You could say Chris Fago has had a pretty amazing 2018… among other things…
Named one of InsideSales.com Top 10 Sales Development Leaders.
3rd sales hire at RedLock, which acquired by Palo Alto Networks for $173 Million in October ‘18
Featured on Sales Secrets Podcast with Gabe Larsen, Make It Happen Podcast with John Barrows, Predictable Revenue Podcast, Hubspot Sales Blog and The Sales Development Podcast by Tenbound.
Spoke at AA-ISP’s Unite and Digital Sales World.
And more…
Listen in on how he came to be a Sales Development Rock Star, how he plans and executes his strategy, and what he’s cooking up in 2019 to make it even better.
This is a can’t miss episode!
Big thanks to @Darryl Praill of @VanillaSoft for making this podcast possible. Check out their new Sales Engagement solutions here… https://www.vanillasoft.com/solutions…
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Summary:
In this episode, David chats with Christopher Fago, Cloud Security Inside Sales Manager at Palo Alto Networks, a multinational cybersecurity company with headquarters in Santa Clara, California. Tune in as Christopher shares his thoughts and insights on how to skyrocket your career in sales development.
3 Key Points:
- SDR or salespeople-shaming is no different from cyberbullying.
- There’s a time for learning, and there’s a time when you have to step up and give your own ideas.
- There is no one track that SDRs go — it’s a wide variety of choices for anyone in this field.
Time Stamped Show Notes:
- 00:17 – Subscribe to our show on YouTube and review us on iTunes
- 00:38 – Engage with leads & close deals! Go to VanillaSoft and start your free trial
- 00:59 – David welcomes Christopher to the show
- 01:40 – Christopher shares about how it is in the early days after getting acquired by Palo Alto
- 03:21 – He thinks we’re only seeing “half of the story” on bad messaging getting posted online
- “Sales is all about humanizing…your prospects need to be humans too”
- “I don’t understand how people can be against cyberbullying but okay with SDR-shaming”
- 09:32 – If there’s something being sent on your behalf, you should say something
- Trust in your management is important
- There is a time, around after 6 months, when you have to start sharing your ideas
- 12:36 – Selling the sales development role as a 2-year investment
- 15:05 – Christopher always asks people applying for SDR positions how they see themselves in a couple of years
- There is no one-size-fits-all track
- You have to understand that recruiters are also “just doing their job”
- 18:09 – Outsourcing is not necessarily a bad idea
- If you have the mindset of owning your job, you might get promoted
- 19:23 – Engage with leads & close deals! Go to VanillaSoft and start your free trial
- 20:59 – The promotion is a stem from financial reasons
- 23:03 – David talks about the failure rate of SDRs going to AE positions
- How can leaving be beneficial if you’re doing a good job?
- David shares the possibilities when you’re in a “good” company
- 26:21 – At the end of the day, you just have to weigh out the risk of staying or leaving
- 27:55 – New Sales Simplified is a book that solves the “failure problem”
- David’s advice to new SDR managers: keep doing the SDR job for at least an hour a day
- More SDR managers should have a shortlist of accounts
- 32:23 – A bittersweet bonding moment was when Christopher gave his script to his colleague and his colleague just crushed him
- 33:50 – Connect with Christopher on Linkedin
- 34:18 – Subscribe to our show on YouTube and review us on iTunes
- 34:26 – Contact us to discuss your sales development needs
Resources Mentioned:
- Palo Alto Networks – Company where Christopher works at
- New Sales Simplified – Book Christopher recommends reading
