Michael Murray

SDR Managers arent going to like this but... I don't send more than 25 emails a day. My positive reply rate is roughly 5%. By cold outreach standards, that's pretty stellar as the average is about 1.5% SDR managers are so focused on process automation that they've forgotten to properly train SDRs on how to write emails that resonate with prospects. I have ICP specific templates and add personalization on top for each prospect. The template formula is super simple: -Reaching out to you because X. (X= reason you believe this person/account experiences the pain you solve) -X is a problem because of Y. (Y= Deep business pain caused by X) -Social proof: We helped Competitor A solve this -Soft Ask: Is this something you've been looking into? The rule is simple. If you wouldn't reply to the email, your prospect won't either.

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Dear SDR Managers, If you're not weighting lead quality in your comp plan, your leaving money on the table. Not all “qualified” leads are created equal. And people, no matter how driven they are, naturally take the path of least resistance. (sometimes subconsciously) So if the payout is the same for the high-quality, high-effort lead vs. the low-quality, low-effort lead, Your SDRs will lean toward volume, not quality. Then we blame the rep when really the incentives are misaligned. Weight high quality leads heavier. Make it CLEAR what “high quality” means. 80% of an SDR’s time should be spent on the leads most likely to convert. 20% on the rest, with automation handling the bottom layer. Your comp plan should reflect that.

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8 Comments

SDR Managers, a 50k base doesn't pay rent in 2025... and an unattainable OTE doesn't help. Top SDRs aren’t fooled anymore. They’re checking salary reports [see link below]. They’re talking to peers. And they’re applying to companies where comp plans reflect reality. If you want to keep talent, start with a livable base. Then build a culture where the OTE is real, not theoretical. SDRs talk. Word spreads. Want to see which companies are paying SDRs fairly? Check the list: https://lnkd.in/eRT2rXEr

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This is the most overlooked reason SDR teams are failing... and it’s not call volume or email personalization. It’s their inbox health. If your inboxes aren’t properly warmed, set up, and monitored, your SDRs are basically yelling into the void. Not only are you wasting time and missing pipeline targets, you’re also burning out your SDRs. They’re working hard. They’re doing the activity. But no one’s actually seeing their messages. I’m not a technical person. I don’t want to be messing around with DNS records or deliverability dashboards every day. So I set this up once and let it run on autopilot. I use Saleshandy to warm and monitor my inbox health in the background 24/7. Because honestly, if you don’t get this right, it doesn’t matter how good your emails are.

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5 Comments

I can’t even count how many times I’ve commented “CFR” this week on open SDR roles. The jobs are there and these hiring managers are looking for you. The problem is that you expect to get a response. You expect to get an interview request. You expect hiring manager to give you a chance. But none of that is going to happen if you can’t articulate to them, WHY. Why should they respond? Why should they interview you? Why should they give you a chance? Maybe you’re doing the right things around networking, taking initiative, being proactive. But if you can’t lock in your messaging and your story, then it’s all for nothing. You gotta get more raw and authentic. You have to take hiring managers through your unique journey. Because if you’re not doing that, you’re sounding like everyone else who applies for the role.

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7 Comments

Every SDR leader knows the pain. You finally get your top performer humming, and next quarter you’re backfilling them with someone brand new. That new SDR is learning everything: product, personas, competitors, tools. All before they even get to the hard part…figuring out what to say. Smart leaders bake this ramp into their pipeline models. Some even add “phantom” headcount to cover the gap between fully-ramped reps and the reality that 30% of the team is still learning the basics. The new SDRs heads are spinning as they bounce between six different systems of truth. So it’s no wonder new reps move at a glacial pace. That’s where Roomie AI Spark changes everything. Common Room already brings all your GTM signals into one place. Spark takes it further by turning those signals into natural-language insights that tell reps exactly what’s been happening at an account. Picture this: A champion joins a target account. In the old world, your SDR digs through Salesforce, hunting for context from their last company and stitching together context about the target account. Then they try to Hemingway it into a relevant messsage. It takes 20-30 min per message. In the new world, they hover over the contact in Common Room and Spark instantly surfaces everything — who they are, what’s happened, even Gong call insights from their previous employer. If I’d had this when I led SDR teams, I wouldn’t have needed to model ramp time because ramp time would be cut in half.

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3 Comments

Most SDR job interviews are not as complicated as you think. It’s usually just these questions: - Why you? - Why Sales? - Why our company? - Why move from B2C to B2B? / Why this industry? And a few situational ones: - Tell me about a time you handled rejection - A time you implemented feedback - A time you did a great job Maybe one mock call too. That’s it. If you genuinely love talking to people, if you’re naturally extroverted — you’ll crush these. This is why I keep saying — any “baatuni” person should at least explore sales once. With a little guidance, you might just turn it into a brilliant career. No MBA needed. No pedigree needed. No tech background needed. Just hunger, hustle, and people skills. Let’s go. 🚀 Amit Semwal | the SDR project ✨

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Everyone calls SDRs the future engine of growth But investment in talent, enablement, and career paths doesn’t match the rhetoric. SDR Managers earning the same as their SDRs and Experienced SDRs making what entry-level telemarketer. I have seen it all What’s happening? → Companies say they want coaching leaders, but reward task-master managers who only push activity metrics. → Teams talk about being “consultative” while measuring SDRs exactly like telemarketers. → Leadership demands a perfectly predictable engine (even at 0-1 stage) but refuses to budget for the tools and creativity that make it possible. Zero room for experimentation. Maximum pressure for results. If you’re not investing in your SDR function properly, I highly recommend you do. → starting with fair compensation. → Pay for the expertise you need. → Reward the growth you want. → Build the career paths you promise. You’re hiring SDRs anyway, right? Why not invest in them properly + actually see the ROI you’re expecting? P.S. What’s the biggest compensation gap you’ve seen in SDR roles? 👇

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4 Comments

𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗦𝗠 $𝟱𝟬𝟬 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀? What if every CSM tracked every single “quick favor” they did outside their actual job? • $200 for pulling adoption numbers for sales. • $500 for handling a support escalation. • $300 for chasing down a feature ETA for product. • $400 for babysitting a renewal the AM dropped. And then at the next leadership meeting, they presented: “This quarter, I delivered $148,200 in cross-functional support work and $0 in actual success planning. Should I keep doing both?” Here’s the thing: Too many CSMs are silently carrying the weight of broken org design. They’re acting as glue between teams instead of driving outcomes. And no one’s tracking the cost.   • Every hour spent firefighting is an hour not spent on churn prevention or expansion.   • Every task outside their lane delays value for customers who are already restless. So what should you do?   • Stop treating CSMs like the dumping ground for everything that doesn’t fit elsewhere.   • Give them clear swim lanes. Empower them to say no.   • And if you can’t? Track the “invoice you’ll never send.” Because nothing exposes the problem faster than a price tag. Would your CSMs still be doing that work if you had to pay them $500/hour for it?

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8 Comments

Too many SDR leaders make the same hiring mistake: They chase experience. Years in SaaS. Industry knowledge. Familiarity with the tools. I used to do the same—until I hired someone who had none of that. No tech background. No fancy resume. But they had hunger. Curiosity. Work ethic. The drive to be great. They outperformed every “experienced” candidate I’d interviewed. That’s when everything changed. Now I hire for fire. Not polish. Not tenure. Not logos. Because skills can be taught. Hunger can’t.

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12 Comments

SDR outbound fills calendars. AE outbound fills bank accounts. As an SDR, volume wins. → X qualified meetings booked → Maybe some pipeline targets → But mostly: hit the meeting number. As an AE, you’re measured on revenue  and revenue ≠ “as many meetings as possible.” It’s about being strategic with the meetings you take. AE Outbound Playbook (save this): 1. Tier your accounts Top ICP only. Don’t burn them with generic outreach. 2. Find warm paths first Referrals from partners, clients, colleagues. Or invite to webinars/events before pitching. 3. Research with intent → Why now (triggers) → Competitors who are already clients → Potential business cases you can share 4. Sequence with purpose Day 1: Email with business case → top 2–3 decision makers Day 3–4: Call with a PBO (permission-based opener) referencing the email + clear reason to talk 5. Handle objections like a closer • “Already have a solution?” → Stay top of mind for renewal • “No budget?” → If high-value, validate fit now and help find budget later 6. Nurture relentlessly LinkedIn, events, product updates, low-key touches  so you’re already known before the RFP drops. Outbound as an AE isn’t about hitting the phone hardest. It’s about playing the long game with the right accounts. Comment AE Outbound Playbook and I’ll send you my mini playbook on this. Follow @Jonathan for more daily sales tips. 

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75 Comments

Let’s talk about the SDR role. The job used to be simple: → Dial 100 numbers → Send 500 emails → Book a few meetings But the role is shifting fast. In 2025, the best SDRs aren’t cold-calling machines. They’re signal analysts. They know how to: → Spot micro-signals of intent → Use AI to craft contextual outreach → Move fast while buyers are warm Instead of grinding through scripts, they’re working from live intent data and booking higher-quality calls. This isn’t a job reduction story. It’s a job evolution. Signal-first outreach is changing what it means to be in sales development. Are your SDRs still cold-dialing… or are they running signal plays?

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Landing an SDR role isn’t just about having “some sales experience” on your resume.💼 It’s about proving ➡️ in the interview ➡️ that you can actually sell. Because if you can’t sell yourself, it’s very unlikely you’ll sell a product. Some minimum requirements I always look for in strong SDR candidates: ✅ Clear, confident communication ✅ Energy and curiosity about the role ✅ Preparation (know the company, product, and ICP) ✅ The ability to handle objections without getting defensive ✅ Coachability and willingness to learn ✅ Strong follow-up and ownership Your interview is your first sales call. How you open. How you listen. How you respond. How you close. All of it matters. 🚀 If you want to stand out in sales, don’t just answer questions. Demonstrate your value. Sell the solution. Sell yourself. 🙌🏻 #SalesCareers #SDR #TechSales #B2BSales #SalesHiring #SalesInterview #StartInSales #SalesTips #CareerGrowth #HiringTips #FutureInSales #SalesSuccess

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Controversial opinion but...most SDR teams don’t need more tools right now, they need more truth. Hear me out.... ⚡ Truth about where their process breaks ⚡ Truth about what their buyers actually care about ⚡ Truth about which reps are executing versus just performing activity Adding software shouldn't always be the answer and it won't fix a broken foundation because the real unlock is clarity — not complexity. Every strong GTM motion starts with teams who can look at the data, the message, and the execution without defensiveness. That’s where performance starts to multiply and snowball. What is one hard truth that you or your team has had to face in the last 12 months that has given you clarity? #SDRleadership #Modernprospecting

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Last post about Layoffs and RIFs for a while, I promise. In previous post we covered how to be an ally, the fact that you should hire my former colleagues and myself quickly (I've got great recs for AE, CS, Enablement, SDR Leadership and SDRs). Now we talk about what do as an individual. This is NOT a list of what needs to be done the minute everything happens. 1. First and foremost, give yourself grace. As previously mentioned, layoffs are a traumatic event. You will have plenty of complicated emotions, they will not come in a predictable order, and its very ok. Take a period to breathe. That does not have to be right away. 2. Take action to get yourself organized. Can start as simple as organizing your at home workspace. Then move on to resume building, building goals 3. Network - Meet people who have the job that you want and that are the boss of the job that you want. This community will support you, be great to bounce ideas off of. Job hunting is solitary, and the contact will only help. Don't discount fellow job seekers either. While you might be going for the same role, each company reacts to each seeker differently, and there's so much you can learn from what others are doing. Find yourself groups like SDR Leaders of USA, SDRLeader.com. To quote Alex Kremer, find your tribe! 4. Level up - There are so many good resources and certifications you can get, which will help you in your career and job hunt. From a Sales perspective, HubSpot, Salesforce and LinkedIn and more all have great certifications and training programs. The people you are networking also probably have some great certifications that you can also earn during this time. Also spend time learning about the new, latest and greatest tools and software for your potential role. 5. Finding a job is a challenge, it's not just have a good resume and appy. Connect with the hiring manager, potentially their boss, and the recruitment team. If you can, get references from bosses and former direct reports and peers. All these will help, but at the end of the day, you need to put in the work. There's a bunch of great recruitment services as well, but I've already taken up enough of your time for today. Best of luck, you'll land on your feet in no time. If you want to pitch your service in the comments, I welcome it (but include an idea of cost, job seekers are extra sensitive). PS On the level up perspective, I'd love for more of the network to share where they learn the most from, what sites to find the best certifications and more.

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