Sabba Nazhand

The hidden costs of traditional SDR hiring 👀 Bringing SDRs on board using traditional methods can feel like a costly gamble. Understanding the financial and operational risks is crucial in an industry where every dollar counts. 1️⃣ Direct costs: The journey starts with recruitment expenses. Job ads, agency fees, background checks—these quickly pile up. SHRM reports the average cost-per-hire in tech is around $4,000. For startups on tight budgets, this is no small change. Once hired, onboarding and training further strain resources, with Glassdoor highlighting an average spend of $1,200 per employee on training alone. 2️⃣ Indirect costs: The real expense often lies in missed opportunities. A new SDR isn't immediately productive, leading to potential sales targets slipping away. The absence of active sales efforts during onboarding can delay customer engagement and market penetration. Aberdeen Group found that effective onboarding programs can boost revenue and profit margins significantly, but ineffective ones do the opposite. 3️⃣ High turnover risks: The tech industry faces a high turnover rate, with SDR roles particularly at risk. Bridge Group notes an SDR's average tenure is just 1.5 years. This turnover means repeating the costly hiring cycle sooner than planned, destabilizing the sales team and disrupting growth. The pressure on startups is immense. The financial burden and the risk of poor hires can destabilize growth trajectories. It’s time to rethink the approach and explore more efficient solutions that mitigate these risks. #saassales #startupsales #outsourcedsdr

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Renewals are the lifeblood of every SaaS company. However, we don’t talk enough about what makes a great AM/CSM who handles renewals. Since there are so many lists on what makes a great AE, I thought I’d take a stab at what makes a great AM/CSM who handles renewals: 1/ They prioritize the renewals that move the needle Renewal rate comes down to simple math. What renewals are going to move the needle for them? Great AMs/CSMs spend their time where they’ll get the most bang for their buck. 2/ They prepare 6 months in advance Average AMs/CSMs prep 3 months in advance. Great ones plan 6 months in advance. This includes asking hard questions well ahead of time during a mid-year QBR, so they know where to spend their time. 3/ They can re-sell the product Stakeholders change. Priorities change. Competitors try to break in. Great AMs/CSMs can sell the product as well as their AEs and know how to position their value props and handle objections. 4/ They know how to negotiate I don’t know any procurement person in the post-ZIRP era who doesn’t try to negotiate their contracts. A great AM/CSM knows how to turn negotiations into win-wins. 5/ They know the difference between procurement and decision-makers Similar to point four, they know how to negotiate and with whom. Negotiating with procurement is much different than negotiating with a key stakeholder. Each party wants something different, and it’s important to recognize what that is. 6/ They know how to rope in their AEs or extended teams Just like the best AEs know how to “quarterback” deals, a great AM/CSM knows how to rally resources to help with renewals. AEs, Execs, SEs, and Professional Services can all be brought in to help show the customer extra love. 7/ They develop a renewal champion We always talk about champions in the presales process, but not enough about champions during renewals. A great AM/CSM knows how to develop champions to help push renewals through. An AM/CSM who knows how to do these things is worth their weight in gold. Keep them happy as long as you can!

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8 headcount open- ENTERPRISE & COMMERCIAL AE - SaaS - Automation - $ALES & MARKETING account signals and insights SaaS tool 💸 Commercial Account Executive: $125k base 50/50 split - $1m quota 💸 Enterprise Account Executive: $150k base 50/50 split- $1.2m quota Actual inbound leads - $20k - $500k deal sizes - 6 months sales cycle You keep account in your book of business for upsells while CSMs are responsible for renewal #seriesbstartup, working under one of our longer term #vpofsales who JUST started - you must have experience - at an earlier stage org of less than 200 employees - selling a complex solution - ideal experience selling into #gtm #salesleaders or desire to Selling into other SaaS orgs! work with clients like GitLab Notion MongoDB and MORE - providing insights on how their #gtm can do more with less, and make more $$ In a world of tech, where everything is connected it is more possible than ever before to build connections between your current clients, and your ideal prospects This solution combines Sales, Marketing, Community and Operations and uses AI to enrich, score and analyze intent - $ignals are one of the most important aspects of monitoring what is working, and the best way to target, support and optimize every account. An ideal rep understands sales strategies including #productledgrowth and #productledsales MUST BE HUNGRY, LOVE BUILDING PROCESSES and have experience working in a startup get on my schedule! 206 747 9724 #accountexecutive #commercialaccountexecutive #enterpriseaccountexecutive #gtmsaas #gtmsales

