Matthew Anderson

The average SDR is making $85,000 The average SMB AE is making $130,000 a year. The average MM AE is making $165,000 a year. If you crush it as an SDR, are at a company that actually promotes top talent, and continue to perform as an AE you can literally double your income in just a few years. How cool is that? I teamed up with RepVue and put together a few resources with some more details on salaries based on roles... check it out. SDR salaries & a list of high paying SDR Roles: https://lnkd.in/gqfUbnqR SMB AE salaries & a list of high paying SMB Roles: https://lnkd.in/gcpnQ_Xt Mid-Market AE salaries & a list of high paying MM Roles: https://lnkd.in/gPd-RHCb Ent AE salaries & a list of high paying Ent Roles: https://lnkd.in/gibqD9Gv

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SDRs are often set up to fail from day one. • No proper onboarding. • No clear metrics or expectations. • And worse, no repeatable process to follow. Result? Underperformance, burnout, and high turnover. Here’s how to fix it 👇 Step 1: Hire for hunger, not just talent. A motivated SDR with the right training will outperform a “natural” salesperson without support. Look for candidates who are: • Coachable. • Resilient. • Eager to learn. Step 2: Create a bulletproof onboarding plan. Most SDRs are handed a list and told to figure it out. Don’t do this. Your onboarding should include: • Clear KPIs from day one. • Battle-tested scripts and templates. • Role-playing sessions for handling objections. Step 3: Build a repeatable system. A great SDR process looks like this: • Outreach scripts designed for engagement. • Automated follow-up cadences. • Weekly coaching sessions to review performance. Consistency beats guesswork every time. Step 4: Track everything. If you’re not tracking metrics, you’re guessing. The numbers to watch: • Calls/emails sent. • Response rates. • Meetings booked. • Conversion rates. What gets measured gets improved. Step 5: Keep the pipeline moving. The longer you leave an open headcount, the longer your pipeline suffers. Always be recruiting. Think of prospecting like fitness: Skip one day? No big deal. Skip a week? The effects will compound. The truth: SDRs aren’t the problem. Your system is. When you hire smart, train effectively, and build processes that scale, everything changes. Want the exact system I use to turn SDR teams into appointment-setting machines? Grab it here: https://lnkd.in/eADiRZCF.

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The best SDRs have a short-term memory… 👉 You face lots of rejection as an SDR. More than any other role. - Tough cold calls. - Unsubscribe emails. - Demo no-shows. Constant rejection sucks. But, we can fix that. Adopt a short-term memory. - View it as a learning moment rather than a rejection. - Expect only 10% of your accounts are going to buy. - Understand that rejection is a normal. - Celebrate small wins. - Have a call buddy. You don’t want: - One bad call effect the day. - One bad day to affect your week. - One bad week to affect a quarter. - One bad quarter to affect a year. So… Keep improving your skillset. Become resilient. Win in the long term. ➡️ What do you do to get over rejection fast? Subscribe to my newsletter - Sales Synergy - 👉 Link in bio.

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Get the October Woman. Warrior. Writer. substack! It's free. It's once a month (so you are not assaulted every week with newsletters, personally, I often sign up for newsletters and then think STOP IT ALREADY, and that is why this substack will ONLY EVER be once a month) Women authors, writing, reflections, creativity, and health. Here I am about to get my healthy dose--early AM surf. It's changed my life. Water is life. Highly recommend. How to get out in the water when you have ADHD and it's kinda dark: 1) Get a uniform going (me--light blue rash guards, black shorts, low maintenance hair) 2) Stick uniform out the night before 3) Ideally have a few buddies to text to agree to meet (I do twice a week, usually, but gotta go on my own at least once to get my 3x a week in) 2) peanut butter toast on wheat bread (no I don't eat the whole thing); coffee with oat milk (2/3 cup? I never finish) 3) stick to the same parking area, forget cruising around for the free spots, it will distract 4) have your surf key and ID bracelet and sunblock in the car in the same spot --get it all on as soon as you get there 5) look out at water and feel thankful -- and be glad even if you don't get the waves you want, it's ok you paddled around and had fun and you are just a little bit better and your parasympathetic nervous system is more regulated. 6) the goal for me is never time spent, number of waves caught or any kind of measurement--it's do I feel better? OK, it was worth it. Subscribe at @drstephaniehan.com ~empowering women through narrative~

