Sales Playbook for New SDRs: The Power of Consistency

Starting a career as a Sales Development Representative (SDR) can be challenging. You face the challenges of cold outreach, complex sales strategies, and the constant quest for those tricky meetings. 

“Companies that use sales playbooks see a 10% increase in new opportunities and a 60% increase in closed deals”

In a conversation with Srba, a seasoned sales leader from Deckrobot, we uncovered some invaluable insights that form the foundation of his recommendations for a Sales Playbook for new SDRs.

Let’s understand in detail the points that Srba was trying to make

Firstly, Consistency Is Key

If there’s one golden rule in sales, it’s consistency. 

Srba stressed the importance of consistency in your outreach activities, especially for new SDRs. 

You don’t need to be a seasoned pro from the get-go overnight. Instead, focus on building your sales pipeline day by day.

[Remember: It’s all about quantity over quality in the beginning.]

Lastly, Quantity > Quality

His advice for new SDRs is to worry less about the quality of leads initially. 

You might not have all the knowledge and expertise right away, so focus on the volume. As you keep building your sales pipeline day by day, the quality will naturally emerge.

“A sales playbook is a living document that should be constantly evolving as your sales team learns and grows.” – Aaron Ross, Sales Advisor, Ex-Salesforce 

The Playbook in Action

So, what does Srba’s playbook entail? 

There are some practical rules that you can follow to maximize your success as a new SDR.

• Timing is Everything 

When you see a prospect opening your email, don’t wait around for a reply. If you have three or more emails opened by the prospect, call them immediately. High-engagement prospects are likely very interested in your solution.

• Immediate Follow-up

 If a prospect is consistently opening your emails without replying, it’s time for a follow-up call. Don’t wait for days. Strike while the prospect’s interest is piqued.

• High-Engagement Prospects

Consider creating a separate sequence for high-engagement prospects. In this sequence, you can send more outreach in a shorter time frame, aiming for an immediate “yes” or “no” from the prospect.

What are the various types of Sales Playbooks?

Before we proceed with Srba’s recommendations for sales teams. Let us understand the different types of Sales Playbooks

• Cold outreach playbook: This playbook teaches your sales reps how to contact leads who don’t know about your company yet. It include tips on writing emails, making phone calls, and using LinkedIn to reach out to people.

• Warm outreach playbook: These are for leads who have already shown some interest in your company, maybe by visiting your website or downloading a whitepaper. This playbook helps you nurture such leads and move them closer to buying your product or service.

• Re-engagement playbook: These are for customers or leads who haven’t been active lately. They help you get back in touch with these people and rekindle their interest.

• Objection-handling playbook: This playbook teaches your sales reps how to respond to common objections that prospects might raise. This helps them close more deals, even when prospects are hesitant.

• Demo and presentation playbook: Show your sales reps how to give demos and presentations of your product or service. They include tips on how to structure your presentation, highlight key features, and address specific needs or pain points.

• Follow-up playbook: This playbook helps your sales reps stay in touch with leads and prospects after they’ve made initial contact. They include tips on how and when to follow up, as well as strategies for nurturing leads with relevant content and personalized messaging.

• Account-based marketing (ABM) playbook: These are for businesses that want to target specific high-value accounts. They help you research these accounts, personalize your outreach, and engage with key stakeholders.

• Referral playbook: This playbook helps you get more referrals from satisfied customers and contacts. It includes tips on how to ask for referrals and how to make the process as easy as possible for your customers.
• Cross-selling and upselling playbook: Help you increase revenue from existing customers. It shows you how to identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities, and how to effectively communicate these opportunities to your customers.

• Competitive Battlecards: These battlecards help your sales reps understand the competitive landscape. They include information about your competitors, their strengths and weaknesses, and how to position your product or service against theirs.

• Social selling playbook: This playbook guides your sales reps on how to use social media, particularly LinkedIn, to build relationships, engage with prospects, and share valuable content.

• Multichannel outreach playbook: This playbook helps you coordinate your outreach efforts across multiple channels, such as email, phone calls, LinkedIn, and other social platforms. It helps you reach your prospects more effectively and increase your chances of closing deals.

Don’t Overthink, Just Be Consistent

To sum it all up, Srba’s advice is simple yet profound. Don’t overcomplicate things, especially when you’re starting as an SDR. 

The key is to maintain consistency in your outreach efforts. Building your pipeline daily, sending out those emails, and making those calls will pay off in the long run.

Success in sales isn’t about being the best from day one; it’s about being the most consistent. Over time, your dedication to building relationships and your commitment to consistency will set you apart. 

Remember, there’s no substitute for hard work and persistence in the sales world.