"That's the reason we hired an SDR - to bring in new business. Now we are currently talking to a couple major utilities and more people are saying they are familiar with us at events due to our improved top-of-funnel strategy."

-VP, Business Development at Enerlytics

01 — Project details

Company: Enerlytics (Confidential)

Industry: Renewable Energy

Role: Founding Sales Development Representative (SDR)

Duration: One year

02 — Creative process

Before bringing on a sales development representative, Enerlytics faced challenges and some bottlenecks in new business generation and sales outreach. As the first and only SDR, I was tasked with building and optimizing the sales process from the ground up. The company had minimal brand recognition. Additionally, the sales team, including Account Executives (AEs), was spending a disproportionate amount of time on prospecting and outreach, leaving less time for nurturing and closing deals.

03 — Objectives

1. Increase lead conversion rates by implementing effective and up-to-date outreach strategies.

2. Enhance brand recognition within the target market, particularly among utilities.

3. Optimize the sales process to allow the sales team to focus on nurturing and closing deals further in the pipeline, and to have a seamless established system for future SDRs.

4. Contribute to meeting the company’s yearly revenue goals through new business acquisition.

04 — Strategy/Execution

1. Personalized Outreach Tactics:

   • Developed and implemented personalized email campaigns targeting key decision-makers in the energy industry, focusing on the pain points specific to utility companies.

   • Utilized LinkedIn and other social media platforms for direct outreach, establishing connections and engaging in meaningful conversations with prospects.

2. Sales Automation Tools:

   • Introduced and integrated sales automation tools into the sales process, enabling the team to automate routine tasks such as email follow-ups and lead tracking.

   • Created automated sequences for follow-ups, ensuring consistent communication without overburdening and confusing the sales team.

3. Optimized Sales Process:

   • Collaborated closely with AEs to refine the sales funnel, reducing the time spent on prospecting and allowing them to focus on advancing prospects through the pipeline.

   • Implemented a qualification process for inbound leads, ensuring that only high-quality leads were passed to AEs, improving their efficiency and effectiveness.

4. Brand Awareness Initiatives:

   • Leveraged industry events and conferences to increase brand visibility. Strategically planned outreach campaigns around these events to ensure attendees were familiar with Enerlytics prior to the event and to get prospects to meet our team while attending these events.

   • Focused on a key industry segment to expand market share, leveraging targeted campaigns through trial and error to increase engagement and brand recognition within that sector.