Putting the D in SDR - The 411, September 8th
Plus, words that sell, promotion tips, and how to sell during Covid.
Hey sellas,
If you want to be successful, you have to be consistent.
Whether you’re talking about your health or relationships, writing newsletters or selling software, you have to show up. Week after week. Month after month. Year after year.
I struggle mightily with this. I live with Bipolar Disorder, which makes life’s ups and downs extreme at times. Some weeks I have boundless energy and enthusiasm. Other weeks I can barely bring myself to open my laptop.
What helps?
Good daily habits, like exercise, sleep and meditation. Knowing that motivation follows action. Starting small. Thinking long term. Having a purpose. And understanding that consistency is hard for everyone.
That last bit is important because it means the bar is low. Most of your customers or prospects won’t expect you to show up consistently because most people don’t.
A little bit of professional persistence goes a long way. When prospects tell you the timing isn’t right, keep going show up in their inbox. Follow up when you said you would.
As hard as it is, focus on doing the right things consistently. Day in and day out.
It really is key to success.
This week’s edition is brought to you by Sizle, the tool for seeing how and when your prospects interact with your proposals.
Four Links
1. How to Manage and Develop SDRs
Sales leaders need to read this post on SDR management, featuring wisdom from Nikki Ivey, Ernest Owusu and Kyle Coleman.
Good SDR management tips and tidbits:
Prospecting. Isn’t. Just. A. Numbers. Game.
Look for SDRs who are gritty, resilient and thoughtful
Have at least eight weeks of onboarding
SDR incentives need to align with AEs and marketing
Quarterly metrics are better than monthly for the mental health of SDRs
“Set minimum KPI targets across multiple channels to give reps room to experiment and play to their strengths when prospecting.”
Talk openly about burnout. Be real about the challenges and how they can be addressed
Not all SDRs want to be AEs. Make career planning flexible
Nice post by Vivian Lopez on why language matters and how using the right words in cold calls, outbound emails and prospecting videos can help you build trust, show empathy and drive action.
The words:
You
Goals
Opportunity
We
Easy
Success
Amazing
Believe
If
Benefit
Help
Thank You
Amber Hus, who recently got promoted to AE, shared her tips for success in a short LInkedIn post:
“1. Over-communicate with multiple stakeholders what your goals are. Ask what the steps are to get there and where you stand right now. Don’t wait till you're 100% ready for a promotion--start these conversations early.
2. Have an entrepreneurial mindset. Look for gaps...in your process of hand-offs to AEs, in how to make onboarding better, etc. Share!
3. Grab time with top-performing AEs. Ask them for career advice and what made them say “X” in that demo, etc.
4. Sit in on product meetings. Get excited about what’s new and how customers can take advantage of it--that passion will come through in client meetings.
5. Spill all your secrets to the new SDRs. New team members' success is your success--great management will recognize your effort.”
4. The Most Comprehensive Article On Selling During Covid-19
This mammoth post by a16z covers everything from trends, funnel metrics and what’s taking the place of in-person events, to the role of BDRs in today’s environment, how to adjust quotas and differences in geography and verticals.
IT spend is predicted to go down this year by roughly $300 billion. But digital transformations and the transition to the cloud is accelerating.
“In short, for B2B startups, a downturn can be a boon – the trick is to survive.”
Featured Jobs
1. Coderpad AE
CoderPad is a technical interview tool that makes hiring devs remotely quicker and easier than ever.
As one of the first two sales reps on the team, you’ll need to be hungry, scrappy and ready to handle the full sales cycle from open to close.
They’re looking for someone with a couple years of SaaS experience who knows how to close technical buyers.
Mailshake is a sales engagement tool that helps sales teams connect with prospects and close deals.
The company is fully remote, product-led, profitable and growing fast.
Looking for someone who’s comfortable hosting webinars and handling demos, and knows their way around a CRM.
3. League AE
League is an all-in-one health benefits platform helping organizations control costs, boost utilization and take care of their people.
They’re looking for a life-long learner with a passion for health and wellness. Enterprise sales experience required, ideally with a background in HR, Benefits, or Health Tech.
One Tactic to Try
On cold calls, Gong SDR Logan Cookingham suggests, “Instead of prioritizing asking for a meeting, ask what’s top of mind.”
When he took a look at his successful cold calls, he realized they were always about the prospect’s current priorities and the problems they were focused on solving. So now that’s where he steers the conversation.
He summarizes, “Going for the pain = better conversations + happier prospects + higher show rate.”
One Quote to Live By
"Life is too short to sell to people who don't want to buy your stuff."
Richard Smith shared this quote on LinkedIn and asked others for the best one-liner sales advice they’d ever heard. The responses are pretty great.
Now you know,
Steele