Quarterly notes on B2B lead generation, deliverability, and the cost of pipeline. Compiled from real engagements, public industry data, and conversations with operators running outbound at scale. Published once every three months.
The real cost of hiring an SDR in 2026 is about $135,000 a year all-in, not the base salary on the job post. A productized SDR agency runs $36,000 to $96,000. The full head-to-head math, and an honest read on which path fits your stage as a founder.
An honest definition of the category from someone who runs one. The five things a real service covers end to end, the four things no provider can deliver no matter what the pitch deck says, and the questions worth asking before you sign anything long term.
The platform average reply rate is 3.43%. Strict counting puts it at 0.45%. Both are real, and knowing which applies to you matters more than the number. Reply rate benchmarks by industry, the performance tiers that define good in 2026, and why the campaigns clearing 5.5% win on list quality rather than copy.
Reply rates fell two to three times since 2022. Daily sending limits per inbox dropped roughly 50 percent after the February 2024 sender requirements. The companies still booking pipeline are doing the opposite of what most agencies recommend. Here are the four shifts that separate teams getting meetings from teams getting blocked.
An in-house SDR costs roughly $135,000 a year all-in once you account for ramp, tooling, management, and the 14 month median tenure. A productized agency runs $36,000 to $96,000 a year for an equivalent volume. Real numbers, the line items most companies miss, and the decision framework that separates the right call from the expensive one.
