The Local Business Sales Process Guide.
For many local businesses, the sales process is a bottleneck. The business owner or a single salesperson is responsible for everything, from finding new leads to closing deals.
Consequently, the pipeline is inconsistent, and growth is unpredictable. This is a classic sign that your business is not ready to scale. To break through this plateau, you need to implement a specialized and systemized approach to sales.
My name is Jamie M.G. Flatley, and at JMGF Consulting, I help local businesses build high-performing sales teams. A core component of this is the implementation of SDR (Sales Development Representative) systems. In this article, I will explain what an SDR system is and how it can transform your sales process from a bottleneck into a growth engine.
The Problem with a Generalized Sales Role
When one person is responsible for the entire sales cycle, they are inevitably pulled in too many directions. They are prospecting one minute, doing a demo the next, and then writing a proposal. This context switching is incredibly inefficient. Furthermore, the skills required for prospecting are very different from the skills required for closing. It is rare to find one person who excels at both.
As a result, the pipeline is often a rollercoaster. When the salesperson is focused on prospecting, the pipeline is full, but no deals are closing. When they are focused on closing, the pipeline dries up. This is the feast-or-famine cycle that I discuss in my article on why your sales team isn’t scaling.
The Solution: Specialization with an SDR System
The solution is to specialize your sales roles. An SDR, sometimes called a “setter,” is a salesperson who focuses exclusively on the top of the sales funnel. Their sole responsibility is to generate qualified appointments for your expert salesperson, the “closer.”
This specialization has several powerful benefits:
•Increased Efficiency: Your SDRs become experts at prospecting, and your closers become experts at closing. This leads to a much more efficient and effective sales process.
•Predictable Pipeline: With a team dedicated to prospecting, you can create a predictable and consistent flow of qualified appointments.
•Improved Scalability: It is much easier to hire and train for a specialized role like an SDR than it is to find a “unicorn” salesperson who can do everything.
Building Your SDR System: The Key Components
Implementing an SDR system is more than just hiring a new person. It requires a systematic approach. Here are the key components I help my clients build.
Component 1: A Clear Definition of a Qualified Appointment
First, you need to have a crystal-clear definition of what constitutes a “qualified appointment.” This ensures that your SDRs are not just booking appointments, but that they are booking appointments with prospects who are a good fit for your business. This definition should be based on factors like the prospect’s budget, authority, need, and timeline (BANT).
Component 2: A Proven Prospecting Playbook
Next, you need to equip your SDRs with a proven playbook for prospecting. As I explain in my coaching business playbook article, a playbook is a collection of scripts, email templates, and workflows that your SDRs can use to consistently generate appointments. This playbook should be a living document that you continuously refine and improve.
Component 3: The Right Technology Stack
To make your SDR system truly effective, you need the right technology stack. This includes:
•A CRM: To manage your leads and track your SDRs’ activity. My article on CRM setup provides a detailed guide on this.
•A Sales Engagement Platform: To automate your outreach and follow-up sequences.
•A Lead Intelligence Tool: To help your SDRs find and research potential prospects.
Let’s Build Your SDR System and Scale Your Sales
Implementing an SDR system is a powerful way to break through your sales bottleneck and create a scalable, predictable growth engine. However, it requires a strategic and systematic approach. If you are ready to take your sales process to the next level, I am here to help.
I have extensive experience in building and managing high-performing SDR teams for a wide range of businesses, from online businesses to traditional service providers. You can learn more about my hands-on approach on my about page.
Contact me today through my homepage to schedule a consultation. Let’s work together to build an SDR system that will fuel your business’s growth.
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