Blake Hudson’s Post

Once people started doing this their interview rates sky rocketed. Very simple. Where interview rate is defined as number of interviews vs. number of applications for any given role. Going after an AE position example… 1. Reach out to future peers (have not applied to the job yet) Ask future peers great questions about the problems they solve for their customers. The 5 W’s is a good framework for this. Who are your customers (ICP) Where do you typiaclly find them What are they struggling with When are they looking for help Why would they work with us vs other options Not about what a day in the life looks like. (Have not applied yet) 2. Reach out to customer success folks at the company. You got their names from the AE’s you talked to. Ask good questions about the problems they solve for their customers. 5 W’s again. (Still haven’t applied for a job). 3. Reach out to solution engineers/solution architects. You got their names from the AE’s and CS folks you talked to. Ask good questions about the problems they solve for their customers. 5 W’s again. (Still haven’t applied for a job). 4. Reach out to inside sales and/or BDR’s on the team. You got their names from the AE’s, SE’s and CS folks you talked to. Ask good questions about the problems they solve for their customers. 5 W’s again. (Still haven’t applied for a job). 5. Approach the hiring manager via a video message on linkedin. You got their name from the AE’s, SE’s, CSM’s, inside sales and BDR’s you talked to. You also got the 1 thing the hiring manager is looking for in an AE. Be specific, be compelling and most of all be memorable. If you aren’t memorable, by definition, you are forgettable. Keep the video message under 45 seconds. Tell the hiring manager all you have learned (the answers you got from the 5 W’s) and mention 👏every 👏single👏person👏 you have talked to - name drop. Tie it back to your strengths and why you would be a great fit for the open role on their team. Ask them for a 15 minute phone call to talk about whether you would be a good fit for their team. (Still haven’t applied yet). 6. When you get on the 15 min. call with the hiring manager it will go well and then you will ask them if you should apply. They will say yes and take your resume/application and put it at the top of the list. Boom. You got an interview. ————— Every hiring manager will give you those 15 minutes. Becasue they are starving for sales reps who know how to sell. And what you just demonstrated is that you know how to sell. You are treating the job hunt like a sales cycle. No one is doing this prep for an interview. Because it’s hard. But, it’s a sure fire way to have your interview rate skyrocket. Not to mention the research we are doing online about the company on top if this. Then, once you get the job your ramp time is greatly reduced because you have already spent weeks learning about the company in the interview process. #InTheArena #ClosedWon

Sales interviews are won in the first 3 minutes. I’ve interviewed more times than I can count It comes down to one simple question: “Why do you want to work in sales?” Your answer is absolutely critical. Give a long-winded answer and you’re dead in the water. (I’m speaking from experience!) And It’s downhill from there. However, Get this answer right and the ball is in your court. Here’s how I answer this question ↓ 1.Tell a compelling story.  → Do not read off your resume.  → This is an opportunity to leave a lasting impression. Take it! 2. Highlight relevant skills.  → Be familiar with the skills required for the position. → Recall past instances where you have displayed relevant skills. 3. Keep your answer under 2 minutes.  → I learnt this the hard way. Less is more in a sales interview. This framework sets you up to have an intelligent conversation with the interviewer. That's how you cut through the noise. —————— Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Ora for more. P.S - Like and Comment ‘interview’ below and I’ll share my top 3 interview questions with you.

Nailing your next AE interview can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. This insightful article from Salesforce, packed with expert interview questions and valuable insights, is your one-stop guide to landing your dream AE role. Learn the following from sales pros: Uncover key interview questions: get a head start by familiarizing yourself with the most commonly asked interview questions for AEs. Learn from the pros: gain valuable insights from seasoned sales leaders like Alexine Mudawar on what they look for in top-performing AEs. This insider knowledge can help you tailor your responses and impress your interviewer. Boost your confidence: feeling prepared is key to acing any interview. By familiarizing yourself with the common questions and expectations, you'll approach your interview with confidence. https://lnkd.in/gR4eiqqf #AEhiring #Sales #hiring

