Sean Talmadge

3 secrets every elite SDR knows... That merely adequate SDRs simply do not. Elite SDRs: say "no" to almost everything Adequate SDRs: Are order-takers and let everyone and everything control their time Elite SDRs: Prep their week BEFORE the week starts Adequate SDRs: Scramble on Monday Elite SDRs: Use ALL five of their channels (Phone, Email, Social, Video, and Text) Adequate SDRs: Stick with what they're comfortable with, regardless of results So, unless you don't really care about improving (you should probably find something else to do, by the way)... You're putting in the time. Spend a few minutes every week to ensure your system works just as hard. Anything else you'd add? Drop it in the comments. Happy Selling! -- Like this? Hit ♻️ to share with your network. Ring the 🔔 for more, and follow me, Keith M. Laughner, for sales and productivity tips that actually work. 

18

5 Comments

I’ve been an AE for a while now, selling tech into enterprise prospects, here’s the thing… The AE doesn’t “close” the deal. We conduct it. Being an enterprise AE is like planning a group camping trip… stay with me. We’re not “closing”, we’re convincing a group of mildly suspicious adults to go camping together, then making damn sure it doesn’t rain inside the tent. Here’s how it goes: You rally a group of people around an adventure - "It’s going to be great! Trust me.” The decision maker green-lights it, but they’ve never camped, so they are trusting we have it in hand. Your internal team? Fellow organisers, bringing gear, food, maps, esky's and "expertise" that may or may not involve actual camping knowledge. The prospect? They're the friends you’ve invited into the bush, hoping they enjoy it enough to come back next year, maybe even invest in their own gear. When it goes well: ☀️ Smooth setup, good weather, cracking fire and the marshmallows are perfectly crisp. Everyone laughs, bonds, builds trust, and tells others how good it was. They’ll want to camp again, most likely with the same organiser. But when it goes poorly: 🌧️ You forget the tarp. The sleeping bags are mouldy. Someone brings cans, but no can opener. The kids are soaked, fighting, tearing the tent apart. The decision maker gets food poisoning and has to navigate bush toilets in the pouring rain. 🤮 They don’t just blame this trip. They blame camping altogether. Enterprise selling isn’t a solo act. It’s a performance that feels smooth from the outside, but peek under the water, and it’s a duck’s feet paddling like mad. Our job is to make sure everyone hits their note, without someone launching into a five-minute guitar solo. Most won’t say it, but here’s the truth: ▪️ Enterprise deals are long and layered: We’re not selling—we’re facilitating. Timelines shift, faces change, and half the time, we’re navigating with a map that doesn’t exist. ▪️Multiple champions are essential: One internal supporter doesn’t cut it. You need a full squad—IT, finance, ops, procurement—all gently nudged into the right room at the right time, like you’re directing corporate poetry. ▪️Business acumen > silver tongue. ▪️Value eats pitch decks for breakfast: No ROI, no deal. ▪️Internal alignment is make-or-break: You’ve got to manage internal stakeholders just as carefully as external ones. Great AEs step back so others (usually their SE) can shine. We know when to bring in the big guns, and when to keep them holstered. We respect how our buyers want to engage, and we honour it. Because no one closes a seven-figure deal solo, but a good AE makes it look effortless, while juggling flaming torches behind the curtain. So next time someone brags about “single-handedly closing a $750K deal,” Smile, Nod, and quietly watch their nose grow. Todays post is inspired by Ronald Han Pictured: A couple of sales legends letting off some steam at the Staffbase HQ #EnterpriseSales

43

14 Comments

First SDR Hire, you have to answer these 3 questions Every founder goes through this at some point but before you say you need a SDR, you need some confidence of market, channel fit. Answer these: **Can you find your target ICP **Can you get their contact information (linkedin, clay, etc) **Can you call, email, linkedin and get in front of them (they will answer, reply, etc) If you're struggling to do any 1:3 above, a 'SDR' might not work You either lean in on scaling a 'founder-led' motion (not typically a sdr) Or you find better channel, market fit where you can get 3/3 on this list

28

7 Comments

What your reps are doing today vs what they should be doing Most SDRs spend the majority of their day on tasks that don’t directly create opportunities. - Building and validating account lists - Cross-checking every name against ICP criteria. - Hunting for contact data across multiple providers - Researching accounts across multiple public sources - Writing cold emails - Writing follow-ups - Placing dials one by one - Leaving voicemails for every prospect that doesn’t pick up The kind of tasks that keep your reps busy but not productive. At Klenty, we call these non-pipeline activities. Instead, reps should be focusing their time on pipeline activities like - Sending personalized emails - Having conversations with the right prospects - Responding to positive replies With Klenty's team of AI agents working together across your outbound process, eliminate all non–pipeline activities from your to-do list. Reps simply need to review and approve AI’s output. Get your reps focused on pipeline activities with Klenty's AI Agents. #aiagents #aiinsales #salesengagement #salesrep #insidesales #bdr #sdr #salestech

7

The 6 Things Every Elite SDR Manager Obsess Over (…and what average teams ignore) Most SDR managers measure activity. Elite SDR managers measure leverage. Here’s what separates the two: 1: Pipeline & Revenue Impact Not just “meetings booked.” Pipeline coverage. SQL to Closed Won %. ROI on every dial. 2: Talent Velocity Fast ramp. Skill growth. Clear career paths. Your team should outgrow the role, not quit it. 3: Process Excellence Cadences. Tech stack adoption. SLA compliance. No lead left behind. No prospect chased twice. 4: Data Driven Coaching Meetings booked per 100 touches. Channel conversion rates. Forecast accuracy. Real metrics > gut feelings. 5: Cross Functional Alignment Marketing. AEs. RevOps. Your team isn’t an island. It’s the bridge between go to market functions. 6: Strategic Growth Moves New verticals. AI adoption. Global coverage. Always be testing. Always be iterating. The average SDR manager fights fires. The best build systems that print pipeline. Which one are you building? #SalesDevelopment #SDRLeadership #RevenueGrowth #PipelineGeneration #B2BSales #sdr

5

1 Comment