Daniel Barber’s Post

Thinking about transitioning into tech sales from another industry? Or are you a current SDR who has the itch to try out a startup? I recently had an in depth conversation with Seth M. List who has 20 years of inside sales, sales development, sales operations, leadership & coaching experience to provide a behind the scenes look at the startup sales development life. (link to interview in the comments below) In the conversation we discuss: -How to sell a snow cone to an eskimo -The metrics & qualities that determine SDR success in a startup environment ' -Any easy hack to build rock solid messaging that converts to meetings -How the SDR role has evolved over time & challenges facing modern SDRs -How to think about transitioning into tech sales from other industries -Seth's interview process including real world interview questions & hypothetical sales exercises he uses to evaluate aspiring candidates Seth doesn't do a lot of interviews because he's out in the real world leading & driving revenue so make sure to take advantage of this opportunity by taking notes and sharing with others who could benefit from the message! Feel welcome to subscribe to Chris Bussing on YT & stay tuned for more power packed interviews coming out this month! Happy Selling & Happy Living, Chris #techsales #techstartup #salesdevelopment #salesdevelopmentrepresentative

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐃𝐑𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞" 𝐈𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐒𝐃𝐑𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭: They rely on hard work alone, thinking effort is enough to hit their targets. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡? The right habits build consistency, resilience, and exceptional results. I once managed an SDR who had raw talent but no structure. He’d grind endlessly, calling, emailing, and prospecting—but his results were inconsistent. He’d hit quota one month and miss it the next, frustrated by the lack of progress despite his effort. Here’s what he learned: Success in sales isn’t about working harder; it’s about working smarter. When he adopted a structured approach - tracking metrics, refining his follow-ups, and managing his time effectively - his numbers became predictable, and he quickly became a top performer. The best SDRs in any team: They aren’t just hustling - they operate with discipline. 𝐓𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐃𝐑 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬: - 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰-𝐔𝐩 Great SDRs know deals are won in follow-up. Stay persistent, but always add value—share insights, articles, or case studies to keep prospects engaged. - 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐬: Don’t just count activities—measure effectiveness. How many calls lead to meetings? How many emails get responses? Use those metrics to adjust and improve. - 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨: Block time for high-impact tasks like prospecting and calling. Protect these hours fiercely and avoid distractions. Companies that scale have teams of SDRs who don’t just grind—they execute with focus, consistency, and efficiency. What habits have made the biggest difference in your sales journey? #Sales #SDR #Founders #Startups

Diary of an SDR: When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted Ever wonder what it's like to be the beneficiary of your own cold outreach? Well, I just found out. My mission: Find a mentor. My strategy: Apply the same persistence and resilience I use daily as an SDR. The result? A masterclass in learning to do as I say I do. Here's how it went down: 1. Prospecting: Instead of leads, I was searching for potential mentors. LinkedIn became my hunting ground. 2. Outreach: Sent connection requests. Commented on posts. Got in front of my targets. Crafted personalized messages. No generic "Can I pick your brain?" here! 3. Rejections: Oh boy, it's a little harder to shake off when you are trying to sell yourself. "Too busy," "Not taking on mentees," "Try again next quarter." Sound familiar? 5. Persistence: Just like in my day to day sales, I didn't let rejections deter me. Each "no" was one step closer to a "yes." The jackpot? After a few targeted attempts, I landed a mentor who doesn't usually take on mentees by applying the same grit and determination I use every day in my SDR role. Here's the thing: If we're willing to put ourselves out there for our company's growth, why not do the same for our own development? This experience was a powerful reminder that the skills we hone as SDRs - persistence, handling rejection, effective communication - are invaluable beyond just closing deals. They're tools for personal growth too. To my fellow SDRs: How are you applying your sales skills to your personal development? And for the seasoned pros out there: Any tips on making the most of a mentorship?

