Ryan Parker

SDR leaders, quit being the superhero. It's stunting your team's growth. (both professional and pipeline) Your job isn't about: ❌ Giving your reps all the answers ❌ Solving all their problems ❌ Running a dictatorship ❌ Doing it all yourself ❌ Micromanaging Your job is about: ✅ Helping your reps find the answers ✅ Coaching problem-solving ✅ Running a democracy ✅ Delegating out tasks ✅ Giving autonomy Less about being the superhero. More about empowering superheroes. Magical things happen when you "relinquish control". Your team becomes more self-sufficient, engaged and productive. And they grow ridiculously faster. Meanwhile you become less stressed. Relieving the constant pressure on yourself. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal right? Well that's because it is. So do yourself a favor. Take off your cape.

30

7 Comments

SDR Dashboards - what do you want to see? Gimme your top 3 stats/charts/reports you like to see on YOUR dashboard for pipeline gen. There's the obvious activity levels and SQL/SAL volumes but what else do you like to see.....

1

5 Comments

Everyone is asking whether CS should own renewals and upsell.  Here is what happens if it doesn't. 👇 It’s not good.  I spoke to an Enterprise CSM yesterday about some changes happening in her company. → Renewals and upsells are moving out of CS and back into Sales. → Account Managers will now handle the commercial part of CS’ role. This move is interesting, as it runs counter to what most CRO’s are doing. → Renewals and upsells are increasingly owned by CS, which in some cases means they own a quota for the first time. → Sales continues to own new business and cross-sell to new business units in existing customers. ________________ My friend wanted to know what I thought of this.. First, I don’t have nearly enough information to comment on whether this is a good move or not. I assume they have capable leaders and they have their reasons. There is no right answer. That said, I told her what I would tell my son or daughter if they found themselves in this situation. Get out. I’ve been a part of two companies that did this and this is what I saw… → CS becomes the dumping ground for everything AMs don’t want to do. → CS becomes the scapegoat for every customer that down-sells or leaves. → CS becomes a cost center that will do nothing but shrink. But perhaps the most interesting question behind this move is…why? Because in my experience, if you ask why enough times to understand the rationale behind the move, you eventually end up at… → Leadership does not trust CS. → Leadership does not understand CS. → Leadership does not respect CS. And if those things are true, things are about to get a lot worse before they get better. CS stepping up with more commercial responsibility is not a trend or a nice-to-have. It’s the only way to survive. 📩 Want more? Try my free newsletter. Click the link in my profile. 🔔 Follow me, Bob Mathers, for more. 🎙 Listen to the Growth Mixtape Podcast with Bob Mathers.

136

40 Comments

Want to have more effective sales conversations? Unlock the power of strategic questioning with “100 Great Sandler Questions… And When To Ask Them.” Equip yourself to discover what your buyers need and achieve better outcomes in every sales meeting. In this white paper, you will learn: ✅ Questions to identify and understand buyer needs ✅ When and how to ask them for maximum impact ✅ How to get your buyers from where they are to where they want to be Get the most out of every sales conversation. Download your copy here: https://lnkd.in/gHQNsfWi 🔗 #SandlerTraining #SalesSuccess

3

1 Comment

Hot topic amongst the SDR community! "I can't make a cold call without doing pre-call research" Common assumption mistakes made when making a cold call. 1. The prospect is going to be so impressed, that they stop whatever you have interrupted them doing to get knees deep into a conversation. 2. They haven't heard your opener before and won't think it is a cold cold call. 3. Your 'research' will eliminate the fact that you are on the back foot and will instantly give you control. Your cold call actually is an ambush, a complete interruption and don't be misguided with the arrogance to think that you are any different to the many - the sooner you respect this - the sooner you conversion rates will go up. You should - 1. Acknowledge your ambush, empathise and ask for a moment to explain the purpose of the call. 2. Create a breakthrough statement around a pain point that raises curiosity. 3. Having raised curiosity with your breakthrough statement, and that you believe (very important wording) you have created a solution, ask for 20 mins at a more appropriate time to explain how the breakthrough works. 4. If they then ask how - lightly explain (Do not get into the weeds) and get the meeting by expressing how a more appropriate time will allow for complete understanding. Thats it. Listen to Chris Beall explain how pre-call research actually hinders your chances, not help. Be professionally curious... https://lnkd.in/e6K48vw8

