SalesRFun

Corporate Account Executive

Vanity metrics

I'm relatively new in my company and the SDR that I am aligned with is crushing it from a "meetings set" perspective. The problem I am running into is that the vast majority of these meetings (>95%) are being accepted because marketing incentives (games, gift cards, etc.) are being offered up for an "informational session".

The at-bats are nice, but the conversion rates on these meetings are abysmal.

Anybody else run into this before? These meetings feel like vanity metrics for marketing and the SDR team for pipeline generated but for me it's becoming a huge waste of time.

🔎 Prospecting

📈 Closing

📨 Marketing

26 comments

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funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

This is exactly why I don't believe in bribing people to take meetings. If someone needs a gift card or item to attend a meeting, that means they see zero value in attending outside of the gift and it will fail to convert 99% of the time.

Our SDRs don't bribe people, but they do book quantity over quality because their comp structure is based on meetings attended not meetings qualified. It's a bunch of bullshit and results in headaches for AEs all around. I make the fact known to my manager that their appointments are usually dog shit on a semi-regular basis and so do the rest of the reps, but I doubt it ever changes.

I'll be vetting the next company I work for before I accept the role to see what their stance is on SDR meetings. I'm tired of wasting my time too.

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

Definitely hate bribing for meetings.. Just a waste of time and money for everyone. Except the prospect that's gotten a free GC and plays on their phone while you try and do your job.

funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

Yup. I hate the people who made this a thing and think that any manager who adopts it is a moron. Full stop.

SalesRFun

Good Citizen

Corporate Account Executive

When you're asking discovery questions and can tell they clearly weren't paying attention <<<

funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

I call them out when this happens, same thing if they're giving really vague/sarcastic responses to questions.

"It sounds like you aren't really interested in talking about this."

They'll either apologize for being in a bad mood/distracted and you can either go forward with that mutual respect or reschedule for a better time. Or, they'll admit that they aren't interested and you can agreed to part ways.

SalesRFun

Good Citizen

Corporate Account Executive

I like this approach quite a bit. This is why you ask for advice in the War Room.

funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

Happy to help!

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

The managers who adopt it are looking at "meetings booked" as a metric they can report positively on. Which means it goes up higher to upper level idiots.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Love this. Agree to mutually drop the call if it's not a fit.

funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

It really is a game changer. Can’t be afraid to call it like it when your own time is so valuable.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

It's hard the first time for new AEs, but honestly, it's very respectful for everyone involved.

funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

AEs just need to tell themselves (and believe) that their time is just as valuable as the prospects.

NotCreativeEnough

Big Shot

Professional Day Ruiner

SDR’s need to be comped based on meetings that are converted to real opportunities, not just number of meetings set. That’s the best way to prevent a bunch of junk meetings

IAMTHEDOG

Valued Contributor

Director of Sales

Word.

Beans

Big Shot

Enterprise Account Executive

Pretty much every metric can be fluffed, focus on results.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Yup. This shit is meaningless.

mami

Tycoon

Account Executive

There is the notion of a lead that is accepted vs. qualified. I would definitely consider bringing up the lack of qualified leads that are wasting your time given these incentive structures. Is there a persona that typically converts better after a conversation? Maybe work with your SDR to target that specific group.

SalesRFun

Good Citizen

Corporate Account Executive

The challenge is that I have brought it up... but the low hanging fruit is blasting my TAM with "take a meeting, get free stuff". It's a losing situation!

mami

Tycoon

Account Executive

If you know specific personas are likely not going to convert, can you cut the calls short and let them get their free shit and move on? This will at least save you some time.

Depending on the type of persona and DQ reason, it could be worth connecting with all these folks on LinkedIn or dropping them into nurture campaigns to close a sale in the future.

SalesRFun

Good Citizen

Corporate Account Executive

Yep. Typically try to ask that up front. I do follow through with the informational stuff in hopes that it's pipeline building for the future, but haven't been around long enough to see that come into play.

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

wow. So i have heard about this.....but was never able to offer incentives when I was an SDR and never got meeting set because of incentives.

I am 100% against this.

If have to do gimmicks like that......then you probably suck and need to level up.

Love what im reading below from @funcoupons

Upper_Class_SaaS

Politicker

Account Executive

Yes. Because the meetings are not set on a need. They are set on a reward to attend lol

Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

Sales Rep

Can fake everything but closed rev

NotCreativeEnough

Big Shot

-1

Professional Day Ruiner

Build more value in your product during the meeting. What pain does your solution solve? What are they currently doing to solve that pain and how is it working for them? If there’s even one piece of it they don’t love 100%, paint them a picture of how much better it could be if they use your product. Yes, they’re just taking the meeting for whatever free bs is being offered. Doesn’t mean they can’t still be sold to though if you can find a real pain point they have that you’re able to solve for

SalesRFun

Good Citizen

Corporate Account Executive

This is being done. Difference between someone who wants to answer questions and actively participate and one that is there for free stuff. You can usually tell pretty quickly too.

NotCreativeEnough

Big Shot

Professional Day Ruiner

Oh yeah I totally agree that you’re still going to get a huge bulk of people just showing up for the free stuff. I just think too many people also pre-assume that so they go into the call with that mindset instead of trying to turn it into an opportunity.

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SalesRFun

Vanity metrics

26 comments

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