What Top Teams Are Doing in 2025

Let’s talk about something that’s on everyone’s mind but rarely gets discussed openly – money. Specifically, how we’re paying our SDR teams across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in 2025.

I’ve spent the last few months researching what dozens of sales leaders across the region are doing, digging into what’s working, what’s not, and how the best teams are structuring compensation to drive both performance and retention. What I’ve discovered might surprise you.

The Old Ways Are Fading Fast

Remember when SDR comp was dead simple? Base salary, commission for meetings booked, quarterly bonus if you’re lucky. Job done.

Those days are disappearing faster than free coffee at a networking event.

What I’m seeing across EMEA is a much more sophisticated approach that reflects both the strategic importance of the SDR function and the regional differences that make our market so fascinating.

Show Me the Money: Base Salary Realities

Let’s start with the basics. What are companies actually paying SDRs across EMEA in 2025? Here’s the real talk:

In Western Europe, base salaries typically fall between €30,000-€50,000 annually. The UK market sits at £28,000-£40,000, with London commanding that predictable 15-20% premium (because, well, London prices).

The Middle East presents interesting variation – UAE and Saudi Arabia, in particular, are offering packages that often reach $35,000-$60,000 at the base level. Meanwhile, in emerging tech hubs across Africa like Nairobi and Cape Town, we’re seeing ranges from $15,000-$35,000.

What’s fascinating isn’t just the numbers, though – it’s how companies are handling these regional differences.

In a recent roundtable discussion, a Sales Director from Amsterdam explained: “We’ve moved away from rigid bands and built in cost-of-living adjustments that reflect the reality of where our SDRs actually live. Our top performer in Barcelona has a different base package than our top performer in Stockholm, and that’s entirely appropriate.” [Source: SDR Leaders of EMEA Roundtable, January 2025]

The Variable Pay Revolution

Here’s where things get properly interesting. The structure of variable compensation has undergone a massive shift since 2023.

The traditional model (still clinging on in about 40% of organisations I surveyed) features:

• A 60/40 split between base and commission
• Payment tied almost exclusively to meetings booked/held
• Quarterly bonus structure

But the forward-thinking sales organisations? They’re doing something altogether different:

A Chief Revenue Officer from a London tech company explained in a podcast: “We’ve shifted from paying for activity to paying for quality. Our SDRs have a 70/30 split, but with significant accelerators for exceeding targets, and most importantly, we’re tying compensation to pipeline quality metrics, not just meeting volume.” [Source: SDR Leaders of EMEA Podcast, Episode 42, February 2025]

This quality focus shows up in metrics like:

• Opportunity-to-close rates from SDR-sourced meetings
• Average deal sizes from SDR-generated pipeline
• Sales acceptance rates (how many meetings AEs actually want to take)

Sarah Johnson, Senior Director of Sales at Gong, shared in a recent sales leadership forum: “We’re seeing our customers implement quality-based compensation models and tracking the results in our platform. Teams using pipeline quality metrics in their SDR compensation show 27% higher conversion rates from meetings to opportunities.” [Source: Gong Revenue Intelligence Report, January 2025]

What’s particularly clever about this approach is how it aligns the SDR’s financial interests with the broader business goals. It’s not just about getting a warm body to take a meeting anymore.

Five Trends Reshaping SDR Compensation Across EMEA

Through researching what sales leaders across the region are doing, I’ve spotted five compensation strategies that are delivering serious results:

1. Experience-Based Tiering That Actually Makes Sense

The one-size-fits-all approach to SDR compensation is disappearing. In its place, I’m seeing thoughtful tiering:

• SDR I (0-6 months): Focus on learning fundamentals, with more emphasis on activity metrics
• SDR II (6-12 months): Blended metrics with increasing focus on quality
• SDR III/Senior (12+ months): Significant emphasis on pipeline quality and strategic account penetration

This creates natural progression and helps retain top performers who might otherwise jump ship for an AE role before they’re truly ready.

2. Getting Real About Regional Differences

Working across EMEA means dealing with wildly different markets, languages, and business cultures. The best organisations are building this reality into their compensation plans.

“We’ve implemented market difficulty multipliers,” shares Thomas Schmidt, VP of Sales at DataSphere in Berlin. “Our SDRs targeting the DACH region with complex enterprise security solutions have different targets and compensation structures than those working with mid-market customers in the UK. It’s not about making it easier – it’s about making it fair.”

These adjustments often include:

• Territory complexity factors
• Market development stage considerations
• Language premium bonuses (especially valuable in EMEA)

3. Team-Based Components That Foster Collaboration

This one surprised me, but the data is compelling. Adding a team component to what’s traditionally been an individual sport is showing impressive results.

