1. SDR managers lack clear direction and fail to understand what it’s like being an SDR in today's market. They praise fluff meetings that contribute nothing to the company's success and base SDR promotions solely on this metric. Most of the team fails to meet quota, except for those who exploit this loophole. Management claims that SDRs are vital to the sales process, but allowing these bogus meetings to ruin the company's pipeline contradicts that belief. The only meetings that result in closed/won deals are demo requests, which occur once every 2-3 months if you're lucky.
2. There is absolutely no clear path for SDRs to progress. Do not be deceived by promises of career advancement. I’ve been here just over a year and am pretty sure that the last SDR to AE/AM promotion was before I started. Most of those who were promoted prior have already left the company. This is a dead-end, do not fall for these empty promises.
3. Quota is tied to both the first meeting and the scheduling/completion of a second meeting. This means that half of an SDR's commission depends on AE's, which is extremely unfair. In turn, AE's are forced to engage with low-level prospects due to SDRs arranging meetings with the wrong persona. This wastes company resources and reduces the time that AE’s have to focus on real deals - (The main reason why I would never consider applying for an AE position within the company)
Beware of the misleading 5-star reviews posted by HR. Firstup has undergone multiple layoffs in 2023, resulting in all-time low morale. Many of my colleagues are only staying due to the challenging job market.
My advice to anyone considering joining the sales organization is to save yourself the trouble and explore other opportunities. The SDR position is a dead-end and any closing position is a waste of time due to the declining market for this product.
