How to Onboard an SDR(Sales Development Representative) in your organization? | Episode 07|

Our today's guest is a photo blogger, musician, not a sports person yet very disciplined. She studied engineering and an mba, worked at companies like Mahindra Akamai Technologies before she became the director of global sales development at what Fix, which is apparently the fastest growing SaaS company in the world. And she manages a team of 20 SDRs and accounting. So she brings tons of experience in managing sales development team. Without further ado, I'm happy to welcome Kastori on Salespin.

Hey everyone. Welcome to the seventh episode of Salespin featuring Kasturi. And we are going to talk about something really different today. Rahul, say hi and probably introduce the topic.

Hi Kasturi. Hi Kaushal. Before we start, I think I do have a question. This question I ask all my interview candidates. What does kasturi mean? Because from where I come from, it's a spice.

Kasturi means musk. The musk perfume that you use.

Oh, okay.

It's. It's that. Yeah, it's found in a deer's body. So.

Yeah. Wow, nice. How many, how many deers we have killed? Because I have like three or four musk perfumes.

Yeah. Yeah.

Okay, cool. I think today's topic is going to be pretty interesting. So Kasturi, I think we met briefly when you were on Arupit's show rambling session and I think I really like your ideas. I really like your approach, your thought process and that was a no brainer to bring you on the show. So today's topic is, and I think this is something which is pretty close to my heart because a lot of SDRs who are new to the game, who are new to the sale, they do come and ask me, hey, how should we go about it? The topic today we're going to discuss is how do you think an SDR should spend their maybe 30, 60, 90 days, you know, in an organization. And the second part of the question would be how do you think that will be different when you are, let's say an experienced VR versus someone who is entering the sales world for the first time?

Yeah. Great. I think, Rahul, we all had this question when we started our careers. So yeah, we all have gone through this phase and I'm sure Kaushal will also agree. You will also agree it's not the easiest when you just get into this whole organization and you're clueless what to do and where to start from. Right. So I personally spend a lot of time with my new SDR hires because I feel that the first month basically builds the foundation of that person and ensures how long or how successful this person would be with this organization that you're hiring for.

Right.

So if you ask me my two cents, I break it down into not 30, 30, 60, 90. I break it down into first 15 and then 15 and then we go by that. So the first 15 days is chill. Like you don't do much. I just let them get to know the company, get to know the culture, get to meet and talk as many people as you can within the company. And yeah, I mean the last one one and a half years has been all remote work. But then still I would suggest names. I give them names. Hey, go ping this person, slack him. Get on a call, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, just say, hi, I've joined this team and I want to know what your learnings from this company has been. You've been with this organization for this much time. I think 15 days is just that. I don't let them go through product trainings. I don't let them go through rigorous sales trainings as well. That happens parallel. Yes. So there's always an overlap where you have one or two sessions which gives you an overview of the structure, gives you an overview of what the product solves, what the product does, how the team is structured, what the process is at a very, very superficial level. And then we get on to the tough part of it, which is the next 30 days where you go through n number of trainings, trainings, trainings, trainings, trainings, which is sessions. So now you're settled in, you feel like a part of this organization because you've spoken to leaders, you've spoken to your peers, you've spoken to people from cross functional teams. You know what each one is doing. You know, okay, this department does this, this person does this, this designation does this. So you know where in this whole scheme of things you fit into and why. Your role is very, very important. I think knowing that is very important. Kaushal, you were asking something.

Yes. So thank you for your answer. Dasturi. I mean that is something that I very closely resonate with because I have spent a little over 90 days with my current organization, Chargebee. I have joined as an SDR. Now what you say is something that, you know, probably parts of it is what I sometimes what I missed out on because during this pandemic I was onboarded remotely and I did not really get a lot of time to spend with with a lot of people. And the first 15 days of chill that you mentioned, that is something that I did not really get, it's not anyone's fault obviously, because how will I communicate with other people, right? So I got on, I got along with the trainings and then I started working directly after that. Right? No complaints. As such, I am having a great time, I'm learning a lot. But what do you suggest? How, how does a new joinee, like even you are hiring people remotely now. How does a new joinee get to know the culture, get to know more about the organization and its values?

