Summary:
In this episode, David interviews Brian Vital, Vice President of Growth at Inside Sales Team. Together, they talk about Brian’s journey in sales development—from starting as an SDR (sales development representative) to becoming a VP of Growth in just four years.
Listen as Brian gives us the ins and outs of Inside Sales Team, how they collaborate with their company partners, and how they tailor their training of SDRs according to the needs of their targeted clients.
3 Key Points:
1. Growing a company does not pertain only to an increase in revenue, but the growth of its employees and sales team in terms of quality and performance.
2. Sales managers are NOT just coaches – they are motivators, trainers, and leaders that bring out the best in their sales’ staff.
3. Coachability is a vital trait of a potential SDR, but it is something you cannot see in a resume.
Time Stamped Show Notes:
- 01:04 – David introduces Brian Vital
- 01:47 – Brian started at the Inside Sales Team 4 years ago
- 01:53 – He started on behalf of the client, DiscoverOrg
- 02:16 – Inside Sales Team’s focus is being a high-producing sales development function
- 02:22 – They focus on targeted accounts
- 03:14 – Brian was older when he came to sales development and he climbed his way up in 4 years
- 03:53 – Growth at Inside Sales Team means doing anything possible to grow the company – not just acquire revenue
- 04:11 – Brian still runs a few sales development teams
- 05:07 – Inside Sales Team looks not for just companies, but partners
- 05:24 – They work with their partners for the long-term (yearly terms)
- 06:27 – They don’t just focus on quantity, but quality as well
- 07:11 – Company problems that Inside Sales Team solve include time, specification, and training
- 07:45 – Clients also come to Inside Sales Team to create a successful development program
- 09:22 – Studies show that SDRs are in the trenches
- 09:33 – Sales development managers are not just coaches for the players
- 10:15 – The infrastructure of a highly successful, performance-based, sales development program is partnering with Inside Sales Team
- 10:36 – Inside Sales Team does recruiting and invests in their SDR’s training
- 11:23 – Augmenting internal SDR teams is the best fit for Inside Sales Team because of:
- 11:30 – General sharing of best practices
- 12:08 – Competition
- 12:38 – Spend more time and focus on internal team
- 13:38 – DiscoverOrg has 20 SDRs in Vancouver and 6 in Buffalo, New York
- 14:04 – Commercial Break
- 15:09 – Inside Sales Team has a director for Improvement
- 15:14 – The first week of the SDR training program is about the ins and outs of sales development
- 15:32 – Second week includes certain training regarding services and products
- 16:15 – Once a representative shows their performance on the training program, he’s then moved to analyze data
- 16:53 – Their teams all have a morning huddle
- 17:26 – Customization for clients starts in the onboarding stage
- 17:41 – Training for specification and customization comes from the director of sales development and the team lead
- 19:08 – Their training is done every, single day
- 19:43 – Inside Sales Team also have company-wide weekly training and meetings on Fridays
- 20:55 – There are certain things they look for in potential representatives such as high intellect
- 21:52 – Hard work and perseverance over time
- 22:53 – Coachability
- 24:03 – It’s hard to know whether a person will be coachable
- 24:28 – Inside Sales Team also uses Omnia Group for their candidates’ assessments
- 25:45 – An SDR journey in Inside Sales Team starts from being a representative
- 25:49 – Team lead promotion is anywhere from 6-18 months
- 25:56 – From team lead, there is a manager of sales development
- 26:10 – The next step would be the director of sales development
- 27:01 – By end of the 3rd quarter, there will be more available positions
- 27:35 – David met Brian through DiscoverOrg
- 29:06 – Send Brian a message on LinkedIn or check out his blog
- 29:50 – David recommends to subscribe on SDR Huddle, Brian’s blog
Resources Mentioned:
- Inside Sales Team – Company where Brian works as VP of Growth
- DiscoverOrg – A company Brian worked with personally
- Omnia Group – Company that provides personality assessment services
- SDR Huddle – Brian’s blog
Sponsored By:
Credits
- Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives
