Role-Based Inbox Management: SDR, AE, and Manager Workflows

Your SDRs need to process hundreds of prospecting conversations daily. Your AEs need to nurture deal-stage relationships. Your managers need visibility without micromanaging. One-size-fits-all inbox setups fail everyone. According to Surfe's research on sales roles, SDRs and BDRs bring leads in, AEs close them, and AMs grow them—each requiring fundamentally different inbox workflows.

Key Takeaways

• Each sales role has distinct inbox requirements—prospecting vs. closing vs. oversight
• Role-based permissions prevent chaos while enabling autonomy
• SDRs need speed and volume tools; AEs need relationship context
• Manager visibility enables coaching without disrupting workflows

Why Role-Based Inbox Management Matters

The Problem With Uniform Setups

When everyone uses the same inbox configuration:

Issue	Impact
SDRs lack volume tools	Slower prospecting, missed quotas
AEs drown in unqualified leads	Wasted time on non-deals
Managers can't see activity	Coaching blind spots
No accountability	Leads fall through cracks

The Role-Based Solution

Configure each role's inbox environment for their specific function:

SDR Inbox → Optimized for volume and speed
AE Inbox → Optimized for relationship depth
Manager View → Optimized for oversight and coaching

SDR Inbox Configuration

SDRs focus on outbound prospecting and qualifying inbound interest. Their inbox needs to handle high volume efficiently.

Ideal SDR Inbox Setup

Feature	Configuration	Why
Labels	Hot Lead, Responded, Meeting Set, Disqualified	Fast categorization
Templates	10-15 prospecting templates	Speed and consistency
Filters	Unread first, recent activity	Don't miss responses
Notifications	Real-time for responses	Quick follow-up

SDR-Specific Labels

🔥 Hot - Responded positively
📅 Meeting - Booked or scheduling
🔄 Follow-Up - Needs another touch
❄️ Cold - No response (3+ attempts)
❌ DQ - Disqualified/wrong fit
➡️ Handoff - Ready for AE

SDR Daily Workflow

Morning (30 min):

1. Process all unread messages
2. Respond to hot leads immediately
3. Label everything

Midday (60 min):

1. New outreach batch
2. Use templates with personalization
3. Log all activity

End of Day (15 min):

1. Follow-up on morning responses
2. Prepare handoffs for AEs
3. Clear inbox to zero

SDR Template Library

According to Kondo's team features, team snippets allow admins to create and share message templates across the team.

Essential SDR Templates:

Template	Use Case
Cold Outreach 1	Initial connection request
Cold Outreach 2	Follow-up if no response
Discovery Ask	Qualifying questions
Meeting Request	Booking the call
Handoff Intro	Introducing AE

SDR Permissions

What SDRs should have access to:

Permission	Access Level
Own conversations	Full
Team templates	View + Use
Create personal templates	Yes
View team analytics	Own metrics only
Delete conversations	No
CRM sync	Auto-log only

AE Inbox Configuration

AEs handle qualified opportunities. Their inbox needs relationship context and deal tracking.

Ideal AE Inbox Setup

Feature	Configuration	Why
Labels	Deal Stage-based	Track pipeline
Notes	Rich context per contact	Remember everything
Reminders	Per-conversation	Never miss follow-up
Priority	By deal size/stage	Work biggest first

AE-Specific Labels

🎯 Discovery - Initial qualification
📊 Demo - Scheduled or completed
📝 Proposal - Sent or reviewing
🤝 Negotiation - Terms discussion
⏳ Decision - Awaiting final answer
✅ Closed Won - Celebrate!
❌ Closed Lost - Post-mortem needed

AE Conversation Notes

According to CRM permission best practices, AEs need access to edit contacts and deals but may have restricted deletion rights.

What to Note for Each Prospect:

Category	Examples
BANT	Budget: $50K, Authority: VP, Need: Q2, Timeline: March
Stakeholders	"Reports to Sarah CFO, needs her sign-off"
Pain Points	"Manual reporting taking 15 hrs/week"
Objections	"Concerned about implementation time"
Next Steps	"Send case study, follow up Thursday"

AE Daily Workflow

Morning (20 min):

1. Review today's follow-up reminders
2. Check for overnight responses
3. Prioritize by deal stage

Throughout Day:

1. Work deals by priority
2. Update notes after every interaction
3. Set next-step reminders

End of Day (15 min):

1. Update deal stages in CRM
2. Ensure all conversations labeled
3. Prepare for tomorrow's calls

AE Permissions

Permission	Access Level
Own conversations	Full
Handed-off leads	Full access
Team templates	View + Use + Create
View team analytics	Own + team averages
CRM sync	Full read/write
Delete conversations	Manager approval

Manager Inbox Configuration

Managers need visibility for coaching without disrupting individual workflows.

Manager Dashboard Requirements

Metric	Why It Matters
Response time by rep	Identify coaching needs
Conversation volume	Capacity planning
Label distribution	Pipeline health
Template usage	Message consistency

Manager Visibility Levels

According to LinkedIn Business Manager documentation, admin roles should only be assigned to trusted team members like team leads.

