There are few careers that test basic abilities and tough skin more so than Sales. Within Sales, Sales Development Representatives are the drivers of the sales team. If a company is a military organization, Sales Development Representatives are the foot soldiers whose basic tasks can tip the scale in favor of success or failure.
Regardless of whether you are B2C or B2B, cold-calling or cold emailing, your job as an SDR is to implement creative ways to acquire qualified leads. Your day will break down into three words: follow leads, follow-through, and follow-up.
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Morning Grit:
Your morning mindset should be “Yesterday then today.” Central to a SDR success is following up with leads. Email/Call all of the leads with whom you were previously conversing that displayed interest in your product; I personally follow-up on LinkedIn or call. For leads that did not explicitly say no, send an update about your product in an “informational-styled” email. Depending on your business, leads that say “no” can potentially become referrals (“I don’t need investment advice but my daughter does.”) or re-engagement (We are not hiring right now. Please reach out periodically); ask them. This is also the best time to contact leads given to you by your firm as most people are engaged in the morning.
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Afternoon Scrappy:
This is where the most work takes place; the generation of new leads. Set yourself a goal while being mindful that most calls/emails/leads would not be interested. Based on your lead rate (i.e. how many attempts to get to a qualified lead), figure out how many attempts you need to make. Then, start! I usually take this time to sit with my computer and compile a list on excel from LinkedIn of my general demographic, looking at the trends and subjects they are following in regards to my field. Are they talking about candidates in HR not having enough skills or companies wanting too much experience? Is it International Women’s Day? By emailing them with this in mind, I make my contact more personable and connect it to a current event.
End of Day:
This is the best time of day to write it down! Write down all of the leads that are showing interest in your calls/emails for a follow-up tomorrow. Write down your emails and set them to go out 8:30 am tomorrow for new leads in your sequences. Write down those who have a high probability of closing, a medium probability of losing, and a low probability of closing clients. Write something unique about each of them (this helps build the relationship). Write down your goals for tomorrow and your accomplishments today.
SDRs are crucial to companies because they drive the bottom line and in order to be a great SDR, you must be relentless in your passion for the company to succeed. The most frustrating days are going to be the ones where you are utilizing every avenue possible and nothing is coming through. This can be due to seasons (as with hiring), the reluctance to change (investments) or even a mood. Keep going; every lead you bring in is a testament to your abilities and yours alone!
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