Darrell Nichols’ Post

After dinner my son (Hank) was doing some light reading. We chuckled, snapped a pic, and jumped in the car to head home. But driving back, my mind was racing with sports memories of my own... More specifically, the impact that coaches/mentors have had in my life and roles coaches will play as my kids begin their athletic pursuits. My favorite coaches still stand out. Each for different reasons, but all had a few things is common: - experience and previous success in playing career - celebrated team and individual accomplishment - interested in teaching more than winning - led by example, skated drills, etc. - infectiously positive mindset Great coaches can help ordinary teams achieve extraordinary outcomes together. As a dad and tech sales professional, coaches are still everywhere around me: - seeking coaching from leaders to continue advancing my own career - learning from sales coaches joining our SKO, QBR, off-site events - following sales leaders on LinkedIn to keep my own skills sharp - watching Hank learn to skate, saying "coach" with a smile - releasing control to let others teach our kids new skills Coaches have guided me through every stage of life, and now I'm interested in helping others where my experience working in tech sales can add value. I'm partnering with athletes to help them launch tech sales careers through 1:1 coaching and intros to hiring managers from my network looking to fill BDR/SDR roles. Curious to learn more or know someone who might be? Let's connect! #BDR #SDR #Sales #Tech #SaaS #Golf

Building a sales team with no direct tech sales experience has been a wild ride. Here are some things I’ve learned: - Recognizing what you can and cannot teach is key. There are plenty of skills that I have acquired during my career that are super relevant for any sales rep. Yet, there is some mentoring that I can’t possibly excel at providing - Filling in the gaps with consultants and internal hires is the way to go. - Being open to learning will make you a better manager. I hired experienced sales reps. If I don’t open myself up to their feedback and their knowledge, not only am I doing wrong by them, but I am limiting my own growth both as a seller and as a founder. - There are plenty of people out there that hold the knowledge you need. Reach out to them. Meet up for coffee. Network. Pay that consultant. Become friends with them. Do what you can to have direct access to the knowledge you don’t naturally possess. It has been a journey, and a humbling one at that. But it has also taught me so much about sales and about myself as a professional. #sales #foundersjourney #tech

The #1 education an SDR can get... [and it's not my courses or lead magnets] → Work for a female boss. It'll change your career [and life] 3 BIG lessons ladies taught me... 1. Back Yourself. But Not Too Much. - You can't do everything - You're not a grandmaster - You should always be the student Swap ''I can do anything'' for ''am I really ready for this''? Be honest with yourself. 2. Compassion Comes Before Commission - Run an ''open-door'' policy - Create a safe space to talk - Talk about your feelings first Show people you're invested in them and they'll invest themselves back into you 10x. 3. Be MORE Than Your Title - Whether you're a Head of/ Director etc - What matters is how you make folks feel - That's what they'll remember about you Your team is only as good as they are feeling. Be the leader you wish you had when you started. Shout-out to 5 ladies I'd have loved to work for... 1. Emily Parker 2. Donna Owen 3. Sophie Allen 4. Nia Woodhouse 5. Jen Allen-Knuth Follow these folks, or better yet, go figure out if you can work with or for them. All SDRs should see this. ♻️ Reshare this post with your network. PS. 10 more lady leaders below👇

Three of the best customer-facing team members (Sales, CSO, etc.) I've ever worked with never had formal training in their respective areas. They had PhDs in the product. But had zero idea what formal training looked like. It's not right or wrong; it's just an interesting data point. It certainly doesn't scale, and your Board and CEO will hate that what they are doing isn't repeatable. Don't burn them out by trying to make more of them - hire people who are obsessed with learning and put them around the stars. But remember, over 50% of your results come from the square root (Price's Law), so make sure your square root is rock solid; not everyone needs to be a star for the team to succeed. Ultimately, I would take gritty people with great mentors over a good resume and a formal training program.

Don't forget to enjoy the rest of your weekend! I went from a staff member in the tech industry to a team lead in just two months. The number one question I ask aspiring sales professionals is: Why do you want to get into tech sales? Usually, it’s because they are money motivated, and rightly so. Here’s why tech sales can be a fantastic career choice: Experience over Degree: Any company with a brain will pick a proven track record of hitting targets over someone that went to university. High Earning Potential: Lucrative commission structures and bonuses make it a meritocratic environment, giving you control over your income. Fastest Growing Industry: The tech sector is fast-paced and always evolving, making your work interesting and engaging with new challenges and opportunities regularly. Career Progression: Companies value professionals who drive revenue. Success in sales leads to rapid career advancement, with opportunities to move from individual contributor to leadership roles. Limitless Learning: Tech sales offers constant learning. The industry’s rapid evolution keeps you on your toes, making every day a chance to expand your knowledge and skills. Transferable Skills: Some of the top performers I know had zero previous experience. Highlight your strengths that align with your dream role. Working in tech is not for everyone. You need to be: Resilient Persistent Rejection-proof And a whole lot more! With the rise of AI and new technology being produced every day, this industry will only continue to grow and innovate. #CareerGrowth #TechSales #SalesSuccess #CareerProgression #HighEarningPotential #TechIndustry #AI #FutureOfWork #SalesTips #Leadership #CareerAdvice #TechJobs #Resilience #Persistence #SalesMotivation #Innovation #SalesCareer #LinkedIn

