REFLECTION
First Things First…

Super simple one this week:

Give yourself a day off.

Don’t have any work apps on.

Walk in nature.

Then, list all the things that have gone well this year.

You will be amazed at how taking a step back allows a clarity into how successful you have been.

We don’t do this enough to ourselves.

I recently did it. It's been a rollercoaster five months, but on reflection, the growth I’ve seen in myself is incredible.

You should do it too!

STUFF ONLINE
Content of the week

• The 6 pillars of your ICP that marketing and sales MUST work on when preparing an ABM program

• Do you cold call on a Friday? Chris does and books 47% of his weekly meetings then

• Check out these cold calling GOATs tactics

THOUGHTS
What am I seeing this Week: Mental Health Awareness Week

I wanted to change tack this week and discuss Mental Health Awareness Month globally, and mental health awareness week here in Europe that is kicking off this Monday.

As leaders, we are in a lonely position. Who do we talk to at work if things get tough? We feel that we can't ‘burden’ people with our problems. But our peers are also feeling the same challenges as us. We need to remember we are not alone.

For those who don’t know, I have suffered from mental health issues since I was a child. It took a lot of therapy and a lot of accepting who i am for me to be in a place where i can speak about it today.

It's okay to talk, to vent. Telling someone you're struggling doesn’t show weakness. In fact, it's the complete opposite: verbalising what is worrying you is a real sign of strength.

SDR HIRE
Considering Outsourced SDRs?

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Sales leaders usually work with them when trying to impact their P&Ls quickly, when they’ve been recently hired, when they’re testing new markets and verticals, when new product launches are being launched, or when they are simply expanding their existing SDR capacities. (explore use cases)

Talk to their founder Stefan and find your new SDRs.

For those new to the newsletter and like what you are seeing, please click on the subscribe button, and you’ll receive this top-quality newsletter in your inbox every Friday morning!

INTERVIEW
Five Questions of the Week: Aaron Hawthorne

This week we have Aaron Hawthorne, MD of iXL Recruitment and one of our first sponsors of the SDR Leaders of EMEA. Aaron has a unique insight of being an SDR to now leading a very successful recruitment organisation. He will share how he sees the job market and how we, as leaders, can prepare for Gen Z talent joining the workforce!

So, did you use to be in sales development? What was about the role that you enjoyed so much?
Yes, I was a founding SDR who then went on to build out an SDR team. For me, it was about the product and what it could do for our customers. When they signed on the dotted line and started using it, hearing the feedback and success made it all the more meaningful to go out to prospect more. If you don't believe in it, then the passion won't come across as clear!

What would you advise someone who wants to move from Sales Development into another role within an organisation?
Firstly, I would sanity check the real reasons why they want to leave for another organisation. Ask yourself, Is it money, management, support, progression or something else? Then, have a clear picture of what you’re looking for that will give you what you seek. Then, you can go over that list during interviews and test the business to see if they can provide what you’re looking for. Don't move for money alone or stay in a business for money that will phase out over time, and the core reasons will stay the same.

We are nearly half way through the year, in your opinion how is the talent market currently?
It's a tough market out there now more than ever, with the tech companies making redundancies and that filtering down to investors being super cautious. That feeds into businesses not having the budget to work with external agencies, but my question is, what impact does it have?  The best people I have found are in roles and not applying directly. If that's the case then knowing recruitment is about 5% of a manager's role in a business, whos spending the time to do it, qualifying them and saving the business/individual time on finding the right person not just skillset-wise but culturally. The good news is that it is picking up, and I’m seeing more companies starting to work with external agencies to find niche hires for their business. As always, we have to continue to build strong relationships with people because there are two real reasons why anyone is going to work with an external recruiter, and they are: Working with the person who delivers a great service/candidates

How should employers prepare for the influx of Gen Z employees?
The priorities of GenZ employees are slightly different from the norm right now, but businesses can't change everything and are sporadic in trying to please all. When talking to businesses about bringing on GenZ people, it starts with the definition of culture within the business. What are the values, and what do they stand for?  Then, it is about their hiring and interview process and how they interview people that fit. Of course, that's where recruiters can come in to work with businesses on qualifying people for the business, working out the best hiring strategy that will help them secure the right people and not miss hiring, which leads to a whole other world of pain.

How do you see the role of external recruiters aiding organisations with that new Gen Z profile?
Every company is different; having helped place over 400 people throughout my career, it comes down to understanding the manager, the team and the wider business to truly understand who will fit within the business. Then, we look at the specifics required for the position they need to fill. The process is king in recruitment, so having a water-tight process around headhunting and qualifying candidates that fit the business, skillset and culture, working to timelines to make sure the interviews etc go smoothly and they’re able to hire the person they want. If someone's process is to post a LinkedIn post or a job ad and expect the best candidates to apply, they may be waiting a long time and wasting their time sifting through CVs. Recruiters can save you time and help you find the right candidates because we do it daily, and it's 100% of our role.

Join Aaron for our next Masterclass, on 17th May at 11am CET/10am GMT on 3 Interview Questions for Gen Z SDR Candidates (Culture & Personality Fit). Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZItcuiqpjkuH91TeOEd6yHYBsStepQ5GHck

STAKKI
Overwhelmed by Sales Tools Options?

Sales tools often boast an alphabet soup of features.

Deciphering complicated technical jargon can be time-consuming and frustrating, leaving you confused and unsure if it will help with connection or conversion rates.

Meanwhile, researching, comparing, and evaluating sales tools can be highly time-consuming.

Diverting your focus from core business activities like closing deals and managing your team.

This is where we’ve built Stakki, your free sales tool calculator.

We mapped 176 tools and their integrations, minimum costs, feature overlaps and freemium options. 

Visit stakki.io to make the selection of sales tools easy for you. 

Or book your free consultation call and we’ll recommend the best three tools for whatever you are trying to achieve.

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LASTLY
Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways I could help you

The new Community for European-based SDR leaders: SDR leaders of Europe

An ebook about SDR<> AE Alignment: Closing the Gap

2 Coaching slots are still available for the Spring/ Summer: Sign up here