BDR onboarding plan
Where SDRs often handle inbound and volume outreach, BDRs are usually outbound-focused on named accounts or new markets. Their onboarding needs more account research, market context and multi-threading practice.
What good onboarding achieves
Open conversations with target accounts through researched, multi-threaded outreach and qualify them for an AE.
Week one example
- Day 1: Access, team intros and the target account list or territory.
- Day 2: Market and competitor context for the territory.
- Day 3: Account research method: triggers, org charts, priorities.
- Day 4: Multi-threaded outreach examples that worked.
- Day 5: Research three accounts and present the outreach plan to the manager.
30/60/90 progression
- Day 30: Runs researched outreach into a first set of named accounts.
- Day 60: Books meetings with multiple stakeholders per account.
- Day 90: Owns a territory plan and contributes account insights to AEs.
People to meet (examples)
- BDR or sales manager
- Paired AE for the territory
- Marketing for account-based campaigns
- Partner manager, if partners source deals
Systems to learn (examples)
- CRM
- Account research or intent data tool
- LinkedIn prospecting tool
- Sales engagement tool
Manager checkpoints
- Week 1: account research presentation
- Week 3: review outreach to five accounts
- Day 45: territory progress with paired AE
- Day 90: territory plan review
Common mistakes
- Treating BDRs like volume SDRs with no research time
- No clear territory or account ownership
- Single-threading into one contact
- Ignoring partner or marketing context for the territory
Checklist
- Territory or account list assigned
- Market and competitor brief read
- Research template agreed
- Three accounts researched
- Outreach plan approved
- Paired AE introduced
- Handover criteria agreed
- Weekly account review booked