SDR coaching

SDR coaching helps a representative make better decisions in a conversation: what to ask, what to check and whether to continue. Choose one observable behaviour, review an exchange, practise an alternative and inspect a later example. A booked meeting alone does not show the conversation was handled well.

Choose one coaching focus

Select a skill that matters to the team's current work. A representative might need to test an opening premise, follow up on an unexpected answer or recognise when the offer does not fit. “Improve discovery” is too broad. “Check what happens after an approval is delayed before describing the offer” gives both people a choice they can observe.

Keep the call's objective separate from the coaching focus. The call may have aimed to learn whether a prospect's workflow was relevant. Coaching may focus on how the representative responded when the prospect said that workflow was already handled. A sound conversation can therefore end without a meeting.

Review, practise and follow up

Ask the representative what they understood the exchange was meant to resolve and which moment they would revisit. Examine the prospect's answer alongside the representative's next question or statement. What was established, what remained uncertain, and did the response help both sides reach an appropriate decision?

Describe a specific action and its effect without guessing at the representative's attitude. If a prospect mentioned a technical condition and the representative moved straight to a demonstration, practise a question that would have checked the condition. Agree where the representative will try that approach and when to review another example.

A short coaching record can hold the observed moment, the alternative practised and the next review point. Keep a tentative customer statement tentative, and omit private detail the coaching decision does not need.

The coaching relationship matters as well as the review method. Salesforce recommends leading with empathy and building trust with the team, alongside improving one area at a time for acute focus and measurable progress.

Choose evidence carefully

Use a real recording or transcript only after checking that its collection and proposed coaching use are permitted, who may access it, and what viewers could identify. Where the Australian Privacy Principles apply, recordings and transcripts can contain personal information. Removing a name alone may leave someone identifiable from their role or circumstances.

A brief paraphrase or fictional role-play may be enough. If an actual excerpt is needed, limit it to the relevant moment and use the organisation's approved access and retention arrangements.

Using Real Recordings in SDR Coaching

Look for a change in conversation quality

Compare eligible conversations before and after the coaching focus. Ask whether the representative tested the premise, responded to the answer, distinguished a confirmed constraint from an assumption and agreed on a suitable next action. Include justified decisions to stop.

Keep meetings and handoffs visible as separate outcomes. Changes in account mix, offer or review method can affect them. A before-and-after improvement does not, by itself, show that coaching caused the change. If reviewers interpret the behaviour differently, clarify the rule before drawing a trend.

At the next session, ask what happened when the representative tried the alternative and whether the prospect's answer called for another approach. Preserve good judgement as well as gaps.

Key Metrics for Evaluating SDR Coaching Success