SDR Onboarding Hub
Everything you need to hit the ground running — teams, tools, training, and your first week checklist.
Your First Week, Step by Step
Follow these in order. Each step builds on the last — don't skip ahead.
- Complete HR paperwork & benefits
- Activate IBM email + set up 2FA
- Log into IBM W3 intranet
- Request Salesforce & Salesloft access
- Request Orum (dialer) access
- 1:1 kickoff with your manager
- Connect with onboarding buddy on Slack
- Join all SDR Slack channels
- Review your team's product portfolio
- Complete IBM Code of Conduct training
📅 Week 1 — First 5 Days
1 Day 1 — Orientation & System Access Day 1
Your entire first day should be setup. Don't leave without completing every item — missing one will block you for the rest of the week.
- HR paperwork — Complete benefits enrollment with your HR contact before EOD
- IBM email — Activate and set up two-factor authentication immediately
- IBM W3 — Log into IBM's internal intranet. This is your home base for all internal resources.
- Laptop security — Install all required IBM security software before connecting to any internal systems
- New Hire Orientation — Attend in-person or virtual session (check your calendar invite)
- IBM Slack — Sign in and message your manager to confirm you're in
2 Day 1 — Meet Your Manager & Buddy Day 1
These are your two most important relationships in the first 30 days. Don't wait for them to come to you.
- Manager 1:1 — Ask about week 1 expectations, your aligned AEs, and which products to prioritize first
- Set recurring 1:1 — Get a weekly recurring meeting on the calendar before EOD Day 1
- Onboarding buddy — Find them on Slack. They've done this — ask them everything.
- Ask your manager — "Who are the top 3 SDRs I should shadow this week?"
3 Day 2–3 — Request All Tool Access Day 2–3
Submit all access requests on Day 2. Provisioning takes 2–5 business days — the earlier you request, the sooner you can dial.
- Salesforce — Request via AccessHub. Your CRM — everything you do gets logged here.
- IBM Sales Cloud (ISC) — Usually auto-provisioned Day 1. Verify access and complete your profile.
- SalesLoft — Request via your manager. Your email sequencing and cadence platform.
- Orum — Request after SalesLoft is confirmed. AI-powered parallel dialer — massively increases call volume.
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator — Request via manager. Your prospecting research tool.
- ZoomInfo — Request via manager. Contact data and intent signals.
- Seismic — Should be auto-provisioned. IBM's content library for all sales assets.
4 Day 2 — Join Your Slack Channels Day 2
Slack is how the SDR team communicates. Join all of these on Day 2 and post a short intro in #sdr-team.
- #sdr-onboarding — Your home base as a new hire. Ask anything — no question is too basic
- #sdr-team — Full SDR org announcements, wins, manager updates. Introduce yourself here.
- #sdr-wins — Post every meeting booked and opp created. Culture matters — celebrate everything.
- #sdr-questions — Product questions, process clarifications, objection handling help
- Your team channel — #sdr-data-ai, #sdr-automation, #sdr-infrastructure, or #sdr-hashicorp
- #sdr-enablement — Training resources, new content drops, certification announcements
5 Day 3–5 — Study Your Products Day 3–5
You don't need to be technical — but you need a confident 60-second pitch for every product you sell. Go to your team page and start with the Product Portfolio section.
- Know the name, one-liner, and use case for every product your team sells
- Know the primary buyer persona — job title, pain point, and what they care about
- Memorize 2–3 opening questions for your top 2 personas
- Read the IBM vs Competitors section — you will get this objection on call 1
- Watch at least one product demo video before making your first call
📞 Week 2–3 — Shadow & Dial
6 Week 2–3 — Shadow Calls & Start Dialing Week 2–3
Shadow before you dial. Listen to how experienced SDRs open, handle objections, and qualify. Then start making calls — imperfect action beats perfect preparation.
- Ask your manager to schedule 5 call shadows in your first two weeks
- After each shadow: write down 3 things you noticed — opening, objection, qualifying question
- Debrief with the SDR after each call — "What would you have done differently?"
- Build your first SalesLoft cadence by end of Week 2
- Make your first 10 dials by end of Week 2 — even bad calls teach you something
- Log every activity in Salesforce from Day 1 — it becomes a habit or it doesn't
Choose Your Team
Training guides, product info, and prospecting strategies for your SDR team.
View TeamsSchedule
Week-by-week training sessions and milestones for your first 90 days.
View ScheduleTools & Access
Salesforce, Salesloft, Orum, and every tool you need from day one.
View ToolsResources
Playbooks, email templates, call scripts, and training materials.
View Resources