[This is a response to An Open Letter To Modern Sales Leaders]
Dear Sales Development Rep,
First and foremost, I understand what you go through on a daily basis. I’ve been there. I put in the time, so I get it.
That being said, don’t just call me for the sake of calling me. Don’t just email for the sake of emailing me. Don’t go through the motions on your outreach.
Not everybody has the ability to be in sales. It’s an amazing profession that has opened a tremendous amount of opportunities for myself and others.
So embrace the grind. Add value to my day. And for goodness’ sake, have some fun!
I’m actually running into a new hire interview right now, so here are a few nuggets you may want to add within your SDR responsibility to drive even greater outreach conversion and results.
1. Add more personalization. Nobody wants to be cold called. Nobody. That being said, use your outreach cadence to take chances, be creative and be hyper-focused on personalizing your message. Check out these great personalization tips. Sure, you may convert a few qualified prospects if you make 200 dials with the same canned messaging. But if you spend focused time on researching your audience and making 50 targeted and personalized calls, you’re going to see much higher live conversion rates. I swear on my dog…his name is George.
2. Add more value. “Brendan, we work with hundreds of customers and help them drive more revenue. I think we can help you, too. Please call me back.” …sound familiar? Avoid low-value touches like this at all costs. Become a thought leader in your role and articulate based on my role. Tell me how you have helped other organizations in our space, explain the problem and please tell me what their return was.
3. Add more enthusiasm. To get fired up, stand up or walk around during your targeted calling sessions. Stay motivated by surrounding your office space with your big goals for the year and what motivates you to get up in the morning. For me, that includes things like displaying our desired increase in monthly recurring revenue and pictures of my family on my desk.
BONUS TIP: Ingrain yourself in all the nuances of your business and your company’s offerings. Please don’t just read a two-sentence sales transcript to me. This means nothing to me. I recently had a 20-minute conversation with an SDR where we discussed everything from their success with other SaaS companies in the midwest to the implementation process, as well as their customer success philosophy. We’re scheduled to meet again in mid-March.
Like I said, I have to jet. Good luck to you. This is an exciting and critical time in your sales career. SDR and other sales responsibilities are very challenging and can be mentally draining. Embrace this time. It was worth it to me, and I hope it will be just as meaningful to your career, as well.
Cheers,
