Cesar Romero 🎙

How do you know when to fire your SDR leader? When the SDR team isn’t performing, it’s not always their fault. Here are some things to consider. SDR leaders were often promoted from SDRs - Without any training on operations/process - They try to run the playbook they were taught - But they didn’t build that playbook themselves You may not have the fundamentals in place - Are ICP/Personas clearly mapped out? - Does the messaging resonate with them? - How many accounts/leads can SDRs work? - Without skipping critical steps and losing them? - Have we identified the absolute best leads/accounts? - Have we segmented them to match the right messaging? - Do we have an efficient process built out in the systems? - Do we have clear reporting to see what’s working and not? There’s a BIG difference between coaching SDRs and building a repeatable process and system for them. Anything you’d add here? 🤔 If we don’t have this in place, it’s hard to put the blame solely on the SDR leader. If we do have this in place, there are some experiments we can run to try to improve things quickly. 1. The 3-Week Messaging Experiment 2. The Conversion Rate Experiment Details in tomorrow’s 📰 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙊𝙥𝙨 𝙒𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙡𝙮 📰 Subscribe to get it here: https://bit.ly/49RCm0h ✌️

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Outbound SDR teams should not report to marketing. Here's why... 👇 I love my marketers out there. I've sat in the seat before. And consider myself a marketer. But I've NEVER seen a marketing-created sequence with a reply rate higher than .5%. This isn't about egos and whether marketing or sales is more important. It's about staying in your lane. Marketing crushes the 1:many game of building awareness & demand. Sales crushes the 1:1 conversation. And turning demand into pipeline and revenue. ⛔️ 1) Marketing should not own outbound messaging Sales should not need approval from marketing for their sequences. Sales should have full autonomy (with support from marketing) on outbound messaging for sequences. Sales is having the 1:1 conversations. And outbound is 1:1 communication. ⛔️ 2) Marketing isn't as skilled at managing a quota At the IC level, marketers do not typically have quotas. And their leaders don't typically have experience managing sales reps with quotas. SDRs need to be managed just like full-cycle sales reps. ⛔️ 3) Marketing typically misses the objective with outbound Outbound is not an "awareness" building activity. Outbound is a "set meetings" activity. Full stop. The only reason to do outbound is to make contact, set meetings, and build pipeline. Sales is more aligned to this incentive. ~~~ Again, I love marketing. And outbound should be a collaborative activity between sales and marketing. 64% of SDR orgs report to Sales (The Bridge Group) right now. And that number should continue growing. Sales needs to own outbound. Agree or disagree? #sales #outbound

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If you go about selling with the ulterior motive to convince people, it tends to show through on some level and create resistance. Why? People don’t like being convinced. Convincing sounds like this: Prospect: “Why should we choose you?” Seller: “We’re used by over 2,000 sales teams including Salesforce. We typically boost sales by 20% within 30 days. We were recently named the top sales training company by Gartner.” Of course you’re going to tell people you’re the best. You’re biased. Letting people convince themselves sounds like this: Prospect: “Why should we choose you?” Seller: “I’m not sure you should. You can choose trainers like A, B, and C. If you don’t mind me asming, why consider a former kindergarten teacher?” Then shut the front door and listen. Let others give you their value proposition instead of you giving them yours. Why? People are more persuaded by what they hear themselves say, rather than what you say. It’s not your job to fill people’s heads with information. Your job is to draw it out. Buyers have the answers. Sellers have the questions.

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Salesforce stock just dropped 21% …so how is HubSpot up 12% YTD? It’s simple. Customer expectations have changed. And it turns out… Not all PR is good PR. So what’s changed? 1. Customers demand a shorter ‘time to value’. In this market, they can’t afford an 18 month implementation. 2. SMBs have grown skeptical of ‘no one got fired for buying Salesforce’. SFDC + SF engineers have become a perpetual 2% tax on businesses. 3. Customers expect to use 40-60% of a platform. They’re ok paying for that. SF is so bloated that customers only use 10-20% of what they pay for. 4. Open source is in. If you’re going to buid a custom solution, make it portable. 5. Pricing needs to be inclusive. If it’s not cost-effective for infrequent users, they’ll use something else. Salesforce sold to the COO and CFO - it became an operations platform. Usability for the GTM was sacrificed. Ultimately, SMB isn’t the feeder it once was. Companies like HubSpot built FOR SMB. They stole the pipeline. While growing WITH their customers. We see the same with Event Management Platforms. Customers want: - To get up and running faster. - Power back in their own hands. - Pricing tied to value. - A user experience they’re not embarrassed to put in front of attendees or internal teams. Seems resonable, right? And here’s the icing. Brand matters It turns out not all PR is good. “Updating Salesforce” has become a dreaded meme. Who wants to be hated by your team for buying the dreaded platform? HubSpot made themselves more relatable AND more lovable. Ultimately, your brand is more than what you can do it. It’s how you make people feel. And that does impact company performance.

