Nicola Halpin

Engaging the right buyers at the right time is critical to sales success. ZoomInfo Copilot's Target Account Digests alert you when your most promising suspects are showing the right buying signals. 🔔 Get personalized daily digests — delivered via Slack or email — with AI-powered recommendations for next steps. Never miss a sales opportunity with ZoomInfo Copilot: bit.ly/3yxBNes #ZoomInfoCopilot

1

5 things I would do as a SaaS BDR/AE/AM/CSM with commercial targets for a successful quarter close: 🔎Identify the hotest leads + requalify as you go, for a delay-free closing process. 📊Make use of existing data: what has worked well for you and for your colleagues in previous quarters? 💥Prioritize high-impact activities and minimize distractions (like unnecessary meetings). 👔Aim to focus your outreach on those with decision-making authority. 💪Intensify your follow-ups, with a strategy that works for you: whether it is automated reminders or personalized communication. What else will you be doing to make the most of the two weeks left in the quarter?

9

INBOUND Key Highlights Final Day 3 1. Ryan Reynolds Confirmed that you don’t need to be a di3k to get ahead. Authenticity and staying try to your North star is key. 2. Jon Dick reinforced that HubSpot #Breeze is Fast Easy and Unified. Intelligence super charges your data, Co Pilot works with you and Agents do the work for you so you can focus on being more Human! 3 Yamini Rangan shared that #INBOUND is hitting the road and coming to San Fran in 2025. Let’s go !! #inbound24 #inbound25 #hubspot

58

4 Comments

Introducing WebSight Buyer ID — our newest GTM signal that takes the guesswork out of prospecting. 🔑 Every day, high-value decision-makers visit your website — but who are they? Without the right tools, these opportunities slip away unnoticed. That's where WebSight Buyer ID comes in. This new signal identifies decision-makers or previously engaged leads visiting high-intent web pages, delivering real-time alerts so you can act fast. Gone are the days of generic outreach. Now, you can focus on the right people at the right time, with tailored messaging that drives engagement and builds trust. Ready to learn more? Head to the blog: bit.ly/3Bia4Ab

2

Speaking first hand from a sales rep perspective on how HubSpot helps me hit my own targets can be quite powerful when speaking to customers. Having event data and automation that follows up on this is my favourite feature combination. Custom events provides me with real-time buying signals whether it is on our website or directly in the HubSpot platform. Some examples... - Clicked on talk to sales but did not fill out form. - Trial activation on X product. - High usage/adoption, account activated. I could say this allows me to follow-up timely however usually a meeting is already in my calendar 🎉 as an email has been sent out by HubSpot as a follow-up to this action with my meetings link.. 😅 🙌 pretty cool... I've included a link to a post where this functionality is discussed and demo'd by the dedicated HubSpot product manager Maggie P. and the team at HubSpot Elite Solutions Partner Aptitude 8. #customevents #hubspot

49

1 Comment

Another high-performing senior account executive I know was recently made redundant when the company missed its numbers, leading to widespread layoffs. Yet despite the cuts, the pressure to grow revenue hasn’t let up, needing to achieve more with less whilst staying laser-focused on winnable deals. A well-constructed Sales Operating Plan is critical to align and focus limited resources, then followed immediately by a boot camp for critical salespeople to achieve the short-term revenue so desperately needed. If this resonates with you for your firm, let’s have a conversation.

15

1 Comment

Here’s how we hired a GTM team for the Dutch market. The Situation ⤵ As part of our international expansion, the company needed a Go-To-Market team in place to meet growth targets. The Task ⤵ →Hire a full GTM team: SDRs, AEs, CSMs (all levels), plus Team Leads. →Partner closely with the Sales Director to hire fast, without compromising on quality. The Challenges ⤵ →A tight deadline to hire a sizeable team. →Native Dutch speakers were essential, shrinking our talent pool. →No company benefits were in place — traditionally these are important for Dutch employees. →Limited local presence and product awareness. How We Made It Happen ⤵ →Secured C-level support, positioning this as a top priority company-wide. →Enhanced our Employer Value Proposition (EVP) to connect with the local audience. →Used innovative tech, market mapping, referrals, and social media for top-of-funnel sourcing. →Optimized and structured the interview process to enable fast, confident decision-making. →Ensured interviewers were ready and available — no delays. →Created a seamless candidate experience, setting the stage for quick commitments. →Collaborated closely with the people team to stay aligned. →Prioritised transparency, ensuring candidates knew the challenges and were excited by the opportunity to build something disruptive. The Results: →Time to Hire (TTH): 16 days average →Fastest Hire: 11 days TTF (still with the company after 3 years!) →Agency fees avoided — approx. €250,000 saved →Growth: 100% year-on-year growth since the team was built Expanding into new markets or facing hiring challenges? Let’s connect and discuss how we can overcome them together! ♻️ Comment for reach 🌎 ❤️ TA