6

15 Comments

Sales training isn't just a "nice to have"—it's a strategic investment with measurable impact on both performance and revenue. An article authored by Brendan Connaughton at Qwilr reveals just how powerful effective sales training can be: companies that prioritize comprehensive sales development programs report an average ROI of 353% and are 57% more effective than their peers. Here’s what stood out to me: =>Enhanced Sales Effectiveness: When reps have a structured training program, they’re more equipped to close deals and create lasting customer relationships. As a result, sales teams that invest in regular, targeted training consistently outperform their competitors. =>Higher Employee Retention: The study shows that effective training doesn’t just improve numbers—it boosts job satisfaction, too. When reps feel confident in their skills and supported in their roles, they’re more likely to stay, reducing costly turnover and creating a more stable, seasoned sales force. =>Direct Impact on Revenue: Teams that undergo effective training see a tangible difference in revenue generation. The skills they build allow them to spot opportunities faster, respond to customer needs with precision, and engage in higher-quality conversations. It’s an investment that fuels sustainable growth and positions the team as true partners to their clients. As the data suggests, companies that prioritize structured, ongoing sales training don't just build better sales reps—they build a resilient, adaptable, and motivated sales team. For organizations focused on long-term growth, this approach is a clear path to measurable impact. Explore the full study here to see how sales training could be a game-changer for your team: #SalesTraining #BusinessImpact #SalesSuccess #EmployeeEngagement #RevenueGrowth #ROI https://lnkd.in/eaEfVzz2

10

With the amount of information available, final pre-call research used to take me hours the night before important meetings. It was a guaranteed way to cut through the noise and stand out against 15 other seller calls an exec had that day. Over-prepare, deliver with confidence, and the results will follow. It worked. Lately, I've been using ChatGPT to inform outreach and quickly make messaging more impactful -- building custom models for each account. This takes time to set up, but it's a no brainer for strategic customers or top prospects to cut down research time while improving relevancy. I'm evolving the strategy, but phase one looked like this: 1. Collect important investor materials → 10K, 10Q, Earnings transcripts, Investor Summit PDFs, Leadership bios, top news articles. 2. Create GPT → Upload docs and ask to familiarize with materials, your role, and mutual goals you're working towards with the customer 3. Draft a series of prompts → Provide clarity around your market, platform, and typical customer value points. Start simple:   • I work in sales for [x company] and we provide [x service]. Customers usually see value in these areas: [driver 1], [driver 2], [driver 3].  • Typically, our customers are most interested in solving [pain point 1], [pain point 2], or [pain point 3].  • Our website can be found at [website]. (helps to include individual product pages where applicable) • Based on the information shared, will plan to ask a series of follow up questions to validate how our solutions can benefit [x company]. Does this sound ok? 4. Save as [Customer Name] GPT Model  → Repeat for each customer and save in personal ChatGPT environment for future promoting. You now have unique GPT models, each with advanced knowledge of your top customers or prospects -- contextualized around your offerings. Let's test it out. Ask a few questions: • Knowing that I work in sales for [your company name], what opportunities should I focus on when talking with [customer/prospect company name]? • Given your knowledge of [your company name], what strategic initiatives could we most likely impact at [customer/prospect company name]? • What are some of the top risk factors challenging [customer/prospect company name] this year? Next time you have an EB or Go-No-Go call and need to understand positive business outcomes leadership could be evaluating them on... boom! Want to make sure your POV is targeted, based on C-Level strategic initiatives... here you go! Care to see if they were featured in any podcast, video, or interview... and what points may be useful... ask GPT! AI + Automation is changing the way we work, and sales is no exception. Sure beats my old method of CTRL + F searches on SeekingAlpha transcripts. 🔍 Give this a try and let me know what you think. Any other GPT tips for sales?

16

2 Comments

Your sales enablement initiatives should be designed to innovate and enact change. With the discipline of change management, enablement can transform the way your organization sells. Get tips for driving your enablement strategy in this article: https://hubs.li/Q02KCtZr0 #SalesEnablement #SalesTraining #B2BSales RAIN Group

7

Unlock the power of sales intelligence to connect with prospects more meaningfully. 🙌 Build strong connections with potential clients using actionable tactics you can implement immediately. This webinar will help you: 👉 Understand the data available on ZoomInfo 👉 Tailor ZoomInfo to your prospecting needs 👉 Improve prospecting efficiency and outcomes 👁️ Watch it on demand here: https://lnkd.in/gh83pJEw #SalesEnablement #Sandler

3

How do we scale aggressive sales growth consistently? The answer lies in Sandler's very own Dave Mattson’s latest article in Top Sales Magazine. Discover the insights in “The Paradox of Sales Leadership: Your Product is Not Your Product” and learn how to drive sustainable growth. Download your free copy here: https://hubs.la/Q02Q9sfF0 #SalesLeadership #SalesGrowth #Sandler #SalesSuccess

