Tips and tools to increase SDR and BDR productivity

Sales development representatives (SDRs) and business development representatives (BDRs) are the frontline of the sales team. They are responsible for prospecting and qualifying leads and booking meetings with account executives(AEs). SDRs have a tough job, and it's important to give them the tools andresources they need to be successful.

Here are some of the key benefits of increasing SDR and BDR productivity:

• Increased sales pipeline
• More closed deals
• Higher revenue
• Reduced sales costs
• Improved customer satisfaction
• Increased employee morale

This blog post will share some tips and tools to help SDRs and BDRs increase their productivity. These SDR productivity hacks help you to hit your targets and book more meetings.

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SDR productivity hacks

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1.  Time management

One of the most important things for SDRs is to manage their time effectively. They need to be able to balance a variety of tasks, including prospecting, outreach, follow-up, and meeting preparation.

Here are a few tips for time management:

• Use a CRM system - A CRM system can help you track your leads, manage your pipeline, and automate tasks. This will free up your time so you can focus     on more important things.
• Set goals and priorities - Every day, take some time to set goals and priorities for yourself. This will help you stay focused and avoid getting sidetracked.
• Take breaks - It's important to take breaks throughout the day, even if it's just for a few minutes. Get up and move around, or step outside for some fresh air. This will help you stay refreshed and focused.

2.  Targeting the right accounts

To achieve your company's short- and long-term growth goals, SDRs should focus their efforts on targeting the accounts that are most likely to convert. These accounts are more likely to become recurring customers, which will increase your customer lifetime value (CLV). This requires doing the research and understanding the needs of their ideal customer.

Here are a few tips for targeting the right accounts:

• Create buyer personas (Ideal Customer Profile – ICP) - Buyer personas are fictional representations of your ideal customers. By creating buyer personas, you can better understand the needs and pain points of your target market.
• Use sales intelligence tools - Sales intelligence tools can provide you with information about your target accounts, such as their industry, size, and location. This information can help you identify the accounts that are most likely to be a good fit for your product or service.
• Attend industry events - Industry events are a great way to meet potential customers and learn more about their needs.
• Qualify the leads - Faster and Better B2B Lead Qualification involves asking targeted questions to identify high-quality prospects efficiently. Check this blog to know the 20 Questions for B2B Lead Qualification.

3.  Establishing an outbound cadence

An outbound cadence is a regular schedule of outreach activities. This could include sending emails, making phone calls, and connecting with prospects on LinkedIn. Having a regular cadence helps SDRs stay consistent and organized with their outreach efforts.

Here are afew tips for establishing an outbound cadence:

• Set aside specific times each day for outreach - For example, you might set aside 2 hours in the morning for sending emails and making phone calls.
• Use a CRM system to track your outreach activities - This will help you stay on track and see what's working well.
• Experiment with different outreach cadences (A/B Testing) - There is no one-size-fits-all cadence. The best cadence for your team will depend on your target market and industry.
• Lead Generation: Check this blog to know 28 proven strategies and techniques for lead generation and conversion.

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4.  Holding SDRs accountable

It's important to hold SDRs accountable for their performance. This means setting clear goals and expectations, and providing regular feedback. SDRs should be rewarded for their successes and held accountable for their shortcomings.

Here are afew tips for holding SDRs accountable:

• Set clear goals and expectations - Make sure SDRs know what is expected of them in terms of activity levels and results.
• Provide regular feedback - Give SDRs feedback on their performance, both positive and negative. This will help them identify areas where they need to improve.
• Reward SDRs for their successes - When SDRs meet or exceed their goals, be sure to reward them. This will help them stay motivated and engaged.

5.  Emphasizing collaboration

SDRs should collaborate with other members of the sales team, including AEs and marketing professionals. This collaboration helps SDRs stay aligned with the overall sales strategy and ensure that they are prospecting and qualifying the right leads.

Here are afew tips for emphasizing collaboration:

• Regularly meet with AEs and marketing professionals - Discuss your sales goals and strategies. Get feedback from them on how you can improve your prospecting and qualification process.
• Feedback Loop: Create a feedback loop between SDRs and the marketing team to ensure that the leads generated align with the ideal customer profile.
• Share lead data with AEs and marketing professionals - This will help everyone stay on the same page and avoid duplicating efforts.
• Use a CRM system to collaborate with other members of the sales team - This will help you track your progress and communicate with each other effectively.

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6.  Maximizing lead & account data

SDRs should have access to high-quality lead and account data. This data can help them personalize their outreach and better understand the needs of their prospects. SDRs can use CRM software and sales intelligence tools to collect and manage lead and account data.