Struggling with cold emails that get ignored? 😓 Here's 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵 𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴 that 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬! 💌 Sending out cold emails can feel like sending messages into a black hole—no responses, no callbacks. But with a few tweaks, your email can go from being ignored to landing you the 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 you need. Here’s how to do it right 👇 1️⃣ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞   Skip the boring "𝘑𝘰𝘣 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯" subject. Try something that stands out:   "𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘺 [𝘚𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭/𝘙𝘰𝘭𝘦] 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 [𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺]"   This makes the email feel personal and grabs attention immediately. 2️⃣ 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 Always address the 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞. LinkedIn can help you find that info!   Try:   "𝘏𝘪 [𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦], 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 [𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺]’𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘪𝘯 [𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘢], 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩..." Starting with a personalized note shows you’ve done your homework. 3️⃣ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 Hiring managers love numbers! Instead of a long intro, dive into your value:   "𝘐𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘵 [𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺], 𝘐 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 [𝘟 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤] 𝘣𝘺 [𝘠%] 𝘪𝘯 [𝘡 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴]. 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘯 [𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘦] 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮." Specific results speak louder than generic claims. 4️⃣ 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐈𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 Hiring managers are busy. After sharing your value, ask for a quick call:   "𝘐’𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 [𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺]. 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬?" Clear, direct, and easy to respond to. 5️⃣ 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧-𝐎𝐟𝐟 Always close respectfully:   "𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵,[𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦]" Keeps the tone polite and professional. Use this simple email structure, and start seeing more interview invites in your inbox! 📨 If you need my 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘌𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘖𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 that gets me multiple interview calls, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 "𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇" 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 and I'll DM you my Proven templates. #coldemailtips #jobsearchhacks #getinterviews #itcareers #tejomayonline

For the last few weeks, I have been giving interviews! 👣 Yes, I dropped my papers too. It's exciting to know what's out there for us SDRs. 👀 It was an absolute bliss to know that I could get a shot at amazing companies. But, How do you attract these companies and get a shot at the interview? I will simplify it for you: Rule no 1: Never ever easy apply. 🛑 Rule no 2: Update your resume and no fancy stuff. Rule no 3: Shortlist companies that you want to work for. ⚠ Rule no 4: Start your outreach in the most creative way. Now everyone has one question how to be creative? Let me answer that for you. I did SDRing to get the job as an SDR. 💯 - I cold-called hiring managers. (This is how I landed most of the interviews) - I sent cold DMs on LinkedIn. (Second best source) - Created videos of wearing sunglasses and keeping flowers on the side of my head to create a hook and convey my message. (Just do something fun) - Sent emails with "Why Hire Me?" context. Learned it from the best Zubair. But, this is not enough. - Follow-ups and thank-you emails are a plus. Do not forget to do these 2 steps. - Go deep into the company's product and read about the competitors too. - Be honest and humble. - Keep a happy face and show that you are confident. - If you don't know the answer to something agree to it. In all this, Keep in mind rejection is a part of the process. 🏳 Stay with me I will share some exciting news along the way! Till then ciao and you all have a nice week.

🔥🔥🔥If you're an Account Executive struggling to get interviews, follow this playbook that a guy used on me today -- IT WORKS 🔥🔥🔥 Follow Aaron's example: 1. Applied online so Aaron is in our applicant tracking system (zero chance I'm keeping track of all the candidates in my email and LI....you have to apply first). 2. Finds one our AEs on LI and sends him a note saying he's applied to the job, would love an interview, and asking if my current AE will introduce him to me. My guy says yep. 3. Aaron sends my AE his resume via email and a couple sentences about why he's excited about the role. My AE forwards to me with the following text: "Wanted to forward this over. I do not personally know him and don't actually know anything about him. However, he pinged me on LinkedIn and asked me to forward his resume to you. I related to this because the way I got hired at [previous company] was by pinging their C-Level execs for six months straight. If he is finding a way to get to you, he may be a solid sales guy. He also ended his LinkedIn message with "Go Dawgs," so how bad can he be?" Note: Aaron didn't go to UGA, but my AE did, so Aaron is personalizing. So, if you're struggling to get interviews, do this. AEs know how to spot a good AE and will likely help you out, even if you're a stranger.

