I’ve been thinking about what makes salespeople successful a lot lately. One thing has been made very clear to me: Confidence is key. Think about the last time you accomplished something critical to your job. Maybe it was a project, speech, sales call, or business trip. What was your mindset prior to executing the task?... Continue Reading →
What, exactly, is customer success? You are certain to find conflicting answers to this question. While some write it off as SaaS jargon, the latest buzzword, or another Bay Area euphemism, others are quietly seeing the power and effectiveness of a sound customer experience strategy. Why should an SDR care? Customer success can provide a... Continue Reading →
How many of you remember being stood up for a date at the movie theater in high school? If you are under the age of 30, as I assume many of you are, this took the form of a last-minute “emergency” text message. In B2B sales, however, “no shows” more closely resemble how your parents... Continue Reading →
I started out as an SDR for a well-known, award-winning SaaS platform. My boss was the creator of this blog, Brian Vital - a great mentor and leader. He gave me all of the tools I needed and he believed in my abilities. At best, I was a middle-of-the-road rep. I knew how to... Continue Reading →
I recently had a conversation with the VP of Growth at Inside Sales Team about SDR career progression. Since we have both worked with SDR’s for a while now and also have done sales ourselves, it was interesting to me to see how our observations aligned. I asked him what he tends to hear from... Continue Reading →
Have you ever heard the phrase “Practice makes perfect?” In the SDR world, this isn’t just a motivational phrase, it is a reality. The more times you cold call someone, the better you get. The more times you prospect, the faster you get. The more conversations you have, the more meetings you get… I think... Continue Reading →
The Orientation Funnel You have literally spent hours getting to this point. You worked the phones. You met in person. You showed them everything you have to offer. You have negotiated terms. They signed on the dotted line. Sound familiar? I bet you thought I was talking about a prospect. Nope. I am talking... Continue Reading →
Boy, wasn't college fun? Waking up late. Napping midday. Staying out all night. Skipping class. Every seniors' dream come true. Coming out of school, it felt like I was on top of the world and feeling great. I landed a job as an SDR before I even graduated. Amazing company, well positioned in the network... Continue Reading →
Advice from a former SDR
Regardless of what anyone will tell you, I truly believe that the SDR role (especially in growing tech startups) is one of the most nerve-wracking positions that one can hold. It has been stated numerous times in the past on this blog, but being the first line of offense for a company is a huge... Continue Reading →
I'll openly admit that I hadn't heard the term SDR until I actually became one. I'd previously done lead generation for a corporate payroll company, but wasn't terribly successful at it. I remember hearing a summary of what an SDR actually does and thinking "Oh, I could rock the hell out of that". Although, a... Continue Reading →
Why I Hire Problem Solvers and You Should too There are many different skills and personality traits that make up a great SDR. Intelligent, self-motivated, team player, competitive, hardworking, avid learner and overachieving are a few of my favorites. That being said, one specific skill all successful SDRs seem to have in common is their... Continue Reading →
Video is everywhere. According to Cisco, online video traffic will reach 80% by 2019. Video drives authentic relationships, and it empowers personal connection through stories that touch the heart better than text ever could. What’s also true is that people are receiving more emails in their inbox than ever before. With the increase of marketing... Continue Reading →
When Should You Build an SDR Playbook (And What Information Should You Include)? The short answer to this question is ASAP, however, the more practical answer might be once your sales team experiences some initial traction from either Inbound or Outbound Sales. The key here is to make it repeatable, scalable, and to shorten the... Continue Reading →
“If you want to be successful, you have to do 3 things. Ask for help, don’t be afraid to say ‘I don’t know’, and – most important of all - outwork, outlearn, and outperform every single person around you.” This was said to me by my Regional Vice President, Matt O’Brien, at my initial job... Continue Reading →