5 Tips for SDRs to End the Year
Five things you can get done before New Years.
It's nearing the end of the year, so you might be running out of steam.
But you absolutely cannot simply get comfortable with things as they are.
There are still actions you can take as an SDR to finish the year strong and start the next one even stronger.
Here are five tips for you to end your year as an SDR strongly and successfully.
But you absolutely cannot simply get comfortable with things as they are.
There are still actions you can take as an SDR to finish the year strong and start the next one even stronger.
Here are five tips for you to end your year as an SDR strongly and successfully.
Contact Leads That Asked To Be Contacted At The End Of Q4
We've all had these.
Leads or prospects that replied to your sales cadence at some touchpoint to tell you now is not the right time to have this discussion. But say that they would be better positioned or more open to it in Q4 or at the end of Q4.
Not all of them will be quite as specific: anything from the end of the year to November or December, or in three months.
So long as they did not specify next year, they're good to add to your end-of-year outreach.
Just be personable, and add some puns that demonstrate your awareness of the time of year. Call back or respond within that same email chain where they asked to be re-contacted.
Leads or prospects that replied to your sales cadence at some touchpoint to tell you now is not the right time to have this discussion. But say that they would be better positioned or more open to it in Q4 or at the end of Q4.
Not all of them will be quite as specific: anything from the end of the year to November or December, or in three months.
So long as they did not specify next year, they're good to add to your end-of-year outreach.
Just be personable, and add some puns that demonstrate your awareness of the time of year. Call back or respond within that same email chain where they asked to be re-contacted.
Circle Back to Unresponsive Leads and Start Contacting New Leads
Similar to the above, some prospects may have simply not offered a response of any kind.
This means they're good for you to re-sequence them and have them as follow-ups. After all, it takes around eight touchpoints for a prospect to respond.
Also, the end of the year does not mean you should not be aiming for new leads as well. Yes, circling back to leads that haven't been responsive throughout the year is good, but you shouldn't shy away from trying to reach new prospects.
Add new leads to an email sequence with the goal of setting up meetings or demos for next year. Avoid the holiday season and excuses by focusing on building relationships and pipeline for January and onwards.
This means they're good for you to re-sequence them and have them as follow-ups. After all, it takes around eight touchpoints for a prospect to respond.
Also, the end of the year does not mean you should not be aiming for new leads as well. Yes, circling back to leads that haven't been responsive throughout the year is good, but you shouldn't shy away from trying to reach new prospects.
Add new leads to an email sequence with the goal of setting up meetings or demos for next year. Avoid the holiday season and excuses by focusing on building relationships and pipeline for January and onwards.
Clean Up Your Data and Check Your Email Deliverability
Yes, you are still reaching out to folks. And yes, you're planning for next year.
But the reality is, you will have more time these days. You need to be aware of the holiday season and what this might mean for people being willing to or able to respond to your emails.
It leaves you more time than usual to do some basic housekeeping tasks as an SDR.
Namely, ensuring your email deliverability is fantastic. This is especially useful during this season as it creates conversations to better your sender reputation instead of only receiving Out Of Office replies (OOO's). After all, while these do reflect a higher email open rate, they are not real conversations and are not useful for your metrics.
Another task that this is a great time for is reviewing your data and B2B lists.
You're sending out to both old and new prospects regardless, but you've got some time to verify the emails and other data are correct. Especially for prospects you've contacted previously, you want to remove from your list anyone that has responded. You should also remove anyone whose email bounced or who no longer works there.
Focus instead on folks who have opened your initial outreach multiple times but never responded, or anyone who has been promoted. And take your time to do thorough research on old and new prospects to reflect this in your messaging.
But the reality is, you will have more time these days. You need to be aware of the holiday season and what this might mean for people being willing to or able to respond to your emails.
It leaves you more time than usual to do some basic housekeeping tasks as an SDR.
Namely, ensuring your email deliverability is fantastic. This is especially useful during this season as it creates conversations to better your sender reputation instead of only receiving Out Of Office replies (OOO's). After all, while these do reflect a higher email open rate, they are not real conversations and are not useful for your metrics.
Another task that this is a great time for is reviewing your data and B2B lists.
You're sending out to both old and new prospects regardless, but you've got some time to verify the emails and other data are correct. Especially for prospects you've contacted previously, you want to remove from your list anyone that has responded. You should also remove anyone whose email bounced or who no longer works there.
Focus instead on folks who have opened your initial outreach multiple times but never responded, or anyone who has been promoted. And take your time to do thorough research on old and new prospects to reflect this in your messaging.