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The BEST SDRs: 1. Are curious 2. Put in the work 3. Learn everyday 4. Are prior athletes 5. Love to complete  6. Are self confident 7. Know their process 8. Don’t make excuses 9. Practice cold calling 10. Know their numbers 11. Know what success is 12. Detach from outcomes 13. Reflect at the end of the day 14. Listen to their own cold calls 15. Provide detailed notes for AE’s 16. Recognize time-wasting prospects 17. Understand their prospects' problems 18. Focus on what they can control (energy, effort) 19. Get prospects to accept the invite on the phone 20. Don’t waste time on activities that don’t generate conversations Agree?

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PSA for all freelancers looking to land high-paying clients: Most of the people you pitch won’t reply. Or they’ll say no. Or they’ll take weeks to get back to you. Pitching is not a one-day game. Your chances of landing regular, high-paying work increase significantly the more you put out there. Learn from every no. Improve your marketing materials, especially your LOI. Work on understanding (and improving) your win rate. (On average, most writers will see a 5-10% win rate from cold LOIs.) You only need 4-7 clients on contract to make an excellent living as a freelance writer. Calculate how many LOIs you need to send in order to land them. Then get them out as quickly as you can. 

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PSA for all freelancers looking to land high-paying clients: Most of the people you pitch won’t reply. Or they’ll say no. Or they’ll take weeks to get back to you. Pitching is not a one-day game. Your chances of landing regular, high-paying work increase significantly the more you put out there. Learn from every no. Improve your marketing materials, especially your LOI. Work on understanding (and improving) your win rate. (On average, most writers will see a 5-10% win rate from LOIs.) You only need 4-7 clients on contract to make an excellent living as a freelance writer. Calculate how many LOIs you need to send in order to land them. Then get them out as quickly as you can. 

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I asked an AI SDR how will it cold call? Answer won't surprise you. AI SDR at AI SDR company said it will free up time so you can cold call. Human SDR = Account Prioritization+ Nurture Complex Relationships+ Cold Call+ Email + Social AI SDR = Account Prioritization + Email + Social-Nurture Complex Relationships- Cold Call AI SDR ≠ Human SDR I am going with an open mind that It can do everything I do as a human, selecting my top accounts, quick research, shit i do take hours to do, and until It becomes legal to cold call in my voice and no one catches that 🤣 , we are good. Cold Call is still the most important channel for most businesses. If you want to invest in technology, perhaps give them access to better tools or training so they can do a better job. No pressure, just a suggestion :) #sales #aisdr

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Don’t promise salespeople unlimited PTO. If you’re not also offering quota relief. This is a game companies play. They advertise unlimited PTO. Yet expect full quota 12 months of the year. That’s not unlimited PTO. That’s never having a vacation. Every SDR and AE deserves at least 2 weeks quota relief each year. That’s BARE MINIMUM. Increase the number of weeks based on tenure and performance. Bake it into your career development program so it’s fair across the board. Use a calendar to schedule when reps will take their vacations. Make sure they’re not all out during the same weeks. This should be built into your financial model. It’s startling how many companies don’t do this. Then they tell me they keep missing quota. I dig deeper and they start mentioning people going on vacation. I dig deeper and realize they expected sellers to hit full quota while on vacation. This story is too common. It’s bad enough quotas are too high. But there’s no excuse for this. It’s poor financial planning. It’s an absurd way to treat your employees. No one else is expected to work on vacation. Do better. Please and thank you. Yours truly. Happy Selling 😁