Are you preparing to interview an Account Executive? Or perhaps you're an AE candidate gearing up for your next big interview? This insightful article shares six key questions that can make all the difference in an Account Executive interview. The author, a seasoned CEO with hands-on experience as an Account Executive, provides a comprehensive guide to understanding the purpose behind each question and how to frame the best responses. From exploring a candidate's current role and responsibilities to their proudest accomplishments, these questions are designed to assess not just the candidate's skills and experience, but also their self-awareness, coachability, and their preferred leadership style. The article also emphasises the importance of candidates being prepared with their own questions, demonstrating their interest and engagement in the role. So whether you're an interviewer or a candidate, this article is a must-read to ensure a successful Account Executive interview. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ewYQd4cW Happy Wednesday! Casey Jones #AccountExecutive #InterviewTips #CareerAdvice #Salesforce

STOP trying to “sell yourself” in the interview 🛑 Make your interviewers sell themselves 🤔 ➡️ Start the interview with, “What interested you in interviewing me?” Allow them to describe your upsides… 😏 ➡️ When describing your skills / experiences, periodically ask, “Is this a quality you’re looking for in this role?” Allow them to validate that they DO need someone with (skill you just described) to fill this role… 😏 ➡️ When wrapping up, ask, “What does a great candidate for this role look like?” Watch them describe YOU… ✨😏 ➡️ Finish with, “Is there any reason for you to not move forward with me as a candidate?” They’ll say something like, “No, you have the qualities we’re looking for.” 😏 ➡️ “Book” your next meeting… “Great! When will I be meeting with ___ to continue the process? I’m free next Monday.” 📅 Once they’ve said yes 3+ times, you’ve just successfully used the Yes Ladder sales technique🪜 FEEL FREE TO: 🎈Click this whatsapp link https://wa.link/4pil83 🎈Contact us: olawalesdigital@gmail.com 🎈Or indeed call +2348128006823

It's always a good time to sharpen your interview skills. To help you prepare, we're sharing our top tips to leave a lasting impression and ensure you get the role in our latest blog post here: https://lnkd.in/eddGr4qz #blogpost #newblogpost #hiring #marketing #marketinginterview

13 days ... part 1 Thats how long the interview process took at my new company for an SDR role. Lots of DMs asking how I landed the interview and prepped. Heres the high-level view of what I did to land the interview and ace the interviews. TLDR: 🤓 1. Research: RepVue/Glassdoor, G2/Capterra & LinkedIn. 2. Prep your elevator pitch. 3. Get referred by a top rep. 4. Cold Outreach to Hiring Manager/Leadership. 5. Multithread: Same level & Above. 6. Prep for Interview: Company level. 7. Prep for Interview: Interviewer level. 8. Mystery tip Going to TRY and keep it short and sweet! 🙏 1. Research: 🔬 Not all research found is equal. Pick what research you want find & note down. I looked for: Market Fit & Customer Feedback (G2 & Capterra). Rep Reviews and Quota Attainment (RepVue & Glassdoor). & LinkedIn for all of the above. 2. Prep Your Elevator Pitch. 📈 This is what you'll be answering on your cold calls/replies to cold email & linkedin OR OR What you put in a prospecting video. What do you know about the company? Why this company? Why are you a good fit? This is what I got asked the most about. What do I say on the phone? What do I say in a loom video? I'll put in the comments my elevator pitch to keep the post concise. 3. Get referred by a top rep. 🏅 Want to stand out amongst 100s of applicants? The easiest way to get a first stage is via referral. Not any referral. Referred by a top rep. Note - Have your CV ready & a short statement to go along with the referral as they have a box to input why they think you're a top candidate worth an interview. 4. Cold Outreach to Hiring Manager/Leadership. ❄ Whether you have been referred or not. Cold call the hiring manager. If you don't get through - keep trying & eventually leave a voicemail pointing them to an email/linkedin message if you've got a connection. Follow up with cold emails, linkedin voicenotes, videos (linkedin video, Vidyard, Loom). 5. Multithread: Same level & Above. 🕸 Speak with reps at the company and gain some insights. Same level: Experience so far @ company? Quota attainment? Whats the Manager/Leaders like & What do they look for? Any advice .. Above you: Asked the AEs .. If I was your SDR - what would you want from me? What does the company value in reps? What can I do to really stand out in this interview process? What do the Manager/Leaders value? Any advice .. 🙄 Linkedin told me im typing too much sooo .. link to part 2 in comments. 👋 #hiring #interviewing #hr #people #sdr #sales #interviewtips #opentowork