Okay, yeah, very fair question, Kaushal. I think inherently as, as what we do in terms of sales or sales development, you just need to be curious, right? The first thing that you have to bring along with you and never let go is curiosity. So the first day when you join your company and you meeting your hiring manager because you probably have met him or her during the interview process so you know the face and when you're meeting him or her, you tell me like just, just go all out and ask all your questions. Like be very curious. Okay. So where do I fit in? What's the org structure? How do I work with sales? If you're an SDR who head sales, how many teams are there? How many people are there? How many people are there in SDR function? How many regions do we have? How are we like you have so many questions, right? Where did the company start from? Can I speak to the CEO if that's possible? Can I speak to the CTO and understand where the product does vision is going? Can I speak to someone from the products team? How do we do services? How do we do professional services? How do we sell? What happens after we sell? How long does the sales cycle take? There's so much to ask. So I think just bring a big bag of curiosity and get all your answers there. I mean, and if you start asking then your hiring manager, of course we'll let you do all that you need to do to get your answers on questions answered. Sorry. So I think that's, that's very important. I have SDRs in my team who said hey, why can't we speak to Kadam and know what the plans are? And that's when I said, yeah, sure you can. And Kadam usually does this monthly catch up with all the new hires across functions, no matter where what. But I said yeah, of course you can slack him, right? Write him an email and I'm sure he will respond. And you know, leaders who've been in this industry or leaders who are leaders in the true ethos of it, they'd be very welcoming to these emails, you can just drop a note that, hey, I wanted five minutes of your time to maybe talk about this. I had some questions that I wanted to hear from your perspective and not from anybody else. So yeah, I mean, what fix or even the previous organizations that I have been with have been very open organizations. So I've definitely not faced that problem about on reaching out to people. But you should definitely try that.

Got it. I do have a further question on that story. So I think you both are probably coming from companies which are well established where there's already a function. And since I have majorly worked with companies where probably I was the first SDR or I was supposed to set up the first SDR team and I know tons of SDR who are a little experienced now and are joining companies as their first, the first sdr. So their first point of contact would not be SDR leader or maybe a sales leader. In fact, that might be just a CEO or maybe there's a sales leader or an account executive. I have a question. I have two questions. Question one. So while 306090 plan, the one you suggested works great for companies which are well established in their function, what about the companies which are not established and what message or what message would you have, let's say for the founders or for the people or sales leader who are hiring their first SDR and would not have the same liberty as you guys do?

Yeah, yeah. Very, very relevant, Rahul. So like I said, right, when I joined CAR Technologies and I was just thrown in Dubai, I didn't really know what to do. And that's probably what happens to the first SDR that gets into an organization that does not have a structure or a process in place. And he just knows that, okay, I've joined in SDR and I have to get those leads or I have to be responsible for pipeline generation and I'm working with the sales leader or account executive or all merged into one person or with the CEO directly. But you can still be curious, you can still ask the questions, what are your plans? Why did you even hire me? What are your expectations for the first 90 days? So I see this mistake happening in a lot of early stage startups. I speak to a lot of them and I see founders expecting a lot very soon. Right? So you have to give that SDR time to feel that he is in an organization that he can feel at home with. So he has to feel that XYZ company is my company as well. Only then he would have that conviction to go and pitch the way you would want him to pitch. So that requires a little bit of time. It may take a week for some people. It may take two weeks for some people. You have to give him that time and give him enough reasons why you believe the product that you built is great and is solving something that's of importance. Importance. Right. So I think conviction is very important in sales. And whether you're the first SDR joining a team or you're joining a team of SDRs, I think you need to first be convinced as an individual that this product or the solution really, really solves something that's important. And only then can you be confident about pitching it to whoever. Like today, if Rahul, you don't agree that SLINTO is solving a problem that is very required or it has. It's solving a problem where there's a gap in the industry. You just feel like, oh, I'm just another solution competing with the likes of ZoomInfo and the others. And I don't know, where do I fit in?

No, no, no.