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Choosing your SDR tech stack isn't about following a perfect formula. It's about understanding what your team truly needs. 🎯 Consider this path: Know your approach > Match tools to strategy 🔍 Set your limits > Budget smart, not big Map connections > Make tools work together 🔄 Pick essentials > Build for real needs Plan the rollout > Think long-term 🌱 Many rush to buy tools before understanding their team's real needs. They end up with expensive solutions to problems they don't have. Remember: The right tool fits your team's way of working, not the other way around. What's been your most important consideration when choosing SDR tools? Read our latest blog here: https://buff.ly/3BDaIZ0

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🚀 Transform Your Sales Team with the 30x30 Sales Program by Nazeer Aval 🚀 Are you a Business Owner frustrated with low sales conversions, constant hiring and firing of salespeople, and inconsistent sales performance? Are you a Sales Professional struggling to close deals, missing targets, and feeling unsure about your sales approach? 👉 Introducing the 30x30 Sales Program – A Revolutionary Approach to Sales Success! 📅 Launch Date: 6th January 2025 – Start the New Year with a focused, proven, and results-driven sales strategy. 💼 What is the 30x30 Program? 📚 Morning Session (30 mins daily): Learn 1 powerful sales concept every day via Zoom. 🧠 Evening Debrief (30 mins daily): Reflect, discuss, and reinforce the day’s learning with your sales team. 📈 The Outcome: Enhance your sales conversations by at least 30% and drive measurable results. 🌟 Why Trust Nazeer Aval? ✅ 25+ years of global sales experience across diverse industries. ✅ Internationally trained sales expert with proven methodologies. ✅ Certified SPIN Selling Practitioner – Globally recognized sales framework. ✅ A track record of coaching high-performing sales teams and driving sustainable growth. 🎯 Who Should Join? Business Owners: Spend more time strategizing and less time firefighting sales issues. Sales Professionals: Elevate your confidence, sharpen your skills, and close more deals. 💰 Investment: Just $100 per person per month (paid upfront). 🎁 Special Offers: Quarterly Payment (Upfront): Get 10% OFF Annual Payment (Upfront): Get 20% OFF 🚀 The time for change is NOW. Make 2025 your best sales year yet! 📲 DM me or Comment '30x30' below to get started or 🔗 Click Here to Register Now https://lnkd.in/dXVP-WBN ✨ Your team deserves the best coaching. Your business deserves unstoppable growth. Let’s build it together! 🚀 #SalesTraining #SalesCoaching #BusinessGrowth #30x30Program #SalesSuccess #Leadership #SalesStrategy #SPINSelling #NazeerAval #SalesTeamDevelopment #2025Success

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Missing revenue targets can be a symptom of three things in high-growth SaaS companies: 1. Lack of relevant messaging at different stages of the buyer's journey 2. Lack of proper, segmented pipeline being delivered to sales reps 3. Lack of experience in certain parts of the sales process on the rep’s part If the issue is #1, get marketing to help fill in the content gaps. If it’s #2, review how you segment the market and feed your team leads. If it’s #3, focus on improving training, coaching, and support for your reps. Hear more about driving sales efficiency with Matt Gallagher, Portfolio CRO at Hg Capital, in this episode of the podcast --> https://lnkd.in/e9gyYnjz

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When it comes to annual territory planning, a #sales ops bias can really shake things up in the wrong way. This mindset can lead to inefficiencies, imbalanced and unfair #territory assignments, and a lot of frustration among the sales team. On the flip side, this article explains how a RevOps approach sets the stage for optimized territories and encourages productive connections and collaborations across all teams involved in generating revenue. It’s a win-win for everyone! Read more! https://lnkd.in/g7ccjRAZ Fullcast, The Go-to-Market Cloud Brad Warnock #revops #salesops #gotomarketcloud #gotomarket Dylan Ferguson Alyssa Suchy Amy Osmond Cook, Ph.D. Susan Macomber Amanda Fletcher Ryan Christensen #revopsleadership #gtm #revenueoperations