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If you want to get promoted, you can’t rely solely on quota attainment to land the job. Imagine you’re part of a 100-person SDR org. People are eagerly waiting for an SDR Manager role to open up. Now let’s say 60% of your org is overattaining against quota. That’s 60 SDRs who are just as hungry, driven and qualified as you are. Out of those 60, maybe 10% want to go the SDR Manager route. That means you’re competing against 6 strong candidates. All of whom have surpassed quota. (Not to mention the external candidates) If it was just about quota attainment, then the choice would be obvious... The person with the highest quota attainment would get the job. But that’s not how it works. Now imagine you’re somewhere in the middle of the pack in terms of quota attainment. But throughout the year you’ve: - Mentored new SDRs and helped them be successful. - Regularly networked with leadership to get feedback and guidance - Earned recommendations from your field team - Led team trainings and initiatives - Built a positive internal brand Even though your attainment wasn’t the highest… You’ve set yourself apart from the other candidates who rely solely on numbers to make their case. While it might not guarantee you the job. You make it easier for the hiring team to picture you succeeding in the role. So if you want to stand out, focus on what you can control beyond the numbers. It helps you go from being one of many, to the one they choose.

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Networking is an essential aspect of any screenwriting career. But most writers approach it in the wrong way. Here are 13 networking habits that won't turn people off of you: 1 - Only network with people you actually like. 2 - Don't talk about your script. 3 - Bond over topics outside your writing career. 4 - Don't ask for a favor until you've hung out at least 3-5 times. 5 - Pay for a drink or lunch (but don't always pay! You also don't want to make anyone feel obligated). 6 - Listen to people's recommendations and report back that you did. 7 - Follow up the next day to say you had a good time. 8 - Only befriend a MAXIMUM of 2 people at any given event. 9 - Check in every 6-12 months. Don't fall off the face of the earth. 10 - Keep notes. Remember their hometown, dog's name, kids' names, etc. 11 - Give without asking. Share something you think they'll enjoy. Ask about their life. Reach out when you don't have a reason to reach out. 12 - Add them on social media. Comment about non-industry-related news. 13 - Don't be weird. This should be easy if you are following Habit #1. If you're trying to force a relationship that doesn't feel natural, your conversations won't flow easily. You might not have a lot in common with this person. That's okay. Let it go. Move on to someone you get along with more easily. Too many people think networking is about quantity. When in reality, it's all about quality. A few solid relationships will lead to other solid relationships. It's the strength of your network (not its breadth) that will help you break through. *** If one of your networking goals is finding an agent or manager for your screenplay, make sure you read the PDF guide I put together on how to find a manager! Link in the comments below.

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Want to know the truth about breaking into SaaS in this economy? ❌ Following the traditional hiring process will get you a rejection email Nobody cares about… 1. 5 years of AE experience in another industry 2. degree 3. Your polished resume that’s completely irrelevant 4. How bad you need a job right now Hiring managers are going to pick the candidate with the lowest risk and highest upside. ⬇️Here’s how to be that candidate ⬇️ 500 candidates easy apply 100 send a 3 paragraph shitty LinkedIn DM with a resume nobody will read 10 cold call the hiring manager 5 send emails 2 send peronsalized LinkedIn videos 0 create a 30-60-90 day plan 0 multi thread the org to find out what business challenges their facing ✅ That’s how you get hired in this market ✅ Each additional step you take, you’re building credibility and showcasing your skills Candidate A just applies Candidate B takes 5 extra, tailored steps that showcase their skill set Who do you think is getting hired?

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My 2 biggest struggles as a new SDR were: 1. Confidence in my call opener 2. Becoming relevant/valuable quickly For those feeling uncomfortable on the phones, here's my advice: 1. Find a couple openers that match your personality. The best opener is one you’re most confident in. (I still use a Josh Braun special) 2. Finish this statement: “I know this is out of the blue- the reason I’m calling is….” The more compelling reason for calling is, the greater your chances of a positive outcome are. Currently, I’m at the point where I don’t have bad approaches, just bad deliveries.🤷🏼‍♂️ P.S. be aware that it doesn’t get easier- you just get better at it 📈 #sdr #sales #prospecting — My name is Brandon Jeppson, and I’ve spent 4820 hours as a student of sales. If you’re a new rep looking to level up quickly, I also highly endorse the Badass guide 2 Sales (I’ve been through it like 5 times- lifetime access) That’s wasn’t even paid btw 🤷🏼‍♂️

