<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n“Should we replace our SDR team with AI?”<\/strong> Wrong question. Ask instead: which parts of our workflow are limited by human time and attention, and which require genuine judgment? Map that honestly, then let AI own the former and people own the latter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n“What reply rate should I expect from an AI SDR?”<\/strong> Wrong frame. Reply rate tracks lead warmth more than tool quality, and that’s true for human SDRs too. Watch positive reply rate on your warmest, most qualified segment \u2014 if that’s not improving with AI, the problem is targeting or personalization, not the tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n“Is the cost savings real?”<\/strong> Yes, but understand the source. Ten thousand emails at 1% response is 100 conversations. A thousand emails at 3% response is 30 conversations \u2014 at ten times the cost per conversation. AI’s advantage isn’t that it’s better per send; it’s that it scales favorable math without the human overhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n“What’s a realistic ROI timeline?”<\/strong> Industry data puts average AI SDR payback at 3.2 months \u2014 assuming clean data, a validated ICP, calibrated sequences, and a human in the loop for warm replies. Teams that skip those foundations and then measure against unrealistic benchmarks are the ones writing the “AI SDRs don’t work” posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n