SDR and BDR KPIs: what to measure and what good looks like
Most SDR dashboards count what's easy (dials, emails) instead of what matters (meetings that turn into pipeline). Here's a KPI set that works, and the latest public benchmarks to sense-check yours against.
SDR (sales development representative) and BDR (business development representative) are the same job at most companies: the reps who create first meetings for account executives. Some firms use SDR for inbound and BDR for outbound. Everything here applies to both.
Leading and lagging: keep them apart
Split your KPIs into two groups and manage them differently:
- Leading indicators tell you if the work is happening: activities, connects, replies and quality conversations. Review them weekly and coach on them.
- Lagging indicators tell you if the work is working: meetings held, meetings accepted by AEs, opportunities and pipeline. Pay and plan on these.
2024-2026 SDR benchmarks
The core dataset is The Bridge Group's 10th SDR study (Feb 2025): 351 B2B companies, mostly North American SaaS, median deal size $50K. It's US-weighted, so treat it as a sense check, not a target.
| Metric | Benchmark | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Activities per day | 112 median (44 phone, 41 email, 19 LinkedIn) | Bridge Group, 2025 |
| Quality conversations per day | 4.1 (4.6 phone-led teams, 3.4 email-led) | Bridge Group, 2025 |
| Connect rate per dial | 5.4% average, 13.3% top quartile | Gong Labs, 2024 |
| Meetings set per connected call | 4.6% average, 16.7% top quartile | Gong Labs, 2024 |
| Monthly quota: meetings held | 10 median (down 40% since 2018) | Bridge Group, 2025 |
| Monthly quota: meetings that become opportunities | 6 median | Bridge Group, 2025 |
| Pipeline sourced per SDR per year | $3.78M median (middle half $1.9M-$6.4M) | Bridge Group, 2025 |
| Share of SDRs at quota | 60%, the lowest on record | Bridge Group, 2025 |
| Ramp time | 3.0 months | Bridge Group, 2025 |
| Average tenure | 1.9 years | Bridge Group, 2025 |
| Annual attrition | 40% median (21%-57% middle half) | Bridge Group, 2025 |
| SDR to AE ratio | 1 SDR to 2.4 AEs; 1:2 is most common | Bridge Group, 2025 |
| SDRs per first-line manager | 6.4 (down from 8) | Bridge Group, 2025 |
Two numbers people mix up
Share of reps at quota (57-66% depending on the source) is reported by companies. Average attainment (88-92%) is self-reported by SDRs in vendor surveys. Use the first for comp and capacity planning. Treat the second as a mood check.
A simple capacity model 馃М
Work backwards from the outcome. This example is illustrative, for one outbound SDR over a month:
| Step | Assumption | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Target | 10 held meetings (the median quota) | 10 |
| Show rate | 80% | 12.5 meetings booked |
| Conversation to meeting | 15% on a well-targeted list | 83 conversations |
| Per working day | 20 days | About 4 conversations a day |
| Dials a day at a 5.4% connect rate | Phone only | About 78 |
| Dials a day at 13.3% | Good data and timing | About 32 |
The lesson: at average connect rates, phone alone needs an unrealistic number of dials. Fix data quality and calling times before you add headcount.
Early warning signs 鈿狅笍
- AE acceptance of meetings drops below about 80% for a month.
- Reply rates fall for two months while activity rises.
- Pipeline per SDR falls while meeting numbers hold steady (quality drift).
- More than a third of the team is under 50% of quota in the same month.
- Several reps pass 18 months in role with no promotion date.
These thresholds are illustrative. Set them against your own baseline.
Sources
- The Bridge Group, SDR Models, Motions & Metrics 2025 Research Report
- Gong Labs, The hidden power of cold calling, 2024
- RepVue, SDR salary and quota data, 2025
Questions
What is the difference between an SDR and a BDR?
Often nothing but the title. Where companies split them, SDRs usually work inbound leads and BDRs run outbound prospecting. The KPIs, pay and ramp benchmarks here apply to both.
What are the most important SDR and BDR KPIs?
Meetings held and accepted by AEs, the opportunities and pipeline those meetings create, and quality conversations per day as the main leading indicator. Activity counts are useful for coaching but should not drive pay.
How many meetings should an SDR or BDR book per month?
The Bridge Group 2025 median quota is 10 held meetings a month, with about 6 turning into opportunities. Introductory-meeting models run higher (around 16) and fully qualified models lower (around 9).
What percentage of SDRs hit quota?
About 60% in the 2025 Bridge Group study, the lowest on record. A healthy plan usually has 60-70% of reps at or above quota.
Turn this into a programme you can run
14 Notion modules and 6 working trackers for SDR leaders: KPI library, comp calculator, cadence builder, interview scorecard, tool scorecard and a 90-day roadmap. 拢49, one payment.
Benchmarks are starting points, not targets. Every figure shows its source and year; tune them to your market, deal size and sales cycle.