🎢 Life of an SDR: A Cold Call I’ll Never Forget Today, I had one of the most incredible experiences in my career. I made a cold call to a Co-founder and CEO, and honestly, I’m still in awe of how the conversation went. After giving my opening, the first question he asked was, “Is this a cold call?” I replied, “Yes.” What happened next was beyond anything I could have expected. Instead of brushing me off or cutting the conversation short, he began guiding me. After every line, he offered feedback, asked me to start again, and provided invaluable insights. It wasn’t just a conversation; it was a masterclass. I’ve been cold calling for years, but never in my wildest dreams did I think someone on the other end of the line would take the time to mentor me during the call. I walked away from that call with so much more than I started with—new skills, new perspectives, and a renewed appreciation for what I do. Thank you to Oded Ran for turning what could have been just another cold call into an unforgettable learning experience. 🙏 #Sales #SDR #ColdCalling #LearningExperience #GrowthMindset

There's quite a few coaches out there right now for sales reps. I follow them too just like you. What I'm seeing is quite a few people that may have been at a big company and been successful, but what's lacking is not all of them have Startup Grit and very few have technical prowess. Maybe they used a great sales engineer from the big company to close deals. Most people that choose me to ignite their SaaS startup do so because I've worked at 3 startups and I've been in marketing, an SDR, an AE, a Sales Engineer, a Director, a VP, and a CEO. What I offer, different from every coach, is I can build a sales pipeline from scratch because I coach pain selling, technical white boarding, and closing tactics that you won't find anywhere else - I call it the PTV Method™. Using it, I closed $750k my first quarter and $4M my first year at an MSSP, making them the #1 fastest growing on INC5000 in 2023. So my ideas are hot and fresh. What are you waiting for?

What drives me to do this day in and day out? 🙅♀️ I mean, after nearly 15 years, any job is exhausting, and sales can be particularly so. 😮💨 To be able to do well, you have to always be “on.” This means you have to: - Listen intently, - Use your intelligence to identify the right solution for a customer, - Rely on your judgment to decide if you’re the right person to help them at that moment, - ⁠Find nice ways to tell them when their great idea won’t work. Phew ! And on top of all that? There’s the Constant rejection. If you’re great, you get rejected only 60- 70% of the time. 🙂↔️ So, what keeps me going? Honestly, It’s the impact we are able to make. Over the past nine years of running Leadle, we’ve helped more than 500 startups set up and scale their outbound processes. We’ve taken incredible products to market, or helped clients realize their products needed more work before going to market (saving them a ton of time and money). We’ve worked with some of the most inspiring founders out there and we have inspired some of them too. 💡 I can’t really think of any other field where I could make this kind of difference at this point in time. When I get out of bed in the morning, I have a sense of purpose, and I’m extremely grateful to have that. So, what keeps you going on with whatever you’re doing today? #outbound #sales #b2bsales

As an SDR, the dry spells can be tough. When sales aren’t coming through and things start to slow down, it can be easy to take it personally. But honestly? It’s not always on you. Sometimes, it’s just the time of year—prospects are distracted with budgets, holidays, or just winding down the year. Here are a few ways to stay on track when things feel a bit stagnant: 1. Don’t ignore the small wins – A “maybe” today can turn into a “yes” tomorrow. Those smaller opportunities might not be big right now, but they’re the ones that’ll pay off when things ramp back up. Nurture those relationships! 2. Keep your to-do list tight – When things feel slow, it’s easy to feel scattered. Stay organized and break your goals down into bite-sized tasks. Getting small things done will keep you motivated. 3. Take time to learn – Slow periods are a great chance to level up. Whether it’s diving deeper into your product or mastering new tools, investing time in your growth now can pay huge dividends when the pace picks back up. 4. Protect your mindset – It’s easy to feel deflated when things aren’t moving, but staying positive is everything. Take breaks, celebrate the little wins, and don’t be afraid to lean on your team for support. It’s all part of the grind—so hang in there. The dry seasons won’t last forever, and when the opportunities do start coming, you’ll be ready to crush it! 💪🚀 #SDRlife #SalesTips #MindsetMatters #StayPositive #GrowthMindset

