What you'll get
- 3 copy-ready blocks
- Spreadsheet-ready
- 5 min read
- Outsourced SDR contract checklist (must-pass items marked ★)
- Clause wording to send to the provider
- Comparison sheet (tab-separated)
How to use it
- Step 1: Ask each provider for its standard contract, not only the proposal.
- Step 2: Go through Part 1 and mark each line agreed, missing or unclear.
- Step 3: Treat every must-pass item (★) as a condition of signing.
- Step 4: Put two or three proposals side by side in the Part 3 sheet.
- Step 5: Have a lawyer read the final version. This page is not legal advice.
An outsourced SDR contract decides more than the price. It sets who works your accounts, what is counted, who keeps the data and how you leave. This checklist covers 30 terms to agree in writing before you sign, whatever the provider calls itself.
Part 1: The 30-point contract checklist
Outsourced SDR contract checklist (must-pass items marked ★)
TERM AND NOTICE
1 ★ Minimum term in months, with the start date defined
2 ★ Notice period, and how notice is given
3 Auto-renewal off, or a reminder before it runs
4 An exit if the named people leave or work stops for [n] weeks
5 Set-up fees stated, and whether they are refunded on early exit
PEOPLE AND EXCLUSIVITY
6 ★ The people on your account named, with their hours per week
7 ★ Whether they work for other clients at the same time, and how many
8 No work for your direct competitors during the term
9 Replacement rule: notice to you, handover notes, time to ramp
10 Who manages them, and how often you can speak to that person
NAMED ACCOUNTS
11 ★ An account list you approve before outreach starts
12 Not a shared database also worked for other clients
13 Who may add or remove accounts, and how often
14 Current customers and open deals excluded in writing
RAMP
15 Ramp period stated: list, research, messages, domains, then outreach
16 What you will see at the end of the ramp, by date
17 ★ Every message approved by you before it is sent
WHAT IS COUNTED
18 ★ A written definition of a qualified conversation
19 No count promised that the provider cannot control
20 Calls that do not take place are not counted
21 Progress reported by account, not only by person
REPORTING
22 Cadence: weekly activity, monthly review
23 Access to the raw activity, not only a summary
24 The same report format for the whole term
DATA AND OWNERSHIP
25 ★ You own the list, contacts, notes and conversation history
26 ★ Sending domains and mailboxes: whose they are, who keeps them
27 How the provider follows data and outreach rules in your markets
28 Data returned in a usable format within [n] days of the end
EXIT
29 ★ Handover: open conversations, who said what, next steps
30 No fee on deals that close after the end, unless agreed nowAll 10 ★ items agreed: ready for your lawyer. Seven to nine: ask for the rest in writing. Fewer than seven: keep looking.
Part 2: Five clauses to ask for in writing
Clause wording to send to the provider
1. People: "The people named in Schedule 1 will work on our account for [n] hours a week and will not work for [competitors] during the term."
2. Accounts: "Outreach is limited to the accounts in Schedule 2, approved by us. Changes need our written approval."
3. Qualified conversation: "A two-way conversation with a person in an approved account who has a part in the decision and has named a problem we solve. Calls that do not take place are not counted."
4. Ownership: "All lists, contact records, notes, messages and conversation history created for us belong to us and will be returned within [n] days of the end."
5. Replacement: "If a named person leaves our account, you will tell us within [n] working days and give us written handover notes."Part 3: Proposal comparison sheet
Comparison sheet (tab-separated)
Provider Minimum term Notice Named people Shared with other clients Accounts approved by us Qualified conversation defined Data ours at the end Domains ours Ramp in weeks Reporting ★ items agreedWorked example (illustrative, not a real company)
Quaywise sells warehouse software to 40 named accounts, Northfield Logistics among them. Sam Carter compares two proposals. Provider A has a shared team, counts booked meetings and sends from its own domains: three ★ items agreed. Provider B names one person, works only the approved list and returns the history: nine agreed, item 26 open. Sam asks B who keeps the domains. A meeting count would have favoured A.
Five mistakes to avoid
- Signing the proposal, not the contract. The terms that matter are in the contract.
- Taking a meeting count as the measure. It rewards the easiest meetings to book.
- Leaving data and domains unstated. You may lose every conversation's history.
- No replacement rule. A new person halfway through is a new ramp.
- A long minimum term with no exit. Tie an exit to the named people.
Why this works on named accounts
Common questions
What is the minimum contract for an outsourced SDR programme?
Each provider sets its own, usually because the first weeks go on the list, the research and the set-up. Whatever the term, get the notice period, auto-renewal and an exit if the named people leave in writing.
Should the contract promise a number of meetings?
Be careful with one that does. A count rewards the easiest meetings, not the accounts you need. Ask for a written definition of a qualified conversation and reporting by account.
Is Intandemly an outsourced SDR provider?
No. Intandemly is an account-based selling company. Each client has a platform and a dedicated consultant working a named account list you approve. We work on a monthly engagement and do not promise a number of meetings. For the terms for your list, talk to us.
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