These recent times have been tough for sales leaders. There’s a lot to be done, but if you have a team of SDRs and BDRs in these challenging times, you can still guide them toward success. Let’s talk about that in this episode.
Asa Hochhauser has been in sales for 15 years primarily leading startups, both as an individual contributor and as a sales manager. He is currently busy helping sales enterprises, from small to mid-market businesses, and he is leading a sales academy where they are experiencing a lot of growth as people look for more training.
Challenges in leading a team
Keeping the team motivated is often the biggest challenge a sales manager can face. It’s difficult to keep up team spirit and focus on helping other companies. It’s also equally challenging to ensure that the SDRs and BDRs are doing the right thing when it comes to disseminating information and providing value. Sometimes, salespeople are so focused on learning about the product their attention is diverted away from solving buyer problems.
Planning ahead
As Abraham Lincoln said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Sending emails and calling on a daily basis is still a priority but these activities have to be modified to accommodate the change brought about by the improvement of technology and computers. Asa always encourages his team to spend time understanding their ideal customers or buyers and segmenting them. Asa is also seeing to it that they are keeping their outbound in motion and encourages his team to plan for the next day. These are all done based on marketing-generated outbound. Asa’s team understands that when they plan ahead they’re not wasting valuable time that can be used on making actual contacts. They come to the office prepared with the set of activities that ensures productive time in the office.
Leads coming in
For Asa’s team, their marketing-generated leads are coming in based on events or content that people are engaging with. They also have a list from Discover.org based on the content they’re creating. Platforms like LinkedIn, CRM, and SalesForce have also been effective tools.
There are a lot of ways that businesses can get their list of prospects but Asa cautions that these platforms can also become a distraction. This is why planning is imperative. Your team will know which platform they should focus on but don’t spend so much time there that they move away from the business of selling. This was a lesson that Asa learned from his first sales experience. Activity is important and planning, even more.
Hustle despite the challenges
BDRs and SDRs should always incorporate channels where their buyers are. As sales reps, we should be leading with value and empathy when reaching out to potential buyers. It’s not about asking them for appointments right out of the gate. In today’s market, conversations are started by providing the insight and value that will be helpful to the buyer.
For Asa’s team, their approach is to personalize contact based on the prospect they are trying to connect with. For example, they might send a helpful article highlighting ideas in the article that the buyer needs. This empathetic approach is all the more important with heightened isolation. Their approach has been adapted to focus more on the challenge brought about by the pandemic. SDRs and BDRs would do well to focus on the needs that their clients and prospects are facing and learn more about their problems. Do this well before you mention your company’s name or product so you can personalize your solutions. Personalization is so important in today’s climate.
BDRs and SDRs need to spend time doing their research. It’s important you understand the company you are trying to approach. Start by going to the bio profile or the company profile to know the people you want to talk to. Read what your buyers are reading. This common ground goes a long way in making a connection.
Another way to improve personalization is by providing solutions for pain points. Just ensure your messaging is centered on the person you’re talking to. Having a genuine approach is effective and so important.
Even in these hard times, be grateful you are still a sales rep and a member of a team. This means you still have a job and with that, you have an opportunity to make a difference.
“How To Lead A Team of SDRs and BDRs During Challenging Times” episode resources
Reach out to Asa Hochhauser via his LinkedIn. If you enjoyed this episode, drop us a comment below!
If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns.
This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.donaldk4.sg-host.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077.
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Donald is the host of the popular sales podcast,"The Sales Evangelist". He is the founder of The Sales Evangelist Consulting Firm where he helps small companies develop killer sales process to scale their business and increase growth.
Donald is also an award-winning speaker, sales trainer, and coach. He's a big fan of traveling, South Florida staycations and high-quality family time. Donald has a belief that “anyone” can sell if they have the desire and receives the proper training.