According to research from SalesCompass’s 2024 EMEA Compensation Study, teams with a collaborative component in their compensation show 22% higher overall performance compared to purely individual models. [Source: SalesCompass, “2024 EMEA Sales Compensation Benchmarks”]

Mark Roberts, VP of EMEA at Outreach, notes in their latest sales engagement report: “Our highest-performing customers are implementing team-based compensation components for their SDR teams. The data shows that collaborative SDR teams using our platform generate 31% more pipeline per rep than those using purely individual compensation models.” [Source: Outreach State of Sales Engagement Report, February 2025]

What does this look like in practice?

• 5-10% of variable comp tied to team performance
• Peer success bonuses where reps earn when colleagues succeed
• Cross-functional collaboration incentives

“We were skeptical at first,” admits a Sales Director from Dubai during a recent meetup. “But adding a team quota component has transformed our culture from cutthroat to collaborative. Our SDRs now share insights, tactics, and even help each other with tough accounts because everyone wins together.” [Source: SDR Leaders of EMEA Dubai Meetup, December 2024]

4. Investing in Skills Development Through Compensation

Perhaps the cleverest shift I’ve seen is tying compensation directly to professional development.

A Revenue Leader from Lagos shared in an interview: “We’ve built a skills-based component into our compensation plan. Our SDRs can earn micro-bonuses for mastering new prospecting techniques, completing relevant certifications, or demonstrating improved skills in areas like objection handling.” [Source: SDR Leaders of EMEA Blog, January 2025]

Jennifer Lee, Director of Sales Enablement at MindTickle, shared in their recent Sales Readiness Report: “Organizations using our platform to tie skill development to compensation see 47% higher certification completion rates and 28% improvement in key selling behaviors. This directly translates to better performance and retention.” [Source: MindTickle Sales Readiness Report, February 2025]

One multinational tech firm (who asked to remain unnamed) reported 22% higher retention rates after implementing a similar program tied to their SDR academy curriculum.

5. Getting Paid Faster (Because Cash Flow Matters)

Payment timing has emerged as a surprisingly important factor in SDR satisfaction. The quarterly commission structure, long a staple of sales organisations, is rapidly giving way to more frequent payment cycles.

A Head of Sales Development from Paris shared in a roundtable: “We moved from quarterly to monthly commission payments for our SDR team last year. The impact on motivation was immediate and substantial – particularly for early-career professionals who are more likely to be managing tight personal budgets.” [Source: SDR Leaders of EMEA Paris Roundtable, February 2025]

David Garcia, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Xactly, notes in their compensation trends study: “Our data across thousands of customers shows that organizations moving to more frequent commission payments see a 19% reduction in SDR turnover and 12% increase in attainment rates. The modern SDR workforce wants financial recognition that matches their pace of work.” [Source: Xactly 2025 Sales Compensation Trends Report, January 2025]

Progressive organisations are implementing:

• Monthly commission payouts rather than quarterly
• Real-time dashboards showing earnings to date
• Some are even experimenting with on-the-spot bonuses for significant achievements

Making It Work in Your Organisation

Before you rush off to rewrite your comp plans, a few critical considerations:

Mind the Cultural Context

The diversity across EMEA means compensation preferences vary significantly:

A Sales Director from Copenhagen notes: “In the Nordics, our SDRs consistently prioritise work-life balance, career development, and base salary stability over maximum variable earning potential. When we tried to implement a more aggressive variable model common in the UK market, it actually hurt performance rather than helping.” [Source: SDR Leaders of EMEA “Regional Variations in Sales Culture” Report, Q1 2025]

Meanwhile, Ahmed Mahmoud, Regional Sales Leader at GrowthTech covering the Middle East, observes: “In our region, total compensation figure often carries more weight than the base/variable split. Status and recognition components are also significantly more important than we see in European markets.”

Legal and Tax Realities Vary Enormously

This bit isn’t exciting, but it’s essential. Commission structures face wildly different tax treatment across EMEA jurisdictions, and employment laws regarding variable pay have significant variation.

Always consult with regional experts before implementing new models. What works legally in London might be problematic in Paris.

Change Management Matters More Than the Model

The best compensation structure in the world will fail if poorly implemented. When rolling out changes:

• Provide clear modelling tools so SDRs can calculate potential earnings
• Consider a transitional period where reps can choose between old and new models
• Gather feedback and be prepared to make adjustments

What’s Working Best in 2025

As we navigate this year, the most successful SDR compensation models across EMEA share three characteristics:

1. Flexibility to adapt to regional differences and individual performer needs
2. Alignment with broader organisational objectives beyond simple meeting metrics
3. Transparency in calculation methodology and performance tracking

By rethinking compensation through these principles, you can build SDR teams that not only hit targets but contribute strategically to business growth across EMEA’s diverse landscape.

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