Three models. Three very different cost structures.
Every B2B outbound program falls into one of three models. The right choice depends on your stage, deal size, and how much risk you're willing to carry before seeing results.
- 90-day ramp before generating pipeline
- Needs manager, tools, and coaching
- High churn — average SDR tenure 14 months
- Institutional knowledge leaves when they do
- Best for: Series A+ with dedicated sales leader
- Pay whether results arrive or not
- 6-month minimum contracts common
- Typically uses your primary domain
- Account managers, not founders running the work
- Best for: Companies needing managed service at scale
- Pay only when a meeting is booked
- Meeting pre-screened against your ICP
- No retainer, no setup fee, no domain risk
- Aligns cost directly with output
- Best for: Seed and Series A founders needing pipeline fast
Full cost breakdown: what you actually pay
Most comparisons only show the headline number. Here's every line item so you can model the real total cost of each approach.
When does pay-per-meeting beat a retainer?
The break-even point depends on your deal stage and the retainer you'd be paying. At mid-market pricing ($350/meeting), here's where each model wins:
Frequently asked questions
How much does an outsourced SDR service cost?
Most outsourced SDR agencies charge a monthly retainer between $4,000 and $15,000, regardless of how many meetings they deliver. Enterprise agencies like CIENCE and Callbox reach $15,000/month for dedicated team models. Pay-per-meeting programs like Brainavance charge per qualified meeting delivered — typically $125–$800 depending on deal size and ICP complexity.
What's the fully-loaded cost of an in-house SDR?
A fully-loaded in-house SDR costs $102,000–$210,000 per year when you account for base salary ($45K–$80K), OTE ($15K–$40K), benefits and payroll taxes (~30% of comp), tools and tech stack ($6K–$12K), and manager time (8–15 hours/week at founder or VP opportunity cost). Add a 90-day ramp where the SDR generates no qualified meetings.
When is pay-per-meeting cheaper than a retainer?
At mid-market pricing ($350/meeting), pay-per-meeting is cheaper than a $6,000/month retainer up to about 17 meetings per month. Below that threshold — which covers most early-stage and Series A outbound programs — you pay only for what gets delivered. At higher volumes, retainer pricing may reduce your per-meeting cost, but it reintroduces fixed-cost risk if results vary month to month.
Do retainer agencies include domain warming and deliverability setup?
Most do not. Retainer agencies typically run campaigns through your primary domain or provide limited infrastructure guidance. Domain warming, DMARC/DKIM/SPF configuration, and daily inbox placement monitoring are usually additional services or simply absent. This is how most agencies end up burning client domains. Brainavance operates separate sending infrastructure for every campaign — your primary domain never touches outreach.
Is pay-per-meeting pricing available in LatAm?
Yes. Brainavance was built for the LatAm SaaS market specifically. Pricing is calibrated to deal sizes typical in Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Chile — not US/EU enterprise benchmarks. The exact per-meeting price for your business depends on your ACV, ICP, and market. We confirm this on the diagnostic call before any commitment.
Get your exact per-meeting price.
The right model and the right price for your business depend on your deal size, ICP, and market. We confirm both on the diagnostic call — no commitment required.
Book a diagnostic call15 minutes. Diagnostic, not a pitch. You leave with clarity on your next step.