A look back at the top 3 conversations in our Slack channel over the last week or so.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of LinkedIn
In our #quickquestions channel, Tom Slocum wanted to know if there was a better way to see the status of his LinkedIn connection requests without manually having to keep track.
There was not.
For all the capabilities LinkedIn & Sales Navigator give us, they still lack a handful of relatively basic functionalities. Instead, they gave us Stories…
It’s moments like these when you remember that, while unique, LinkedIn has the same motivation as every other social media platform; to make money. And as long as the majority of their users don’t pay for the platform that won’t change because they will continue to prioritize advertisements over functionality.
But outside change is already on the horizon. As Greyson Fullbright points out in the conversation, automation tools like SHIELD and PhantomBuster are becoming increasingly effective at automating some of these manual processes, so while there’s no immediate fix for Tom’s problem, that doesn’t mean there won’t be in the near future as automation continues to refine its role in sales development.
Tip Top Value Props
Once you have someone on the phone, it’s up to you to lead them in the right direction by sharing what you think they’ll find valuable. What a lot of SDRs (especially newer ones) don’t realize is that not every value prop actually has value for every prospect.
So how do you make sure you’re using the most resonant value props? AJ Alonzo’s strategy was to establish a value prop hierarchy.
“First, I would develop a general value prop. Then, over time, I would refine it based on my conversation notes.
‘Managers care more about X, but directors and VPs care more about Y.’
I tracked it all in a Google Sheet and made updates as I uncovered them.”
By tracking his prospects’ feedback AJ was able to refine his messaging so that he only shared the most relevant and intriguing information with each persona. In other words, as Austin Fuller pointed out, he improved his storytelling:
“The spreadsheet you’ve described sounds to me like you went from a vague to a much more refined story that ultimately resonated more with the prospect.”
Over time AJ was able to craft the perfect story for each of his personas so that he could go into a cold conversation with the confidence and charisma of someone who knew exactly how it would go.
Value props aren’t universal. Some can even be detrimental. You don’t want to have a conversation with someone and halfway through tell them that your product will basically render them obsolete. Save that one for their boss or someone else higher up the ladder. By knowing which props to use, and when, you can guarantee a longer, more fruitful conversation with prospects, ultimately leading to the results you’re looking for.
Finding a Job During a Pandemic
When the COVID Pandemic started, many organizations chose to go lean by laying off some, if not all, of their SDRs. It was a stressful time to be in Sales Development. Luckily, as businesses have started to stabilize, hiring SDRs is back on the menu.
This week 6 different companies expressed interest in hiring SDRs in our #juicyjobboard channel. And the best part? Most of them are remote positions regardless of COVID restrictions. If you’re on the hunt, fresh out of college, or just looking for a change in scenery, there hasn’t been a better time in 2020 to look for new SDR roles.
Want the details? I’d suggest hopping into the Slack channel and then DMing the person who posted the opening. The worst thing that happens is you make a great connection for the future. Sounds like a win-win to me.
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Want to join these conversations or even start one of your own? Use this link to join the Slack community where these types of conversations are taking place every day. Then head over to the #introductions channel and say hey!