1

I'd say it's not as black and white as it might seem. Initially, I was tempted to go all-in on the $500K account, but here's my take. The existing $100K client has product reliability issues and needs attention NOW. We all know how hard it is to rebuild trust once it's damaged. Keeping reliable revenue is gold, sometimes even more valuable than new logos. I can't just ghost a new $500K account. I'd front-load the first week focused on the renewal account—schedule the product meetings, create a solid timeline, and get everything in writing. Then, in week two, I would shift my focus to the new account, ensuring they know I’m setting them up for success. The key is being super transparent with both clients. I won't pretend I can be everywhere at once. Set clear expectations, leverage every internal resource available, and document everything to show leadership why this resource crunch creates unnecessary risk. Real talk! When our comp structure forces us to choose between saving existing revenue and properly onboarding new accounts, something needs adjusting. Maybe that's the bigger conversation we should be having. #CustomerSuccess #SaaS #Leadership #CustomerExperience

3

1 Comment

If you want to get promoted to AE, You need to have AE skills. And, unfortunately, most SDRs don't have them. Why? Because the SDR role and the AE role are very very different. If you just focus on developing your skills as an SDR and expect to get promoted to AE, You're kidding yourself. You'll get better as an SDR (which is table stakes for promotion), But you won't show you're ready for the next step. So how do you develop AE skills? By doing AE work. This means running calls. And it doesn't have to be customer calls right off the bat. Here's a strategy that worked for me: Schedule a mock call with a different person internally every week. There are 3 big advantages of this: 1️⃣ You get experience running calls and then get quick feedback on where you can improve 2️⃣ You get to work with different personalities and get different perspectives on how to best run a call 3️⃣ Word will get around internally that you're working on your AE skills, which will improve your internal personal brand This is how you take control of your own development. There are a lot of competition for these spots, So you need to make your promotion a no-brainer. There's no better way to do that than to do the job before you actually get it. #sdr #bdr #ae #sales #growth

1

I have been thinking a lot about this recently. There is a significant issue in top of funnel prospecting as we go into 2025. Sales teams and Sales Leaders are struggling to find the most efficient sales cadence for engaging with new prospects. Do we email first?...and if so, how many times is appropriate? Do we call first? Do we reach out on LinkedIn? Do we find them at a networking event? Do we spend money on being an exhibitor? Do we work the referral route? .....and all of the above....In what order?? Two things are for certain... 1. It's getting harder to cut through the noise and make the right impression 2. Everything you do is pointing at having a live conversation. Multi channel is definitely a process that works. And the more subtle and interesting it can be, the more chance you have of positive engagement. However... Is sending an email first working? Is send a Linkedin Message (or 5) first, working? Are they reacting to your content? Does your content even get noticed? My preference is to have a conversation. This conversation is about creating curiosity and living to fight another day. I can do all the research in the world, send all the white papers I like and yet they are just not willing or able to engage atm. Pick up the phone - introduce yourself - get on the radar, and then nurture the relationship with all of the above? This is one way that works for me (not all the time, but the majority of the time. 1. Build a list of the right ICP 2. Call the list and create curiosity and start a relationship. 3. Follow up with various mediums, if they are not ready now. The more people I actually speak to, the more I learn and more chance I have of finding the ones who want to find out more. P.s - Don't send me a message on Jan 5th 2025, wishing me a Happy New Year - that is not a start!

5

3 Comments

What sets the top 10% of sales performers apart from their peers? The most successful salespeople optimize their sales calls by planning ahead. With Sandler’s Pre-Call Planner, you can too. Organize essential information, record notes, and outline goals and next steps to maximize your chances of success. 👉 Download yours here to start planning your next call: https://lnkd.in/gCviAya5 #Sandler #SalesTraining #SalesTool

1

Sales professionals achieve more with commission visibility. Did you know that 75% of reps need help understanding how they earn commissions. And or have to ask for updates. Your compensation plans should motivate reps to sell new products, reactivate dormant accounts, and win new logos. Don't confuse them because if they give up trying, you get a "great dividing range" between your planned growth and lack of buy-in. I've seen and experienced this many times before. Most commission structures and bonus systems should be updated as things change and prices decrease or increase. Simply working on sales vs. budget will only cut it if the company provides the tools to succeed. Some leaders need help finding new ways to incentivize their teams, and leading KPIs support your team's long-term success. Notably, only some are motivated by money. How amazing would it be for your team to know precisely how their output impacts their paycheck and your business's goals? I'm offering three companies an opportunity to build a new compensation plan next week. These one-hour complimentary sessions will review your plan and provide solutions to reward, track and motivate your team. Who's in? Comment below or DM me for a confidential discussion. Please like, share, or comment on KPIs that work for you to drive more sales activity, growth, and rewards for your sales team. #leadership #humanresources #arrowsalestrajectory

11

2 Comments