Do you often find yourself spending what feels like too much time developing just the “right email” or the “right cold call script”? Many times, SDRs/BDRs who are on outbound teams spend much of their time perfecting the right script, believing the “one size fits all” approach will work with every prospect. After being in sales for 8 years, I’ve come to the realization that quite the opposite is true – my best conversations were neither “planned” nor “expected”.
As I approach each day as an SDR, I remember one thing… “sell yourself, not your platform”. This realization occurred to me when I was experiencing several no shows for previously scheduled meetings. Most times, our prospects don’t remember the content of our phone conversation since we do call them “out of the blue”. I have found a lot of success creating productive and memorable conversations using what I call the LinkedIn “stalking” approach. Figure out their pain, construct a plan to help with that pain, and finish the conversation on a personal note. We need to come across as genuine, and not only focused on “checking all the boxes”. Once you make that personal connection with a prospective client, I find they open up and let the walls down.
“….sell yourself, not your platform”. This realization occurred to me when I was experiencing several no shows for previously scheduled meetings.
Cold calls are standard practice for inside sales teams, but that doesn’t mean that approach works for everyone. I am apart of a remote sales development team and each one of us have different approaches to connecting with prospects. In May of 2022, I hit 220% of my quota by making a total of 185 calls. A typical month for a sale rep consists of approximately 1,000 calls. 90% of my meetings were generated from LinkedIn connections. Since then, I discovered that personalizing my LinkedIn profile with my personal touch allows me to come across as less “salesy” to the prospects I reach out to. Remember to find out if there’s a favorite coffee or lunch spot in their location, ask them about an accomplishment they are proud of, and acknowledge their success in their sales career. It was no surprise that as my conversations became more genuine, the more my meeting hold rate went up. When my AE asked what brought them on the call, seven out of ten times, the prospect answered, “I loved how personal and genuine her outreach was”. I spend 5-7 minutes on each message I send out to my prospects through LinkedIn because I am trying to be that rep that stands out from the crowd and breaks through the noise of the many cold messages they receive daily.
Linkedin might be the new breakthrough for an increase in success for sales reps. I spend many hours each day on LinkedIn reacting to posts, building my network, and creating memorable messages to the prospects I’m connected to. It has been trial and error, but I have found the perfect way to create a sales strategy that works for me. Remember that each LinkedIn conversation remains easily visible and they can reread the conversation before your meeting. This allows the prospect to refresh/remember your conversation prior to showing up to the scheduled meeting.
Be Human.
To all my sales rep colleagues, be yourself, and do not come off too polished and impersonal. We are in 2022, and we need to change up the game of sales. Have a conversation about a mountain you hiked in their location, ask them about their weekend, actually listen, and create a memorable conversation, not just a perfect “scripted approach”.
-Kaitlin Leng-
Kaitlin is a proud graduate of Gulf Coast State College, where she was a collegiate softball player, and is an avid CrossFit competitor and coach. She is always on the hunt for new coffee shops and 14ers to conquer. Kaitlin strives to bring the door-to-door mentality into an inside sales remote world. Her dream is to grow into a Sales Manager role and lead a team of passionate and competitive SDRs.
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