Kyle Coleman

Today is my last day at Clari.

I started almost 5 years ago leading a team of five SDRs and one enablement fella (myself). I end as the CMO, having seen revenue, valuation, and headcount all explode 7-10x.

To say that these years have been transformative is an unbelievable understatement. The trajectory of my career was fundamentally changed, all for the better.

I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Kevin Fisher, Kevin Knieriem, and Andy Byrne. These gents took bet after bet on me, giving me the confidence and support I needed to take on dozens of new challenges.

I’d run out of space if I thanked everyone who’s helped me, pushed me, and made me better over the years. But special thanks to Natasha Dolginsky and Julien Sauvage – y’all made many remarkable things happen and it’s been a pleasure working with you and learning from you.

I love Clari. I love the product, the technology, the category. But above all, I love the people. They’re a special group who have created a genuine, empathetic, results-driven culture.

As incredible as my time here has been, I know that the future is even brighter. I’ll be a Clari advocate for the rest of my days.

———

So what’s next? Some much needed time off over the holidays. And then jumping back into action early next month.

More on that soon.

Before they sold software, some of the best AEs and SDRs I’ve worked with sold:

📱 Cell phones
👠 Shoes
📚 Books
📈 Financial advice
🎿 Ski boots
🍸 Drinks

Just a friendly reminder that “experience” extends beyond the tech bubble.

#sales #sdr

The second biggest fight I ever had with my VP was about promoting an SDR, from level 2 to level 3.

✅ I was a firm yes — the SDR was 126% to quota.

❌ He was a firm no — the SDR “didn’t make enough calls.”

———

In my opinion, this person was a great example for the rest of the team:

🥇 Middle of the pack in call volume, but top of the quota leaderboard.

🕵️‍♂️ Emphasizing quality over quantity, doing a bit more research about the people and accounts they were prospecting into.

📈 Better conversion rates across their emails, Linkedin messages, and calls.

———

My VP’s opinion was that they were setting the wrong example for the team because they didn’t hit certain call volumes.

I assured him that the success was repeatable and transferable across the rest of the team with the right training and enablement.

But my argument fell on deaf ears. It was all about call volume.

👴🏼 An old school way of thinking about SDR, an old school way of thinking about management.

———

Making calls is important, don’t get me wrong. But it’s not all that matters.

And it’s certainly not what should determine promotions and leveling.

I see the “quality > quantity” mindset taking over our industry, and I’m a huge fan of the trend.

✊ And don’t worry, things worked out just fine for the beleaguered SDR in the long run. They’re killing it in an AE role now.

#sales #sdr

I’ve seen this story play out countless times — career doors open if people like working with you.

🚪 And doors shut if they don’t.

I’ve seen some super smart, talented, hard working people struggle to advance. All because they failed to work well with others.

🤗 Be approachable, positive, humble, and kind. Get results, but make sure you do it the right way.

Your career will thank you.

#sales #sdr #career

I cut 106 words out of this email I received, and I challenge all prospectors to do the same with theirs.

🎯 50 words is a great target (the rewrite below is 53).

Thoughts on the before / after below?

#sales #sdr

Most sellers would say something simple like:

🥱 “Hey Matt - We spoke a few weeks ago. Is now a better time to connect?”

😔 And they'd probably get ignored or deleted.

Not Craig Lamb. He took this follow up to the next level and got an immediate response.

Great stuff, Craig. Keep ‘em coming.

#sales #sdr

Three leadership sentiments that are killing SDR teams. And therefore, are killing your pipeline generation.

😑 They don’t need to think. They need to hit activity numbers.

🤯 They don’t need to write. We’ll do it for them.

🙁 They don’t need to know the product. Just pass leads to the AE.

The times have changed. Buyers expect more from SDRs, and it’s time to deliver.

#revenue #sdr #sales

Go ahead and remove that “college degree” requirement from your SDR job descriptions.

You’re hurting your team & company by limiting your candidate pool.

And you’re hurting innumerable smart, driven, & talented budding salespeople who deserve a chance.

———

Don’t get me wrong, there is value in a college degree.

It’s a great way to sharpen critical thinking & communication skills, to learn individual & team success, and to grow from challenges & setbacks.

But these skills you learn & mindset you develop can be achieved many other ways.

———

💪 Hire for aptitude, not for pedigree.

🧠 Ensure your onboarding, training, & continued education programs are inclusive and conducive to different learning styles.

🙌 Find ways to elevate the unique skills of all members of your team.

And reap the rewards.

#sales #sdr

I went from SDR to SVP in 9 years.

🎓 And I’ve learned a thing or two along the way. Internal influence, personal branding, people management, scaling processes, individual excellence.

All key ingredients to performance, growth, and earning promotions.

If you’re curious to hear about my journey, I’m doing a fireside chat with Pavilion this Friday morning.

👇 Register below.

#sales #marketing #sdr