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PocketPrep is a leading provider of mobile test preparation solutions used by students and institutions across the U.S. and Canada. As the business expanded its B2B offering, the sales team faced challenges balancing prospecting with active deal cycles. With Account Executives (AEs) carrying responsibility for the entire funnel, from cold outreach to closing deals, time and focus were being stretched thin.
To address this, PocketPrep partnered with Whistle to establish a dedicated SDR function. Whistle’s role was to provide outbound coverage, streamline qualification, and strengthen the sales process with a clear AE/SDR split. The program has since delivered strong meeting volumes, improved qualification, and positioned PocketPrep for scalable growth in the education sector.
Overextended AEs: Account Executives were responsible for prospecting, qualifying, and closing, creating inefficiencies and missed opportunities.
Lack of qualification process: Without SDR support, opportunities often skipped a structured qualification step.
Market complexity: Reaching the right department-level contacts within universities required tailored data enrichment not available through standard prospecting tools.
Talent alignment: Finding SDRs with prior experience in EdTech was critical. Multiple SDR rotations were required before stabilizing the team with strong performers.
Whistle implemented a focused outbound SDR strategy designed for EdTech nuances:
Since launch in April, the Whistle–PocketPrep partnership has delivered consistent pipeline growth:
Strong brand representation with prospects reporting positive engagement
“Our AEs were originally doing everything from prospecting all the way through billing, and it wasn’t working. Whistle gave us a better process, SDRs now handle qualification, AEs focus on closing, and we’ve had a lot of meetings booked. It’s going really well.”
AI-Enhanced Personalization: PocketPrep plans to deepen its use of AI, specifically testing new prompt strategies to further increase the relevance of outreach and accelerate the conversion of leads to Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs).
Scalable Growth Structure: With the successful segmentation of the sales team—where SDRs handle qualification and AEs focus on closing—the company has established a repeatable framework to scale outbound coverage without overextending internal resources.
Collaborative Agility: The partnership relies on a "trust-first" dynamic with weekly strategy sessions, allowing for rapid adjustments to the campaign as the team expands into new education verticals.
Solutions
Experienced SDRs with prior EdTech knowledge proved critical in building momentum quickly.
Testing new AI-powered prompts will further enhance outreach relevance and accelerate SQL conversion.
With AEs and SDRs now clearly segmented, PocketPrep has a repeatable structure to scale outbound coverage and maintain pipeline growth.
