As a Sales Development Rep (SDR) you need first and foremost, confidence as part of your foundation for success. When your foundation is solid, just like a foundation of a house – you can build a great home on top.
Here in New England, we have had months of extremely and unusually cold weather. Snow has covered the ground and morning temperatures below zero are have been a normal thing. But our three year old house is so well insulated that it never feels cold in the morning.
It hit me one day when I was thinking about several houses I’ve lived in over the years where waking up and getting out of bed meant being extremely cold. When you’re cold, your whole focus is on warming up before you can do anything else.
As a sales rep working to develop new business – your foundation consists of the following things:
You have a comfortable work area – chair, desk, laptop or tablet, and phone. If you are not comfortable it will affect your attitude and your productivity.
You have an environment that matches you – if you don’t like noise around you it’s hard to sit in the middle of a number of other reps – especially if they are louder than you. Some offices have a quiet area set up for more introverted sales reps. When I say introverted I mean that you feel like you lose energy being around and interacting with others You still do a fantastic job online and on phone – and prefer a quieter place to work. Know that there is a lot to learn by being near your peers, but you also need to be comfortable in your daily work.
You understand who the buyers are for your products and services. Don’t pick up the phone or send your first email until you really understand who becomes a client and why. Understanding this will allow you to have at least a low level conversation with anyone. You’ll struggle otherwise.
You understand the strengths of the company you represent – quickly – what differentiates your company from others in your space? If you cannot answer this off the cuff, you need more training.
You do this extemporaneously – speaking off of the “top of your head” about who your buyers are, how things work at your company, and what makes your company special – these are things you must feel comfortable about to have a solid foundation and good insulation for your territory that you are building.
Just like my house – start with solid foundation and great insulation to build your business. Be comfortable, and practice until it becomes second nature to you. Keep practicing to perfect your craft.
Back here in New England, the good news is that the temperatures are warming up and Spring is around the corner. I can’t wait.
Lori Richardson is recognized on Forbes as one of the "Top 30 Social Sales Influencers" worldwide. Lori speaks, writes, trains, and consults with inside sales teams in mid-sized companies. Subscribe to the award-winning blog and the "Sales Ideas In A Minute" newsletter for sales strategies, tactics, and tips in selling. Increase Opportunities. Expand Your Pipeline. Close More Deals.
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