I love the answer. I just. I have to say this, I really love the answer because I can relate so much to it. Before I joined Chargeby, I was actually doing a lot of research on SaaS companies, right. And I think I had a conversation with Rob Rahul as well when I was switching my jobs and I was considering working with Rahul as well and I was considering Charge B. And then the final decision actually boiled down to the product that I would be selling. So that's what I told Rahul as well. You know, I really believe in fintech and I really believe in SaaS. So probably that's. That's going to influence my decision in going to work for the company that I choose to. So you just validated my beliefs. Thank you so much for that.

Yeah, I remember that Kaushal I had sometimes.

No, Rahul, you should get Kaushal back. Like, no, no, no.

I. I will remember that. He chose Chart V over my company. So yeah, actually totally forgot about it. But thank you for reminding me. Yeah.

I. I've heard a lot of SDRs come and ask me. Like, okay, I don't know why I. I feel demotivated, but I am not happy. And then I say, okay, what's your problem? Like, I don't like cold calling. Why don't you like cold calling? You've been cold calling for like two, three years and you've been successful. So what changed your. No, I don't know. The product is too difficult. Like, or I Don't know what to say. Like, okay, if you dig deeper, no, you will just find that they still don't understand the problem they're solving. They still don't understand how important SDR function, at least for new products, new companies, new categories like ours is because you're creating that whole need. It's not existing already, at least for what picks. I keep telling guys, you're evangelists. You're going and telling the customer, see, you're doing something that's very, very difficult, and I can make it easy. And you just probably don't have any idea that there's something that can make. Make your life so easy. So you. You have to create that need. And maybe that's what motivates an sdr, that, yes, there's a purpose. And I completely believe in what I'm saying.

Or speaking about the MBA thing, maybe we could have actually made a clip out of it. Like. So I am like, I'm like totally against mba. Okay, I. Again, I. Nothing against MBA or nothing against the people. But yeah, I think I am against mba. And this is something which I used to be very vocal when I was at chargebee. Sorry, when I was at. But fix. Because we used to hire a lot of MBAs, and I would ask this question to everybody. You know, you spent 15 lakhs or 20 lakhs to get here. I could actually. You could have actually done without it. You could have actually spent 20 lakhs in probably getting the best sales leader and, you know, learning the trade. And you would actually have a better job than you are actually interviewing right now for. So, of course there are other answers, which I agree with. And so when I, when I got a hold of this post, the post was already old and people tried different tools to find the number. And three days later, I use our own tool and, you know, sent him the screenshot of the number, all the numbers I could find on our tool. And I also sent him a screenshot of the true caller showing that, you know, there's the number we have to be accurate. So this number was. Did belong to that person. This was like a direct number. I'm pretty sure he was able to find the number, find the contact of his wife probably and, you know, somehow got the cell phone number either way. But the point I'm trying to tell you is this story, you know, when I shared with within our group and within our channel, so people were able to relate. Okay, you know, what our tool is actually does what we claim that, you know, it does. So if we say we provide you with direct numbers, we actually do that. And this is one live example that, you know, where somebody who has tried all the tools, it's not working for them. So bringing the point when you said, Kasuri, that I think it's very important for SDR to spend time with maybe customer success. So whenever you win a deal, you can actually be a part of the first session and maybe, or any of the session, maybe you can watch any of the recorded session by Kate. And because that's what customer success does. They try to find out, why did the customer buy from us, what really went into the deal? Because most of the time account executives usually touch the surface and that's when customer success comes in. That's when they find out, okay, what are the real challenges you're trying to solve once the SDR get a hold of it, that information. Oh, you know what, there is actually a need and I think that really helps even the sdr. So the kind of training we have at Slintel does involve that you speak to customer success for like two or three hours. Listen to a few recording. First recording of when the customer gets onboarded so that you can really speak the language of the prospect. Right. That will definitely help you in your whole messaging, cold calling or emailing or whatever.

True.

That's wonderful, Rahul. Yeah, that's wonderful, Rahul.

I must say I've started believing in your product.

Now you don't believe in me, right? That's why you chose Charge.

Next question.

