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Home / Podcasts / How to Take Control of Your Career – Ep. 28

How to Take Control of Your Career – Ep. 28

About Episode:

In this episode of Prospecting Pros, John Karsant chats with Anthony Benedettini, AI Enablement Manager at ZoomInfo, about his unconventional journey from health and wellness startups to tech sales and AI enablement. Anthony shares how he got into the SDR role with zero previous B2B experience, became a top performer in record time, and fast-tracked his career through discipline, organization, and continuous learning. He discusses the importance of systematizing, time management, and looking for leadership opportunities before a promotion becomes available.

They also talk about Anthony’s career path from sales development, to enablement, and now to AI training. He talks about how AI is changing go-to-market teams, the skills sellers need to develop and how organisations can drive adoption through practical use cases and training. 

The episode wraps up with valuable career advice on networking internally, aligning career moves with long-term financial goals, and staying adaptable in a rapidly evolving technology landscape.

Podcast Transcript

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: basically trap where you are just like, you don't really know what's next. There's no structure. And it's like, "Hey, do you want to get promoted?" Like, "Well, your role might not exist in a little bit, and like, we might need you to pivot." And like, I was sick of doing like eight things at once. Like, I just wanted to focus and like, grow in a role and hit numbers. I just was never able in a position to do that.

[00:00:19] Speaker 1: So, I think like, the lesson learned is find somewhere that's going to allow you to eventually hit your financial goals at the rate that you want, right? Like, and most companies are not going to be able to, they're going to give you the standard, especially public companies, like, a standard bump. And so, you will have to carve your own path.

[00:00:34] Speaker 1: I had no experience. I didn't even know what ZoomInfo was. Like I said, I was fresh into the B2B space, which is like, ultimately, I don't think you need to have previous experience with something because like, I'm coming in it with fresh eyes, and I'm learning it as I'm a beginner. And like, the key skill is like, you learn it to understand it completely, and then you can apply it, no matter what that is, right?

[00:00:58] Speaker 1: But like, SDR ultimately in nature is a transitional role to get to a closer or to get to somewhere else. Like, there are very few lifelong SDRs. And so, you just have this like, what are, how are you thinking about the future? So, staying organized is like, the biggest thing. Staying organized, make sure no, no lead slips. If you get it, you better be able to book it, or you better be able to disqualify it.

[00:01:21] Speaker 2: I think structuring your day is so important. A lot of SDRs, they just kind of will wing it. But as I always tell them, like, schedule like schedule out, calendar block your schedule. So, that way you're going to get the reminder, "Hey, it's time to call. Hey, it's time to send those emails. Hey, it's time to follow up with the no-shows." Things like that.

[00:01:37] Speaker 2: And so, it's easy to get stuck doing all these internal tasks when really, what what are they hired for? If you're on outbound, you're hired to actually do outbound. So, I think it's just really important to focus on actually what'

[Warning: Gemini stopped because this chunk reached the max token limit. This segment may be incomplete.]

[00:05:00] Speaker 1: basically trap where you are just like you don't really know what's next. There's no structure. And it's like, "Hey, do you want to get promoted?" Like, "Well, your role might not exist in a little bit, and like we might need you to pivot." And like I was sick of doing like eight things at once. Like I just wanted to focus and like grow in a role and hit numbers. I just was never able in a position to do that.

[00:05:19] Speaker 1: So, I think like the lesson learned is find somewhere that's going to allow you to eventually hit your financial goals at the rate that you want, right? Like, and most companies are not going to be able to, they're going to give you the standard, especially public companies, like a standard bump. And so you will have to carve your own path.

[00:05:34] Speaker 1: I had no experience. I didn't even know what ZoomInfo was. Like I said, I was fresh into the B2B space, um, which is like, ultimately, I don't think you need to have previous experience with something because like, I'm coming in it with fresh eyes, and I'm learning it as I'm a beginner. And like, the key skill is like, you learn it to understand it completely, and then you can apply it. No matter what that is, right?

[00:05:58] Speaker 1: Um, but like, SDR ultimately in nature is a transitional role to get to a closer or to get to somewhere else. Like, there are very few lifelong SDRs. And so, you just have this like, what are, how are you thinking about the future? So, staying organized is like, the biggest thing. Staying organized, make sure no, no leads slips. If you get it, you better be able to book it, or you better be able to disqualify it.