Ready Responses for OOO's
We love using Amplemarket here at SalesPipe in large part because it includes Smart Actions such as crafting responses to OOO's that can be triggered automatically.
As it is the holiday season, many people will be taking time off. The amount of OOO's is sure to increase. Not everyone will be taking time off at the same time, of course, which is why you should keep your outreach going.
But planning ahead for those OOO's is critical at this time.
Prepare your response to the OOO's that you can use at any time. Even without an automation tool such as Amplemarket, you should have a template ready to go in response so that you do not lose out on an opportunity once they return.
Make sure to respond fairly quickly after receiving the OOO, and then follow up on that same email chain in January. It demonstrates that you are persistent yet patient and aware of your prospect's time.
As it is the holiday season, many people will be taking time off. The amount of OOO's is sure to increase. Not everyone will be taking time off at the same time, of course, which is why you should keep your outreach going.
But planning ahead for those OOO's is critical at this time.
Prepare your response to the OOO's that you can use at any time. Even without an automation tool such as Amplemarket, you should have a template ready to go in response so that you do not lose out on an opportunity once they return.
Make sure to respond fairly quickly after receiving the OOO, and then follow up on that same email chain in January. It demonstrates that you are persistent yet patient and aware of your prospect's time.
Prepare Yourself For EOY Objections
Finally, it is unavoidable that, at the end of the year, you are more likely to hear objections.
Whether that is on a cold call, email, or via a LinkedIn DM, folks are a lot less inclined to give you their time the closer we are to the end of December.
This is alright, and it is something that we have to accept as salespeople.
We don't want to come off too pushy in our need to hit quota – that is far more likely to turn prospects away from our company and instead go for our competitors.
When you receive an end-of-year-related objection or excuse, the best thing to do is to be sensitive to your prospect's time and situation, and take it with grace.
Agree with them that it is a difficult time to meet, and ask, firstly, if your product or service would even be something they would be interested in as a company.
If they might be, you can ask for a date in the new year when everything is less hectic. If they are not interested right now or in the future, accept it. Just let them know you may be in touch again in the future to see if things have changed.
What you want to focus on with these objections is leaving the door open as much as possible for a future conversation.
It's hard for your prospects to truly make a decision at this time, or to even agree to a further meeting.
Demonstrate and show that you are just as human by displaying empathy towards the effect seasonal holidays have on our time and concentration, thereby gaining your prospect's trust and forming a positive first impression. From there, you can go ahead and re-establish a connection in the future, whether that is for a sale with them or with someone they can refer you to.
But if you push onwards without awareness of their time, you sour any chance you may have had to begin with.
Whether that is on a cold call, email, or via a LinkedIn DM, folks are a lot less inclined to give you their time the closer we are to the end of December.
This is alright, and it is something that we have to accept as salespeople.
We don't want to come off too pushy in our need to hit quota – that is far more likely to turn prospects away from our company and instead go for our competitors.
When you receive an end-of-year-related objection or excuse, the best thing to do is to be sensitive to your prospect's time and situation, and take it with grace.
Agree with them that it is a difficult time to meet, and ask, firstly, if your product or service would even be something they would be interested in as a company.
If they might be, you can ask for a date in the new year when everything is less hectic. If they are not interested right now or in the future, accept it. Just let them know you may be in touch again in the future to see if things have changed.
What you want to focus on with these objections is leaving the door open as much as possible for a future conversation.
It's hard for your prospects to truly make a decision at this time, or to even agree to a further meeting.
Demonstrate and show that you are just as human by displaying empathy towards the effect seasonal holidays have on our time and concentration, thereby gaining your prospect's trust and forming a positive first impression. From there, you can go ahead and re-establish a connection in the future, whether that is for a sale with them or with someone they can refer you to.
But if you push onwards without awareness of their time, you sour any chance you may have had to begin with.
Conclusion
The end of the year is a complicated and stressful time for everyone, SDRs perhaps most of all.
Prospects don't have the same time to give you as they do at other points of the year, and yet you still have numbers and goals to hit.
Do not despair, and utilize these five tips to help you continue to build pipeline, if not for now, then for the immediate future.
And remember to take some time off yourself too – sales is stressful enough as it is, so time with family and loved ones is bound to re-charge you for the year ahead!
For similar tips and tricks, be sure to join our Community.
Prospects don't have the same time to give you as they do at other points of the year, and yet you still have numbers and goals to hit.
Do not despair, and utilize these five tips to help you continue to build pipeline, if not for now, then for the immediate future.
And remember to take some time off yourself too – sales is stressful enough as it is, so time with family and loved ones is bound to re-charge you for the year ahead!
For similar tips and tricks, be sure to join our Community.
Post by Flor Fustinoni.
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