He believes that you've built a great team at Charge B. That he can be a part of Sam in the world. Okay.

Are you second?

I think I'll go back to Dubai. I love that city.

Okay. If you had to be a famous celebrity, whose life would you choose?

Wow. Very, very difficult questions, Kaushal. I've never really thought about it.

It's not difficult. Come on. Okay.

No. Celine Dion. I said. Yeah.

Yeah. Do you think an MBA is necessary to be in sales?

No. Absolutely not.

If you had to give a message to the MBA freshers who are graduating in sales, what would it be?

Know why you're graduating in sales? Know your why.

Okay, so that's. That brings us to the end of the rapid fire round. Kaspari, well done.

You don't get a hamper. We don't have an amper.

No, I know. I sucked. Yeah. No, I accepted it because.

You just had to answer in five seconds. That's the only place where you. Yeah. Just like you have to answer whatever comes to mind. That's okay.

Oh, man. So many things come to my mind at the same time. Like, I have to choose which one to say.

But. But I have to be honest with you here, Kastri. You seem like a very disciplined, a leader when it comes to the world. Like, you are very, very. It seems like you're very dedicated to your work. Is that. Is that correct? Am I correct here?

I try to be. I don't know. But I'm very passionate about what I do. Like, I am very passionate about my team. Like, I take care of them like my own kids. Like, nobody can say anything to them, and I would just protect them. So that's. That's me. But, yeah, I enjoy what I do. And I think that's. That makes it very easy for me.

I can agree to that and to.

Believe in the Ward Fix product also now.

Yeah, yeah, sure.

You know that. You know that I know everybody at chargebee and I can send this recording right away.

Oh, man, you're using that line too often now.

That's okay, Kanshal. You know, you have, like, so many other places to be, and even if things don't go well in Charge, you.

Don'T want to burn the bridges.

No, I won't burn the bridges.

It's a small industry. Remember that. Tomorrow you never know.

And the industry is only growing. Tomorrow you'll have 15, 20 more SaaS unicorns in India.

But, you know, people will come, come to me for feedback.

I can give feedback as well. I can tell. Hey, I know. Question.

Yes. Making some space in the SaaS industry.

Yo.

All right. Yeah, I'm sorry.

I think we forgot to. We forgot to touch that part. But that's okay. I mean, we can probably start another time. I wanted to talk about the MBA thing. Maybe we could have actually made a clip out of it. Like, so I am. I'm like. I'm like, totally against mba. Okay. I. Again, I. Nothing against MBA or nothing against the people, but I think I am against mba. And this is something which I used to be very vocal when I was at Charge B. Sorry. When I was at Butt Fixed, because we used to hire a lot of MBAs. And I would ask this question to everybody. You know, you spent 15 lakhs or 20 lakhs to get here. I could actually. You could have actually done without it. You could have actually spent 20 lakhs in probably getting the best sales leader and, you know, learning the trade, and you would actually have a better job than you are actually interviewing right now for. So of course there are other answers which I agree with and which are. Which is like networking. Which is like. Of course you get to.

You know what. But Rahul, let me. I'm sorry, finish. Sorry, I.

No, I was saying that interviewing right now for. So of course there are other answers which I agree with and which are. Which is like networking, which is like. Of course you get to.

You know what? But Rahul, let me. I'm sorry. Finish. Sorry, I.

No, I was saying that.

No, you know why? Because people don't know. It's a lag in the network. Go ahead.

No, no, you go ahead.

Okay. So I was saying people don't know that they will be interviewing for a sales role before they get into the B school. So they don't realize and they don't know. Okay. They could have spent those 20 lakhs to talk to maybe an IT sales leader or talk to an FMCG sales leader or talk to a finance guru if they wanted to do finance, or a HR leader. But they don't know what they want to do. And trust me, being in Placecom and getting the batch placed and all of that, 70% of the MBA grads, even when they're coming out of their MBA degrees, they still don't know whether what they're doing or the job that they have is their calling or they're going to sustain that or they're passionate about that. So that's the problem, Rahul. And if somebody can find their whys and their passions much earlier in life just makes all of this so much more simpler.

