Before you post the job listing or sign with an agency, run the actual math. Here it is, with no thumb on the scale.
A $65K–$85K OTE is just the visible line. Add benefits (roughly 20–30%), dialer, data, and CRM seats ($500–$1,000 a month), recruiting costs, 3–6 months of ramp at full pay before full output, management time, and the brutal fact that SDR turnover routinely runs above 30% a year, which restarts the entire clock. Realistic all-in: $9,000–$14,000+ per month, with months of lag before the first meeting.
Quoted retainers of $5,000–$12,000 often grow per-meeting fees, data charges, and 3–12 month commitments. Per-meeting pricing creates the industry's worst incentive: book anything with a pulse. That's where "junk meetings" come from.
$4,995 flat per month plus a one-time $500 onboarding. Dedicated SDR capped at 5 clients, calls live in two weeks, 60-day pilot, then month-to-month. The incentive is structurally aligned: we only keep clients by delivering meetings worth your closers' time.
| In-house SDR | Typical agency | RhemaVox | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $9,000–$14,000+ | $5,000–$12,000, often per-meeting fees | $4,995 flat |
| Time to launch | 3–6 months | 4–8 weeks | 2 weeks |
| Contract | Permanent hire | 3–12 months | 60-day pilot, then month-to-month |
| Who does the work | Your new hire, learning | Shared pool of reps | Dedicated SDR, max 5 clients |
| Management load | High. You run it daily | Medium | Low. We run ops, you get visibility |
| Qualification | Varies by hire | Often volume-driven | Fit + authority + interest, every prospect |
Fully loaded in-house costs include $65K–$85K OTE, benefits, tools, recruiting, ramp time, and turnover risk.
Honestly: if you're closing enterprise deals with 12-month cycles, need an SDR embedded in daily product conversations, and have a sales manager with capacity to coach, hiring can be the better long-term play. Most SMB and mid-market teams in manufacturing, real estate, insurance, and hospitality are not in that situation. They need consistent qualified conversations next month, not a headcount project.
We'll review your ICP, your average deal size, and show you what the math looks like for your specific situation, including whether we're the right fit at all.
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