What carries over
| What you did as an event manager | Where it shows up now |
|---|---|
| Sold sponsorships | Book sales meetings |
| Followed up with vendors | Run follow-up sequences |
| Knew every client's needs | Research prospects |
| Negotiated on calls | Handle objections |
What is new
- CRM tools.
- Prospect research.
- Email sequences.
Try it: Book the Meeting
A quick exercise using your own experience.
Book the Meeting
Your first proof in 30 days
Research 10 prospects for one B2B product and write a three-step outreach plan. Share it as a PDF.
Your 30/60/90 quests
XP: learning 20 · proof 60 · outreach 40. Ranks: Wayfinder → Builder → Pathmaker. Progress stays in your browser only.
Worries, answered
I don't want cold calling all day. Good SDR work is mostly research and email, with calls to warm leads.
Is this a step down? It is a fast entry into B2B sales, and many SDRs move up within a year.
Pay, honestly
We haven't verified pay data for this move. SDR pay usually has a fixed base and a variable part tied to meetings or sales. Ask how targets are set and what share of pay depends on them.
Your realistic 90 days
You worked as an event manager. This plan moves you toward inside sales / SDR in 90 days, using what you already do.
Assumes 2–3 hours a day alongside job applications, a laptop and a phone, and free plans only. Every step has a smaller version and a way to pause. Use them. It runs in three blocks of 30 days, each ending with a signal that you're on track. A signal is not a promise of a job or income.
Your first 7 days
| Day | Task | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Set up free HubSpot CRM | Set up |
| 2 | Pick one B2B product | Product |
| 3 | Research 10 prospects | 10 listed |
| 4 | Write a 3-step sequence | Sequence |
| 5 | Practise one objection answer | Answer |
| 6 | Log it all in the CRM | Logged |
| 7 | Save 10 postings | 10 links |
Days 1–30: Prospect research
| Step | Time | Done when | Smaller version | If you need to pause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publish 10 researched prospects and a sequence | about 8 hours over 3 weeks | list + sequence | 5 prospects. | Stop at the end of the step you're on and write two lines about where you stopped. Pick it up from those notes later. |
| Show it to 5 people who hire for this | about 1 hour | 5 messages | Show it to 2 people who hire for this. | Optional. If reaching out feels like too much this week, skip it and put the time into your proof. |
Signal by day 30: A sales manager asks about your list.
Days 31–60: Applications
| Step | Time | Done when | Smaller version | If you need to pause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turn your proof into a one-page case and CV line | about 8 hours | case + CV | CV line only. | Put it on hold until your current interviews are done, then come back to it. |
| Apply to 10 inside sales and SDR roles | about 5 hours | 10 logged | Apply to 5 roles. | Stop sending for now. Keep a list of who you've contacted so you can follow up later without doubling up. |
Signal by day 60: A screening call.
Days 61–90: Interviews for inside sales and SDR roles
| Step | Time | Done when | Smaller version | If you need to pause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practise a 2-minute story of why you are moving | about 2 hours | 2 practice runs | 1 run. | Optional. Skip it if the week is full; nothing later depends on it. |
| Ask 3 people for referrals into inside sales and SDR teams | about 2 hours | 3 asks | Just one instead of 3. | Stop sending for now. Keep a list of who you've contacted so you can follow up later without doubling up. |
Signal by day 90: A second round or a paid trial.
Other worries
Age, a career gap, no degree, English, family pressure and savings are covered on the route page and the role page.
One search that fits your background
The full set of search strings for this move is on the route page. They work on LinkedIn, Naukri and foundit; Instahyre and Cutshort are worth a weekly look too. Add your old job title to any of them with AND, so recruiters who want both skills find you first.
Job-hunt moves that matter for this route
- Show a researched prospect list.
- Tell one story of a sponsor you won.
- Target SaaS and B2B firms that hire SDRs often.
Fake-job traps
Watch for 'marketing internships' that charge a registration or certificate fee, 'work from home' review or like-and-earn tasks, and anyone asking for an OTP, UPI PIN or a deposit before you start. Real employers never charge you to hire you. Use official domains only. Report in India at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930; in the US, ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Back to Event Manager · About the Inside Sales / SDR route · Marketing hub
Quick quiz: does this path fit?
Answer each, then press Check. Every answer explains itself.
Make your Path Card
A shareable reminder of where you're heading. The day count starts the first time you open this page; quest XP comes from your log above.
Scam check before you apply anywhere
- Real job and gig platforms are free to join. Never pay a "joining" or "training" fee.
- Never share an OTP or UPI PIN — no genuine employer needs them.
- Use official domains only; type the address yourself.
- India: report at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930.
- US: report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Small steps, every day.
Each quest has a smaller version for hard weeks, and a pause button. Nothing is lost.
Keep exploring
Sources
Checked 26 Oct 2026. We opened every source link ourselves. Search volumes on this site come from OpenSEO keyword research (Oct 2026).
The facts here are shared with the route page, where each is listed in full with its link.