Overview
You spend your day calling HR directors, CFOs, and benefit brokers at companies with 50-500 employees to book demos for AEs. You're introducing ICHRA (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement) and direct primary care - models most people haven't heard of - so there's education before qualification. You work closely with benefit brokers who can refer clients, but also do direct employer outreach.
Role Snapshot
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Role Type | Outbound SDR |
| Sales Motion | Outbound-heavy with some broker referrals |
| Deal Complexity | Consultative (need to educate on ICHRA) |
| Sales Cycle | N/A (SDR hands off to AE) |
| Deal Size | N/A (not closing deals) |
| Quota (est.) | 15-20 qualified meetings/month |
Company Context
Stage: Series A-B (estimated based on 87 employees and active hiring)
Size: 87 employees
Growth: Actively hiring across multiple sales roles; expanding market presence
Market Position: Challenger in health benefits space, competing against traditional PEOs and insurance brokers
GTM Reality
Pipeline Sources:
- 30% Broker referrals - brokers who already work with Vitable refer employer clients
- 60% Cold outbound - lists of employers by industry (restaurants, home care, transportation, etc.)
- 10% Inbound - website inquiries from employers researching ICHRA
SDR/AE Structure: Dedicated SDRs book meetings for AEs and Enterprise reps
SE Support: No dedicated SE; AEs handle technical demos
Competitive Landscape
Main Competitors: Traditional PEOs (like Justworks, TriNet), health insurance brokers, other ICHRA platforms
How They Differentiate: Direct primary care component + ICHRA setup makes healthcare more accessible and affordable
Common Objections: "We already have a broker," "ICHRA sounds complicated," "Our employees like their current insurance," "We're too small for this"
Win Themes: Real cost savings, better employee access to primary care, simplified administration
What You'll Actually Do
Time Breakdown
Cold calling (40%) | Email/LinkedIn outreach (25%) | Research/list building (20%) | Broker outreach (15%)
Key Activities
- Cold calling employers: 50-70 dials per day to HR directors and CFOs. You're interrupting their day to explain a benefits model they probably haven't considered. Most calls go to voicemail.
- Educating on ICHRA: You have to explain what ICHRA is before you can even qualify interest. It's not like selling CRM where everyone knows the category.
- Broker relationship building: Reaching out to benefit brokers who can refer employer clients. These relationships take time but are higher quality when they convert.
- Meeting handoffs: When you book a qualified meeting, you brief the AE on company size, current benefits setup, pain points, and decision-maker involvement.
The Honest Reality
What's Hard
- Most people don't know what ICHRA is, so you're educating before qualifying. That adds friction to every conversation.
- HR leaders are slammed during open enrollment season (Oct-Dec) and won't take calls. Your pipeline gets seasonal.
- Benefit brokers can be territorial - they don't want to risk their book of business by recommending something unfamiliar.
- You'll hear "we're happy with our current setup" constantly, even from companies paying way too much.
What Success Looks Like
- Booking 15-20 qualified meetings per month (mix of employer direct and broker-referred)
- 15-20% of your meetings turn into opportunities for the AE
- Building 3-5 strong broker relationships who consistently refer clients
Who You're Selling To
Primary Buyers:
- HR Directors/VPs at 50-500 employee companies
- CFOs at smaller companies (50-150 employees)
- Benefit brokers who advise multiple employers
What They Care About:
- Reducing health benefits costs (biggest pain point)
- Avoiding employee complaints about access to care
- Simplifying benefits administration
- Compliance with ACA requirements
Requirements
- 6-12 months SDR/BDR experience (or equivalent in customer-facing role)
- Comfortable cold calling and handling rejection - you'll get a lot of "not interested"
- Ability to explain complex concepts simply (ICHRA is confusing at first)
- Scrappy mindset - this is a growing company, not a well-oiled machine with perfect processes
- Genuinely interested in healthcare/benefits space - it helps when you believe in the mission