SDR to AE Handoff SLA
The SDR-to-AE handoff is where deals go to die. Industry data shows 25-40% of qualified leads receive no AE follow-up within 48 hours. Each hour of delay reduces conversion probability by 10%. Without SLAs, "qualified" leads sit in queues while AEs work existing pipeline.
💡TL;DR
SDR-to-AE Handoff SLA prevents the black hole between qualification and first AE contact. Key components: (1) Time SLA—AE must contact within X hours of handoff (typically 4-24), (2) Information requirements—what SDR must capture before handoff (BANT, pain points, next steps agreed), (3) Acceptance criteria—when can AE reject a handoff? (4) Escalation—what happens if SLA is missed? Best teams treat SLA as hard constraint with consequences, not soft guideline.
Definition
Service level agreements governing the speed and quality of lead handoffs from Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) to Account Executives (AEs). Includes time-to-first-contact, required information, and acceptance criteria.
🏢What This Means for SMB Teams
SMB sales teams often have blurred SDR/AE lines or no formal handoff process. A 5-person sales team might say "we don't need SLAs." Wrong. Even informal handoffs benefit from clear expectations: who contacts first? What info is needed? What's "qualified"? Without this, leads bounce between reps or fall through cracks.
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📋Practical Example
A 25-person SaaS with 4 SDRs and 6 AEs had no formal handoff SLA. SDRs marked leads "qualified" in CRM; AEs checked when they had time. Average time-to-first-AE-contact: 38 hours. 28% of qualified leads got no AE follow-up within 72 hours. They implemented: (1) 4-hour contact SLA, (2) Mandatory handoff fields (budget confirmed, decision timeline, agreed next step), (3) Slack alert on handoff + 4-hour escalation to sales manager. Result: average contact time dropped to 3.2 hours, and qualified-to-opportunity conversion improved 34%.
🔧Implementation Steps
- 1
Define "qualified": what criteria must a lead meet before SDR can hand off? Be specific (BANT, engagement level, ICP fit).
- 2
Set time SLA: how quickly must AE make first contact? 4 hours for hot leads, 24 hours for standard is common starting point.
- 3
Specify handoff information: create required fields in CRM that SDR must complete. No handoff without them.
- 4
Build acceptance/rejection criteria: when can AE send lead back? (Missing info, wrong ICP, no real interest)
- 5
Create escalation path: what happens at SLA breach? Auto-alert to manager, reassignment to backup AE, etc.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
What's a good SDR-to-AE handoff SLA?
Depends on lead temperature. Inbound demo request (hot): 1-4 hours. Outbound qualified interest: 4-8 hours. Marketing qualified (cooler): 24 hours. The key is matching SLA to buyer urgency—a demo request sitting 24 hours is unacceptable, but a content download can wait.
How do you prevent AEs from cherry-picking handoffs?
Three approaches: (1) Round-robin assignment—no choosing, leads distributed automatically. (2) SLA applies to all handoffs—can't ignore ones you don't like. (3) Track rejection rates—AEs with high rejection rates need coaching or territory adjustment. The goal is fairness + accountability.
⚡How Optifai Uses This
Optifai enforces SDR-to-AE handoff SLAs automatically. When SDR marks a lead qualified, the system assigns to AE based on routing rules and starts the SLA clock. If AE doesn't contact within threshold, escalation alerts fire to sales management and lead can auto-reassign to backup. Every SLA breach is logged for process improvement.
📚References
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Related Terms
Speed to Lead
The time elapsed between a lead's first interaction (form submission, demo request, pricing page visit) and a sales rep's first response. Research consistently shows that response time is the single biggest controllable factor in conversion rates, with optimal windows measured in minutes, not hours.
Lead Response Time
The measured duration between when a lead takes a qualifying action (form fill, chat initiation, demo request) and when a sales representative makes first contact. This metric directly correlates with conversion probability and is considered the most controllable factor in sales performance.
Sales Automation
The use of software to automate repetitive sales tasks such as email outreach, follow-ups, data entry, and lead assignment, freeing reps to focus on high-value activities.
Lead Scoring
A methodology for ranking prospects based on their perceived value to the organization, using demographic/firmographic attributes and behavioral signals to prioritize sales outreach.