The CRAP Report

Well here we are – the last of a four part segment on why your BDR Manager needs to be a little bit like each member of The A-Team.  Last Thursday I shared why your teleprospecting manager needs to be the pilot of his/her team, a little over the top, and quick on their feet like “Howling Mad” Murdock.  Last Friday I explained that your BDR Manager needed to be like Templeton “Faceman” Peck in that they should be a “master of disguise,” resourceful, and focused on your customer.  Yesterday it was all about being like B.A. “Bad Attitude” Baracus.  Your teleprospecting manager needs to be like a mechanic, a disciplinarian, and needs to know when to say no.  Today, I want to let you know why your BDR Manager needs to have the leadership qualities of John “Hannibal” Smith.

John “Hannibal” Smith, played by the late great George Peppard, was the leader of this crack commando unit on the run for a crime they didn’t commit.  Along with being the leader of The A-Team, Hannibal was the master tactician of the group.  When a plan needed to be devised, Hannibal had one at the ready.  When the plan needed follow through, it was Hannibal making sure that everyone played their part in seeing it to fruition.  The consummate leader, Hannibal was that member of The A-Team that the other members looked to for direction.  Its no coincidence then that the person who is either running your inside B2B lead generation efforts or your vendor’s teleprospecting manager needs to share some of Hannibal’s qualities.  The three that I think are most valuable from a sales prospecting perspective are: 

1. They need to be a natural leader.
2. They need to see the big picture.
3. They need to implement a plan.

The first one is obvious as Hannibal was a natural leader, but your teleprospecting manager needs to be a natural leader, too.  Hannibal just exuded leadership, and you knew that the rest of The A-Team would follow him anywhere, and when they were down and the odds seemed against them (hello, like the U.S. Army chasing you), he always found a way to rally his troops.  Making cold calls (or sometimes warm ones) is not the most glamorous job in the world – I’ll concede that.  A great BDR Manager knows how to inspire his or her reps to greatness.  To me, passing sales qualified opportunities is so important because it’s important to our clients.  Their organizations, their jobs, their futures and their family’s futures depend on how well their sales teams run.  I know that if someone contracts to partner with me that my team and I play a critical role in the success of not just the contact at my client’s organization, but the success for all the folks that work there.  That’s a huge responsibility, and when viewed in that light, teleprospecting seems pretty damn important.  There’s a purpose behind every dial my BDR’s make, and when they understand that, they see their job as more than just “smiling and dialing.”  Your BDR Manager needs to do the same thing; they need to be able to inspire your BDR’s, as a natural leader, to be better and achieve more than the day before.

Hannibal, as the team’s strategy guy, always knew the outcome he wanted for each mission the team took on.  In the same light, your BDR Manager needs to be able to see the big picture.  It’s one thing to work on a sales prospecting project and know that you need to get leads.  It’s another to understand where teleprospecting fits in the greater picture of sales and marketing.  A great BDR Manager works to align themselves and their team with sales and marketing, bridging the gap that sometimes exists between the two.  Before a B2B lead gen campaign gets underway, your teleprospecting manager should also be able to work with you to map out production expectations.  Seeing the big picture from a sales prospecting perspective is huge because of its importance.  Putting qualified leads in front of sales for sales to close faster means more revenue, and more revenue means (hopefully) more money for everyone involved.

Lastly, if you EVER watched the show, you know that Hannibal always said, “I love it when a plan comes together.”  Your BDR Manager needs to share this same sentiment – they need to be able to implement a teleprospecting plan.  Your BDR Manager should be able to take the information that they’ve gleaned from bridging that gap between sales and marketing and not only create a plan, but implement it as well.  Looking to find fully qualified leads in the security space?  Your teleprospecting manager should be able to look out at their business development rep landscape and know which BDR’s will work best on the project.  Don’t have a good marketing list in place?  Your BDR Manager should already have a marketing research specialist on the job building your list.  Messaging not resonating prospects?  Your BDR Manager should already have a contingency plan in case of such an event.  The person who is managing your teleprospecting efforts should be able to implement your B2B lead generation plan and be prepared for anything.  Like Hannibal, they should “be on the jazz” for your campaign from jump street.

As you can tell, I loved The A-Team (and still do!).  Thanks for joining me for the last four days as I revisited some great TV characters and tried to apply them teleprospecting.  Cue the theme song!

Here’s me and my A-Team: