Tips for SDRS to Engage Buyers

I got ghosted by 127 LinkedIn prospects in 2017. Then I discovered the pattern. So there I am... Fresh SDR me refreshing my inbox every 10 minutes hoping for responses. Little Morgan clearly getting cooked in the DMs. My messages were painful. "Hope all is well. My name is Morgan. We have mutual connections and I'd love to connect. Here's what we do..." Just terrible. I am sick even telling you all this. But when you start in sales, there aren't really guidelines. You get thrown in like "hope this works" and pray something sticks. I thought I wasn't good enough. Then I realized something huge: They weren't ignoring ME. They were ignoring my APPROACH. That changed everything. Here's the framework I developed after studying hundreds of messages: The AMP Outbound Formula: ↳ Observation (show them you know them) ↳ Context (why this observation matters) ↳ Pain point (what they're likely facing) ↳ Value prop/Power Move(how you help) ↳ Call to action (next step) You don't need all 5 every time. Sometimes just observation + context + question works. Quick example" Before: "Hope all is well..." (Almost barfed writing this) " After: "Saw you just expanded your SDR team by 5 people. Most VPs tell me onboarding at that scale leads to (insert situation). Not sure if this is relevant but how are you currently doing (x)?" (Now we are getting somewhere) But every successful message I've seen follows this pattern. As Samantha McKenna says "Show Them You KNOW Them" before you show them what you DO. When I follow this framework, response rates jump. When teams I coach use this from our LinkedIn Revenue Engine™ they book more meetings from LinkedIn. Your prospects are waiting for someone who gets them. Be that someone.

Fact: Outbound sales is broken. Incentives and strategies are misaligned. Tools like Salesloft and Outreach didn’t cause it. They amplified it. Now marketing and sales need to work together to fix it. The real issue is that sales managers push SDRs to prioritize volume over quality, leading to generic outreach that no one wants to read. Fixing this starts with focus. Give SDRs a small set of accounts, 30 per quarter, and tier them into A, B, and C priorities (using tools like Clay, Tofu, Unify). This makes it clear who they’re targeting and allows them to spend their time understanding the industries, companies, and people they’re reaching out to. Instead of chasing volume, they can dive deep into the problems their prospects are trying to solve. With the right tools, resources and 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, SDRs can educate themselves on the pain points, motivations, and challenges of their target audience. They can craft outreach that adds value and speaks directly to what matters most. Take me as an example. If you’re reaching out to someone like me at MoEngage, don’t send lazy, cookie-cutter emails like: “Does getting more pipeline keep you up at night” “Would you be interested in getting more qualified meetings” “Do you want customer lists of your competitors?” “Are you still interested?” “I haven’t heard back. I’ll assume this isn’t a priority.” These don’t work. They’re noise. If you want my attention, show me you’ve done your homework. Understand that I’m focused on growing in North America. Recognize the challenges of expanding into a crowded market. Tell me something valuable about how companies like mine are navigating those problems and how you can help. This approach may lead to fewer meetings overall, but the meetings you get will be better. SDRs and AEs will know their audience. They’ll understand the pain points. They’ll deliver messaging that lands because it’s relevant and thoughtful. And this isn’t just a sales problem. Marketing has to help. Marketing should train SDRs and AEs with insights about the market, the ICP, and the problems worth solving. Outbound sales works best when sales and marketing are aligned, working together to get the right message in front of the right people. Stop trying to get more meetings. Focus on getting better ones.

Ready to make your prospects the star of the show? Let me put you on to a play I used to run as a rep that still hits hard in trainings today “The Heros Trailer” video play Picture this Your prospect is the hero facing their big challenge (cue the dramatic music) Your job? Help them see how your product is the missing piece they need to overcome it Heres how you can run it 1. Highlight their journey In your video don’t make it all about you—make it all about them. Show that you understand their current struggle - “Here’s the challenge you’re likely dealing with and heres how we help heroes like you solve it” 2. Tease the solution Like any good movie trailer you’ve got to keep it intriguing. Don’t spill all the beans. Give just enough so they’re curious to see how it all plays out. This isn’t the full demo. it’s a teaser. “Imagine if you had a tool that does [X] you’d be able to achieve [Y]” 3. Back it up with credibility Drop in “reviews” from other heroes (aka testimonials) “Sara and Mike were in the same boat but after using [our product] they saw XYZ results” now you’ve got their attention and you’ve built trust without sounding pushy 4. The big CTA End with a cliffhanger “Let’s schedule a time for you to see the full picture” make it feel like a VIP screening they can’t miss 5. Get creative with distribution It’s not just about the video—it’s how you deliver it. Send it via email, LinkedIn DM or even a voice note follow up. Your goal is to cut through the noise and give them something different—something that makes them feel like you really get their journey The reason this works? You’re not just pitching you’re positioning yourself as the guide that helps them shine It’s all about their success story When SDRs in recent trainings tested this play they started landing meetings they’d been chasing for weeks The feedback? “This feels more like a conversation than a sales pitch—it’s engaging” So next time you’re setting up your outreach ask yourself How can you help your prospect see themselves as the hero in their story—and position your product as the tool that helps them get there? Give this play a shot and let me know how it goes 🤘

⚠ 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: Stepping outside my comfort zone, but wanted to help Sales Development Reps (SDRs) & Business Development Reps (BDRs) connect with CFOs or Finance leaders better...... I receive countless scripted LinkedIn messages and email pitches weekly from SDRs/BDRs and it's obvious within the first few lines that the message is generic and here's what missing: 1️⃣ They know nothing about the pain/frustrations/challenges/opportunities we solve at Fresh FP&A. 2️⃣ They haven't taken even a quick glance at Fresh FP&A, my profile, our website, nothing. 3️⃣ When I do respond, I expect clear & concise answers. I want to know: what do you offer, who do you help, how do you help them, and what results can I expect. Unfortunately, most replies are long-winded and vague. As a CFO, I quickly spot unpreparedness and have developed an incredible smell test for 💩 In the many sales, prospects, partners and client calls I've been on the past 3 years, here's what resonates with our ICP (ideal client profile) = small to medium businesses (SMBs) CEOs, Owners and founders with annual revenues between $1M - $70M that could help: 1️⃣ Understand your ICP inside and out. Know their biggest challenges and desires. Talk to them, listen closely, and learn. 2️⃣ Communicate your value proposition clearly and concisely. Highlight your ideal customer, your unique selling points, and outline the first three steps of your process. This is your elevator pitch! (Hint: Great LLMS prompt). 😮 3️⃣ Resist the urge to oversell. Focus on listening, asking questions, and building rapport. Trust comes first. SDRs/BDRs have one of the toughest jobs out there. With two decades in high-growth companies, I deeply respect the hustle. It’s a numbers game, but quality prep can significantly improve your able to close. The right ABC first is Always Be Curious, then Always Be Closing. 💎 I hope this helps! I'll be hosting a "Fresh CFO Friday" Q&A exclusively for SDRs and BDRs in September. Stay tuned! 👀 Share this if it's 🔥, like if you agree, comment if I missed something! #sales #insights #advice #ceo #owner #founder #freshfpa #fractionalcfo #cfo #sdr #bdr #freshcfo #fractionalcfoservices #business