Selling is an art, as many say, but to master it, one must pay close attention to the science behind it. SDRs or Sales Development Representatives need to know several tactics for selling and sharpen their skills with every deal they close. Every SDR has a unique approach to deals, but some common characteristics are evident in all the top ones. These characteristics make up the key ingredients for passing through those sales milestones without great difficulty.
Today, we’ll talk about those aspects of an SDR’s personality that can help make a deal happen.
Stressing on data and process
Sales are no doubt heavily data-driven. So, data collection is always a top priority in every organisation. But only a few minds can pick out and decode the relevant information and use it to their advantage. Data can show a trend reversal or shift that you need to act upon. If the window for acting on it is short, then one has to be quick. That’s why many top SDRs have amazing data analysis skills. They can accurately gather relevant insights from the sea of industry data available to them.
After getting the information you need and understanding the market’s message, the next step is to formulate clever strategies to win the game. Following and trusting the process is essential and can yield fantastic results. The more organized the workflow is, the clearer the pathway will get. Teams with methodical SDRs always perform better.
Digging for the root of the problem
Often in sales, there is a tendency to jump the line and move on to the next project instead of digging for the root cause. The best SDRs always emphasize identifying the problem’s origin and then devising solutions to dodge the same problem in the future. Sometimes getting to the very bottom of this issue is rather difficult and may involve a lot of critical analysis and breakdown.
But, in the end, it’s always worth it to learn from past mistakes to not repeat them in the future. This adds to the SDRs’ knowledge base and is also a teachable moment in terms of strategy formulation. In some instances, solving one problem could open up possibilities for solving 5 others. Understanding the ‘why’ of every event leads to answers to the ‘hows’ of the next ones.
Knowing every detail about their product or service
An investor’s expertise in a certain industry will determine the ease of investment in a company operating in the same industry. Similarly, an SDR’s expertise and knowledge base is connected to conversions from prospects. If you don’t know everything about the product or service you’re trying to sell, expecting the prospect to close a deal is unreasonable. Not just knowing but understanding complex terminologies and being able to break them down into simpler ideas is the quality of a top SDR.
Becoming an expert in a specific field requires years of toiling for sure, but the rewards are in the form of happy customers who trust you and the brand. The quickest way to level up from being an average SDR to a high-performance one is to research the industry you’re selling in and help the prospects understand everything easily.
Read More: 3 Unconventional Tactics for Creating Great Outbound Emails
Accepting failures and acknowledging the brilliance
Being a top SDR doesn’t mean the path will be devoid of roadblocks or failures. No matter how hard one tries, there will be tough quarters, difficult leads, and occasionally a problematic product to sell. If and when failures happen, the first step is to be accountable for them and accept the wrong steps taken. Once an SDR has done that, the road ahead is relatively simple. Go back to square one and find where and how the process went wrong.
Looking at examples of other teams may help understand specific challenges, and the current market conditions will give an idea of the overall reason for failure. If you took the wrong steps, but someone else nailed that aspect, taking notes from the process of that person is the smart thing to do. Acknowledging brilliance when you see it is a common quality in a top SDR.
Making quick decisions through the creative ability
There are so many points in an SDR’s career where there’s an opportunity to seize, exclusively at a given moment. Deciding on your feet and being proactive remain the only options in such cases. That’s why creative abilities get so important for salespeople. In today’s era, creative pitching and calling is the only way forward. Nobody has the time or the patience to endure the same scripted ‘have-heard-before’ pitches. Quickly thinking of something and applying it on the spot is the way to win leads. So, it’s only natural that top SDRs get creative with sales solutions and advance their way in the organisation or career path.
Conclusion
If you’re a beginner SDR, the above-mentioned ways should fast-track your advancement process and help you gain an edge over your competitors. Imbibing each of these skills is a tough task, but with persistence and dedication, it’s very achievable.
