The Modern SDR’s 30–60–90 Day Game Plan
Guest blogger: Walla Ng Ong - 5 min read - Jun 24, 2025
Surviving the AI Revolution While Everyone’s Attention Span Hits Rock Bottom
I’m a fresh SDR stepping into what feels like the sales equivalent of a zombie apocalypse. Our average attention span has dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to just 8 seconds today. Prospects are drowning in information overload from multiple sources daily, making it nearly impossible to cut through the noise. And if that wasn’t enough, the business environment is changing faster than a TikTok trend, with disruptive technologies and shifting customer expectations making traditional sales approaches about as effective as a chocolate teapot.
But here’s the thing — this chaos also creates massive opportunities for SDRs who know how to work smarter, not harder. Companies implementing AI sales automation are seeing an average sales increase of 25% (although I think this is highly biased towards bigger companies) and SDRs using AI-powered tools are creating 2x more sales opportunities. The key is building a strategic 30–60–90 day plan that leverages AI while still maintaining that human touch that prospects desperately crave in our increasingly automated world.
Here’s what I came up with. I hope it helps my fellow rookie class…
First 30 Days: Learning the Ropes in an AI-First World
Week 1–2: Foundation Building
Your first two weeks aren’t about crushing quotas — they’re about setting up your AI-powered sales machine. Traditional 30–60–90 day plans focus on learning company products and processes, but in 2025, you need to master the tech stack first.
Start with the basics: get comfortable with your CRM, but more importantly, understand how AI integrates into every touchpoint. Tools like ZingReach are game-changers here — they provide deep insights into companies and prospects you’re about to call, customizing your pitch to their current needs. Instead of spending hours researching each prospect, I get comprehensive company+prospect analysis and tailored messaging in seconds.
The average SDR now handles 94 daily activities so efficiency isn’t optional — it’s survival. Spend time with a few ZingReach research dossiers because this will become your secret weapon for sounding like an industry expert even on your first call.
At the end of this phase, you should be able to call someone and hold their attention AND respect.
Week 3–4: Process Optimization
This is where you start integrating “platforms” into your workflow. Clay is perfect for data enrichment and scaling personalized outreach — it gives you access to 75+ data providers.
Since I work in a relatively bigger org, we use Outreach.io to automate our prospecting workflow while maintaining personalized conversations. No matter what you use, the key is creating sequences that feel human despite being automated. Optimal sales cadences are typically 14–16 touches long, but each touch needs to provide value, not just noise. ZingReach personalized my touchpoint and Outreach automated it. Be wary of basic personalization like “Hey, congrats on doing
Your goal by day 30: Achieve 5 meaningful conversations daily through a combination of AI-powered research, personalized outreach, and strategic sequencing. They’ll tell you industry average is 15, and I’ll tell you that’s BS. Reddit agrees too.
Days 31–60: Building Momentum and Optimizing Performance
This is where your AI foundation pays off. You should be seeing patterns in your data by now. But here’s the critical part — use AI to inform your human interactions, not replace them. According to Prezi research, 90% of B2B buyers desire strong narratives and stories, and nearly 80% want animated visuals. Your AI tools can identify the right prospects and talking points, but you still need to craft compelling stories that resonate.
The Attention Span Challenge
I’m sure you know we’re giving shorter bursts of attention to each piece of content. The solution isn’t shorter messages — it’s more relevant ones. Content volume is increasing exponentially, exhausting our collective attention, so your outreach needs to stand out immediately.
Use ZingReach’s insights feature to surface compelling, synthesized perspectives about prospects. Instead of generic “I hope this email finds you well” openers, lead with prospect-specific insights that demonstrate you understand their business challenges. Convince your prospect that you are more than ready to troubleshoot their specific problems this quarter or this year.
Days 61–90: Driving Results and Scaling Success
Performance Optimization
By month three, you should be hitting your stride. Key SDR metrics to track include conversion rates, appointment rates, and pipeline generation, but the real measure is quality of opportunities, not just quantity. Top-performing SDRs focus on activities that lead to revenue, not just activity for activity’s sake.
The average SDR is responsible for about 11 deals per quarter. Your AI-powered approach should put you well above these benchmarks because your opportunities are better qualified and more personalized. One more thing — the consultative, personalized approach much earlier in the sales cycle means you will likely be able to go back for referrals. I certainly do!
Advanced AI Integration
This is where you become dangerous. Start experimenting with advanced features across your tech stack. Use Clay’s AI research agent to automate manual research workflows. Leverage ZingReach’s industry expertise to sound like a consultant rather than a salesperson. Consider tools like Regie.ai that offer comprehensive AI suites including email verification, call script generation, and automatic social media posts.
AI sales tools can now perform 30% of sales tasks that were previously manual, freeing you up to focus on high-value conversations and relationship building. The SDRs who thrive in 2025 aren’t the ones making the most calls — they’re the ones having the most meaningful conversations.
The Bottom Line
AI SDR tools are designed to complement human reps, not replace them, handling the heavy lifting of lead qualification, outreach sequencing, and engagement tracking. The average sales rep spends less than a third of their week actually selling, with the rest consumed by planning, research, and administrative tasks.
Your 90-day journey should transform you from someone drowning in busywork to a strategic revenue generator. By day 90, you should be:
· Leveraging AI for research and personalization while maintaining authentic human connections
· Achieving above-average response rates through hyper-relevant messaging
· Building a pipeline of qualified opportunities, not just activity metrics
· Adapting quickly to changing market conditions and prospect needs
The winners in 2025 won’t be the hardest workers — they’ll be the smartest workers who know how to amplify their efforts with the right technology.
The future of SDR success isn’t about choosing between human connection and AI efficiency. It’s about using AI to become more human in your interactions by having deeper insights, more relevant conversations, and better timing. Master this balance, and you’ll not only survive the attention economy — you’ll dominate it.
Good luck out there!