As SDR leaders, its so crucial for us to remember what the BDR Journey is and how to help our teams to embrace the challenge, and feel what it’s like to reap the Rewards Being an SDR/BDR is no walk in the park. It’s a role that demands resilience, determination, and a relentless drive to succeed. Here’s why being a BDR is one of the toughest—and most rewarding—jobs out there: Facing Rejection, it’s a scary word rejection but every day brings its share of rejections. But remember, each "no" is one step closer to a "yes." Stay resilient. These days targets are higher than ever. Yes, the targets are aggressive. But these goals push you to surpass your limits and achieve greatness, not wait on others try new things and be different - embrace the challenge and watch yourself grow. Cold calling and emailing can be daunting. But these skills sharpen your communication prowess and teach you the art of being a top seller as the best sales people know how to dial, prospect. And how to close. Don’t be like the many who don’t know the first two. To succeed, you need a profound understanding of your product and industry. This knowledge not only makes you effective but positions you as an expert. It takes time though maybe a year or more before you start feeling you really got it The pressure to deliver can be intense. But it’s this very pressure that molds you into a high performer who thrives under any circumstance. Also how you manage your time will help this and is often the secret. The market is crowded, and competition is fierce. Stand out by being the one who puts in the extra action. Lead with a positive attitude and let your passion drive you to success. To all the BDRs or SDRs out there, know that your hard work and perseverance are paving the way for a brighter future. Embrace the challenges, celebrate the victories, and keep pushing forward. Your journey is what legends are made of. 🌟💼 #BDR #Sales #SDR #GrowthMindset #Resilience #Success #BusinessDevelopment #SalesLife #CareerGrowth

As an SDR Manager, the single most important question you can ask in your day to day is, "what is it you're already thinking of doing?". A large chunk of my time at Klue is spent as a coach - as such I get asked a ton of prospecting questions throughout the week. It's more often than not quicker and easier to just provide my two cents and move on to the next thing... but who is that serving? In my experience - not your SDRs. Instead, ask your team to bring you a half baked idea and then work with them to flush it out. Or ask something like, "what do you wanna do with this one? I have thoughts I can add, but you go first". The vast majority of the time your SDR is going to give you an answer that's even better than what you were thinking. Lead with context not control (shoutout Netflix), sales is a creative pursuit. Caveat - you need to be able to walk the walk. Sometimes an SDR just needs to be pointed in the right direction. That's when you lean on your expertise in prospecting and/or your context to share historically what has or hasn't worked (helpful if you've prospected before of course). SECOND CAVEAT - if you want to put ownership on your team to bring ideas, not just questions, you have to set them up with a system where they can learn the fundamentals. Your onboarding program should cover why you prospect the way you do, how you prospect, and what good looks like. Food for thought. #sdr #sdrmanager #salesdevelopment #sales

Avoiding prospecting? Putting off making cold calls? Mental blocks happen to all sales reps, but learning how to move past them is the secret power of all top performers. In a role that is 90% execution, getting unstuck quickly is particularly important in sales. Usually, the hardest part is acknowledging to yourself that it’s happening. Once you do that, the rest is pretty cruisy. Here are my top 5 favorite ways to overcome mental blocks in sales: 1. Energize: Hit the gym or go for a walk outside. This helps you get out of your head and into action 2. Collaborate: Phone a friend! Book a zoom/room together, and turn on some music. Do it together, and have fun with it! 3. Build Momentum: Set and achieve small goals, get back in your flow, and build confidence 4. Prioritize: Tackle tough tasks early before distractions pile up 5. Create Accountability: Establish daily, achievable metrics to track progress And I don't know who needs to hear this today, but it's not you; it's the summer. Push through it, and let's get it 🤝 #startups #sales #technology