Upland Software Sales Development Representative (SDR) reviews

Marketing and Sales were rarely aligned. SDRs were expected to generate pipeline from campaigns, messaging, and initiatives that often felt disconnected from what was actually happening in the market. There was a constant gap between expectations and reality, making it difficult for teams to execute effectively. The company had no real enablement function for SDRs. Training, onboarding, coaching, messaging, and career development largely fell on frontline managers. Both SDR Managers did everything they could to prepare and develop their teams, but they were forced to build much of the process themselves with limited resources and support. Product positioning was another major challenge. Many of the solutions felt outdated compared to competitors, making prospecting and value based conversations significantly harder than they needed to be. SDRs were often expected to create excitement around products that struggled to keep pace with the market. One of the most frustrating aspects of working here was watching exceptional leaders and high performers receive little to no recognition while others seemed to advance based on visibility rather than results. My direct manager was, without question, the best part of the SDR organization. She brought great energy every single day, knew the company, products, customers, and processes inside and out, and genuinely cared about helping her team succeed. A lot of what I apply in my current role, and a big reason I'm one of the top performers on my team today, comes from what she taught me. Unfortunately, instead of being empowered to lead, she spent a significant amount of her time dealing with leadership issues, organizational dysfunction, and problems created above her pay grade. Despite everything she contributed, the recognition and support she deserved never seemed to come. Frankly, I have no idea why she is still with the company. The larger issue was leadership within the SDR organization. The SDR Director may have had good intentions, but lacked the people skills and leadership abilities required for the role. There was little evidence of manager development, strategic direction, or the ability to effectively lead through change. Instead of making life easier for frontline managers, leadership often created additional challenges they had to work around. Managers spent far too much time managing upward, navigating organizational dysfunction, and compensating for leadership gaps rather than focusing on developing their teams. The reality is that many of the team's successes happened because of the managers, not because of the leadership structure above them. The strongest reps succeeded because they had managers who cared, coached, and fought for them, not because they were part of a well run organization. Outside of a handful of exceptional coworkers and managers, the company often felt disorganized, reactive, and disconnected from the realities of the market. The people closest to the work understood the problems. Leadership either failed to recognize them or lacked the ability to solve them.

Honestly, just what the title says. The company is going downhill and upper management is so delusional they refuse to see the writing on the wall. Roll of the dice in whether or not you'll get put on a good product. Good luck if you don't. Unattainable quotas for most. Micromanaging at it's finest if you're underperforming. They'll promise you a promotion that'll never come to fruition because of budget cuts. There's barely any product updates that get pushed out except for their top 2 money makers. Salary is below market and barley enough to survive on here in Austin. If you have other options, pursue them before you pursue this one. You'll be saving yourself stress and headaches.