In Part 1 of our Sales Development Series, I wrote The Diary of an SDR for IoT and Communications Billing Software. Today, I’m excited to tell you the truth about Transitioning from an SDR to a Quota-Carrying Sales Rep in Part 2 of our series.
What Is A Quota Carrying Sales Rep?
A quota-carrying sales rep is a sales representative responsible for meeting specific sales targets within a set period. They handle the entire sales process, from prospecting to closing deals, and are often measured by their ability to achieve these predefined sales goals, which can include revenue targets, number of units sold, or new customer acquisitions.
One Late Friday evening, I remember receiving a call from my boss congratulating me on my promotion from a Sales Development Representative (SDR) to a quota-carrying rep. “You will do fine in this role as you have proven that you can qualify.” That one quote stuck out from the call. I had just finished my second full quarter and hit my numbers as an SDR. How much harder could it be closing deals? Well, I was about to find out.
Two days after my early promotion, I ran my very first demo of Rev.io’s billing software. The sheer awkwardness of it would make Michael Cera wince. For the first 10 minutes, while sputtering and stuttering, I tried to figure out how to share my screen. (Yes, I understand the irony of a software sales rep struggling with technology.) The next part that sticks out is the loud ruffling of papers in between pauses as I turned to the next page of the script. The prospect wasn’t receptive, so it felt like an hour-long monologue.
This was a learning experience that I will never forget and there are easily another 10 lessons that I learned during the first year of my new role. There is a drastic transition from a pure prospecting role to navigating the labyrinth that we call a sales cycle. You go from a myopic world of straight appointment-setting to managing a sales pipeline, driving partnerships, assisting with onboarding calls for your deals, running demos, scheduling other meetings, attending tradeshows, and creating and maintaining referral relationships.
Here are a few of the many growing pains that you have to muscle through in a quota-carrying sales position:
- The painful demos where it is obvious to the prospect that you are reading from a script
- Getting your first verbal commit on a contract to later have them renege on their commitment
- The very long silence(s) during price negotiations
So, I wanted to share a few tips for new quota-carrying Sales Reps:
Useful Tips For New Quote-Carrying Sales Reps
1. Never Stop Prospecting
Even though you aren’t an SDR, you are still going to have to prospect. Use what you learned in your previous position and pick up the phone! Refilling the sales funnel is key to being a successful Sales Account Executive. Always block off at least an hour a day to make calls.
2. Time Blocking
Block off your time. Time management is very important for a quota-carrying rep. You aren’t just prospecting now. You are holding discovery calls, running demos, and managing referral partners. Set a certain amount of calls that you are going to make each day before lunch and stick to your commitment.
3. Stay On Top Of Deals
Obsess about your next steps with the prospect. The sales adage, “Time kills deals,” is very real. Executives juggle many plates; do you think they will remember how awesome your hour-long demo was from 3 weeks ago? I don’t.
4. Find Value
Dig deeper with your questions. As an SDR, the ultimate goal is to garner enough pain for a prospect to commit to a 30-minute call. Now, your questions will have to dig deeper in order to quantify the impact of this pain. You’ll use the information you uncover to justify price and to garner commitment to future meetings with you.
5. Make Friends In The Office
Use the resources around you to help you with your deal. While there is a collaboration between an SDR and a Sales Account Executive, there is a lot more collaboration needed to win new customers. Especially if you are selling complex, highly configurable software such as Rev.io’s billing software. There are lots of deals I wouldn’t have won if without the help of some awesome team members from our Enablement and Development Teams.
Bonus: Leverage Data To Drive Your Sales Strategy
As you transition from an SDR to a quota-carrying sales rep, understanding and using data becomes critical to your success. Unlike your SDR role, where the focus was often on activity metrics like calls made or meetings booked, your new role requires a deeper dive into performance metrics that directly impact revenue.
Track The Right KPIs
The first step is identifying the key performance indicators (KPIs) that matter most. Focus on metrics such as:
- Close Rate: How many of your leads convert into paying customers?
- Lead-to-opportunity Conversion Rate: What percentage of your prospects progress through the sales funnel?
- Average Deal Size: Are you closing high-value deals, or is there room to optimize upselling?
By tracking these metrics consistently, you’ll not only understand your performance better but also be able to pinpoint which areas need improvement.
Use Data To Inform Decisions
Successful sales reps use data to prioritize where to invest their time and effort. For example, if your CRM shows that leads from a particular industry or segment are more likely to convert, focus your attention there. Similarly, by analyzing when your prospects are most responsive, you can time your outreach to maximize engagement.
Being data-driven also means forecasting your pipeline accurately. By using historical data, you can project which deals are likely to close and when, allowing you to adjust your sales approach and meet your quota more consistently.
Continuously Optimize
Sales is an evolving process, and your ability to optimize based on data will set you apart. Test different sales approaches, messaging, and negotiation tactics, and measure their impact on your key metrics. This data-driven approach will help you refine your personal sales strategy and increase your long-term success as a quota-carrying rep.
After five quarters as a Sales Account Executive, I feel confident in my demos – I’ve mastered the basics of setting an agenda, building rapport, overcoming objections, and so forth. Continuing to expand my product knowledge of our IoT and telecom billing solutions will always be a priority and I recommend that keeping your own education top-of-mind. The journey from SDR to a quota-carry Sales Rep is full of uncomfortable moments but it’s rewarding at the end. If you’re in sales and you’ve enjoyed this series on our blog, check out our culture page for open positions or leave us a comment below. Or, if you’re interested in learning more about our billing system and how we help clients grow revenue efficiently, contact Rev.io for a tour of our solution.