in week two. Short blocks with the manager nearby, debriefed the same day.
- Build up activity gradually. Half the daily target in week three and most of it in week four.
- Run certification. Role-play every line of the checklist. Retest anything marked not yet within a few days.
- Track milestones to day 90. Compare actual with target at certification, day 60 and day 90, and adjust support where needed.
Common mistakes
Reading instead of practising
Two days of reading is enough. After that, role-play and live calls teach faster.
Full targets before certification
Activity targets before the SDR can open and handle objections burn good accounts.
No compliance training
Every SDR must know the Do Not Call Register, opt-out and email consent rules before they call or email.
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Want the meetings, not just the template?
Nousu Collective runs phone-first outbound for B2B companies selling into Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, with Australian callers in-house in Sydney. Our outsourced SDR service builds the list, runs the calling, email and LinkedIn cadence and books qualified meetings into your calendar. If you only need calls made, see cold calling or appointment setting.
In our data from 218,000+ dials into Australian businesses, Australian callers booked 1.3 meetings per 100 dials, against 0.3 for offshore teams. Pricing is starting at $7,000 a month.
FAQ
SDR onboarding plan template questions
Straight answers from the team that runs outbound for Australian B2B companies.
Still have questions?
Book a 30-minute callMost teams plan four weeks of structured onboarding to certification, then ramp to full target by about day 90. A clean list and tools before day one shorten it.
A pre-start checklist, product and ICP training, compliance rules, shadowing, daily role-play, live calls from week two, a certification role-play and milestones to day 90.
In week two, in short blocks with the manager nearby. Waiting until week four slows ramp; calling on day one without preparation burns accounts.
A role-play test before full targets apply, covering the opener, gatekeeper, discovery, objections, the ask, the handover note and compliance. The manager plays the buyer.
At minimum: how the Do Not Call Register applies to calling, honouring opt-outs, and the Spam Act rules for email, including consent, sender identification and a working unsubscribe. Add New Zealand and Singapore rules if you call there. This is general information, not legal advice.
Ask the outsourced team's SDR lead to support shadowing and call reviews, share one playbook and qualified meeting definition, and split accounts so there is no overlap.
Need a team to run the plan?
Book a 30-minute call. We will map your market and buyers and show you what a phone-first campaign would book.
Starting at $7,000 a month. Exact fee quoted after a 30-minute call.