We focused the webinar ‘The SDR of 2023’ on setting the keys of the SDR position with our guest speakers –
- Eric Edge – New Market Lead in Cledara
- Oriol Serra – Senior Sales Consultant in Salesscaling
What skills should a good SDR have?
We could easily start an endless list of skills that we would like our SDRs to have. But the reality is that no one will meet all those requirements.
With this in mind, Eric and Oriol highlight the following:
- Passion to learn and improve.
- Coachable.
- Resilience and perseverance.
Oriol adds the importance of SDRs understanding how the sales process works, that it is a numbers game. In other words, we’ll have to go through several ‘noes’ to achieve those ‘yeses’.
By understanding that this is the process, persevering despite rejection becomes an easier task.
The SDR is also an intelligent, curious person. A good SDR is humble and learns from others. They ask questions, they want to dig deep and understand the reasoning: “What works and why?” From here, they can analyze what is working for other colleagues and implement it successfully.
How long must an SDR stay in the role?
Eric and Oriol agree that an SDR should remain in the role for no less than 1 year. Eric justifies it by contributing his own experience. He explains that the role has changed significantly since his first few months as an SDR. We live in a dynamic and changing world and, like any job, it has its learning curve.
Oriol also comments that the longer we are in the role, the more we can learn about the sales cycle and the activities that come after prospecting. Since some companies have long sales cycles, if we leave the role too soon we won’t get to see the cycle close.
On the other hand, Oriol emphasizes the importance of learning everything we can about the role before taking the next professional step. Some SDRs are impatient and want to move too fast. Take time to learn as much as possible about the role and understand what path makes the most sense for you (not all SDRs need to become AEs).
What can an SDR do when they don’t get results with any of the prospecting platforms?
Oriol is very clear about it. Use your strengths and improve your weaknesses during your spare time. Why? If you are good at making cold calls and obtain results, this is what will help you achieve your KPIs. Be productive and focus your efforts on generating leads with cold calls and, at another time, learn and practice how to improve cold emails, if that happens to be your weakness.
Eric also stresses the importance of a corporate environment that is inclusive and where mistakes are accepted. An SDR is usually inexperienced. And making mistakes is normal when learning. Learn from them, and take them as an opportunity to understand what you can improve.
Both Oriol and Eric comment that by creating an environment where mistakes are not judged, SDRs will feel freer to try new things, explore new options, which can result in better results.
What makes an SDR more suitable to work in a startup or a tech company?
The answer: depends on the personality and objective of the SDR.
A tech company usually has established processes, a good onboarding program, and can offer a good amount of resources. In addition, they usually have a longer grace period to learn.
A startup, on the other hand, is very quick to adapt and make changes. Those processes that can take months in a larger company, but in a startup can take days or even hours. Also, startup founders tend to be more involved in the day-to-day business, so working in a startup offers an opportunity to understand how the business works and to work more closely with those who started it (and learn from them). On the other hand, not every startup turns out to be successful, so you must be willing to take that risk.
Therefore, Eric and Oriol recommend that if you are a person who needs organisation, processes, and resources, a tech company might be the best place for you. If, on the other hand, you like to experiment, figure things out, and understand the “big picture” of a business, you will find that a startup is more suitable for you.
Last nuggets of wisdom
Ask tons of questions. Use LinkedIn to connect with people outside of your company and talk to your leaders and peers. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, but learn from them.
And lastly, enjoy being SDR.
Interested to learn more? Here’s the recording.
Learn more about the SDR role. Check out these tips to become a successful SDR.
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