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I did an informal poll on CSM vs Sales commission splits. I was pleasantly shocked to see that over 95% of companies do not have Sales take a commission on renewals unless it’s a particularly challenging one; the AE is there to help with it as a “bounty renewal”. in this case, the AE gets a % but is not taken from the CSM. Other interesting data points: "Commission on upsells and renewal made up 30% of the total compensation package. However, the exact commission % was determined by dividing the 30% by $$$ into the total ARR managed by the CSM." What metrics should this be based on? Most followed this model to Typically, companies that are earlier in their CS maturity will base this off a few leading indicators (adoption milestones, EBRs, etc.), and then move to comping on lagging indicators (retention, expansion, NRR, etc.) once their leading indicator activities have been proven. The following are examples of metrics you can use, not an exhaustive list: Leading: QBRs and/or EBRs (attained vs scheduled) Product adoption milestones (product dependent) Lagging: Net Revenue Retention (NRR) - this is likely the most common Retention Expansion Advocacy (hard to make this scale across large teams and mixed portfolios - this is better as a SPIFF or annual metric to Bonus on) From there, you can determine the weight of each metric on the bonus. I'll give an example using a bonus that is achieved by a renewal retention goal and an NRR goal. Criteria for 100% Bonus Attainment: 90% Renewal Retention (50% weight) 125% Net Revenue Retention (50% weight) "This keeps it pretty simple with two priorities. Retain and Expand Revenue. The Retention goal being assessed separately ensures CSMs don't have significant churn masked by massive upsells. In this example, if a CSM had 85% Retention and 115% NRR, they'd end up at 93.22% to goal for their overall commission/variable comp."

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I did an informal poll on CSM vs Sales commission splits. I was pleasantly shocked to see that over 95% of companies do not have Sales take a commission on renewals unless it’s a particularly challenging one; the AE is there to help with it as a “bounty renewal”. in this case, the AE gets a % but is not taken from the CSM. Other interesting data points: "Commission on upsells and renewal made up 30% of the total compensation package. However, the exact commission % was determined by dividing the 30% by $$$ into the total ARR managed by the CSM." What metrics should this be based on? Most followed this model to Typically, companies that are earlier in their CS maturity will base this off a few leading indicators (adoption milestones, EBRs, etc.), and then move to comping on lagging indicators (retention, expansion, NRR, etc.) once their leading indicator activities have been proven. The following are examples of metrics you can use, not an exhaustive list: Leading: QBRs and/or EBRs (attained vs scheduled) Product adoption milestones (product dependent) Lagging: Net Revenue Retention (NRR) - this is likely the most common Retention Expansion Advocacy (hard to make this scale across large teams and mixed portfolios - this is better as a SPIFF or annual metric to Bonus on) From there, you can determine the weight of each metric on the bonus. I'll give an example using a bonus that is achieved by a renewal retention goal and an NRR goal. Criteria for 100% Bonus Attainment: 90% Renewal Retention (50% weight) 125% Net Revenue Retention (50% weight) "This keeps it pretty simple with two priorities. Retain and Expand Revenue. The Retention goal being assessed separately ensures CSMs don't have significant churn masked by massive upsells. In this example, if a CSM had 85% Retention and 115% NRR, they'd end up at 93.22% to goal for their overall commission/variable comp."

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Dear SaaS Sales Leader, focusing too much on ROI means you’re missing a bigger opportunity to close deals 💰. What if I told you that talking about the Cost of Inaction (COI) can actually drive more sales? Here’s why: most prospects already know they’ll see some kind of return on investment. What they often don’t realize is how costly it is to do nothing📉 By highlighting the cost of doing nothing, you make the pain of inaction real for your prospect. Suddenly, the urgency to act increases—and that’s when deals get closed. When your team focuses on COI, they show prospects that inaction isn’t just a safe, neutral choice—it’s actually the most expensive decision they can make ✌️ Follow Ambridge Advisory for more expert sales strategies and 10X your ARR

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🚀Transforming Enterprise Sales with Vieu🚀 As an AE, you're no stranger to the chaos of manually drawing org charts, and trying to identify the elusive buying committee. Hours wasted, frustration mounting, and still no clear path to the decision-makers. But the game has changed. Enter Vieu – your ultimate Enterprise Sales ally. Vieu provides precise stakeholder maps, cutting through the noise and guiding you straight to the key members of the buying committee. No more wasted time, no more guesswork. The result? More closed deals, less frustration. Because in Enterprise Sales, it’s all about precision and efficiency. Ready to revolutionize your sales approach? Embrace Vieu and turn chaos into clarity. #enterprisesales #salesintelligence #vieu #AE #accountexecutive #didyouknow

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Do not read this post if your quota attainment per seller is >70%, Average Deal Sizes have grown >2x in the last year and if you don't need more Sales Pipeline. For those of you that do, I'm proud to announce a revolutionary way for your GTM teams to drive productivity with DatabookGPT. But, don't listen to me, listen to our customers: “As we pilot the new DatabookGPT, we find it’s driving down the creation of our initial account plans from seven weeks to seven minutes,” said Chris Smith, Chief Strategy Officer at Grant Thornton. “It's a game changer." "Every AE at Databricks lives by our value of 'customer obsessed.' Understanding the value the Data Intelligence Platform delivers for every customer is essential. DatabookGPT was built on Databricks and supports our sellers by giving them that account intelligence," said Ron Gabrisko, Chief Revenue Officer at Databricks. "Through our teams' use of Databook, we saw our average deal size increase by 54.8% in FY24", said Kirsty Mundy, WW Field Enablement Microsoft, Industry Solutions Delivery Learn more at www.databook.com. It's Generally Available now for companies looking to grow their deal sizes, shorten their sales cycles, and grow pipeline. #accountintelligence #enterprisesales #strategicrelationshipmanagement

