A strong top-of-funnel strategy is essential for generating leads, qualifying prospects, and keeping your sales pipeline healthy. For B2B tech companies, this stage is often the most challenging—and mishandling it can have serious consequences for your entire pipeline.
One common misstep is expecting Business Development Managers (BDMs) to take on cold calling and lead generation. While it may seem like a cost-effective solution, it often leads to talent turnover, missed opportunities, and underperforming pipelines.
In this blog, I explore why top-of-funnel activities demand a dedicated approach and how outsourcing Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) can create a more scalable, consistent solution. You will learn:
- Why asking BDMs to handle top-of-funnel activities is a mistake.
- The challenges of hiring and managing in-house SDRs.
- The benefits of outsourcing SDR work to improve pipeline health and scalability.
By the end of this blog, you will understand how to optimise your top-of-funnel strategy to drive sustainable growth and stay ahead of the competition.
The problem with expecting BDMs to cold call
BDMs do not want to cold call
As established sales professionals who have worked their way up the ranks, BDMs expect to focus on high-value activities like nurturing relationships and closing opportunities. Expecting BDMs to do the work of SDRs, such as researching prospects and making cold calls, is often met with resistance. From an employer’s point of view, this approach may seem like an efficient use of resources, but it is, in fact, shortsighted. Talented BDMs know their value, and in a competitive job market, they will grow frustrated and quickly look for roles that better align with their skills and expectations.
Resignation risks
When BDMs are pushed into sales activities that do not align with their expectations, turnover is almost inevitable. Losing a skilled BDM creates significant disruptions, from the immediate loss of expertise to the financial strain of finding a replacement. Recruitment fees for sales talent are steep, and onboarding new hires requires time and resources that could be better spent elsewhere.
The cost of turnover
After recruitment fees, businesses face 6–8 months of salary outlays before knowing if the new sales hire will succeed. If they do not work out, the cycle begins again, leading to additional fees, lost time, and another period of underperformance. Over the course of a year, these disruptions can cost your business significantly, all while leaving your pipeline underdeveloped.
Market share loss
While you are caught up in recruitment cycles and trying to rebuild momentum, your competitors are gaining ground. Businesses with strong, efficient sales pipelines capture market share, grow their revenue, and stabilise their teams. By the time your business recovers, competitors may have established a lead that is difficult to close.
Forcing BDMs to cold call puts your entire business strategy at risk. The real question is not whether BDMs should cold call but whether your business can afford the consequences of getting this wrong.
Understanding that BDMs are not the right fit for handling cold calling and prospecting, the logical solution is to rely on Sales Development Representatives (SDRs). SDRs manage top-of-funnel activities, from researching prospects to qualifying leads. However, building and managing an in-house SDR team brings its own set of challenges.
The challenges of hiring SDRs in-house
Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) play a critical role in building and maintaining your sales pipeline. However, as an entry-level sales role, it comes with inherent challenges that can make hiring and managing an in-house SDR a complex and resource-intensive process. Here are some of the key challenges:
Learning B2B sales takes time and skill
B2B sales is a sophisticated discipline, and SDRs are often tasked with high-pressure activities like prospecting and cold-calling senior executives. For a junior sales professional, this requires not only confidence but also the ability to communicate effectively with CXOs and speak to them on their level—a skill that takes time and experience to develop.
Complex tech can be tough to understand
An SDR must quickly learn the ins and outs of your technology or solution, including how it solves your prospect’s pain points. This is particularly challenging in the tech industry, where products and services are often complex and require a deep understanding of both technical and business value propositions.
Rejection is hard to handle
Cold calling inevitably comes with frequent rejection, and the psychological toll can be significant. SDRs need ongoing coaching to build resilience and manage their emotional state. This means that the person managing them must dedicate significant time and effort to their development, often detracting from their own core responsibilities.
Retention is a major hurdle
Even if you successfully train and manage an SDR, another hurdle arises: retention. SDRs who excel in their roles become highly sought after in the job market. They are often headhunted by competitors or look to progress their careers by taking on their first BDM role at a new company. This challenge leaves you with the task of rehiring and retraining, setting your pipeline back significantly.
Managing SDRs in-house requires substantial time, energy, and resources. For many businesses, this approach simply does not provide the consistency and scalability needed to maintain a strong sales pipeline.
Given these challenges, outsourcing SDR functions can offer a more reliable and scalable alternative.
The benefits of outsourcing SDR work
Outsourcing your SDR function is a strategic move that helps overcome the challenges of managing an in-house team while ensuring your sales pipeline remains robust and consistent.
Here are the key benefits of outsourcing SDR work:
Free up your BDMs to focus on closing opportunities
Your Business Development Managers (BDMs) are your high-value closers. By outsourcing SDR work, you allow them to focus on nurturing relationships, building trust, and closing opportunities—tasks that drive revenue directly—rather than spending valuable time on prospecting and lead qualification.
Reduce employee turnover risks and costs
Outsourcing eliminates the strain of managing SDRs in-house, which often leads to turnover. By aligning SDR roles with an external team’s expertise, you avoid the recurring costs of recruitment, onboarding, and training. This also reduces the risk of losing top BDM talent frustrated by misaligned responsibilities and expectations.
Maintain a consistent pipeline
An outsourced SDR team ensures your pipeline stays full, no matter the challenges. With professionals dedicated to lead generation, you will see a steady flow of qualified prospects without the disruptions caused by internal hiring delays or staff turnover.
Stay ahead of the competition
While competitors struggle with recruitment and internal resource constraints, outsourcing allows you to focus your internal efforts on scaling and growth. Leveraging an expert partner ensures that your sales team operates efficiently, keeping you one step ahead in capturing market opportunities.
Dedicated lead generation
Outsourced SDRs specialise in researching, qualifying, and nurturing leads. They focus on filling your pipeline with high-quality opportunities, handing them off seamlessly to your sales team to close.
Cost-effective scaling
Recruiting, training, and retaining in-house SDRs can be expensive and time-consuming. Outsourcing provides a scalable solution that allows you to grow your pipeline without the financial risks associated with turnover or misaligned hires.
Measurable results
With outsourced SDR services, you gain access to transparent reporting and data-driven insights. Robust reporting ensures you can track the direct impact on your pipeline and make informed decisions about your sales strategy.
Strategic focus for your team
By outsourcing lead generation, your internal team can dedicate more time to high-value activities like closing opportunities, expanding client relationships, and pursuing strategic initiatives.
Outsourcing SDR work offers a proven way to ensure consistency, scalability, and long-term sales success.
Conclusion
Rethinking your top-of-funnel strategy is essential for maintaining a healthy, effective sales pipeline. Expecting BDMs to handle prospecting and lead generation stretches their roles too thin, while managing in-house SDRs can drain time and resources.
Outsourcing SDR work provides a clear path to overcoming these challenges. With a consistent flow of qualified leads, your team can focus on what they do best—closing opportunities and driving growth.
Partner with Resonate build a consistent, high-quality pipeline
At Resonate, we specialise in helping B2B tech companies streamline their top-of-funnel strategy. Our expert SDR team handles prospecting, cold-calling and lead qualification, ensuring your pipeline stays active and healthy. With bespoke solutions, measurable results, robust reporting and a focus on your unique business needs, we provide the consistency and scalability you need to grow. Visit our SDR as a Service page to learn more about how we can help your business build a consistent, high quality pipeline.
Related Blogs
13 factors affecting your win rate in B2B sales
The psychology of decision-making in B2B sales: How to leverage it for success
Diagnosing poor sales results: The top four contributing factors