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4 must-ask questions to ask before accepting an SDR job.. 1) How is the quota and comp plan designed? Some companies pay on meetings set, meetings converted to an opportunity, a percentage of deals closed, or some combination of these. 2) What does SDR attainment over the last 6-9 months look like? Don't be tricked by slight of hand statements like: "Well our reps in the SMB segment all hit there number last month" What about the other segments? What about the quarterly number? 3) How does this offer compare with the market rate for SDRs? Don't get fooled by high OTEs and low base salaries with low team attainment. Check out what SDRs SHOULD make here: https://bit.ly/4aCowOQ

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If you're looking for a sign to get into tech sales... This is it. 👀 Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, this comprehensive guide features tips and tricks from Salesforce recruiters to help you land your dream job in sales. Check it out:

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Everything about this post. 💯💯💯

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Setting appointments is one of the most important tasks a seller has And finding quality resources on how to help you get better at this is just as important So Salesforce decided to create “Coffee Chats” in their new Salesblazer Slack Community for all of us to join and learn from And there’s going to be some extremely quality conversations happening in there Like this first one with my guy Jason Bay He’s going to be talking “how to make outbound work in 2024” And you should listen to what he has to say All you’ve gotta do is join the Salesblazers Slack Community👇🏻 https://sforce.co/June18CC And keep in mind that you’re also getting access to biweekly sessions! So, JBay is just the first… You’ll get more topics, more community, more conversations, just by getting in for this first Salesblazer Coffee Chat. Meet us in there, Rebels! #ChangeTheGame

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Some ways founders can get the most out of an SDR hire (our most successful customers have all done these things): 1. Put in the work ahead of time. Make 200 cold calls, send 100 personalized emails, and test LI messaging before hiring a rep. This will ensure your SDR has something to go off of once they are in the seat (plus they'll respect the fact that you rolled up your sleeves and did the grunt work). 2. Organize your collateral. You should have both sales and product collateral for them to review. Sales collateral = demo + cold call recordings, screenshots of emails that have worked. Product collateral = recorded product walk-throughs, pitch materials, industry literature etc. 3. Have very clear input expectations and output goals. Input expectations = daily activity metrics (i.e make 40 dials, send 25 personalized emails). Output goals = number of demos booked/week. NOTE: output goals should be based on REAL NUMBERS. It's not productive to ask a rep to book 10 demos in a week if you have no evidence that that is possible. 4. Set time for mock calls and call review sessions. 5. Let the rep start. The best way for them to learn is to just get going. As John Steinbeck said "And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good." #sales #outbound #TopSDRs #sdr #coldcalling #startups #pipeline #topoffunnel

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SDR Leaders, this one is for you. Are you looking to launch a SPIFF for your team without using internal budgets? Here are three effective SPIFF prize ideas I've used over the past couple of years that yield excellent results with 0 monetary costs: 🏝 A Week of PTO Coverage - Paid time off coverage, including handling outbound activities on their behalf. 💰 A Qualified Meeting - Provide a qualified meeting that you self-sourced to give them a direct boost. 💬 A LinkedIn Recommendation - Write a LinkedIn recommendation from yourself or another sales leader in your organization. True, these might require more of your time, but I think your team will appreciate the effort and hustle. #Sales #SDR #Leadership #SPIFF #Motivation

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What's the value of an SDR Bootcamp for your organization? Newbie SDRs, bootcamps will definitely make you standout in the job search. Here's what to consider... 1. Look at this project. 2. Be sure you define the expectation outputs from a bootcamp. --- Is it tools training? If so, which tools? --- Is it how to write emails? --- Is it how to master cold calling and objection handling? 2. Who will be teaching the industry knowledge as it relates to what is being taught? 3. How important is understanding and execution of AI in relation to the role and what the bootcamp offers? 4. How much ongoing coaching are you willing to commit to internally? 5. Live in a statistics reality, not some crazy idea based on goals and executive hop-i-um dens. 6. Be mindful of your own (and your leaderships) confirmation bias in this decisions (we all have this in every decision we make) 7. On a scale of 1-10 what is your expectation of " proficiency and certification?  --- Oh, and you cannot choose 7. That's a weak choice. I am a big fan of bootcamps and any training obviously, I simply encourage we take a spoonful of medicine to help make logical decisions. And no, this is not a sponsored post

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SDR vs High Performing SDR 3 key differences that will get you promoted 👇 High Performing = Stays consistent & disciplined SDR = Process changes everyday High Performing = Extremely coachable SDR = Tries to do it all alone High Performing = Taking ownership of targets & weekly meetings with AE SDR = Let's AE run meetings & check in on target What are the other key differences that are important? #sales #sdr #bdr #ae

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Is there a better message than this for a marketer to get? AE Slack message to the marketing team: "I just got off a discovery call for a manufacturing firm. They said they watched the new manufacturing case study. Social proof makes our job much much easier." Woot woot! Sometimes I look at my daily tasks and I get bogged down in the details. Then, you see a message like this and you know. The videos you record matter. The social posts you craft matter. The events and webinars you plan matter. Fellow marketers: keep on crushing it!