4

Sales is a team sport..... As a Head of Sales, one thing I’ve noticed about our top-performing SDRs and AEs is that they aren’t afraid to ask for time. They see it as a crucial part of their success. They know that being great at sales isn’t just about grinding away - it’s about being strategic. They know when to reach out, ask for feedback, and get input from others to up their game. * They’ll sit down with seasoned colleagues to pick apart their process, looking for those little tweaks that can make all the difference. * They carve out time with product and marketing to understand the ins and outs of our solutions - and share insights they’re picking up from customers. * And they’re not shy about reaching out to the customer success team, figuring out what turns a one-time deal into a lasting partnership. They don’t wait for someone to hand them a playbook. They’re asking questions, starting conversations, and looking for that next breakthrough. Sometimes, a quick 30-minute chat can completely change how they see a challenge. So, if you want to level up, start reaching out more. Ask for input, get another perspective, and don’t try to do it alone. Sales is a team game!

70

7 Comments

Monday was my 7 year Workday anniversary. It’s been an invigorating ride: 2017: Join Peakon as SDR in London 2018: Promote to SDR Manager for UK 2019: Move to NYC to build US SDR team 2020: Scale team to 6 SDRs & $50M ARR 2021: Acq. by Workday & inherit new team 2022: Move to Boston to be with my team 2023: Promote to senior leadership team 2024: Lead CB SDR team with 35 reps This constant change is part of what’s kept me here so long. → I face new challenges daily → Assume more responsibility → Get exposed to fresh leaders → Win through diverse adversities → Have to regularly learn new skills → Experience regular career growth I also get to run my own business on the side. Satiating my passion for helping SDR leaders kick butt. I truly have the best of both worlds. My key takeaways: 1. Always back yourself 2. Appreciate what you've got 3. Give every opportunity your all 4. Never be afraid to make bold decisions 5. Don't fall for "grass is greener" thoughts Happy career building.

32

2 Comments

I've been reflecting about RevOps. It's been a strange market since 2023, right? 👉 Q1 2023 - What a shit show, less funding, high interest rates, mass redundancies (in particular some amazing Senior Leaders) 👉 Once in Q2+, PEs and VCs had no choice but to reassess expectations and lower targets, Yes most companies weren't hitting those targets, but it was going in the right direction 📈 👉 Q3 My wife and I had our baby boy 👶 (a different type of shit show, but the most rewarding experience, it's easier running a business FYI) 👉 Q4, there was light at the end of the tunnel, interest rates were dropping, more confidence in the market. What really confused me, was RevOps functions were often the first to go! Now I will be fair, and look from the business perspective: 👉 RevOps seen as a cost centre 👉 RevOps teams are paid fairly well 👉 Companies think they can do it themselves, and let the Tech team look after Salesforce, because RevOps is so easy, right?! 👀 What I'm seeing in 2024, lightbulb moment: 💡 RevOps market is maturing, there is tons of people looking to transition into the career 💡 More RevOps roles coming to market with some really cool companies (not just saas) 💡 Execs are educating themselves on how RevOps can help build the foundations for growth and beyond for their business 💡 RevOps isn't seen as a cost centre, because they are implementing better data insights, improving processes and efficiencies across the business, they in fact are contributing to the revenue growth Does this align with what you saw in the market?

42

10 Comments

‘We need an SDR who has at least 12 months SDR/BDR experience at a SaaS company’. This is a common hiring trend I see right now and whilst indeed, someone with that experience may work out for you and I understand the logic, there are a few potential flaws I wanted to share about that expectation/requirement that may be preventing you from hiring your next superstar... 1. A great SDR will generally be promoted after 12-18 months in the role. 2. More experience = more expensive. 3. Many of the best performing SDR’s we see are those with as little as 6-12 months sales experience from sectors such as customer service, retail & hospitality. 4. Motivation > Experience. A poorly motivated SDR with a high skill level rarely works out. Confident in your leadership, enablement and product? Hire someone on motivation and attitude. Use the interview process to qualify their basic skill set, appetite to put in the work required and aptitude for learning and developing over and above their current skill level as an SDR. Hiring someone with 12 months SDR experience may work for you and I’m not trying to communicate that they are bad candidates, but when you actually consider what makes an excellent SDR, this requirement may be holding you back from hiring your next pipeline building king or queen. Always curious to learn from SDR leaders. What are some of the experiences of the best SDR’s you’ve hired? David Wilkins curious on your thoughts along with the SDR Leaders of EMEA!

