Flip the Script: My Top 5 Takeaways for SDRs

When Becc Holland invited me to hit the road with Chorus for their first-ever Flip the Script North American Tour, I was all in.

And last week, we quite literally hit the road: traveling from city to city on a tour bus (no, I’m not kidding) with the shared goal of disrupting the status quo and help SDRs and AEs drive more quota, book more meetings, and close more deals.

I had the thrill of being a panelist on the first four stops of the tour, along with some fellow sales leaders I greatly admire. And sure, it was an honor to share some of my experiences and words of wisdom with rooms full of ambitious, energetic sales professionals who reminded me why I love what I do.

But I also left with a whole lot of learnings that were too great not to share with the SDRs at Ambition — and with the rest of the world, too. Here are my top 5 takeaways from Flip the Script:

1. Outbound with a soul

2. Make more deposits than withdrawals (Credit: Josh Braun)

3. Kill the fluff

4. Know your best customer

5. Choose the middle bunk

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1. Outbound with a soul

This is where automation can get dangerous. We forget that we’re people talking to people, and we start focusing on quantity, volume, speed.

Hustle is awesome. And it’s critical. But more isn’t always more if you’re leaving your heart out of it. 

A little cheesy, maybe, but true: if your SDRs are thinking of their prospects as a humans, not as a numbers, it’s much easier to bring empathy back to the sales process. That means leading with value that actually helps them, not a sales pitch or ask on call #1. (As opposed to focusing on our needs and how to hit our targets.)

2. Make more deposits than withdrawals 

Before SDRs can start asking things of their prospects, they should consider what they’re bringing to the table.

Building off #1, it’s about understanding needs — and using that to establish the need specifically for what you’re offering. And generally, that should happen before you ever start talking about your product or service.

It’s also about building credibility and delivering value from the very first touchpoint. A great way to do that is by providing free content — maybe an informative, timely blog post or a downloadable guide that addresses relevant pain points.

The bottom line: when SDRs invest in their leads from the get-go, they’ll create an opportunity for buy-in down the road.

3. Kill the fluff

SDRs have to approach their roles with intention.

Of course, there’s some improvisation that will need to happen, and you never want to lose your personality — that’s what makes for a great connection! — but for less seasoned reps, a little structure can go a long way.

Following a flexible or free-form template around calls, emails and LinkedIn messages can do wonders in making newer SDRs feel more comfortable and learn what works (and what doesn’t). They don’t have to sacrifice personalization, but having guidelines in place can ensure they’re not unnecessarily “winging it” or making the buyer journey any longer than it has to be.

Once they’ve got the structure down, then they can start testing, iterating and optimizing, using data and experience as their guide. 

4. Know your best customer

When an SDR’s job is “done,” and they’ve successfully moved a lead farther down the funnel, what happens next? 

Usually, it’s onto the next one. But hey: not so fast.

Smart SDRs keep an eye on what happens to their leads after they become opportunities and ultimately, customers. Customer success managers typically own that role, but sales reps should have a finger on the pulse of their prospects-turned-customers to see how they’re doing with the product, why they love it, where they’ve seen ROI — and even where they might be struggling. 

That kind of information is invaluable as they’re looking for their next great prospect: they can use what they’ve found to identify other leads who could become your next “greatest customers,” by searching for people with similar traits and needs. And bonus: they’ll have a ready-made success story when they ultimately find that person.

5. Choose the middle bunk

Look, I could devote an entire blog post just to tips for riding a tour bus across America with a bunch of sales pros.

But if you’re ever lucky enough to find yourself in that position, two words: middle bunk. You don’t feel the twists and turns of the road like you feel on the top, and you’re protected from the bumps that you’d feel on the bottom. 

(And if all else fails: bring your own coffee.)

Did you catch us at Flip the Script? Share your own takeaways on LinkedIn and be sure to tag it with #flipthescript.