You're a Sales Development consultant with a new contract. What do you need to know first?

1 Client Profile

Who is your client and what do they do? What is their value proposition, target market, and competitive advantage? How do they measure success and what are their current challenges and pain points? Knowing your client's profile will help you tailor your approach, align your goals, and communicate your value. You should also research their industry, competitors, and trends to get a sense of the market landscape and opportunities.

3 Sales Development Team

Who is your client's sales development team and what are their roles, responsibilities, and skills? How are they organized, trained, and coached? ??? How do they collaborate, communicate, and coordinate with other sales teams and stakeholders? Learning about your client's sales development team will help you assess their capabilities, needs, and challenges. You should also evaluate their culture, motivation, and engagement to see how they affect their performance and satisfaction.

4 Sales Development Tools

What are your client's sales development tools and how do they use them? What are their systems, platforms, and applications for managing data, workflows, and campaigns? How do they integrate, automate, and optimize their tools to enhance efficiency and effectiveness? Exploring your client's sales development tools will help you determine their functionality, usability, and reliability. You should also review their features, benefits, and costs to see how they support their goals and budget.

5 Sales Development Goals

What are your client's sales development goals and how do they align with their business objectives? What are their short-term and long-term expectations and deliverables? How do they define and measure success and value? Establishing your client's sales development goals will help you clarify your scope, timeline, and milestones. You should also agree on the criteria, methods, and frequency of reporting and feedback to ensure transparency and accountability.

6 Sales Development Challenges

What are your client's sales development challenges and how do they affect their results and growth? What are the internal and external factors that hinder their performance and potential? How do they address and overcome their challenges and risks? Identifying your client's sales development challenges will help you prioritize your actions, solutions, and recommendations. You should also anticipate and mitigate any obstacles or issues that may arise during your contract.

By asking these questions, you will gain a comprehensive and holistic view of your client's sales development situation, needs, and expectations. This will enable you to design and implement a customized and effective sales development plan that will help your client achieve their goals and grow their business.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?