[00:06:21] Speaker 2: I think structuring your day is so important. A lot of SDRs, they just kind of will wing it, but as I always tell them, like, schedule, like schedule out, uh, calendar block your schedule. So that way, you're going to get the reminder, "Hey, it's time to call. Hey, it's time to send those emails. Hey, it's time to follow up with the no-shows." Things like that.

[00:06:37] Speaker 2: And so, it's easy to get stuck doing all these internal tasks when really, what, what are they hired for? If you're on outbound, you're hired to actually do outbound. So, I think it's just really important to focus on actually what's important, what

[Warning: Gemini stopped because this chunk reached the max token limit. This segment may be incomplete.]

[00:10:00] Speaker 1: ...basically trap where you are just like you don't really know what's next. There's no structure. And it's like, hey, do you want to get promoted? Like, well, your role might not exist in a little bit, and like we might need you to pivot. And like I was sick of doing like eight things at once.

[00:10:13] Speaker 1: Like I just wanted to focus and like grow in a role and hit numbers. I just was never able in a position to do that. So, I think like the lesson learned is find somewhere that's going to allow you to eventually hit your financial goals at the rate that you want, right?

[00:10:27] Speaker 1: Like, and most companies are not going to be able to, they're going to give you the standard, especially public companies, like a standard bump. And so you will have to carve your own path.

[00:10:34] Speaker 1: I had no experience. I didn't even know what ZoomInfo was. Like I said, I was fresh into the B2B space, which is like, ultimately, I don't think you need to have previous experience with something because like, I'm coming in it with fresh eyes, and I'm learning it as I'm a beginner.

[00:10:49] Speaker 1: And like, the key skill is like, you learn it to understand it completely, and then you can apply it, no matter what that is, right? But like, SDR ultimately in nature is a transitional role to get to a closer or to get to somewhere else. Like, there are very few lifelong SDRs.

[00:11:08] Speaker 1: And so, you just have to like, what are, how are you thinking about the future? So, staying organized is like the biggest thing. Staying organized, make sure no, no leads slip. If you get it, you better be able to book it, or you better be able to disqualify it.

[00:11:21] Speaker 2: I think structuring your day is so important. A lot of SDRs, they just kind of will wing it, but as I always tell them, like, schedule, like schedule out, calendar block your schedule. So, that way you're going to get the reminder, hey, it's time to call, hey, it's time to send those emails, hey, it's time to follow up with the no-shows, things like that.

[00:11:38] Speaker 2: And so, it's easy to get stuck doing all these internal tasks when really, what, what are they hired for? If you're on outbound, you're hired to actually do outbound.

[Warning: Gemini stopped because this chunk reached the max token limit. This segment may be incomplete.]

[00:15:00] Speaker 1: basically trap where you are just like, you don't really know what's next. There's no structure. And it's like, hey, do you want to get promoted? Like, well, your role might not exist in a little bit, and like, we might need you to pivot. And like, I was sick of doing like eight things at once. Like, I just wanted to focus and like, grow in a role and hit numbers. I just was never able in a position to do that.

[00:15:19] Speaker 1: So, I think like, the lesson learned is find somewhere that's going to allow you to eventually hit your financial goals at the rate that you want, right? Like, and most companies are not going to be able to, they're going to give you the standard, especially public companies, like, a standard bump. And so, you will have to carve your own path.

[00:15:34] Speaker 1: I had no experience. I didn't even know what ZoomInfo was. Like I said, I was fresh into the B2B space, which is like, ultimately, I don't think you need to have previous experience with something because like, I'm coming in it with fresh eyes, and I'm learning it as I'm a beginner. And like, the key skill is like, you learn it to understand it completely, and then you can apply it, no matter what that is, right?

[00:15:58] Speaker 1: But like, SDR ultimately in nature is a transitional role to get to a closer or to get to somewhere else. Like, there are very few lifelong SDRs. And so, you just have this like, what are, how are you thinking about the future? So, staying organized is like, the biggest thing. Staying organized, make sure no, no leads slips. If you get it, you better be able to book it, or you better be able to disqualify it.