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Did you know a company that adopts a formal sales methodology experiences a 28% higher win rate compared to those without one? That is why implementing an effective go-to-market (GTM) sales methodology is crucial to your team's success 🥇 Join us and 250+ sellers and leaders from SaaS at LaunchPad Connect and master your GTM sales methodology. This interactive panel has been carefully selected to hear from experts in BANT, MEDDPICC, Challenger and Sandler methodologies. We have also allocated dedicated breakouts for quality networking with our panel & 250+ sellers & leaders from within the industry 💬 Our Panel; 🎤 Andy Thiss (Sonder) 🎤 Amy Boulter (Salesforce) 🎤 Sophie Baker (TRIBE) 🎤 Cameron Kahler (Workato) 🎤 TJ Chandler (Fivetran) 🎤 Heather Cook (ex Seismic, ex Hootsuite) Our Hosts; 📍 Location: Tank Stream Labs at the Sydney Scaleup Hub 📅 Date: Thursday, 21st November 🎯 Target Audience: Sales, Marketing, GTM, Revenue, Strategy & Leadership All of the money raised through ticket sales will be donated to Beyond Blue to support them for the fantastic work that they are doing in mental health 💙 To secure your spot or get more info see the link in the comments below! 💜 LaunchPad Academy x LaunchPad Connect 💜 #SalesMethodologies #GTMStrategy #SalesLeadership #TechSales #Networking #SalesSuccess #GTM #coaching #mentoring #training #SaaS

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Struggling to get your team to outbound? 80%+ of sales leaders we interviewed outbound with their teams. - Carlos Delatorre CRO at Harness is making cold calls with his team - Daisy Chung Head of Revenue Strategy at Orum 🥇helped create a culture where everyone prospects from the rep level to the CEO - Carrie Bosworth SVP Sales at Checkr, Inc. says it best ... "I think sales leaders get the most buy in when they do the work. So roll up your sleeves, and be willing to lean in" What do you do to build your outbound muscle?

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7 Undeniable Reasons why Outbound Agencies > SDRs 1️⃣ Tech Stack Specialization • RevOps are spread thin, tools take time and 💲to onboard and integrate. • Outbound Agencies spend their time optimizing the best tech stack for a very specific part of the funnel that requires minimal integration with existing business systems. •  Clients fit into a fully optimized tech stack that undergoes regular upgrades. 2️⃣ Quick Results • Takes months to ramp a SDR and many more months to realize it's not working. • Agencies hit the ground running with best practices in weeks. 3️⃣ Experience • SDRs are typically entry level. Unless you have an amazing strategy and training (most do not) there's a lot of failure on the way to effective outbound. • Agencies are typically the best reps scaling up their strategies with technology.    • In our case, RevOps who have built every version of outbound system there has been for the last 5+ years and knows what works vs. not from cold, hard data. 4️⃣ Scalability • Typical SDR can SPAM the TAM with junk templates or craft decent to great personalized emails (but very few). • Agencies can send hundreds or thousands per day on behalf of reps while keeping it relevant & personalized. 5️⃣ Strategy • Agencies send a LOT of outbound for many clients. It's easier to find data-backed, proven strategies. • With AI & Automation keeping costs low, you're paying for a winning outbound strategy more than you are the horsepower behind it. 6️⃣ Hyper-Iteration • Most companies with reps use traditional SEPs with limited A/B testing • The modern agency stack enables hyper-targeted campaigns. It A→Z tests many variables to find message-market fit 10x faster. 7️⃣ Cost • DFY Outbound saves thousands on tech stack. Agencies can take advantage of economies of scale and pass that on. • 80+% cost reductions for outbound efforts with better results, no brainer. There's still a place for SDRs as social sellers, cold callers, and upskilling into GTM Engineers. or White-glove selling into Fortune 500. 💭 What are your thoughts on how the SDR will evolve in the next 2 years?

