bendandsnack

Account Exec

Is this sexist

Female SDR here.

Is it normal for SDRs to be tasked with the pain in the ass effort of coordinating the Account Exec's second meeting with their prospects?

A few Account Execs will ask me to organize their second meeting with a prospect. One even asked me to coordinate lunch with one of our VPs and a prospect for a deal in progress because I "had better rapport with him."

My male counterpart has never been asked to do this and it's happened to me 3x over the past 2 weeks.

I'm also spread between 6 AEs at the moment after 3 rounds of head-chopping which makes it really annoying when they're needy.

Feels either sexist or like I'm being used as a piece of bait. I'm not a secretary nor do I get paid for that second meeting but it does contribute to my pipeline if the deal progresses - is this normal?

🏙 Corporate Experiences

👨‍🌾 SDR

35 comments

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CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

I don't think it's sexist but it does sound lazy.

SalesStash

Opinionated

Strategic Account Executive

🤣

Rallier

Politicker

SDR Manager and Consultant

I’ve never once heard of an SDR coordinating next steps for an AE. There’s a reason it’s called a handoff. This is bizarre

funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

We do it in my company sometimes. Usually it’s when an AE has a stacked pipeline and doesn’t have time to chase people down but feels the prospect is still worth engaging with. Doesn’t happen super often but it’s not completely out of the norm. I also work in a different industry than SaaS tho.

Fenderbaum

Politicker

Retired Choirboy🪕

Strange indeed.

buckets1

Politicker

Female AE here working with a male SDR. I keep my current SDR involved in later stages of the deal, including setting up later stage meetings, because he’s organized and good at his job. I have not done this with some of his less capable peers. In our org he can also get credit for “re-engaging” an opportunity that’s over a quarter old, which some of my larger deals are. He also does a ton of extra research and account mapping work for me and I repay this by involving him on renewal opportunities to get him credit there.
That being said — if something feels really off it probably is. The unfortunate reality of being a woman is you have years of experience sniffing out sketchy situations.

1nbatopshotfan

Politicker

Sales

This is a great process and generous of you to help this SDR. Nice!

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

I’m all about giving the BDR/SDR a hand. Nice.

1nbatopshotfan

Politicker

Sales

Are they pulling you into the second meeting, or are you just sending invites?

If they pull you in, and you’re learning and growing, great. If they are being lazy put a stop to it.

funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

Depending on the organization, SDRs can sometimes be tasked with setting up further follow ups and other meetings as they do often work as an AE’s assistant. It’s just facts that your time as an SDR is worth less than the time of an AE so some tedious/busy work will fall on your plate.

Could it be sexism? Maybe. But it could also be that you do create better rapport and have better organizational skills than the other SDR. If it’s only been happening across the last few weeks it could also be that the prospects the other SDR is putting through aren’t in need of follow up meetings etc.

TheNegotiator

Arsonist

VP of Sales

If it doesn’t happen to your male counterparts at all, and it’s happening to you regularly, it may be sexist.

With that said, we’re in sales and we play our trump cards where we can. If a male prospect responds to you more favourably (for whatever reason, I’m not justifying the behaviour) then maybe as an AE, I might make the ask. That said, AEs are selfish bastards like the rest of us. They don’t realize, or care, that you’re stretched between 6 different AEs.

Idk, gray area. Maybe it is sexist, if unintentionally so, which doesn’t make it any better. I would raise it with your manager and just be blunt. They know how you’re held accountable as well as you do. You don’t get paid to do 2nd meetings and nobody else has to. If you’re spending the time you want to be comped for 2nd meetings as well.

See how that goes. Maybe it’s worth it and will work out in your favour. 2nd meetings are easier than the 1st.

bendandsnack

Politicker

Account Exec

Oooh that's genius, definitely raising it with my manager to get paid for the second meeting.

Thank you!

TheNegotiator

Arsonist

VP of Sales

Best of luck!

PleaseAdvise

Executive

Account Executive

Based off of everything you mention, this doesn’t sound sexist.
It may actually be that the AEs recognize you’ve got your shit together compared to your counterpart. And maybe they see you as more professional than the other SDR, hence the better rapport piece of this.

Diablo

Politicker

Sr. AE

Are they asking you to do this for every prospect you're qualifying or the ones that have dropped off in between.