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The SDR job must change. It's time to stop repetitive tasks and be more efficient. Here's how to go from Cold to Warm: 1. Let's stop being robots - SDRs shouldn't be in charge of cold emails. An email expert should be in charge. - SDRs shouldn't build extensive prospect lists. They should focus on the quality of each lead. - SDRs should call fewer prospects per day. But spend more time building relationships. 2. Let's spend more time on Linkedin - SDRs should use Linkedin as a network. Not as a prospection database only. - SDRs should post/comment daily. Linkedin has 1B users, it's the best B2B channel. - SDRs KPIs should be changed in that new way. Prospects are tired of being cold outreached. They will be 5x times more likely to buy from someone they have engaged/talked with on Linkedin. Let's get Sales from cold to warm Credits to the legend Will Aitken for the video, follow him for more sales content😎

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“Build a Solid Product, and Customer Success Will Naturally Follow.” This REACTIVE approach will fast-track your churn. I've seen firsthand how the right—or wrong—approach to CSM can make or break your retention rates. It's often the strategies you're NOT implementing that drive your best customers away. Check out Eithiriel / Nichole Elizabeth DeMeré's "10 Myths vs. Reality in CSM." It's an excellent starting point for building your strategy. > My take? Be proactive. Sometimes, customers jump ship because they simply don't understand the full potential of your product. Offer insights or training sessions to help. Anticipate your customers' needs and offer solutions even before they realize they need them. Your first touchpoint shouldn't be about a problem. And when you do have that touchpoint, make sure your customers feel heard. Don't do generic, and always add a personal touch. Remember that behind all these strategies are customers who genuinely seek connection. It shouldn't feel transactional. People want to feel valued; it's human nature. While connection is at the core of CSM, you don't have to navigate blindly. Turn data into actionable steps. Implement and monitor KPIs and look beyond traditional metrics. Examine product usage patterns and the frequency of customer support interactions to get a holistic view of customer satisfaction. This mindset shift places your customers at the core of your business. Guiding your strategy to keep your best customers from going astray. --- Want to learn more? Dive into our expert-driven courses and get your PhD in Startups: https://lnkd.in/ePHA_dPM 🔔 Follow me for your regular dose of startup content. #Startups #CustomerSuccess #Growth #Strategy

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Listen up, class, pop quiz time: Would Salesforce or HubSpot be where they are today if implementation partners did not exist? Here's my two cents: Partner ecosystems are becoming the central growth engines for the world's top software companies. HubSpot and Salesforce, for example, rely heavily on their service and app partners to drive implementations, custom development, and deeper adoption of their tools within customer organizations. You don't have to take my word for it; here's what HubSpot highlighted in their 2024 State of Platforms Report: "According to leaders at McKinsey & Company, ecosystems will drive 30% of the global economy by 2030." "Canalys predicts that by 2025, a third of cloud marketplace transactions will involve a channel partner." This momentum is why I've chosen to join a leader in the HubSpot and Salesforce ecosystems, RevOps Automated, as their Head of Sales, focusing on driving growth in North America 🎉 In my conversations with Natalie Furness - Revenue Operations about her vision for RevOps Automated, we aligned on the ethos that it doesn't matter if you are using HubSpot, Salesforce, or both! What matters is aligning your people to a strong process and the right technology for your business. You don't need to choose one camp over the other—our team will build a strategic and tactical approach to achieve RevOps excellence, regardless of the tech stack required to get you there. It's not too late to build the GTM motion of your dreams before the end of 2024. If you're local to Boston, let's grab a coffee or go for a bike ride and chat about how my team can deliver for you. Cheers to an exciting 2024 and beyond!

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SDRs don't work for AEs.... In fact, AEs should work for SDRs. If you're in a position to have an SDR helping you crack meetings you need to point them in the right direction with the right messaging and use cases. SDRs aren't your assistants. They're the tip of the spear. Cole Praver 🙌 #sales

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What you do as you enter a role in #salesenablement will dictate how seriously the role, and you are taken. Here are three ways to make sure you’re setting yourself up for success. Standardizing work requests/intake forms. Be nosey. Be humble. In this week’s issue of the “love, enablement” newsletter I break these three things down in detail. If you’re not already receiving the newsletter, comment below “sign me up” and I’ll make sure you get the link. AND I will also make sure you get the “Ultimate Guide To Implement A Sales Enablement Intake Form” for free.

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Objection Handling... Sometimes they tell you, sometimes they don't and it's your job as an SDR to find out the truth... So challenge it. "I'm not interested" - When you say that what do you mean? "You're too expensive" - What makes you say that? "I'm in a meeting" - Okay, can I wrap it up in 30 seconds to see if this is relevant? (if they were in a meeting or busy they wouldn't pick up the phone) This list goes on and on. Remember this... Your prospect lies to you in the same way you lie to a salesperson in a shop. SP - "Can I help you today" You - "No thanks, I'm just looking" (when you have gone into that shop for a purpose). #sales #coldcalling #prospecting SalesJacker

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