How to Avoid Phone Burnout
Being an SDR is one of the most rewarding and challenging roles out there. For many it’s a chance to break into a company they yearn to work for. The basic wage might not be high, but there’s opportunity to make good money with commission. And, with hard work, a positive attitude and great results there should be potential for promotion. All good so far. But, SDRs are also surrounded by teammates who all want the same thing as they do, making it a highly competitive environment. And when hitting target can depend on the number of people answering the phone that day, it can be a very stressful role.
What is phone burn out?
Picture this…end of month is approaching and you’re very close to achieving quota. You just need one more meeting and you’re there. You make call, after call, after call. No answer! Finally the phone answers and it’s not the person you want to speak to. Instead it’s somebody that knows nothing about the reason you’re calling but still feels justified to say, ‘they wouldn’t be interested,’ in what comes across as a very patronising tone.
It’s deflating. Your mood starts to drop. After all you’re doing everything right, right? You’re above call target. It’s just people aren’t answering their phones. It feels unfair.
And then the very thing that drives you to achieve turns ugly. You want to hit target so much that your tone of voice gets desperate. And inside you begin to imagine the possibility of not hitting target. Disappointment sinks in. And at this point it’s lost to you.
Why does phone burnout happen?
The chances are you’re not giving yourself a reasonable timeframe to achieve. Hitting target is a marathon. Not a sprint. Too many people fall into the trap of starting the month relaxed – a whole four weeks to hit target! And then panic in the last week and desperately try to claw it back. But it’s too little too late.
How do you stop it from happening?
Successful marathon runners know their splits, and so should you.
For example: 15 dials an hour = 17 meetings a month
Hope is not a strategy. Knowing your numbers is.
Work hard every day to achieve your numbers. Ensure your metrics are on track to hit target the first hour and every hour after that of a new month. If you’re not where you need to be in the first week of the month you need to re-think what’s happening. Talk to your manager. They will be impressed that you’re already thinking so far ahead.
The truth is, some days you might not hit your numbers and other days you’ll smash them. But it will equal out over the month, and you will feel happy and in control. Your prospects will hear this and want to talk to you much more than that desperate person simply hoping and failing to get ‘one more meeting.’
