The right way to manage an xDR outsourcing partner (so they actually drive success)

I talk to sales leaders all the time who get excited about outsourcing XDRs, thinking it’s a quick fix for pipeline problems. And don’t get me wrong—outsourcing can absolutely work. But it’s not magic. Like anything in sales, you get out what you put in.

The companies that see real success with outsourced XDRs do a few things right. They treat them like an extension of their team, set them up with clear goals, and—most importantly—keep tuning the process instead of treating it like a one-and-done deal.

So, if you’re thinking about outsourcing your XDR function, here’s how to do it right.

Step 1: Define success before you start

The fastest way to fail? Jumping in without clear expectations.

Before you hire an outsourced xDR team, ask yourself:

• What’s the primary goal? (Meetings booked, pipeline created, revenue influenced?)

• Who owns follow-up and conversion once the xDR is delivering? How will you define accountability in following up on the xDR work within your organization?

• How will success be measured? (KPIs, time-to-value, conversion rates?) How does it get translated in an SLA that keeps your team and the outsourcer accountable?

• How will you track the return on investment? Consider setting up specific Salesforce fields, dedicated campaigns, or at minimum, a clear XDR attribution code to accurately measure pipeline and revenue impact. Without clear tracking, you’ll struggle to justify ongoing investments or optimizations.

💡 Pro tips: Too many companies assume that outsourced xDRs will “just figure it out.” They won’t. Get clear upfront. And remember, sales outsourcing isn’t a “set-it-and-forget-it” move. You’ll need to tweak the role, messaging and tools as you learn what works. Get feedback early and often…and be relentless about fine-tuning the xDR Playbook.

Step 2: Involve the right stakeholders early

One of the biggest mistakes I see? Bringing in an XDR vendor without creating a consensus with all key stakeholders in your team—then scrambling to make it work after the fact.

Who needs to be involved?

• AEs / Sales Leaders– Involve your sales team in the selection and onboarding process—not just to set qualification criteria, but also to ensure they feel ownership. The sales team’s continuous feedback is crucial for calibrating the XDR program, refining messaging, and sharing best practices that increase win rates.
• Marketing– xDRs need leads and/or key messaging and compelling offers to generate demand proactively. If marketing isn’t aligned, pipeline suffers.
• RevOps / SalesOps– They own system access, lead routing, and workflows. Don’t surprise them.
• Customer Success (if relevant)– If xDRs are working on expansion deals, CS should be in the loop.

How to avoid friction or confusion:

✅ Get all key players in the room before launch

✅ Define roles and responsibilities before XDRs start

✅ Make sure there’s a clear process for lead handoff / feedback loop

Step 3: Decide their role and align expectations

Not all XDRs do the same job. If no one agrees on what they’re responsible for, expect problems, or at best be ready to deal with excuses…

✅ Inbound lead follow-up– Are they working only on leads marketing generates? Or are they going pro-active following an account-based marketing approach

✅ Outbound prospecting– Are they targeting net-new accounts and contacts?

✅ Early-stage qualification– Are they just qualifying, or are they responsible for setting discovery meetings?

✅ Driving discovery meetings– Are they expected to run the first call and create pipeline, or just start conversations? For complex or enterprise accounts, decide early whether the outsourced XDR team should book multiple meetings and support deeper, account-based selling activities.

✅ Deal progression support– Are they re-engaging stalled deals?

✅ Customer campaigns – Are they helping with a customer win-back initiative? Are they working on a detractor program to get customers happy (using incentives, new product capabilities or other drivers)?

💡 Pro tip: Their role will evolve as you learn. Regular check-ins help refine responsibilities based on what’s working and what’s not.

Step 4: Treat your XDR partner like an extension of your team

Outsourced XDRs fail when treated like vendors instead of partners. Set them up for success. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART (yes, I am shouting!)

✅ Give them access to your team, processes, and messaging. Add them to your Slack Channel / Teams, make them feel that they belong.

✅ Include them in sales & marketing syncs to keep alignment tight. Operate with as much transparency as possible, they need to hear the good and the ugly.

✅ Share ICP insights—who converts best and why?

✅ Provide real-time feedback on lead quality.

Include them in your team incentive / activities / events – make them feel valued, that will mean the world to them!

💡 Pro tip: Ask your vendor for best practices! A good XDR firm should bring playbooks, messaging templates, and workflows. They should tell you about the psychology of running a team and be able to guide you on how to get the most of each individual—you shouldn’t have to build everything from scratch.

Step 5: Align on messaging and outreach strategy

Want your outsourced XDRs to fall flat? Let them “just start calling.”

✅ Make sure they understand your ideal customer profile (ICP), not just who they are, but what are their main responsibilities, issues and opportunities

✅ Provide key value props & differentiators.

✅ Train them on common objections & responses.

✅ Tell them what not to say (so they don’t damage your brand).

💡 Pro tip: For every major campaign or event, give XDRs a cadence. They need to know exactly how and when to engage prospects to maximize impact. The right partner should help you build the cadences and develop the playbook over time based on what works best.

Step 6: Set up reporting and regular check-ins

Tracking performance is non-negotiable.

✅ Weekly/monthly dashboards with key KPIs

✅ Regular check-ins to review performance and adjust strategy as needed

✅ Clear escalation paths for issues or under performance

💡 Pro tip: Create a cadence of check-ins:

✅ Weekly syncs with the core XDR team

✅ Bi-weekly/monthly syncs with XDRs + sales/marketing

✅ Quarterly deep-dives into trends and improvements

The goal? Identify gaps early and fix them before they tank results.

Step 7: Expect a learning curve—but not a free pass

No XDR team—outsourced or in-house—crushes it on day one. Give them time to ramp and then hold them accountable.

Phase 1: Ramp-up (training, refining messaging, dialing in ICP)

Phase 2: Consistency (steady performance and optimization)

Phase 3: Scale or pivot (double down or refine based on ROI)

Step 8: Keep the collaboration going

Like I said before, building a sales team (whether in-house or outsourced) isn’t a “set-it-and-forget-it” move. Keep your XDRs in the loop…that will help excitement, retention and output!

✅ Share updates on new products, pricing, and strategies

✅ Regularly refine call scripts and outreach messaging

✅ Treat XDRs as part of the team, not an external vendor

The bottom line

Outsourced XDRs work—if you work with them. Companies that struggle with outsourcing usually fail at setup and management. But when done right, it’s one of the fastest, most cost-effective ways to scale your pipeline. And by the way, these mistakes are often made even when the xDR team is in-house...so keep them in mind no matter which model you choose.

Speaking of in-house vs. outsourced sales model, here are some things to consider as you make that decision. Let’s talk!