Episode 15: Top 10 Tips to be a KICK ASS SDR!!! with Eric Smith

After about 10 years of paying his dues in the sales landscape, Eric Smith broke into the SaaS space as an SDR, only to be fired during the COVID-19 pandemic. He took what he learned, and combined it with 15 years of experience in the music industry to start his own company, ABUVEGROUND, a podcasting and digital marketing company. In today’s episode, Eric shares his number one tip with us: create a personal brand and build your network. Sam weighs in with his advice to be selfish with your time, before encouraging listeners to own their time by blocking out their calendars. Eric shares what he has learned from the opportunities he sought out and advocates for the power of taking control of your career by investing in yourself, before Sam takes the hard stance that there is no excuse not to take responsibility for your own self-learning. The next pair of tips are complementary: find the channels that work best for you and drive efficiencies across the board to maximize your time. You’ll hear why Eric believes its so powerful to surround yourself with people who you think are good at your job, and we touch on knowing your numbers, the importance of avoiding burnout by having a limit and an outlet, and why being creative is so important. Eric’s final tip: just have fun! If it loses you a job, then it wasn't the right job for you. We hope you tune in for an action-packed episode today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Eric Smith’s background in music, entrepreneurship, sales, and commercial finance.
• The story of how he got fired during COVID and started his company ABUVEGROUND, which offers podcast and digital marketing services.
• His first true sales job, DJing at private parties and weddings when he was in high school.
• The volatility of sales as a career and the power it has to get you where you want to go.
• Eric’s number one tip: create a personal brand and build your network.
• Why the worst thing you could do is build a brand around something that isn’t you.
• The power of finding what you are passionate about and making it work for you.
• Sam’s first tip: be selfish with your time.
• Another tip from Sam: block out your calendar.
• Why you should take control of your career by investing in yourself.
• How there is no excuse not to take responsibility for your own self-learning.
• Finding channels that work best for you: phone, email, social, or something else.
• Driving efficiencies across the board to maximize your time.
• A life hack: try a free trial and cancel it before you have to start paying.
• Find the people who you think are good at your job and leverage your network.
• Knowing your numbers and what it takes for you to be successful.
• The importance of avoiding burnout by knowing there is a limit.
• Being creative as a tool to be effective at your job.
• Eric’s tip to just have fun with SDR.

Tweetables:

“I got fired during COVID, and I realized how corrupt and broken the SDR system was. I immediately started my own company. It’s called ABUVEGROUND. We offered podcast services at the beginning, now we’ve blossomed into full digital marketing services.” — Eric Smith [0:04:30]“Create a personal brand and build your network. Embrace the perception everyone has of you and prove them wrong.” — Eric Smith [0:08:08]“I think the worst thing that you could do is build a brand around something that isn’t you.” — Eric Smith [0:13:35]“Go reach out to the people you idolize and talk with them and ask them, what can I do to get on your podcast?” — Eric Smith [0:18:10]“Find the people that think you are good at your job, surround yourself with them, and ask for help.” — Eric Smith [0:39:06]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Eric Smith on LinkedIn
The Lowly SDR Podcast

ABUVEGROUND

Sam Capra on LinkedIn

VP of Sales for flexEngage

Sales Samurai