In this exclusive interview with Belal Batrawy, Founder of Death to Fluff, he shares cold calling tips for new SDRs, the potential benefits of using AI for prospecting, the biggest mistake he's ever made in his career, his go-to sales resources, coaching tips for sales leaders, and a habit that motivates him before a sales call.
Interview highlights & key takeaways
Cold calling tips for SDRs
Map out the different stages of your cold call with the mic drop method (permission, problem, provoke, promise). Think about how the first 5 seconds buy you the next 15-20 seconds, then think about what you're going to say in the 15-20 seconds that will buy you the next 1-3 minutes, and then how you'll close the call if the prospect is actually interested. You can create a sheet and mark exactly where/when you lose your prospects. When do people object? When do they hang up? And once you figure that out, you can work on that specific segment to improve your next call.
Embracing ChatGPT when prospecting
SDRs should learn how to prompt AI for prospecting because it will be a highly valuable skill in the coming years. For example, learning how to use ChatGPT to summarize a relevant article that you can then use in your outreach will help SDRs save time and become more efficient.
The grass isn't always greener on the other side
The odds of finding another company with a better product to sell, a better comp plan, a better base, etc., are slim. If your current manager is decent and wants to invest in you and you're making decent money, try staying there for 3-4 years, because the career growth you will get in that time will pay dividends for the rest of your professional career.
Learning social psychology as a salesperson
As a salesperson, you interact with people constantly. Learning about social psychology will help you understand basic concepts like how people make decisions. Once you start understanding that, you can use your learnings in your conversations with prospects.
Useful sales resources
- The Transparency Sale by Todd Caponi
- The Jolt Effect by Matt Dixon
- Sell the Way You Buy by David Priemer
Coaching with empathy
Coaching when done right mixes two elements that don't usually mix well together: personal and professional. If you have the right intention when coaching, you will get into their personal life. People want psychological safety during coaching, and if you want to be a good leader, you have to empathize and bring a human element to your approach.
