Case Study: SDR-Led GTM Blueprint Drives MQL→SQL Lift for eClinical Vendor

Case Study: The 433% Pipeline Multiplier

The Client: Confidential eClinical vendor (Scale-up stage, Life Sciences).

The Situation: The organization's rapid growth was limited by a fragmented Go-To-Market (GTM) motion where inbound MQLs were passed directly to 18 Account Executives (AEs). This absence of a dedicated intake layer led to an unacceptably low MQL→SQL conversion rate of 12%, signaling a massive leak in the top of the funnel. The priority was to establish a predictable, high-converting 2-stage sales motion before investing in a costly outbound expansion.

The Goal:

1. Accelerate MQL→SQL Conversion: Achieve a significant, sustained increase in the conversion rate and establish a minimum baseline for GTM health.

2. Establish Predictability: Create defined GTM processes, clear Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and a reliable source of truth for pipeline tracking.

3. Unlock Pipeline Capacity: Drive a significant increase in Sales Accepted Leads (SALs) and new logo booked meetings.

🛠️ The RevOps Solution: Architecting a 2-Stage GTM

As the operator supporting Sales and Marketing Operations, the blueprint focused on rewiring the intake flow and instrumenting the Lead-to-Opportunity lifecycle in Salesforce. This was framed as a definitions-first, visibility-always approach.

1. People: Launching the SDR Engine

• Capacity Shift: The inbound workflow was immediately shifted from 18 AEs to two newly recruited and onboarded SDRs.

• Role Definition: SDRs became the first touch for all inbound MQLs, triaging leads against an agreed-upon ICP to ensure AEs received cleaner, higher-quality meetings.

2. Process: Codifying Handoffs and Outcomes

• Workflow: Implemented a new codified flow: MQL assigned to SDR > added to an ICP-based sequence in Salesloft > meeting booked with AE and passed as an Unqualified Opportunity (SAL).

• Definitions & SLAs: Established clear, shared definitions (SAL/SQL) and SLAs covering time-to-first-touch (same business day) and defined multi-touch follow-up cadences.

• AE Buy-In: Overcame initial AE resistance by running pilot sessions, showing data on poor-fit meetings, and committing to providing faster, cleaner meetings via the new SLAs.

3. Systems & Data: Lifecycle Instrumentation

• CRM Architecture: Implemented new Lead Lifecycle Stages in Salesforce to track engagement milestones. Introduced Lead to Contact/Opportunity conversion to measure conversion efficacy.

• Pipeline Visibility: A new Unqualified Opportunity Stage was added to track SALs (pre-SQL effort), protecting discovery time from being invisible and improving forecast hygiene.

• Executive Metrics: Created Reports and Dashboards detailing conversion progress, lead source, and time-to-touch, shared with GTM leaders and the CLT to foster transparent, shared truth.

📈 Results: Sustained, Predictable Growth

Within three months, the systemic friction was significantly reduced, and the conversion rate had more than tripled. By the end of the six-month timeframe, the new motion proved its efficacy, validating the investment in the SDR-led model.

💡 Lessons & The Reusable Playbook

The success hinged on sequencing the operational fixes correctly: fix the intake structure before scaling the output.

• The Right Call: Pausing new outbound initiatives until the inbound SDR spine was predictable was the crucial sequencing decision.

• The Playbook: The fundamental sequence stands as highly portable: Definitions → SLAs → Visibility.

• The Cultural Shift: The biggest initial risk was AE resistance; this should be mitigated next time by involving AE champions earlier in the process and running joint call reviews to align on the definition of "Qualified".

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