I'm thinking of like probably organizing a career session for people who are trying to get into B school. Maybe like a video, you know, before you get into B school, watch this video. And that's when I can probably, you know, spill all the nuggets and say save them 20 lakhs. And I can probably charge like a lakh for that video, you know. Still.

Still, you can put me as the victim in that video.

I will. I will. Yeah. I will probably blacken your eye or something and I'll show you, you know, what happens when you. When you spend that money.

Don't do what this guy did.

Fair point. Yeah. I can begin this. Let's do that. Let's do that. Partial, since it's already out. Screw that video.

And you know, people. People go just behind the brand names of B schools.

Okay?

And the. In the true ethos of it, every B school would teach you the same subjects. Just a little bit of exposure from the leaders that you get to meet and talk in TED talks or internal conferences, etc. So looking at the ROI for MBA is also very important. And I think I was smart there. Like I had calls from mdi, imt, etc, I still went and chose to do it from LIBA because the course fee was the least. And I said, okay, the course fee is 7 lakhs. I can get that ROI back in less than a year if I get into one of the top placements. So okay, let me just pick this college. I can be best here. So that was my calculation and I didn't want to spend money, so I learned business in Mahindra like I said.

So yeah, I sometimes feel lucky, you know, I feel lucky that I probably was able to save that sort of money. I mean, I think I'm probably the only person who spent the least on my education. Like when it comes to like the formal education, like even my bachelor's, I spend probably the least, not, not as, not as less as probably a BU or you know, somebody another student might have. And I'm sure they end up spending like in other expenses like partying and all that. But my education, like I spent like, and I sponsored my whole education myself because I was able to earn that enough during my bartendering. So yeah, I think that really helped. And then decision not to pursue mba. Really? Really. I remember, you know, almost giving up when my mom actually got me like four forms. I remember of the colleges which were, now I know, which were not even UGC approved and because at that time, at that time I did not know that when I got to know later. But I'm saying, you know, she got me all the forms. She actually bought the form. She almost filled it for me. She said, you know, sign it and you know, send it, so don't want to do it. And because those were like correspondent sort of MBA where you don't even have to go to college and you just have to fill the, you know, finished exams and that too for those exams as well. You don't have to like go to the college. So there's no credibility, right, whether I'm doing those exams or somebody else, you know.

Yeah, both of you, I have to tell both of you, thank you for making my weekend so terrible for me. I feel terrible right now because I.

Didn'T call your mother, call your mother and tell her.

I mean, I, I think I did the exact opposite of what you two said right now. And you know, I'm going to cry after this video on my loan. Like people at my age have their home loans on. I have my MBA loan on.

I know somebody. I know another SDR who I don't want to name it. It'll be very specific who works in what fix. He has the same problem as you do. I think he had a MBA loan for a long time. No, he's not a batchmate. He's not your bachelor. I know other people. Like I said in terms of ldr.

I know a lot of people. Kaushal, you're not alone. Trust me. There are so many, many, many people out there. Yeah. But it's very demotivating sometimes to hear their stories. If I ask them what motivates you else they say, I have an education loan to pay off. God. Yeah. Okay. That's. That's the harsh reality.

Let's do one thing. So I have I think good connection and symbiosis. Since I've had from them a lot. Let's, let's, let's go there and you know, host a session. Why not to do an mba?

Yeah. And the T shirts that we are wearing right now wear a coat on top of it because we are going to an MBA college.

We can do that. I have a lot of them. But yeah, I think that'll be funny because I think symbiosis do host a lot of people for these guest sessions. Right. So I can ask them to do a session. I'm not sure if they'll approve it but if they do. Yeah, there's nothing like it.

It'll be fun.

Fun.

But you know.

Yeah. I'm definitely gonna include you in the video, man. We're definitely gonna do a video. Why not do an mba?

Yeah, definitely. That's a good point. That's the next topic. Thanks for that, Kasturi.

Great.

So that brings us to the end of this episode. Episode 7. I hope you had a great time, Rahul Kasturi, both of you. And now I sound like the host of this show.