AE x SDR Alliances, Expanding Account Footprint, and Product Problems

Question 1:

How can I effectively collaborate with my SDR to maximize the conversion of qualified leads into closed deals? Could you provide an example?

Alignment on account, persona and messaging is key.

I had weekly 1:1 roll up your sleeves type sessions with my SDR

1. We picked 3-5 accounts to focus on for the week
2. 1-2 personas per account (e.g. Marketing and Digital leaders (Directors + VPs))
3. We had about 25 - 40 contacts to target throughout the week

We put this all in the google doc and spent our 1:1 on multichannel messaging

Alignment on the email messaging; ensuring we focused on

• A relevant 1st line (observation)
• Problem statement 2nd line, with impact on business
• Social proof + value add 3rd line 
• CTA 4th line

We also mapped out a multichannel approach for the persona throughout the week.

How we were going to touch the contact via email, phone and LI.

Alignment on the messaging and frequency is pivotal to ensuring you book high quality meetings that lead to qualified opps, and ultimately, conversion.

Question 2:

I’m responsible for expanding my product’s footprint in strategic orgs (10k+ employees) to other divisions, teams and subsidiaries. I have low success in email - how can I improve to build more pipeline?

The best way I find is to put on your multithreading hat and do this:

1. Identify the personas who may have problems you solve for and may have use cases that align to your value
2. Uncover the business units those individuals are in across the organization
3. Have 1 or 2 success stories of other departments in the org that have seen success

Then write a brief note that could sound something like this:

“Hi Linda - been working closely with Bob in Marketing.

They’ve been using [name of platform] - an IT approved tool at your company - to solve for X and Y. (x and y being the problems you solve for)

They’ve seen a 10% boost in productivity (or 10% uptick in reply rates) or (10% boost in conversion) [use a metric they would care about; if you don’t have on then talk about the high level value they are seeing]

We’re confident - given our work with folks in your role - we could replicate these results for you and your team.

Worth a chat?”

Question 3:

How do you manage a cycle when your product has developed a problem and the competition is pressuring the customer to switch? (When is it too soon to pivot back to advantages, how much acknowledgement is required?)

I think it’s important to be transparent with your customer.

Outline exactly what the problem is with your product. But ensure you are clearly articulating what your team is doing to solve the problem and what the timeline is. I’ve always found it helpful to bring on a Product executive to speak to a Sr. executive on the customer side to:

1. Acknowledge the customer concern and sympathize with them
2. Speak about how you are actively working to solve this problem
3. The timeline to solve it
4. What you can help with in the meantime to ensure you minimize the effect this problem is having

An executive level conversation always helps, I’ve found. It shows that you care and aren’t brushing it off. Show customers you care. That is a big competitive advantage on its own!

That’s all for this week folks.

Please don’t forget to submit your questions that you want answered.

See you soon!