SDR hire or managed outbound: how to compare the real cost

Comparing a salary to a monthly fee is the wrong comparison. Here is a better one.

What an SDR hire actually includes

• Recruiting time, and the weeks before someone starts.
• Ramp time before outreach is any good.
• Salary, plus tools and data the SDR needs.
• Management. Someone has to review copy, coach and inspect the pipeline.
• The risk that it does not work out and you restart.

What managed outbound includes

• Research, infrastructure, copy, launch and reply handling in one operation.
• A fixed monthly price and a known minimum term.
• Your sign-off at each stage, but not your daily management.

What managed outbound does not include

• Guaranteed meetings. Nobody honest can promise that.
• Your sales process. Your team still runs the calls and the deals.

The honest test

Write down what you would need from an SDR for six months. If it is mostly outreach capacity and reply handling, a managed service is worth pricing. If it is deep product selling, hire.