Here are a few tips for maximizing lead & account data:

• Use a CRM system to track your lead and account data - This will help you keep your data organized and up-to-date.
• Use sales intelligence tools to collect additional lead and account data - This could include information such as company size, industry, and location.
• Segment your leads and accounts based on their data - This will help you personalize your outreach and target the right messages to the right people.

7.  Instantly Qualify, Route and Schedule your Inbound Leads

Book Meetings From Your Web Form - Leadmonk seamlessly integrates with HubSpot, and custom web forms. When a form is submitted on your website, Leadmonk instantly qualifies the lead, routes it to the right sales rep, and displays the booking page so your prospect can book a meeting - all in a matter of seconds.

Boost your win rate by 50% - The average vendor response time for a demo request is 42 hours. Responding within 5 minutes can increase your chances of winning the deal by 50%.

Real-time Email Verification - Ensure high-quality lead data with Leadmonk's real-time email verification, which eliminates invalid, disposable, personal, and temporary email addresses from your lead capture forms. Reduce bounce rates, improve deliverability, and prevent wasted resources on invalid leads.

Lead qualification - Build a qualification track and let prospects self-qualify to capture all the insights you need without hurting conversion. Reduce junk meetings by 80% and increase qualified meetings by 35%.

Fix your leaky funnel with Leadmonk - No more long sales cycles. Go straight to meetings with qualified leads.

Scheduling Simplified - Make it easy for your customers to schedule meetings on demand without the back and forth.

Boost your conversion rate by 150% - Schedule meetings quickly by adding Leadmonk to your website, emails, text messages, WhatsApp, or social profiles. Watch conversion skyrocket by up to 150%.

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Useful tools to increase SDR productivity

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1. CRM

A CRM system helps SDRs track their leads, manage their pipeline, and automate tasks. This frees up their time so they can focus on more important things, like prospecting and outreach.

Popular CRMs are Salesforce, HubSpot, SAP CRM, Zoho CRM and Pipedrive

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2. LinkedIn Sales Navigator

LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a social selling tool that helps SDRs find, connect with, and engage with prospects on LinkedIn.

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3. Sales Intelligence

Sales intelligence tools provide SDRs with information about their prospects, such as their contact information, job title, and company size. This information can help them identify the right accounts and learn more about them.

Popular sales intelligence applications are ZoomInfo, Clearbit, Apollo.io and Lusha

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4. Sales Engagement Platform (SEP)

An SEP helps SDRs automate their outreach and follow-up tasks. This frees up their time so they can focus on building relationships with prospects and booking meetings.

Popular SEP are: Salesloft, Outreach, Reply.io.

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5. Lead Scoring & Intent Data

Lead scoring & intent data tools help SDRs prioritize their leads by identifying the leads that are most likely to convert.

Popular lead scoring tools are HubSpot, LeadGenius and 6Sense.

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6. Lead-to-Account Matching, and Routing

Lead-to-account matching and routing tools automatically match leads to accounts and route them to the appropriate SDR. This helps SDRs save time and focus on the leads that are most relevant to them. Popular L2A matching and routing tools are Chilipiper, Leadmonk, LeanData and Drift.

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7. Appointment Scheduling Software

Appointment scheduling software helps SDRs/BDRs schedule meetings with prospects without the back-and-forth by providing a seamless way to send meeting invitations and book times that work for both parties. It also automates updating CRM software with contact creation and updating meeting history, saving SDRs/BDRs time and hassle.

Popular scheduling software are Calendly, Chilipiper and Leadmonk.

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The Best SDRs Stay Engaged: 5 Tips for Success

• Ensure that the prospect shows up for the meeting. Send reminders and follow-up emails to avoid no-shows.
• Get feedback from your AE on how the demo went. Watch the recorded call and align on the next steps.
• Help your AE keep the conversation going. You may need to call the prospect yourself to make sure follow-up takes place.
• Mark every interaction in CRM and ask AEs to do the same. This will keep everyone updated and prepared for the next call.
• Develop an outbound strategy for the account with your AE. Consider bringing more people on the call from the same account, if the timing is right (e.g., headcount growth, leadership change, etc.).

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Be persuasive:

• Build pipeline and identify new opportunities. This is your job as an SDR.
• Stay engaged with ongoing opportunities to help close more deals, make more money, and get promoted faster. The best SDRs do this.

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Conclusion

Increasing SDR productivity is a continuous process that requires a combination of the right strategies and tools. By following these tips and using these tools, SDRs can increase their productivity and book more meetings with AEs. This will lead to more closed deals and revenue for the company.

By streamlining outreach, investing in sales enablement tools, managing time effectively, analyzing data, and fostering a positive work environment, your SDRs can become unstoppable pipeline generation machines.

Remember, a motivated and well-equipped SDR team is the secret sauce to converting leads into loyal customers and driving business growth.