The AI SDR Evaluation Checklist I Wish I'd Had: 7 Steps for RevOps Teams

Who this AI SDR checklist is for

If you're a RevOps lead, SDR manager, or outbound agency owner evaluating AI SDRs, this is for you. I've been handling sales ops tooling for 9 years. I've made and documented 11 significant mistakes, totaling roughly $47,000 in wasted budget. Now I maintain our team's AI SDR evaluation checklist. This checklist has 7 steps. It's not theoretical. It's the pre-check list I created after the third rejection in Q1 2024.

Use it when you're comparing okki-go, okki go agent native prospecting, or another AI SDR. It's also for anyone trying to answer: what should revenue operations teams evaluate in AI SDR? If you're already past that and need to know how to uninstall okki go, skip to Step 7—but read the rest first, because the exit plan should be part of the buying decision.

Step 1: Define the job before you look at demos

Don't start with features. Start with the work. What should revenue operations teams evaluate in AI SDR? First, the job to be done. Is it list building? Email verification? Intent data? Enrichment? LinkedIn outreach? Or full agent-native prospecting?

In 2017, I made the classic mistake of buying an AI SDR because the demo looked smooth. We didn't define the job. We ended up using it as a $1,200/month email sequencer. That error cost $8,400 over seven months plus a 2-week migration.

Write one sentence: 'This tool will own [process] for [team] and we'll measure it by [metric].' If you can't fill that in, you're not ready.

Step 2: Audit company data quality and enrichment sources

Company data is the fuel. Bad fuel kills the engine. Ask: Where does the vendor get company data? How often is it refreshed? Can you waterfall enrichment across multiple providers? What happens when a field is missing?

I once ordered a 5,000-record list with stale company data. Checked it myself, approved it, processed it. We caught the error when 38% of emails bounced. $3,200 wasted, credibility damaged. Lesson learned: never trust a single enrichment source.

Checkpoints: (1) Request a sample of 100 records and manually verify 20. (2) Ask for field-level confidence scores. (3) Confirm your CRM fields map cleanly. (4) Test the waterfall enrichment logic.

Step 3: Test intent data and ABM platform integration

Intent data is only useful if it changes what you do. If you're evaluating an intent data ABM platform, don't just look at topic scores. Ask: Which sources feed the intent data? How granular is it? Can you filter by geography, technographics, and buying stage? How does it sync to your ABM platform?

The vendor failure in March 2023 changed how I think about intent data. One critical deadline missed because the 'high intent' accounts were actually existing customers researching support docs. We wasted $6,500 in SDR time. That's when I added a mandatory intent validation step.

Your checklist: (1) Ask for a live walkthrough with your own target account list. (2) Check if intent data is first-party, third-party, or both. (3) Confirm the ABM platform sync frequency. (4) Test a small campaign before rollout.

Step 4: Evaluate agent-native prospecting and human-in-the-loop controls

Agent-native prospecting sounds great. But you need to know where the agent stops and the human starts. Can the AI SDR research accounts, draft sequences, and send without review? Or does it require approval? What's the override process?

I'm a fan of human-in-the-loop outreach. Not because AI can't write, but because brand risk is real. In Q1 2024, we tested a fully autonomous sequence. It sent 1,200 emails with a slightly wrong product name. The reply rate dropped, and we spent 3 days cleaning up. Granted, that's on us for not setting guardrails. But the tool should make guardrails easy.

Checkpoints: (1) Can you set approval gates by segment? (2) Can you edit templates before send? (3) Is there a global suppression list? (4) Can you export the logic if you leave?

Step 5: Check email verification, deliverability, and compliance

No tool can guarantee 100% email accuracy or deliverability. Run from anyone who promises that. Instead, ask: What's the verification method? How often is the database cleaned? What's the bounce rate on a test batch?

According to the FTC (ftc.gov), CAN-SPAM requires accurate subject lines, a physical address, and a clear opt-out mechanism. If your AI SDR can't handle that, it's a liability. For EU contacts, GDPR requires a lawful basis for processing personal data. That's not a nice-to-have.

Your test: send a 200-email pilot. Measure bounce rate, spam complaints, and reply rate. If bounce rate is above 2-3%, stop. I'd argue that's a red flag.

Step 6: Model total cost, including data, seats, and migration

The sticker price is rarely the final price. Add data credits, enrichment overages, intent data tiers, onboarding fees, and CRM integration costs. If you need to know how to uninstall okki go later, you'll also pay in time and lost data.

In September 2022, we signed a 12-month contract for an AI SDR. The base was $1,500/month. By month three, data overages pushed it to $2,400/month. That error cost $10,800 over the year plus a 1-week delay in our outbound roadmap. Now I model three scenarios: low, expected, and worst-case usage.

Checkpoints: (1) Get all fees in writing. (2) Ask about annual price increases. (3) Confirm data credit rollover. (4) Calculate cost per qualified meeting, not per email.

Step 7: Document the exit plan before you sign

This is the step most teams ignore. Before you sign, document how to uninstall okki go or any AI SDR. What happens to your data? Can you export sequences, contacts, and reports? How long does it take? Is there a termination fee?

I didn't do this in 2019. When we switched tools, we lost 18 months of sequence performance data. $4,200 in rework. Now I keep a one-page exit plan in our vendor folder. It includes data export format, CRM disconnection steps, and a 30-day notice checklist.

If you're already asking how to uninstall okki go, use this as your checklist: (1) Export all contacts and companies. (2) Download campaign reports. (3) Disconnect CRM and email integrations. (4) Revoke API keys. (5) Confirm data deletion. (6) Update your DNS records if needed. (7) Document what you'll do differently next time.

Common mistakes to avoid

First, don't buy on demo alone. The demo is a controlled environment. Second, don't skip the pilot. A 200-email pilot will teach you more than a 30-minute call. Third, don't ignore context. This worked for us, but we're a mid-market B2B SaaS company with a 12-person sales team. If you're a 200-person enterprise with strict procurement, your mileage may vary.

The 'set it and forget it' thinking comes from an era when AI SDRs were just email sequencers. That's changed. Today, agent-native prospecting and intent data ABM platforms require active governance. That's not a bug. It's the job.

Finally, remember: 5 minutes of verification beats 5 days of correction. The 12-point checklist I created after my third mistake has saved us an estimated $8,000 in potential rework. You don't need my scars. You just need a checklist.