Independent SDRs/pay-per-meeting - does this model actually work?
I’m considering moving away from traditional full-time SDR hiring and would love to hear from people who have actually worked as independent SDRs or appointment setters.
I work in lead-gen sales and we’re currently trying to scale outbound in France and Italy.
We’ve tried full-time reps, both in-office and remote. The problem wasn’t really closing — it was getting people to consistently own the prospecting side: finding the right companies, building lists, cold outreach and generating their own meetings.
So I’m considering testing independent SDRs who already know their local market and are comfortable using their own tools/stack, with compensation based around qualified meetings or commission.
For those of you who work this way:
- Is pay-per-meeting actually attractive/viable for good SDRs?
- What would make you choose an independent setup over a full-time SDR role?
- What tools do you normally expect the company to provide?
- Where do independent SDRs usually find clients?
- And what would make you immediately reject an offer like this?
Especially interested in people with experience prospecting in France or Italy.
Not trying to recruit through this post — genuinely trying to understand whether this model makes sense from the SDR’s side.