MAXIMIZING BDR SALES: STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

Steven Covey in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People says that we should water the plants we want to grow.? Even if you get everything else right, if the compensation plan is not adequately connected with your desired outcomes, you have not maximized BDR sales.? Here is a Business Development Representative compensation calculator...

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The Role of BDRs

At the the heart of many successful B2B businesses is the Business Development Representative (BDR).? They are the driving force behind new business opportunities, paving the way for growth and expansion. They do a lot more than just generate leads. For a deeper dive into their role, see our article titled BDR Meaning: Business Development Representatives.? The question is, how do we maximize the BDR sales pipeline?

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What Does Your Company Need?

First, there is some confusion over BDRs (Business Development Representative) vs. SDRs (Sales Development Representative).? Again, I cover that in our article titled BDR Meaning: Business Development Representatives.? Some might call the following SDR vs. BDR but for the purposes of this article, we are going to call everything BDR.? If you want to call everything SDR (Sales Development Reps), go right ahead.

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I recommend staying focused on function, more than titles.? Based on your Go To Market (GTM) motion, assess your business’s needs.? Do you need some or all of the below?

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Outbound Business Development Representatives (BDRs)

• Proactive Outreach – Here the BDR focuses on outbound lead prospecting. Proactively reaching out through methods like cold calling, cold emailing, or social media outreach.
• Outbound Leads – A Business Development Rep will often work with a list of target accounts or industries and try to engage decision-makers within those companies.
• Qualification – A Business Development Representative will determine whether a lead is worth pursuing further and whether it should be passed on to the sales team for more in-depth engagement.
• Education and Initial Pitch – A Business Development Rep will provide information about the company’s products or services and aim to capture the lead’s attention and interest.
• Appointment Setting – A Business Development Representative will often schedule appointments or meetings for the sales team with qualified leads. Ultimately a handoff to an account executive.

Inbound Business Development Representatives (BDRs)

• Inbound Leads – These BDRs focus on leads who have filled out contact forms, downloaded resources, or interacted with the company’s website.
• Qualifying Leads – Qualifying inbound marketing leads should be a core part of training. If Business Development Reps have qualified opportunities…
• Lead Nurturing – Engage with these leads through various communication channels like email, chat, or phone to move them along the sales funnel. Transition MQLs to SQLs.
• Information and Assistance – Inbound Business Development Reps provide information, answer questions, and build rapport and trust.
• Conversion and Handoff – A Business Development Representative will facilitate the transition to a sales rep or an account executive for closing business.
• Feedback Loop – Business Development Reps often serve as a valuable source of customer insights via active listening. This info is fed to the marketing and product development teams. ?See the Qualitative and Quantitative Research section below.

Enhance Customer Segmentation

Almost every Business Development Representative (BDR) Agency I’ve ever spoken to says the first problem is that customer segmentation needs improvement.? Let’s outline that process.

Analyze Data

Begin with a thorough analysis of customer data from your CRM system and other sources. Look for patterns in demographics, behavior, and purchase history.? Leverage behavioral data, such as website interactions and email responses. Tailor your outreach and engagement strategies.? Your messaging should vary based on the persona and where the prospective client is in the funnel (customer journey).

Define Criteria

Clearly define criteria for segmenting potential customers based on factors like industry, company size, location, or preferences. Ensure segments reflect real differences.? This bigger picture criteria are often referred to as your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).?

Create Buyer Personas

Develop buyer personas to better understand and visualize customer segments. These fictional characters represent typical customers within a segment.

Qualitative and Quantitative Research

My favorite guides on customer segmentation come from The Lean Startup and Running Lean, written by Eric Ries and Ash Maurya (respectively).? They explain how both qualitative and quantitative research play pivotal roles. ??Running Lean digs into the details of the exact scripts to use when conducting surveys and interviews with representative customers from each segment.? These researched approaches enable businesses to refine their customer segments.? The goal is to validate hypotheses and build an outreach program that truly resonates with your target audience.?

Qualitative

Qualitative research involves gathering insights through open-ended conversations, interviews, and observations to deeply understand customer pain points, needs, and behaviors. ?These interviews happen preferably in person.?

Quantitative

Generally, you want to validate your qualitative assessments.? You do this with quantitative research (often surveys).? This relies on numerical data and metrics to assess the scale and significance of identified trends or patterns within a larger customer base.

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Build Measure Learn (BML) Loops

The idea here is that you must test and iterate.? Split test your messaging and methods for each customer segment and persona.? Experiment with different approaches.? Measure results and refine strategies based on what works best.?

Leverage Technology

Use CRM and automation tools to streamline your segmentation efforts, automate messaging, and track performance.?

Collaborate with Sales and Marketing

BDRs should collaborate closely with the marketing department and sales team to align strategies and messaging.?

Measure, Optimize, Repeat

Continuously measure the impact of segmentation efforts through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).? Make segmentation an ongoing process that adapts to evolving customer behaviors and preferences.

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Identify the Best Sales Methodology

Some of the most popular sales methodologies include SNAP Selling, Conceptional Selling, Solution Selling, and The Sandler System.? MEDDIC, SPIN Selling, and The Challenger Sale are currently among the most popular due to their strong emphasis on customer understanding and value addition.

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Your sales methodology should be driven by your Go To Market (GTM) motion.? Each of these frameworks focuses on something different.? While MEDDIC excels in qualifying opportunities, The Challenger Sale and SPIN Selling redefine the sales conversation, focusing on educating and understanding the customer, respectively.

From challenging customer assumptions to focusing on solutions, these methods provide a diverse toolkit for sales professionals. It’s not just about selling a product; it’s about understanding, educating, and solving real-world problems. Let’s take a look at three of the most popular:

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1. MEDDIC

MEDDIC is a comprehensive and popular framework for sales professionals:?

Metrics

The foundation of any successful sales strategy begins with understanding the metrics that matter most to your potential customer. By aligning your solution with the prospect’s metrics, you demonstrate how your product or service can help them achieve their goals.?

Economic Buyer

Establishing a direct line of communication with the economic buyer is vital.? This individual holds the purse strings.? They have the authority to make purchasing decisions.?

Decision Criteria

These criteria may include pricing, product features, support, and various other aspects that weigh into their final choice.?

Decision Process

Determine who the key stakeholders are and how decisions are typically made. By doing so, you can navigate the decision process more effectively.??

Identify Pain

You must uncover the challenges, problems, or inefficiencies your prospect is facing. Once you’ve identified these pain points, you can demonstrate how your solution directly addresses and alleviates them.?

Champion

A champion is your internal advocate within the prospect’s organization.? They can provide insights, navigate internal politics, and advocate for your solution.

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2. The Challenger Sale

The Challenger Sales Model was outlined by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson in their book “The Challenger Sale.” Dixon and Adamson feel there are 5 different sales profiles: The hard worker, the lone wolf, the relationship builder, the problem solver and the challenger.

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Their research reveals that 40% of high-performing salespeople adopt the Challenger style, making it the most successful approach. In contrast, only 7% of high-performers rely on a relationship-driven style, which happens to be the least effective.

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The 3 Step Process...

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