We do it when prospects drop off midway

bendandsnack

Politicker

Account Exec

This is pre-dropoff. I also resurface opps but that's something separate that's actually part of my job. Not for every single prospect, just when the AE is too lazy to do it themselves.

Ex. the first meeting goes well and it's decided that there will be a follow-up and at the of the meeting the AE says "bendandsnack will coordinate with you to get something on the calendar"

funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

It’s odd that the AE wouldn’t just book the next meeting while on the call with the prospect, that seems like the most efficient route for everyone.

Diablo

Politicker

Sr. AE

Exactly, if we seriously feel the opportunity might convert, why not book the next meeting on the call.

Diablo

Politicker

Sr. AE

If the meeting goes well, why will they not book the next meeting there itself? If I know the opp will convert, I will follow up myself rather than asking my BDR. Do the AEs have target in your org 😂

funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

Yeah it’s weird. Maybe the AE is hella lazy?

GDO

Politicker

BDM

See it as a compliment. He wants to “use” your skills in later stages of the cycle. Problably t
your male SDR is not on your level yet.

I know strong glass half full vibes with this answer.

saashunter2.0

Executive

Mid-Market Account Executive

I’ve supported AEs quite a bit beyond first meetings. I think it’s a combo of how good the SDR is, capacity to do this and the work ethic/skills of the AE. It sounds like you don’t have the capacity right now to do this and variable is not aligned/incentivized so you might want to bring up to your manager. Hard to say whether it’s sexist or not but could be.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

Yes, your AEs are treating you like a secretary. Fuck that shit.

Push back on this, and if that doesn't work, go to your manager. This is a gross misuse of already stretched resources.

TheOverTaker

Politicker

Senior Account Executive

i dont work with SDRs currently, but when I did this was fairly common and I know a few friends who still do it. Usually a combination of an AE being crazy busy/laziness/giving an SDR a chance to learn more of the process

DataSlangah

Politicker

SAE

I don't know if it is sexist, but it is odd in the SaaS industry. If you think that you are being taken advantage of, you should protect your time as much as an AE.

MCP

Valued Contributor

Sales Director

This is what we mean when we say boundaries. Don’t let your EA treat you like an admin. Call a meeting to talk about responsibilities. It’s fine to help out as needed but it shouldn’t be standard. Your boss should also be there to protect you.

LordBusiness

Politicker

Chief Revenue Officer

Gross.

buckets1

Politicker

💯 @Sunbunny31 if they are doing their job and then some why not give a hand? Helps them out and leads to the SDR manager assigning me her better reps since she knows they’ll way over perform quota working with me.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Exactly! It builds that important teamwork as well.

Woody

Politicker

Business Development Executive

Lazy shit AE. I was recently approached by several women in my office with complaints about another executive. I had to assure them that no in fact the gentleman in question was a just a serious asshole and not a sexist and that I, a man, was having the same problems with him as well.

fidelcashflow

Catalyst

Account Executive

Not sure if it's literally sexism but that's weird. Haven't heard of that at any company I've worked for. My follow up to each meeting is pretty much unique. Why would I have someone else who doesn't know what's going on follow up?
Sidenote:
I do remember the first saas I worked for and an AE would have this one super attractive SDR go on site to meetings with him. She would go on site to these Enterprise level companies and told us she would just sit there, wouldn't say a single word (duh, why is she there in the first place). The AE said that it's good for her to learn 😐 he only did this specifically with her and no one else would do that, EVER. What is eye candy going to do for a deal? Our manager would even push back and question it at first but she would definitely still go.

SaaSyBee

Politicker

Founder

If you feel like you're being treated like a secretary, say something. It may actually be that you're just helping move the deal along better than your AE thinks they could. But if it feels off, speak up.

Beans

Big Shot

Enterprise Account Executive

Ask them why they do this with you and not others, are you expected to gain some value / learn anything? Are you on the calls?

Otherwise he's passing it off because it worked once.

techsales

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

The organizing the meeting... not necessarily sexist but you're definitely being treated like an assistant.

The ordering lunch... 100% sexist.

Hoopnip

Politicker

Commercial AE

Not sexist at all. Most BDRs at my company want to help scheduling next steps or any meeting at all since they aren’t busy enough 😂

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bendandsnack

Is this sexist

35 comments

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