M
M

miguelnelson

Business Development Representative

Contributor
Fire Starter
Member

Reaching out when there's no position available

Trying to land a solid BDR/SMB AE role but struggling a bit with the economy.


Seems all the good positions have 200 applicants and are hiring for only 1 or 2 positions.


Saw a post on LinkedIn saying to pick 10 SDR managers of companies you'd like to work for and shoot a video/cold call over to set yourself apart. Could this actually work (provided it was a good cold call/video?) Or would companies almost never actually consider opening a position unexpectedly?


Has anyone ever done this successfully/know if it's a viable way to get a job? Thank you!!!

🚀 Career Goals
13

15 comments

Sort by:
jefe
Arsonist
6
🍁
I don't think they'll open a position unexpectedly, but it could help you get to the top of the pile when they do have an opening.

Headcount isn't usually something that's changed on a whim
miguelnelson
Contributor
1
Business Development Representative
Ahh got it, makes sense!
CuriousFox
WR Officer
6
🦊
Have you filled out a profile on the jobs tab and see who you match up with?
Kosta_Konfucius
Politicker
3
Sales Rep
I never hurts to be proactive, so when they open a role and it can be a quick process for them.

In staffing we would bring up how often managers will lose headcount if they dont use it, so its good to do a proactive search
miguelnelson
Contributor
0
Business Development Representative
Thank you so much!
TennisandSales
Politicker
3
Head Of Sales
I doubt someone would create an SDR role because they found a good candidate. Normally the number of roles are predetermined by the budget they have.

Also many companies view SDR roles as "easy" to hire for so i dont think you will find much success here.
miguelnelson
Contributor
0
Business Development Representative
yeah gotcha, was hoping going above and beyond could impress someone enough but this makes sense
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
i think it can for other roles. maybe an AE role, director role ect. but for SDR....probs not.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
3
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
A position would open unexpectedly if they lose someone - they leave, or get promoted.

However, in a hiring freeze, which is what many of the bigger players are currently in, they won't backfill until there's executive direction to do so.

Remaining top of mind and getting on their radar is not a bad idea, but it may be a long game. Recs may not open up until a few months into the new year, so be patient. Not a bad idea to monitor the websites of companies you've sent outreach to so that you know when they're actively hiring again, and you can send a "remember me? I still want to work with you!" outreach - and apply.
antiASKHOLE
Tycoon
2
Bravado's Resident Asshole
touch points and keeping your name on their minds is a good way to get called back when something does open.
Diablo
Politicker
2
Sr. AE
It might or might not work. Doesn’t harm to connect - even if you don’t win you are not going to lose anything either
BrianTracysLoveChild
Fire Starter
2
Account Manager
Referral into an org has proven to be the best path for me. Instead of hitting the sales lead, maybe look for a BDR or AE at the target org that is active on LinkedIn and reach out. The premise? Hey Sam - I am reseaching (name of org) and saw some of your posts on LinkedIn. I was hoping to speak to you before I approach (name of sales lead) to to see if the culture is a good fit for me. Do you have for coffee or lunch?"

You might be able to get the lay of the land on the inside while fostering a coach/advocate at the same time.
Pachacuti
Politicker
1
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
A SDR/BDR hiring manager needs to know you'll put in the effort they require. Proactively reaching out demonstrates that. I don't know about video, but I would definitely reach out via LI, phone, and email.
VFG
Good Citizen
1
SDR
As was said above, it would be most effective if the manager already had a posted opening.

I will say that even with roles that have several hundred applicants, a little bit of effort can go a long way with a hiring manager. Most people do nothing.
SandlerFan
Good Citizen
1
Account Executive
That's a good idea to think out of the box. If you a strong track record a company would be nuts to not look at you if you can bring revenue to them. Don't contact hr huge waste of time. I would contact as high up the food chain as you can find. Some middle manager has no authority.

Related posts

3

When you have your LinkedIn account set to "open to work" and recruiters reach out all the time do you take the mindset of "I need to sell myself for this role" OR "The recruiter needs to sell the role to myself?"

Discussion
👥
🤝
14
4

Reaching out to previous manager for an open role...

Question
💰
👥
🤝
6
9

Reaching out to current employees at a (small-midsize) company I’m applying for… How high up should I go?

Question
🤝
👨‍💻
👨‍🌾
17
You’re interested in a SDR role and you want to connect with an employee before applying. Who is the best to reach out to?
42% Another SDR/BDR/grunt
27% AE/Senior AE
31% VP/Director of Sales
84 people voted
Bravado is a community of trusted sales professionals endorsed by their customers.
Apple Store logo
Products
The War Room Jobs Salary Guide Tech Sales U
Company
About Us How It Works Blog Bug Bounty
Contact
Press Careers
© 2024 Bravado Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy Legal and Privacy Center Sales Jobs
If you are hired as a contract sales rep by a Bravado customer, we may ask you to prove access to the employee email account provided to you by that customer. This data will be shared with customers to track your sales productivity; customers can use this data to confirm you meet the minimum activity requirements to pay out your ramp stipend and commission.