Breaking Free from LinkedIn’s Grip: The SDR Blueprint for Personal Branding
In the fast-paced & ever changing world of sales development, SDRs are constantly looking for ways to stand out and grow in their careers. While building a strong LinkedIn profile is useful, but it's also important to think about making your own portfolio to show off your work. Here’s why:
The LinkedIn Limitation
LinkedIn is a powerful tool, but it has its limitations. Many SDRs are early in their careers, with limited experience to share. While you can certainly offer insights, the reality is your intended audience might not be as active or engaged on LinkedIn.
Also, talking a lot about your company might just seem like you're bragging, especially if no one has shown you how to share your own views.
Moreover, not all companies support personal branding efforts. You might find yourself in a tricky situation where your online activity is scrutinised more than appreciated. Missed quotas because you were crafting the perfect post? Reported sick but active on Linkedin? It’s a slippery slope.
A Different Approach: The Portfolio Path
So, what’s the alternative? Building your own online portfolio. This is a space entirely yours, where you can:
Document engaging narratives of success and failure.
Share tools and resources you’re exploring.
Highlight books that are shaping your sales approach.
Reflect on challenges and how you overcame them.
Include visual elements like infographics and videos.
Outline future goals and projects to convey ambition and vision.
Collaborate with peers or mentors for diverse perspectives.
This way, you do more than just list your successes and failures; you show how you've grown, stayed strong, and learned from tough times
The Power of a Personal Portfolio
Imagine the scenario: you’re seeking a new opportunity. While most sales people stick to usual ways like LinkedIn or regular resumes, having your own portfolio will make you stand out. With your portfolio, leaders like me won't have a choice but to place you in the final round.
It’s a diary of your journey, showcasing your growth, your challenges, and how you’ve navigated them. This doesn’t just make you stand out; it places you at the top of the list.
Real-Life Benefits
My approach isn’t theoretical. It’s rooted in real-life success. In negotiations, having a detailed record of accomplishments and learnings has given me—and can give you—an undeniable edge. It’s proof positive of your value, a tangible way to counter any argument that you haven’t done enough.
I’ve got hikes as high as 65% thanks to this approach
Encouraging a Culture of Documentation
Leaders take note: if you get your team to do this, it won't just help them grow. It will also give you great ideas on how to better support and build your team. They win, you win!
Where to Start?
You can choose to create on Canva to begin building your portfolio. Ensure it’s professional, up-to-date, and reflective of your personal brand.
You can try our recent find Heyzine.com which helps you create a flip book. You can upload your intro videos, your cold calls, and any other media. We use this to send a detailed report to companies who send their sales reps for training. Pretty cool, right?
Conclusion: Your Eureka Moment Awaits
Creating an online portfolio is an investment in your future. It’s about taking control of your narrative, demonstrating your growth, and preparing for opportunities that lie ahead. While this is about standing out in a sea of SDRs; it’s also about setting a new standard for what it means to be ‘I’m prepared’ and proactive in your career.
To make it more fun, consider adding popular memes about sales ups and downs, or GIFs that make tricky ideas easy to get. This way, your portfolio is not only informative but also fun to look at.
SDRs who are training with us to break into B2B SaaS Sales are all building a portfolio that likes to stand out in the interviews. We’d be sharing portfolios of our SDRs and even Rahul’s in the upcoming newsletters.
Ready to start building?
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Happy prospecting!
Rahul & Maruthi
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