Standing Out in a Saturated Sales Org: Tips for BDRs

Discover effective strategies to differentiate yourself and excel as a Business Development Representative (BDR) in a competitive sales organization & become a top performer.

Understanding the challenges of a saturated sales organization

In the world of BDRs, saturated sales organizations is becoming way more common. With teams of 25+ BDRs all competing over a limited amount of opportunities, it can be challenging to stand out. Understanding these challenges is crucial to develop strategies that set you apart from your peers. Many of the main challenges can be out of your control as an SDR, such as internal rules on how many accounts you're allowed to work. However, many others are well within your control. You're job, is exposing these challenges & seizing the opportunity of overcoming them, before others do.

Limited Lead Availability

In any saturated org, a common challenge is the limited availability of leads. With a large number of BDRs targeting the same pool of prospects, it is crucial to be proactive in your prospecting efforts. Leverage technology tools and platforms to identify new leads within your organization & expand your reach. This includes having alerts set up on LinkedIn Sales Nav which notify you when a new ideal prospect joins the company. If you have a prospect who actively posts on LinkedIn, take 5 min to look at whose liked & commented on a recent post to identify potential colleagues they might be working with, then CC them on your email outreach to them. By being proactive and resourceful, you can overcome the challenges of limited leads and increase your chances of success.

Have you maxed out the amount of companies you're actively allowed to be working? Turn to these strategies to ensure you always keep your pipeline moving forward:

1. Drop old accounts that have been in nurture for months
2. Work a more diverse set of prospects at your existing accounts and try to get referrals from them
3. Increase the amount of touch points in your cadence, especially cold calls. (i.e. double the amount of cold calls you're making as this is where the opportunities are)
   

Make your own luck

"Tom is just lucky, he's paired with a better AE & has more accounts to work than I do. No wonder he's hitting quota this quarter!"  said the SDR struggling to hit his quarterly quota.

This is a story we hear all too often, excuses on why other BDRs have it easier, or why they are performing better than you are. Luck, has marginally anything to do with sales, because sales is a numbers game, not a lottery. If you consistently have more activity than everyone else, you will perform better than them. This is a fact. Ask any high performing BDR manager why their top performing BDRs are doing well. Every time, it will be because these reps make more dials, send more emails, prioritize filling their pipeline with new accounts every week, and have better work ethic than others.

Generating meetings is a numbers game, no matter which way you look at it. Saturated orgs also means saturated messaging, meaning prospects are less receptive to emails and other forms of written outreach. In 2007, it took ~3.5 cold call attempts to reach a prospect. Today, it takes 8 attempts, and nearly 50% of sellers will give up after the first call. ^1,2

The statistics around emails are even worse, where it's become nearly impossible to stand out in a crowded inbox where buyers are receiving hundreds of emails every single day, and providers like Google, Yahoo & Outlook are making it increasingly hard to not land in the spam folder.

This is why companies like Outreach.io or Salesloft exist and are enabling sellers to effectively reach out to hundreds of prospects, every day, with some level of scalable personalization that will generate them a consistent flow of meetings. At the end of the day though, it all comes down to activity levels.

To recap on this, the more activity you have, the more "luck" you will find.

If your team average is 50 calls per day & 100 emails -> YOU should be making 200 calls per day & sending 400 emails. 

If your team average is 4 qualified meetings per week -> YOU should be striving for 8 meetings per week.

Sales is a hustle, so HUSTLE. This brings us nicely into the next section, being the best on your team.

Be the best

To stand out in a saturated sales organization as a BDR, it is essential to strive to be the best. This means consistently setting high goals for yourself and working diligently to achieve them. Be driven, motivated, and always give your best effort in every task and interaction. By consistently surpassing expectations and delivering exceptional results, you will establish yourself as a top performer within the organization.

Additionally, being the best also means continuously learning and improving your skills. Stay updated with the latest industry trends, sales techniques & tools,, and product knowledge. Seek opportunities to attend free workshops, training sessions, and conferences to enhance your expertise. Find expressive sales voices on LinkedIn & follow them, occasionally read their content & learn what they have to say. By constantly improving and staying ahead of the game, you will position yourself as a valuable asset to the sales organization.

Continuously improving and learning to stay ahead in the game

To remain a top performer in a saturated sales organization, it is essential to continuously improve and learn. The sales industry is constantly evolving, and staying ahead of the game is crucial for success. Embrace a growth mindset and actively seek opportunities for learning and development. Attend free online workshops, read sales books, and encourage your leadership team with training session ideas to enhance your skills.

Additionally, seek feedback from colleagues, managers, and customers to identify areas for improvement. Take constructive criticism positively and use it to refine your approach. Continuously refine your sales techniques, prospecting strategies, and product knowledge to stay ahead of the competition. By continuously improving and learning, you will position yourself as a knowledgeable and skilled BDR, setting yourself apart from others in the sales organization.

References

1. Sakshi SharmaSakshi is a content marketer with over 5 years of experience in creating content that delves deeper into a topic. A creator by day and reader by night. (2023, January 2). Infographic - the best day & time to make sales calls in 2024. CallHippo. https://callhippo.com/blog/marketing/best-day-time-make-business-call

2. 67 cold calling statistics for successful sales outreach. Smith.ai. (2022, December 29). https://smith.ai/blog/cold-calling-statistics