This document outlines best practices for sales development teams based on a study of 900+ companies. It discusses 4 key steps: 1) Building a structure like top performers with specialized roles. 2) Making "plays" or creative prospecting strategies that can double pipeline in 30 days, like a coffee play case study. 3) Building cadences to increase contact rates by optimizing elements like attempts, media, duration, spacing, and content. 4) Organizing sales tools to streamline processes and provide insights, playbooks, and coaching to reps. The goal is to help sales development teams implement strategies that top companies use to win.

1. State of Sales
Development
What 900+ Companies Are Doing to Win with Sales Development

2. Free Executive
Summary
sdr.accelerateinsidesales.co
m

3. Gabe Larsen
VP InsideSales.com Labs

5. Su • per • mo • del
noun
DEFINITION
Modeling people who are super good at what they do

6. Pi • o • neer
noun
DEFINITION
Someone with arrows in their back lying face
down in the dirt

7. State of Sales
900+
Companies

8. Four
Steps
• How to build a structure like the best of
the best
• How to make plays that can double your
pipeline in 30 days
• How to build a cadence to increase your
contact rate TODAY
• How to organize your sales stack so it
actually works
Sales Development Teams Use To Win

9. How to build a structure like
the best of the best
#1

10. 5.7M Professional
Sales
(U.S.)

11. 2.7M
Inside Sales Reps
5.7M Professional
Sales
(U.S.)

12. 677,479
Sales Development Reps
2.7M
Inside Sales Reps
5.7M Professional
Sales
(U.S.)

13. 17.1%
Inbound
28.8%
Outbound
54.1%
Blended

14. Generalist
Customer SuccessSales
Acct ExecSales Dev
Out In Territory
SuccessGrowth
Engineer

15. Inside
Sales
Out
SDR
Acct
Mgmt
In
SDR
Renewals
Outside
Sales
Channel
Sales
Eng
Transactional
Sales Model

16. Outside
Sales
Out
SDR
Acct
Mgmt
Inside
Sales
Sales
Eng
In
SDR
Channel
Renewals
Relational
Sales Model

17. #2 How to make plays that can
double your pipeline in 30
days

18. I'm just a sales girl standing in front of another sales
professional asking you to...give me 15 minutes to chat
about your day-to-day and how I think we're a perfect fit (in
your sales forecasting).

19. “70% of Companies Are NOT Using
Mailers As Part of Their Prospecting
Strategy”
- The State of Sales Development Research

20. 10,000
views

21. 1
2
3
4
6
5
7
Campaign
Lists
Offers
Skills
Efforts
Reports
Systems

22. CAMPAIGN: Coffee Play LIST: Target Accounts EFFORT: 4x2x2x3x1x1
OFFERS: Gift Card, Yeti Mug, Note, Research
1 3 4 6 8 10
Monday Wednesday Thursday Monday Wednesday Friday
Call 1* Call 2
Voicemail 1
Email 1
DAYCADENC
E
Call 3
Voicemail 2
Text 1
Call 4
Email 2
Email 3 Social 1
Text 2Mailer 1
*Call 1 was completed the week before to confirm the address

23. •$3,000 YETIs
•$200 Letters
•$500 for Starbucks
•$500 Shipping
•$4,200

24. "The only reason I took the meeting
was your selling creativity"
"This is how account based selling
should be done. I'm impressed"
"If I could scale what you are doing to
my team, that will change the game."
"I don't think you understand what you
have here..."
_ +
A
B
CD
E
F
A
B
C
D
E
F
$147k ACV Booked $700k+ pipeline
18+ Scheduled Meetings 9 TQOs
Quick ROI Taking initiative
CEO of territories Used Playbooks
2 saved accounts Personalized
Account-based selling thought leaders
Beating competitors
THE COFFEE PLAY
Account-Based Selling / Prospecting
Prepared by Joey Wood Salt Lake Office
SUMMARY
This represents the bulk of our sales pipeline.
I targeted 10+ accounts, 3-5 sales, marketing, and ops leaders
per account. Leveraged Playbooks to create a 3 call, 3 email, 3
VM, 2 LinkedIn messages, & 2 SMStexts follow up cadence.
Included hand-written note, business card, Starbucks gift-card,
branded Yeti Tumblr, & a call to action.
WHAT WE DID
Targeted 18+ accounts
Personalized Hand-written
notes
Researching key contacts
Built $700k+ in pipeline
Playbooks follow-up
Learning from mistakes
PROSPECT FEEDBACK
"The only reason I took the meeting wasyour selling
creativity"
"Thisishow account based selling should be done. I'm
impressed"
"If I could scale what you are doing to my team, that will
change the game."
"I don't think you understand what you have here..."
"ThisisB2B creativity at itsmax. Thisishow prospecting
should be done. Thank you!"
HIGHLIGHTS
DEALSCLOSED
Company A
- $26,000 ACV
- 10 users
- Competitive win
Company B
- $21,000 ACV
- 12 users (5 EMEA)
- 3 users (US)
- Competitive win
Company C
- Saved account
- $51,000 ACV
- 41 users (5 EMEA)
- Competitive win
Company D
- $49,000 ACV
- 30 users

