SDR to AE handoff checklist
Most SDR and AE friction comes from one missing agreement: what counts as a meeting worth accepting. Without it, SDRs are paid on meetings that AEs think are junk, and AEs quietly let those meetings die. This checklist defines acceptance in writing, lists the context an SDR must pass over, and gives AEs a fixed set of reject reasons so the data shows where the problem is.
- Category:
- Enablement & Process
- Formats:
- PDF + CSV + web view
- Sections:
- 5
- Updated:
What you get
- Acceptance criteria an AE applies within 24 hours of the first meeting
- A handoff note template with the fields an SDR must complete
- A reject-reason taxonomy that makes disputes about data rather than opinion
- A monthly review table for acceptance rates by SDR and by source
Who it's for
- SDR managers and AE managers who share a pipeline target
- RevOps teams defining SQL and meeting-accepted stages
- Comp admins paying SDRs on accepted meetings
What's inside
- 1
Acceptance criteria
6-point checklist
- 2
Handoff note
8 fields to complete
- 3
Reject reasons
4 columns, 6 worked example rows
- 4
Monthly acceptance review
6 columns, 2 worked example rows
- 5
Paying on accepted meetings
Guidance notes
Preview of section 1
Acceptance criteria
A meeting is accepted when all of these are true after the first call. Adjust to your ICP.
- The account matches the ICP on size, industry, and region
- The attendee is in the target persona or has a stated role in buying
- The buyer described a problem our product addresses, in their words
The preview shows part of section 1. The full template has all 5 sections (4 not previewed here), with blank rows ready to fill in. Download the full template
How to use it
- 1
Agree acceptance criteria with both managers in the room
SDR and AE leadership sign off on the same criteria. If only one side writes them, the other side will not respect them.
- 2
Make the handoff note mandatory
The meeting is not booked until the handoff note fields are filled in the CRM. An AE should never walk into a call knowing only the company name.
- 3
Accept or reject within 24 hours of the first meeting
The AE marks the meeting accepted or picks a reject reason from the fixed list. No free-text-only rejections. Undecided meetings after 24 hours count as accepted.
- 4
Review acceptance rates monthly
Look at acceptance rate by SDR, by lead source, and by AE. A low rate for one SDR is a coaching issue. A low rate for one AE across all SDRs is a different conversation.
Frequently asked questions
What should an SDR include in a handoff to an AE?
Why the buyer took the meeting, the problem in their words, current tools, the attendee's role in the decision, who else is involved, any timing signal, and anything the AE should not repeat. It should be in the CRM, not in a chat message.
What is a good SDR meeting acceptance rate?
It depends on how strict your criteria are, so compare against your own history rather than an outside number. Track it by SDR and by source; the spread between SDRs usually tells you more than the team average.
Who decides if a meeting is qualified, the SDR or the AE?
The AE, against criteria both teams agreed in writing, within a fixed time window, using a fixed list of reject reasons. That keeps the decision with the person who will work the deal while protecting SDRs from arbitrary rejections.
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