How to Build a HigHly EngagEd & MotivatEd SdR tEaM

Every SDR knows the feeling. The end of the month is quickly approaching and they haven’t come close to hitting their quota. This is when frustration and burnout start to kick in, as the monotony of the day to day grind drags on. But there are ways you can avoid burnout, keep your sales team

motivated, and accelerate your revenue growth.

2How to Build a Highly Engaged & Motivated SDR Team

Voluntary turnover is costing your

organization money. Causes of SDR turnover

are usually because SDRs feel they’re not

being treated well or the job isn’t satisfying

or rewarding. In fact, 80% of SDRs leave the

role within 18 months. Typical ramp time

for an SDR is 3-4 months and they get more

productive each month they stay (source:

Ambition). Creating a rewarding environment

will help get your SDRs to stay longer, which

will positively impact the bottom line.

How to dEvElop & Maintaina HigH lEvEl of EngagEMEnt

• Haveanonboardingplaninplace

• Haveteamleaderswhofocuson:

•GrowingSDRs’skillsets

•MakingSDRspromotablewithin

18-24 months

• Havedefinedprocesses

• Investinmorethanjustthesalary,buton

processesandenablementtoolstomake

SDRsmoreefficientandeffective

tHE iMpact of SdR tuRnovER

3How to Build a Highly Engaged & Motivated SDR Team

Hire with the future in mind: Build a

bench of your future superstars

uSE tHESE 3 StEpS to Build a HigHly EngagEd & MotivatEd SdR tEaM:

Set the stage for success: Empower

your SDRs with the right tools

Acknowledge success & establish the right

career trajectory, goals and expectations, and

follow through

4How to Build a Highly Engaged & Motivated SDR Team

In order to hire with the future in mind and

build your bench of future superstars, you

needto:

• EstablishtheSDRroleasanentrypoint

tothefirm

• Hirepeoplewhowillbesuccessfulin

the role

• Developandcustomizeonboardingand

mentoring processes to help SDRs

advance their careers

• RememberbeinganSDRisatouchpoint

in a person’s career and this position

leads to something else

At ZoomInfo, the sales management team

successfully created and implemented a SDR

playbooktoassistwiththeonboardingprocess.

Thepurposeoftheplaybookistogivethe

SDRs guidance and to help ensure the highest

likelihoodofachievement.Theplaybook

guidesthemonhowtobuildtherightscientific

approachandgivesthemtheknowledgeto

craft their own artistic success.

1. HiRE witH tHE futuRE in Mind: Build a BEncH of youR futuRE SupERStaRS

5How to Build a Highly Engaged & Motivated SDR Team

Without the right tools in place your team will

burnout.Thinkabouthowmuchtimeyour

SDRsspend:

• Googlingcorporatephonenumbers

• Callingcontactswhohavemovedonto

new companies

• Leavingvoicemailsforgatekeepers

• Callingpeoplewhoaren’tagoodfit

Goingthroughgatekeepersanddialingmultiple

phone numbers just to get one person on the

phoneisfrustrating.Makegooduseofyour

team’s time by ensuring they have accurate

contact data, such as direct dial phone

numbersandemailaddresses,andbackground

information,attheirfingertips.

2. SEt tHE StagE foR SuccESS: EMpowER youR SdRS witH tHE RigHt toolS

6How to Build a Highly Engaged & Motivated SDR Team

When dialing a direct dial phone number at the director level you’re 46% more likely to connect and when dialing a direct dial phone number at the VP level, you’re 147% more likely to connect.

When dialing a list of switchboard numbers it takes 17 dials to connect with one prospect, but when dialing a list of direct dial phone numbers it takes 12 dials to connect.

When dialing switchboard numbers it takes 22 minutes to connect, but when dialing direct dial phone numbers it takes 5 minutes to connect.

(source: VorsightBP)

By arming your team with direct dial phone

numbers, you’re saving them a lot of time

and frustration. You’re also giving them

the ability to spend more time holding

relevant conversations and focus on revenue

generating activities, rather than wasting time

researching countless sites to gather the

contactinformationtheyneedtomakeacall.

AlsomakesureyourSDRsunderstandwho

theirtargetmarketissothey’respendingtime

goingafterpeoplewhoaretherightfit.Thiswill

increase their productivity and give them more

satisfaction.

Additionally, you need to arm your SDRs with

sales automation tools, such as auto-dialers, as

well as targeted content for each phase of the

funnel to help them close the deal faster.

147vs.46

12vs.17

5vs.22

7How to Build a Highly Engaged & Motivated SDR Team

SDRs don’t join your organization with the

goal of being in that position for 30 years. It’s

a great starting point for their career in sales

and a great opportunity for you to coach and

grow them into successful sales reps. Ensure

youknowthecareeraspirationsoftheSDRs

you hire, set goals and expectations and what

that means for career development, and follow

throughwiththepromise.Additionally,define

where your SDR function reports to, whether

it’ssalesormarketing.Ifyoudon’tclearlydefine

this,SDRslackasenseofcommunityandfeel

caught in the middle of the two teams.

The chart is an example from ZoomInfo’s SDR

playbook,whichhighlightsthecareerpathfor

an SDR.

3. acknowlEdgE SuccESS & EStaBliSH tHE RigHt caREER tRajEctoRy, goalS and ExpEctationS, and follow tHRougH

• Thestartinggroundforsalessuccessand akeypartoftheteam

• Attacktargetaccounts,setupkeymeeting forsalesrepresentativesandpartakeas part of the sales team as you learn and grow with ZoomInfo

• Responsibleforsetting20meetingsper month

SdR 1

• Joinsomedemosyousetup

• Attendlocaltradeshows

• Eligibletocallonthemajoraccounttarget companies

• Targetis20meetingspermonth

SdR 2

• Haveshownleadershipandsupportand helped promote best practices

• Assistwithinterviewing,trainingnewhires and running team meetings

• Responsibleforsetting25meetingsper month

SdR tEaM lEad

• Eligibletoattendtradeshows,join meetings further down the sales cycle and alsomaybeaskedtorunwithoccasional small deals

• Responsibleforsetting25meetingsper month

SEnioR SdR

OR

8How to Build a Highly Engaged & Motivated SDR Team

Contests are a great way to motivate your team and help them reach their established goals. They

help increase the number of appointments by going beyond the leaderboard and recognize your

SDRsfortheirhardwork.Theyfiretheteamupandletindividualsseewheretheystandversus

where their peers stand. A sales contest should contain additional layers of motivation that reach

your middle performers and focus on achieving long-term ROI and not just today. Hold contests

withthefollowinggoalsinmind:

Drive daily activities

in line with monthly

objectives

Engage

employees

Instill

accountability

Create

excitement

Solidify the sales

process

Create

transparency

Build a winning

culture

9How to Build a Highly Engaged & Motivated SDR Team

1. Being an SDR is a touch point in a person’s career and that position leads to something else,

so always hire and coach SDRs as future sales reps.

2. Develop and maintain a high level of engagement by having a hiring, onboarding, and mentoring

program in place that develops your SDRs and helps them grow in their sales careers.

3. Equip SDRs with the right tools to set them up for success.

4. CreateasenseofcommunitybyclearlydefiningwhereyourSDRfunctionreports,whetherit’s

tosalesormarketing.

5. Recognizeyourteam’ssuccessesthroughcontestsandfollowthroughonthenotions.

kEy takEawayS

Grow with ZoomInfo.

Find out how by visiting visit www.zoominfo.com or 866-904-9666.