22

16 Comments

Want to be a great CSM? - - - Find a way to get things done. Board deck need updating? Data need analysing? JTBD need verifying? Sizzler vid need recording? If you can do it now, just do it now. 🤳 Avoid distractions - try closing emails & slack for 50% of your day. They’ll be there when you get back and the world won’t have ended. 🙅‍♂️ Say no more - yup you know this one already. Tip: make your priority list or OKRs public to bring data to your decision making (Asana, Notion etc). 🏗 Build your track record - try sharing customer soundbites with SLT to generate buy-in. Your approach works and you need to protect more time to increase output. Just find a way to get things done - do this 2 or 3 times a week and you’ll be outperforming your peers by the end of Q4. That’s the post. #customersuccess #timemanagement #saas #b2b

6

What do SDRs love about being SDRs? Here’s what some of our SDRs at Diligent love about the role: Always Learning “I love learning everything—about our solutions, the people we help, and the challenges they face. I get excited when I help solve problems and see results. It’s fun to grow every day!” – Amos Moecker Hard Work Pays Off “As an SDR, the more you work, the more you succeed. When things are hard, you just keep going. It’s up to you to do your best, and it feels great to make your team proud.” – Hudson Nelles Constant Innovation “What I love the most about the role is that every day is different, every conversation is a new opportunity to use a different skill to dig into a prospect's pain. I also really love that every skill I've learned is a skill that I can keep building and working on!” - Carmen C. Fueled By Rejection "I love the rejection, sounds weird but it fuels me. When I'm not near quota for the month and struggling, the rejection fuels me to want get there more and the moment I do get a successful call, its so worth it." - Reza Parvizi   Learning New Skills and Working Together “This job helps me get better at things like talking to people, managing my time, and being persuasive. I also love working with my team toward shared goals. It feels good to see my work make a difference.” – Sean Doyle Sean also says, “Our team trusts each other to get the job done. No one is watching over your shoulder, but we all work hard together. It feels amazing when you see your efforts pay off.” SDRs are at the heartbeat of any sales team. SDRs don’t just help grow the business—they grow themselves too.

23

1 Comment

How is your team navigating longer deal cycles and more decision-makers? Take a listen to see how the CRO of Gong leverages Sales Navigator to foster relationships with executives in deals critical to the business.

10

My 5 top CV tips for Junior/Medior SaaS Sales professionals... 🧡Add a short and semi-specific personal statement. Example: 'SaaS BDR with 2 years of experience open to Junior AE opportunities in a MarTech startup or scaleup' 🧡Add your KPIs (Target/Benchmark VS Attained) Example: 'Booked 35 meetings per quarter (110% Target Attainment)' 🧡Add the tools you use (not only Sales CRM, but any others that are relevant to your work). Example: LinkedIn Sales Navigator or GDPR-compliant prospecting tools. 🧡Use SaaS lingo! Examples: MRR/ARR, MQL/SQL, ROI, Churn, PMF, etc. 🧡Bonus Tip: Include your preferred sales methodology!

15

1 Comment

My first Qtr here @evaluagent and i'm pleased to say my 90 day plan is working! *Customer and Sales calls, speaking and analysis. * Learnt how to use Hubspot, Showell, Gong, Asana and many more pieces of tech - Now to helps others. *Released new processes across Marketing, Sales, CX and Finance. *Created Dealdesk as part of this *Lot's of integrations across technology we already own. *Created Enablement plan (& internal promotion for Chris Mounce) to support new product release & processes.| *Starting to work on Channel and our partner ecosystem *New easy to read reporting & daily calls across Revenue Team....Plus more to come for Q2.

32

3 Comments

It’s never been more difficult to be in sales. To be successful, you need high-value outbound messaging that distinguishes you as the right solution for your prospect. But let's face it — not all reps have the time or access to real-time data to truly understand each prospect's needs...  It's time to meet SAM, the AI-powered sales assistant from Similarweb. Only with SAM do you get: 💡Prospect-tailored insights based on buyer intent, sales signals, and your prospects’ use case 📬Hyper-personalized, ready-to-use outbound messaging that spotlights your company as the right solution 🗓️Instantly generated insights accessible through Gmail and Google Calendar, making sales reps ready for any meeting  You can learn more about SAM’s capabilities here → https://bit.ly/3QOi5BB

36

1 Comment

Stop obsessing over OTE on its own. It's a vanity metric that doesn't really matter if loads of other factors aren't on point. I know a lot of AE's ''on €160k OTE'' who just earn their base salary. The achievability of the OTE and the impacting factors do matter: - Quality of leadership - Training & Coaching - Product Market Fit - % current team on target - Saturation of the sales team - Bonus Structure OTE is an important aspect of course, but all A players I speak with don't give much importance to the OTE figure on its own.

10

2 Comments