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I made 420 cold calls last week. Here’s a very rough breakdown: ~80 calls a day 24 connects ~6% connect rate Cold calling never gets easy. However, I’ve decided to double down on it. Here are 5 tips I’ve learnt so far: 1. Rejection is never personal. Learn to separate the product from the person. 2. Focus primarily on warmer buyers. These are people who have opened multiple emails and have engaged with company content. 3. Build a Hot lead list. Tag leads that pick up and call again at a different time. I currently have three calling blocks throughout the day. 4. Set personal daily targets. My current target is 80 calls a day. 5. Using a dialer like Trellus (YC W22) makes it easier to increase your call volume. 6. Validate pain and go for the close. Once there’s interest ask for the meeting. What would you add? P.s - I’ll be posting my weekly metrics for accountability. ______________ Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Ora for more.

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Prospecting ≠ Selling Prospecting finds you. Selling finds them. Prospecting is about interrupting and getting attention. Selling is about creating trust and persuading. Prospecting relies on: - Cold outreach - Ads - SEO - Paid Leads Selling relies on: - Content authority - Referrals - Network - Brand But, there isn't a clear line between the two. Some salespeople will use prospecting tactics within their selling process. Some prospectors will prime prospects with helpful content before trying to sell them. The point is that both are necessary for growth. You need to find people before you sell to them. The key is to understand your own strengths and use them to your advantage.

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What’s the impact of the SDR training? Hows 200% quota in the first month? Those who’d put in the effort, will see benefits like no one other. Question to ask is- what’s the impact of no sdr training? No Training SDR makes the mistakes You Don’t fix the mistakes No Pipepline No Revenue Attrition Stress Rehiring No Training Cycle continues Break the cycle. School of SDR is starting our 18th cohort next Tuesday. We have 3 slots left. #sales #sdr

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My simple 3-step guide to SDR → AE Promotion. (Most reps don’t do this..) When I got promoted to AE from SDR I wasn’t the most tenured SDR. I was one of the newer reps. I’d only been there 8 months. Here’s what I did to stand out from everyone else: 1. Performance is a must. If you’re not a top performer… Your chances of going up drop, significantly. - Ramp up quickly by copying what the great reps do. - Copy successful cadences / messaging. - Add your on flavor once you get confident. 2. Create a plan. Meet with your manager and future AE managers. - Create a plan using a google doc. - What else must you show them beyond performance? - Establish a rough timeline for promotion. Once you finish your action items. Reconnect, and add more to the doc. 3. Build internal champions. You need your - AE. - Manager. - Future AE manager. to champion for you. There is risk to promoting an SDR. No closing experience compared to outside hires. You reduce that risk when you have people saying “he/she is the right person for the job.” Build those relationships and maintain them. Then, Ask for their support when a spot opens up. P.s. There is always luck that goes into that promotion. - A rep can leave. - There could be an organizational need to hire more. - etc.. Be in a position to take advantage of the opportunity. ➡️ What would you add for SDRs looking to move up? Subscribe to my newsletter - Sales Synergy - 👉 Link in bio.

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It's not always pretty 🐩 Different prospects, same company size, industry and title. 🧢 Same objection ❌ Same objection handling ✅ Two different outcomes 🔛 Prospect 1: We are not looking at this prior to Q2 next quarter. Prospect 2: We are not looking at this for the next 6-9 months. Objection handling: - I understand you may not actively looking for a solution at this stage. Is this because of competing priorities or the current system does the trick? (Let them elaborate) - Considering the challenges you face have an impact, we could definitely speak again in 6 months. However, what we often see is that there is never an "adequate" time for a review. What we usually do, we go through a quick chat, determine if we are the right fit for you and you are the right fit for us, and discuss next steps from there. How are you placed "X" day at "X" time ? (This is Key) Both prospects book in the call. Prospect 1: Loved our system, brought the timeline forward and signed 3 weeks back. Prospect 2: Rocked up to the chat stating they were not expecting the chat and that they are only looking mid 2025. 1 meeting was epic. 1 meeting was borderline unqualified. Do what you gotta do and add value to your customer's day 👜 The only way to do it #NotAlwaysPretty #SDR #ObjectionHandling #HRIS

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All great insights but winning at discovery is the best.

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