25. $3,000 YETIs
$200 Letters
$500 for Starbucks
$500 Shipping
$4,200
36/42 scheduled meetings
$700,000 in sales pipeline
$147,000 in sales
Results 35x ROI

26. How to build a cadence to
increase your contact rate
TODAY
#3

27. Video

28. “Reps report doing an average of X touches
per lead when in reality they do Y”
- The State of Sales Development Research

29. “Reps report an average of 12.1 touches per
lead when in reality they do 4.05”
- The State of Sales Development Research

30. The Five Elements of a CadenceFive Elements
Attempts Media Duration Spacing Content

31. The Five Elements of a CadenceFive Elements
Attempts Media Duration Spacing Content

32. 1x0x1x2x0x0=4
2 5 8
Tuesday Friday Monday
Call 1
Voicemail 1
Email 1 Email 2
DAYCADENC
E
Inbound
Leads

33. 5x0x3x4x3x0=15
1 2 3 5 9 11
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Friday Tuesday Thursday
Call 1
Voicemail 1
Call 2 Call 3 Call 4 Email 3 Call 5
Voicemail 3Email 2
Email 4
DAYCADENC
E
High Priority Inbound Leads
Email 1
Social 2Voicemail 2
Social 1
Social 3

34. +55%
Increase in Meetings Booked
+36%
Increase in Booked Pipeline
+74%
Increase in Connect Rates
Measurement period: Dec-Jan 2016
Business
Results

35. How to organize your sales
stack so it actually works
#4

37. $174.50
Per Rep Per Month

38. 4.8 Tools
Per Rep
PrioritizationProspects Intelligence Motivation Qualification

39. “I’ve never mapped out my sales
process beginning to end”
- Says Everybody

40. Select
Contact
Current State
Greenfield
Prospects
Renewals
Partners
Leads
Navigate to
Leads in
SFDC
Manually
Prioritize
Leads
Manually
Punch Dial
Make Pitch
Manually
Schedule
Follow-Up
Answer
Yes
No
Opportunity
Nurture
Cadence
Activities manually logged to Salesforce &
Excel spreadsheets
No central cadence administration
Follow-ups executed on an ad-hoc basis
Arbitrary prioritization
Re-Attempt
Connect
Extra Key Strokes,
Manual Process
Manual
process, lots of
information
channels
Inconsistent campaign
messaging / execution
Manual researching prompts
Yes
No
Interest?
Manage
Leads in
Spreadsheet

41. InsightsTM
PlaybooksTM follows Rep through
browsing experience
Future State: Streamlined & Efficient
Greenfield
Prospect
Renewals
Partners
Leads
Navigate to
Leads in
Classic View
Import into
Playbooks
Run Play
Make Pitch
Playbook
Cadence
Mgmt.
Answer
Yes
No
Opportunity
Nurture
Cadence
Re-Attempt
Connect
Option to manually
import one or a
group of leads into
a Play
Click to Call
Local Presence
Pre-Recorded VMs
PlaysTM scripts coach on talk
track and messaging
Yes
No
Interest?
Rep
Dashboard
*Includes
Engagement Score
& Neural Score

42. Four
Steps
• How to build a structure like the best of
the best
• How to make plays that can double your
pipeline in 30 days
• How to build a cadence to increase your
contact rate TODAY
• How to organize your sales stack so it
actually works
Sales Development Teams Use To Win

43. Gabe Larsen
VP InsideSales.com Labs

44. Free Executive
Summary
sdr.accelerateinsidesales.co
m