Kathryn Hintz

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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Sales people have some of the most variable comp of any W2 professional. Most comp structures are a 50/50 split, sometimes a 60/40 split (60% base and 40% variable based on performance). So my question for sales professionals - how do you think about your comp? Do you plan around your base income, OTE (on target earnings), or something in between? Since I started selling software almost 5 years ago, my family has decided to live off of my base. This has forced us to live within our means and helps avoid lifestyle creep as my income increases. This means my 401(k), our mortgages, rent, utilities, groceries, automated target contributions, and monthly variable expenses all fit within my base. With commission, I make a plan for the additional cash. Most of my comp plans have had quarterly commission payouts, so by the time the commission hits I have time to make my plan. My rule of thumb is 50% gets invested in my target account, 25% gets allocated to upgrades for our properties, and the remaining amount goes into our checking account as extra spending money. Sales reps, how do you think about your base vs variable comp?

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SDRs/ AEs: Prospects owe you nothing before an initial meeting. They're not responsible for you being upset when they no show/ghost. I started taking ownership for all of the outcomes in my life a few years back. It takes what it takes -- and it's up to me and on me. Not where I want to be? I can change it. Not happy with my current state? No ones' fault but mine. Way better to operate through the lens of "it's on me" vs "why me :(" Focusing on what I can control and letting go of what I can't has helped decrease no-shows. End of the day, the prospect owes me nothing. But, I can make it a no brainer for them to join by focusing on what I can control. World keeps spinning if they don't show up - it's going to be ok. Indifference wins. P.S-- this is the exact scenario that makes practicing mindfulness, working on your inner game and building a great life for yourself outside of work critical, especially in sales.

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The best "cheat codes" every AE should know: 1. 1:1s with your boss. Approach them strategically. Proactively share format and content. Biggest deals you need support on. Challenges you need help with. Forecast for the month, quarter, etc. Wins. 2. Perception. Performance is your fire. How you're perceived internally (aka your brand) is the water or gas that gets dumped on your fire. Attitude, how you show up, handle change, communicate, matters. Hold yourself to a high bar. Two levels above where you're currently at. 3. Document everything. Take the time to write down your own sales playbook. Every strategy, process and template you have. Store it on your personal computer. The value of this over time is immeasurable. I can't state this enough. 4. Problems are a good thing. Anytime there's a problem that's an opportunity to solve it, improve it, and add value. Some of the biggest opportunities I've gotten in my career came because I dove head first into problems and helped move the business forward. Startups always have problems. Don't be the negative person. 5. Time management. Block Monday mornings every week. Don't go to meetings if they're not worth your time. Most things can be solved async. Make meetings 15 to 20 mins. Sometimes you need a whole week of no meetings to catch up, get organized and do deep work. Don't feel bad for saying no to people. They'll understand. 6. External coaching. Up level by listening to podcasts, taking courses and building an external network. Don't rely on your company for everything. Even if they're doing a great job get the perspectives and strategies of other people for a significant edge. What would you add to this list? - Mike G 👉 Join 5,000+ sellers getting my (free) sales newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gwQVvVBK

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As an SDR, staying focused during a call block can be a challenge with frequent distractions. Taking breaks every 45 minutes might sound counterproductive, but it's a game-changer! It's the perfect time to refocus and chat with other SDRs about what's working and what we can do better. Trust me, if you do nothing but call for 2 hours straight, the quality drops off massively. Pace yourself and stay sharp! What productivity hacks have helped you get your numbers up? Share below. #productivityhacks #SDRtips #sales #salesdevelopment #stayfocused

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If your demos aren't buyer centric, then you're missing the point. Gone are the days of straight discovery -> demo -> some process of closing. Once I started treated discovery as a never ending conversation, it was easy to meet my prospects on their level. If somone wants to see the demo, show them. But don't feature spray - make it targeted and understand what they want. Buyer Centric + Discovery = problem solving Group demos though.... woof. Now that's tough

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Hey SDRs and SDR Leaders. important update of skills you must have Software Defined Radio Sustainability Disclosure Requirement keep an eye here for more tounge and cheek hints.

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Moving from SDR to BDR is competitive across large orgs We're running a 3-week SDR to BDR course starting on the 15th of May It'll run through: - How you succeed as an inbound SDR - How you begin cold outbound sequences - How you can nail the interview If you're interested, get in touch 💪

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Genuine Question - When are B2B reps that are LinkedIn prospecting going to learn that people are not going to read their multiple paragraphs of "value selling?" Who is teaching people to do this? It's nothing like normal human communication. If you are doing this, please stop and remember you are a human being trying to talk to another human being. Start with a question specific to that person's potential goals and go from there. Write the question, stop, breathe, drink some water, and send the question. The sales industry is labeled as fake and manipulative because 80% of the industry are sales robots. Be Human.

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3 reasons it took me 3 years to make Presidents Club... 1️⃣ I was shit at maintaining relationships. My biggest source of quota last year came from hoop opportunities I'd previously lost who I'd kept in touch with. Previously I had a short-term view of 'if it's not immediate pipeline, I don't want it'. 2️⃣ I wasted soooo much time on shit opportunities. Last year, I ruthlessly qualified out. Our data shows I qualified out more discovery calls than anyone on the team. If I genuinely didn't believe I could win it, I'd get rid. 3️⃣ I wanted to be liked. It took 3 years of coaching and listening to other reps calls to figure out that nothing bad happens when you ask difficult questions. Now I ask whatever I want to know, and shockingly, I'm still alive. Find your champions who will buy from you at some point < You can only do this by asking tough questions. Build and maintain those relationships by gaining credibility < You can only do this by asking tough questions. Even if your sales cycle is short, sales is a long game.