🛑 Breaking into Tech Sales: Can It Really Be Done? Everyone wants to break into their dream tech role, work from home, and live their best life! A lot of us already went through the bootcamps, taken certifications, spent hours and hours on Google and LinkedIn searching for anything that would help us land that dream job, but with no substantial change. Some of us even have the hard skill of selling. Face it, tech is hard to break into. It’s very competitive. There are people who after 3 years are still looking for a job! It’s tiring receiving denial letters and getting ghosted by companies or even worse, never hearing back from them at all in the first place. There are also people who break into tech in a matter of months. It’s really confusing I know... Makes you wonder why things are this way. Maybe you’re asking yourself what you’re not doing right or what more you can do. The answer is simple. Get a mentor. Yes, you can do everything on your own and keep struggling but it’s much easier when you can be advised by someone with the experience, know-how, and ability to help you reach your goals. Every athlete has a coach. Every business person has financial advisor. When it comes to your professional life, who points you in the right direction? Allen Hughes III has helped me tremendously from reconstructing my LinkedIn page, helped me revise my resume, offered his years of valuable advice on the mindset of hiring managers, and so much more. Mentorship is something I believe in. Make sure that you seek mentorship and FastTrack Your Success... #techsales #sales #saas #mentorship #training #success #sdr #bdr #salesdevelopmentrepresentative #businesdevelopmentrepresentative

Hey Everyone! I have some pretty exciting news. 👀 I’m thrilled to announce the launch of my coaching program, designed to help people from all backgrounds break into tech sales. As an SDR Manager, I’ve had the privilege of guiding many talented individuals with unique skills into successful careers in tech sales. Now, I’m here to empower even more people to make this career shift! Tech sales is more than just a job—it’s a field where you can leverage your skills, achieve financial growth, and build a career with unlimited potential. My approach combines industry insights, skill-building, and personalized support to help you confidently take the first steps into tech. If you or someone you know is ready to transition into tech and take control of their career path, tag them here or connect with me to learn more. 📢 Feel free to reshare this post so we can spread the word and help more people discover new opportunities in tech. #TechSales #CareerChange #SalesDevelopment #NextStepToTech #BreakingIntoTech

"I want to be a Manager" Every day we hear this from candidates wanting to get into sales. It makes sense as it's believed that's the only way to progress. To be a Manager of something/someone. And when I started in my first tech sales role, that's all I wanted to do. I didn’t know you could progress a career as an individual contributor (IC). Companies are getting better at providing these pathways. Which is a good thing. But what I did learn was: Progression starts with getting really good at what you're doing currently. If you start there then progression will follow. In whatever form is right for you. -Start with your target. -Get really good at hitting that consistently. -The next steps will follow as your skillset builds. Then you can decide to take the management or IC path. Whatever feels right. #sales #salescareers #hiring #manager #ic P.S. This can change as your career progresses depending on your stage of life.

"I'm really coachable" says every candidate we speak with. An attribute that most entry-level roles want in candidates. An attribute that ALL SDR/BDR roles require. BUT You can't just say that you’re coachable. Everybody says this. To make yourself stand out. You need to demonstrate it. Can you tell a story about: -A previous sporting achievement. -Academic challenges that you've overcome. -Reflect on more personal/life experiences you can share. Don’t just talk about a vanilla experience from work. Bring your coachability to life. If you’re coachable... Then you’ll be learning and improving in all aspects of your life. #sales #salescareers #hiring #coachable P.S. Have you ever hired someone who wasn't coachable?

Is industry experience more important than sales experience and success? I have hired all experience levels of reps and I have found the following to be true: 1. I can teach you to sell or I can teach you the product and industry, but I can't do both. 2. It is much easier to teach you the product and industry. 3. Trying to hire top reps from a competitor rarely works. If you are the top rep at a competitor, why would you leave? 4. The value of a rolodex, that is an old school way of saying LinkedIn connections, can be valuable, but it is limited. If you are selling for one company and you leave for a competitor, how valuable it that rolodex? What do you tell your contacts? "I know I just told you I had the best product, but now I really mean it!" 5. If you are selling a different type of product in the same space, then yes, your rolodex can be very helpful, but is not the silver bullet. 6. Very early on in my management career, I promoted a very young sales rep, who I knew could sell, despite the objections or upper management. He proceeded to out sell everyone in the company and break the revenue attainment record. Hiring is hard. Successful hires can propel a company forward at light speed. On the other hand, unsuccessful hires can set you back for months if not years. Hiring candidates that I know can sell, but may need product and industry education, has been a very successful strategy. #sales #leadership #hiring #enterprisesales