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Strategy After Hiring SDRs: Maximizing Sales Success 🚀 Building on the foundation of your SDR team, here’s how to strategically advance your sales process and drive growth: Transition to Closers 🤝: With SDRs efficiently qualifying leads, it’s time to bring experienced Closers to convert these high-value prospects into loyal customers. Enhanced Sales Training 📚: Invest in continuous training for SDRs and Closers. Ensure they stay updated on the latest sales techniques, product knowledge, and market trends. Integrated Sales and Marketing 🔗: Align your sales and marketing teams to ensure a seamless flow of information and a unified approach to lead generation and nurturing. Account-Based Selling 🎯: Focus on personalized outreach to key accounts. Tailor your sales approach to meet each potential client's specific needs and pain points. Data-Driven Decisions 📈: Utilize CRM and analytics tools to track performance metrics. Use this data to refine your sales strategies and identify areas for improvement. Customer Relationship Management 🤝: Implement a robust CRM system to manage customer interactions, streamline communication, and enhance customer satisfaction. Feedback Loop 🔄: Establish a feedback loop between SDRs, Closers, and Account Managers. This ensures continuous improvement and alignment across the sales team. Performance Incentives 💰: Motivate your sales team with performance-based incentives. Recognize and reward top performers to maintain high morale and productivity. Scalable Processes 📏: Develop scalable sales processes to handle increased lead volumes as your startup grows. Ensure your team can maintain quality while expanding. Customer Retention Strategies 💡: Focus not only on acquiring new customers but also on retaining existing ones. Implement strategies to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty. The Numbers Speak: Companies with aligned sales and marketing teams achieve 36% higher customer retention rates. Effective training programs can boost sales performance by up to 20%. At LeadBuds, we specialize in building and optimizing sales teams for startups. Let’s take your sales strategy to the next level and achieve sustainable growth together! #SalesStrategy #SDR #SalesSuccess #BusinessGrowth #LeadBuds #SalesOptimization #CustomerRetention

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What are your thoughts on seeing their deals mapped out in a deal velocity scorecard? This is part of the performance dashboard we're building for MidFunnel. The idea is that sellers can see how their deals are faring. Managers can quickly get a pulse on deal progress. The velocity is calculated based on the responsiveness of communication. Next we're considering adding qualitative insights on prospect eagerness as well. #sales #sales-tech

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28 CCOs and Post-Sales leaders have spoken 📢 What is the CURRENT STATE of Customer Success? -- Over the past 6 months, I asked 28 podcast guests this question. Nearly everyone had the same answer. What's the Current State of CS? ➡ "Unsettled" ➡ "Identity Crisis" ➡ "Transformation" ➡ "Really messed up" (but don't listen to me, hear for yourself directly from folks who feel this way... totally unprompted). -- Why is this function in SUCH a state of flux? ✳ The problem is not CS... it's a CEO / Board problem Very few Enterprise SaaS companies today actually have strong Product-Market Fit (PMF). There are tons of non "mission critical" products out there justifying themselves for a spot in the stack. For 70% of leaders I speak with, they say their CS teams are filling key product and value gaps that the company has not yet addressed. Just because you had PMF at $10M does NOT mean you will keep it at $20M, $200M or beyond. It's always changing and the only way to keep it is to listen to your customers selflessly. ✳ Without strong market fit, CS becomes focused on "Checklist Management" rather than Change Management Tasks, journeys, and "busywork" that comes out of a lot of CRMs and CSP workflows are designed to show CS activity is up... but it is not at all aligned to moving the needle for the Customer. In order to become "mission critical", post-sales MUST. DRIVE. ADOPTION. And that has very little to do with what your company thinks is important (sentiment, engagement, usage) and everything to do with what your customer feels is important (improving their workflows, achieving their business goals, hitting their leading indicators). ✳ CS efforts do not correlate to Revenue nearly as much as they need to CEOs, CFOs, and Boards look at two metrics: how much $$$ did you bring in, and how much $$$ do I need to pay you? If the first is less than second, you are literally a cost center (not just perceived as one). CEOs, CFOs, and Boards are expecting the payback period of investing in CS to be one-year. If teams are expecting CS activity to generate revenue WITHOUT a Customer Value Framework proven to increase adoption... teams will end up spinning cycles and burning cash (and unfortunately RIFs are not far behind) -- So... what does the FUTURE of CS and Post-Sales look like? (teaser: video coming out in 2 weeks) This is really a question that CEOs, CFOs, and Boards will have to answer. They have to see demonstrated quantifiable value coming out of post-sales to continue investing in the function. To position CS and Post-Sales in the best possible light, we have to reimagine our function through the lens of our Customer. It's less about how we define Customer Success. We need to ask: How does our Customer define Success? What is your take? #FutureCustomerValue #CustomerValue #CRO #CCO

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