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Stop following a script. Stop following a methodology. People are smart. Every call and every situation is unique. Be a human and ask good questions.

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Such a valuable list of “cheat codes”! Some I wish I learned earlier on in my career, but happy to have learned them at some point and able to act on them!

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SDRs and AE's - There's always a next Q. Here's what I'm doing to set myself up for success moving into a new Q after a couple of weeks away: 1/Auditing outbound blockers - I take a look at my current outbound blockers and decide what worked and what didn't. Simple, I keep what worked and rejig what didn't. 2/Edit and adapt scripts - I'm a big fan of A/B testing so I take time to edit and adjust my scripts to test a new concept I've found or cut out something that wasn't effective. These aren't wholesale changes just simple tweaks. 3/ Find my outbound channels - I take a look at my outbound channels and choose which to focus on. My favourites tend to be Lost opps, past customers (LI sales nav), Event attendees and customer lookalikes. 4/Cut any non-essential internal meetings - time is of the essence as a rep, so making sure you're ruthless with your time and spending it on pipe building or closing activities is essential. 5/Reflect on small wins - Even though the scoreboard has reset. It's essential to stop and smell the roses from last Q, and revel in your wins - even just for a little while. Use it as fuel that you have the ability succeed but still so much to learn. 6/Self-development goals - Each Q I set myself a self-development goal, last Q was Salman's discovery course (highly recommend) and this Q I'm targetting MEDDPICC. As well as big self-dev goals for the Q I also have regular 30min blockers at the end of my day, to make sure I'm sharpening my skillset. Anything I've missed?

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🥂 🥂 Today we closed the largest deal in my career as a Litmos Account Executive, and here are some things I reflected on this morning. ✅ Serious buyers come to the table with a vision. They're looking for solutions and recommendations, so the most important thing for me to understand is how I can solve whatever problem they have (even if it doesn't include my solutions specifically). ✅ Building trust is so important to me. If I tell you I'm going to do something, I'll do it. This is a reflection of what my partners can expect. Sometimes, I think I give them too much too soon, but I do my best to give them what they want/need instead of holding the evaluation hostage to pricing and demos. Sometimes, it backfires... First at the table is the first to leave, but it's worth maintaining my integrity. ✅ Negotiations are contingent on resolutions. By the time we reached the end of the sales cycle, the only negotiations that needed to happen were on terms. Buyers know up front what they're willing to pay for a solution to their problems, and as long as you can exceed their expectations in the sales process $$$ should never be a reason for them not to partner. ✅ We all need help. As much as I like to think I got this, most days I rely heavily on my teammates, my boss, different departments and everyone who believes in me more than I believe in myself. I've gotten really good at asking for help, and I'm so grateful to have a team of people at Litmos who are knowledgeable, responsive, supportive and helpful 😁 😁 ✅ Trust the process. I am powerless over everything except my actions, reactions and accountability. In times of stress I tend to stress others, and it's not an effective way of getting things done. Let go, let God, and have faith. ❤️ Thanks to everyone Litmos who supports me day in and day out, it's definitely a team effort! I love sales, and it turns out I'm pretty good at it too. Here's to many more partnerships like this one and a bright future at LITMOS!!!! #learning #learninganddevelopment #Litmos #saleslife #sales #partnerships #successful #success #saleslife

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Early on as an AE, I made a lot of mistakes: The LARGEST one was wasting time on the wrong opportunities. Here's what happened: 👇 When I first became an AE: - I left no stone unturned - I worked with every single prospect. - I worked on every single opportunity regardless of fit. - I forced opportunities that were not a good fit, into the sales process This hurt my chances of success early on. It SOUNDS good in theory to work everything, but it spread you too thin. - Diminished buying experience. - Decreased focus and efficiency.  - Etc... I focused on opportunities that didn't make sense, and in turn... I took time AWAY from prospects that were a GOOD fit. There's a finite amount of selling hours in the day. Invest your time where it matters. You'll be better off for it. ▶ How do you setup your time, and prioritize prospects? Like, follow, and comment below ⬇

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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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I agree with all of these - a great TTT (Top Ten Traits). What I also emphasize is to get to back to using the phone and talk to people vs sending multiple (follow up) emails. I would add that top sales managers know when to bring in support when necessary to close a deal and they don't hesitate to ask. (It takes a village.) In discovery they identify the key decision makers (KDMs) across the customer account and find a way to cultivate and build alliances with more than one person to win the first deal and to ensure sustained YOY growth.

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A great checklist for the ones who want to master the AE domain and be on the top of the chart. Among the top 10 skillsets, I especially find ‘Give to Get’ resonating a lot. The greatest AE usually excels in identifying the very core desire from the prospect, and leverage it to maximize the Get. From the same deal, the bigger positive delta they can stretch, the more effectiveness they can accelerate vs. others.

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