How to prepare for the Provyn SDR pilot

What the pilot is testing

Hiring managers for SDR roles mostly screen on two things: can this person write, and do they think like a seller rather than a pitcher. The pilot puts both on the page. Each task gives you a short brief (a prospect, a call transcript snippet, a messy CRM record) and asks for the thing you would produce at work.

The tasks fall into three areas, each with four tasks: prospect research and outreach, objection handling and discovery, and call notes, CRM and handoff. Your credential shows a result for each area.

How the answers are graded

Every task has a rubric of about five criteria, each worth a set number of points, plus deductions for common mistakes. For example, a cold email earns points for a subject line about the prospect, an opening that is about them rather than you, one value point backed by the proof you were given, and a single clear call to action; it loses points for invented statistics or for running far over the word limit.

An automated grader scores each answer twice, independently, with different instructions. If the two scores agree and both are confident, that score stands; if they disagree, or either is unsure, a person grades the answer. That is why results for this pilot are not instant.

Use only the facts in the brief. Inventing a customer, a percentage or a budget figure costs points, because in a real job it costs trust.

Research and outreach

Good research is selective. When a brief lists several findings, decide which ones show a problem your product solves, a reason to act now, and the buyer's own involvement. A prospect describing the pain in their own words is almost always the strongest signal.

Keep emails short enough to read on a phone, lead with the prospect, and ask for one thing. Follow-ups should add something new, such as a relevant event or a useful question, rather than "just checking in".

Objections and discovery

Objection tasks reward curiosity over persuasion. Accept the prospect's position, ask one good question to learn what is behind it, and offer a sensible next step. Arguing, criticising a competitor or reaching for a discount first all lose points.

Discovery tasks ask for a short list of questions in order. Open questions about the current situation and its cost come first; questions about who decides and when come last. State what each question is meant to uncover.

Notes, CRM and handoffs

Turn raw notes into something an account executive can read in thirty seconds: the problem and why it matters, timing, the people and who decides, open questions, and a next step with a date and an owner. Don't copy the raw notes and don't add details that weren't said.

Qualification tasks give you your team's criteria and several calls. Apply the criteria as written: book the meeting when they're met, nurture when the timing isn't there yet, and close out politely when there is no fit.

How to practise

Start with the practice set at /assess/sales-sdr/practice, which shows the rubric after each answer so you can mark yourself. Then write one cold email and one call note from your own experience and check them against the criteria above.

When you take the pilot from /assess/sales-sdr, budget about six minutes per task and keep to the suggested word counts. Specific and short beats long and general.