When I started as an SDR I was given a list of 12 pieces of software I would have to learn. 12! And while some are incredibly simple and accomplish a specific task well like Chili Piper, others are more complex and less welcoming. And it’s those more complex pieces of software that I want to focus in on as something that really helped me make sense of my day-to-day as an SDR. One piece of software in particular…
I’m looking at you Salesforce.
Prior to working as an SDR, the only exposure I’d had to Salesforce or SFDC had been their enormous building and cute little animal drawings. But when I first logged into SFDC I was completely taken aback. This is what Salesforce is? This clunky, visually unappealing, convoluted software is what salespeople everywhere are forced to use?
But the more I used it the more I realized that I needed to change my approach to get the most out of it. Salesforce, the way I see it, is just a very dense spreadsheet with lots of pivot tables. In my previous life working in music, I basically lived in excel, so all I needed to do was learn to manipulate the data.
What I think a lot of new SDRs see when they look at SFDC is the place where their accounts live, where opportunities are created, and where we are forced to input data that no one will ever see.
But that’s where they are way off.
With the help of one my AEs and a few hours here and there on youtube and blogs, I soon found myself very comfortable in SFDC. But what did that do? It helped me pinpoint all the low hanging fruit. I made reports for closed/lost opps due to integrations that we didn’t have and reached out them. I made a report for all my accounts and their interactions with marketing material and reached out. Warm conversations that lead to easy meetings.
It’s all about knowing what you’re looking for and working backward through the data to get to the easy stuff hiding in plain sight.
Now the first thing I do when I get into the office is open SFDC and check the reports I’ve created and make sure there isn’t some low hanging fruit just waiting to be snagged.
-Danny Hutto-
Danny has an extensive background working with artists on tour as both a merchandiser and a tour manager. After touring for almost ten years, he decided to return to school and pursue a BA, which he received from UC Berkeley in December. The combination of my work history and academic experience put Danny in a unique position that allows him to bring a multifaceted approach to his work at Gong where he is today as an SDR.
Hey there! I would love to learn more about how you created those reports for “low hanging fruit”. I think this article is great, and I started doing some research about salesforce but am having trouble finding content that is relevant to me as an SDR. Thanks in advance!