Access Level	What Manager Sees
Basic	Aggregate metrics only
Standard	Individual metrics + labels
Full	Conversation content (for coaching)

Manager Coaching Workflow

Weekly Review (30 min):

1. Review team response times
2. Identify reps below benchmark
3. Note coaching opportunities

1:1 Preparation (15 min per rep):

1. Pull individual metrics
2. Review conversation samples
3. Prepare specific feedback

Real-Time Monitoring:

1. Watch for stale conversations
2. Intervene on at-risk deals
3. Celebrate wins publicly

Manager Permissions

Permission	Access Level
Own conversations	Full
Team conversations	View (configurable)
Create team templates	Yes
Edit team templates	Yes
View all analytics	Yes
Manage team access	Yes
CRM admin	Varies by org

Setting Up Role-Based Access

Step 1: Define Your Roles

Map your team structure:

SDR → Entry-level prospecting
Senior SDR → Prospecting + mentoring
AE → Deal closing
Senior AE → Large accounts + mentoring
Manager → Team oversight
Director → Multi-team visibility

Step 2: Configure Permission Levels

According to Freshsales documentation, admins can create roles that grant requisite permissions based on organizational hierarchy.

Permission Matrix:

Feature	SDR	AE	Manager
Own inbox	✓	✓	✓
Team inbox view	✗	✗	✓
Create templates	Personal	Personal + Team	All
Delete templates	Personal	Personal	All
View analytics	Own	Own + Avg	All
Export data	✗	Limited	Full
CRM write	Auto-log	Full	Admin

Step 3: Create Role-Specific Templates

SDR Template Set:

• Connection requests (3-5 variations)
• Cold outreach sequences (5 touches)
• Qualification questions
• Meeting booking

AE Template Set:

• Discovery follow-up
• Proposal delivery
• Negotiation responses
• Win/loss messages

Manager Template Set:

• Team announcements
• Customer escalations
• Executive outreach

Step 4: Configure Notifications

Role	Notification Level
SDR	All responses, immediate
AE	Deal-stage changes, responses
Manager	Team alerts, escalations

Multi-Account Team Management

For teams using multiple LinkedIn accounts, according to HeyReach's guide, a unified inbox lets you see and reply to every message across all connected accounts.

Unified Inbox for Teams

Feature	Benefit
Single dashboard	No account switching
Conversation assignment	Clear ownership
Lead tagging	Organized pipeline
Master view	Manager oversight

Account Assignment Rules

Account A (SDR 1) → Territory: West Coast
Account B (SDR 2) → Territory: East Coast
Account C (AE) → All qualified leads
Master View → Manager

Common Role-Based Mistakes

Mistake 1: Over-Restricting SDRs

SDRs need autonomy to move fast. Too many restrictions slow prospecting.

Fix: Give SDRs full control over their own conversations; restrict only team-level actions.

Mistake 2: AEs Without Context

AEs receiving handoffs without notes waste time re-qualifying.

Fix: Require SDR notes before handoff. Use structured handoff template.

Mistake 3: Managers Micromanaging

Daily conversation audits destroy trust and autonomy.

Fix: Use aggregate metrics for trends. Review individual conversations only for coaching or escalations.

Mistake 4: No Cross-Role Visibility

Completely siloed inboxes prevent collaboration.

Fix: Allow limited cross-visibility for handoffs and coverage.

Measuring Role-Based Effectiveness

SDR Metrics

Metric	Target
Messages sent/day	50-100
Response rate	15-25%
Meetings booked/week	5-10
Time to respond	< 2 hours

AE Metrics

Metric	Target
Active deal conversations	20-30
Response rate	40-60%
Average deal cycle	Industry-dependent
Win rate	20-35%

Manager Metrics

Metric	Target
Team response time	< 4 hours avg
Pipeline health	Distributed across stages
Rep productivity variance	< 20%
Coaching sessions/week	2+ per rep

How ConnectSafely Enables Role-Based Management

ConnectSafely provides built-in role-based access:

• Role templates: Pre-configured for SDR, AE, Manager
• Permission controls: Granular access settings
• Team visibility: Configurable oversight levels
• Unified inbox: All accounts in one view
• Analytics by role: Metrics that matter for each function

Coming Soon: ConnectSafely is launching its unified inbox feature in the coming weeks—with built-in role-based permissions that let you configure exactly what each team member can see and do.

Stop forcing everyone into the same workflow. Start your free trial and configure role-based inboxes for your team.

Frequently Asked Questions

What inbox permissions should SDRs have?

SDRs need full control over their own conversations plus access to team templates. According to CRM best practices, restrict deletion rights and team-level template editing to prevent accidental damage while enabling fast prospecting.

How should managers view team conversations?

Managers should have configurable visibility—aggregate metrics by default, with ability to drill into specific conversations for coaching. According to LinkedIn Business Manager guidelines, only assign admin-level access to trusted team leads to prevent overreach.

What's the difference between SDR and AE inbox needs?

SDRs optimize for volume and speed—processing hundreds of prospecting conversations with quick categorization. AEs optimize for relationship depth—fewer conversations but with rich notes, deal tracking, and follow-up reminders. Configure labels, templates, and workflows accordingly.

How do I handle lead handoffs between SDRs and AEs?

Create a structured handoff process: SDR applies "Handoff" label, completes required notes (BANT, pain points, next steps), and tags the AE. AE accepts the conversation and inherits all context. Use tools like ConnectSafely or Kondo for seamless handoffs.

Can multiple team members access the same LinkedIn inbox?

Not directly through LinkedIn—each profile is personal. For team-wide inbox management, use tools that aggregate multiple accounts into a unified view with proper access controls. This enables manager oversight and conversation assignment without sharing credentials.

---

Ready to configure role-based inboxes? Start your free trial and give every team member the workflow they need to succeed.