Sales Development is as much of an art as it is a science. There I said it. Buyers today are more savvy than they were 10 years ago. In addition, technology has made it easier than ever to stay connected but has also made us feel overwhelmed with never-ending emails and messages in our inbox.
Sales Development favors those willing to take (reasonable) risks yet disciplined with their craft. Waiting for your manager to teach you the latest tips and tricks? You’ll be left behind from the pack, I promise. Think it’s odd to send that handwritten letter to the account of your dreams? Think again.
Though everyone has their own opinions on the ideal qualities of an SDR, I believe most can agree they require resilience, a growth-mindset, and someone who stays on top of their tasks. Ultimately, someone willing to live and work beyond what life’s syllabus prescribes.
I’ve had the pleasure of creating and refining both the inbound + outbound processes at two companies and want to share with the Sales Development community key strategies that have helped me see more meetings and opportunities created. Starting with:
Strategy #1: “It’s a Small World”
One of the hardest spaces to get inside is Enterprise. Why? These companies are massive! Where does one even start? Individual contributors with little influence? The decision makers with tight schedules? But…what if you already had a champion inside just waiting for you to come knocking? What would that mean for your pipeline and company’s bottom line? So how do we find them? Easy.
You’ll need:
- A CRM
- Happy customers
- Linkedin Sales Navigator (Contact my buddy Vince if you don’t have it already)
Here’s what you do:
Step 1: Grab a list of as many SMB, High-Growth, and Mid-Market customers as possible.
Step 2: Pull up Sales Navigator then choose “Search for leads”
Step 3: Input as many customers under “Company” and make sure to set it to “Past not current” (Note: Save this list right away or you’ll regret it)
Step 4: Input your dream accounts under “Keywords” and cue the jaw drops! These will likely be people who have used or at least heard of your product/service.
There you have it folks. Pair this with solid messaging and you’ll see bigger pipeline in no time. Your AE and Manager will thank you.
I’ll be sharing more tips as we get closer to the upcoming Sales Development Conference hosted by Tenbound. Like what you read? Share with your team!
If you have any questions or would like to meet up at the Sales Dev conference — Drop a cold email to alexandersalasbarrios@gmail.com or let’s connect on Linkedin.
-Alex Barrios-
Alex is currently at Nextdoor, the private social network for neighborhoods, where he is leading the sales development initiative for the Brand Partnership/Sponsored Post team.
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