[00:16:21] Speaker 2: I think structuring your day is so important. A lot of SDRs, they just kind of will wing it, but as I always tell them, like, schedule, like schedule out, calendar block your schedule. So, that way you're going to get the reminder, hey, it's time to call, hey, it's time to send those emails, hey, it's time to follow up with the no-shows, things like that.

[00:16:38] Speaker 2: And so, it's easy to get stuck doing all these internal tasks when really, what, what are they hired for? If you're on outbound, you're hired to actually do outbound. So, I think it's just really important to focus on actually what's important

[Warning: Gemini stopped because this chunk reached the max token limit. This segment may be incomplete.]

[00:20:00] Speaker 2: basically trap where you are just like you don't really know what's next. There's no structure. And it's like, "Hey, do you want to get promoted?" Like, "Well, your role might not exist in a little bit, and like we might need you to pivot." And like I was sick of doing like eight things at once. Like I just wanted to focus and like grow in a role

[00:20:15] Speaker 2: and hit numbers. I just was never able in a position to do that. So, I think like the lesson learned is find somewhere that's going to allow you to eventually hit your financial goals at the rate that you want, right? Like, and most companies are not going to be able to, they're going to give you the standard, especially public companies, like

[00:20:30] Speaker 2: a standard bump. And so you will have to carve your own path. I had no experience. I didn't even know what ZoomInfo was. I, like I said, I was fresh into the B2B space, um, which is like, ultimately, I don't think you need to have previous experience with something because like, I'm coming in it with fresh eyes,

[00:20:45] Speaker 2: and I'm learning it as I'm a beginner. And like, the key skill is like, you learn it to understand it completely, and then you can apply it, no matter what that is, right? Um, but like, SDR ultimately in nature is a transitional role to get to a closer or to get to somewhere else. Like, there are very few

[00:21:00] Speaker 2: lifelong SDRs. And so, you just have to like, what are, how are you thinking about the future? So, staying organized is like, the biggest thing. Staying organized, make sure no, no leads slip. If you get it, you better be able to book it, or you better be able to disqualify it.

[00:21:21] Speaker 1: I think structuring your day is so important. A lot of SDRs, they just kind of will wing it, but as I always tell them, like, schedule, like schedule out, uh, calendar block your schedule. So, that way you're going to get the reminder, "Hey, it's time to call. Hey, it's time to send those emails.

[00:21:36] Speaker 1: Hey, it's time to follow up with the no-shows." Things like that. And so, it's easy to get stuck doing all these internal tasks when really, what, what are they hired for? If you're on outbound, you're hired to actually do outbound. So, I think it's just really important to focus on actually what's important, what's going to help keep your job or help you get promoted.

[00:21:51] Speaker 2: So, then that started my research down like, what is enablement? What do they do? And most importantly, what are some of the top salary bands? Because I want to make sure this career path is actually going to help me hit my financial goals when it gets down to it. And, uh, one thing I didn't mention that's like, it's good is like,

[00:22:07] Speaker 2: meet with your leadership. Like, meet with people that are not your direct manager. Because that's what I was doing. I was meeting with my senior manager, I met with my director at the time, just more of like, "Hey, I want to get to know you. Like, what is this? Like, what are the problems?" And I then ended up setting up,

[00:22:23] Speaker 2: because I wanted to become a manager, I ended up setting up time with my senior manager, um, on a bi-weekly basis, on like a just recurring meeting. So, I'm like, "Here's what I'm working on. Like, give me projects. Give me work to help me prepare." So, by the time you get to an interview, "Oh, Anthony's already done X, Y, Z

[00:22:38] Speaker 2: that we've given him, and those are the things that we need in a manager role."

[00:22:44] Speaker 1: Welcome to Prospecting Pros, and on today's show, we have Anthony, and I'm going to try to say your last name, Benedettini? Did I say that right?

[00:22:53] Speaker 2: Almost spot on, yeah. Benedettini. It's a...

[00:22:56] Speaker 1: Benedettini. Welcome. Um, he, Anthony came recommended from our, our, uh, our last guest, so I'm excited to talk with him. Um, and so, the way we typically start is I want to learn a little bit about you and your background and how you got to your current role today. So,

[00:23:11] Speaker 1: I'm on your LinkedIn now. I see some, a wide range of, of different companies from wine to Tesla to ZoomInfo. So, walk, walk the audience through, you know, where you got started and how you got to where you are today.

[00:23:27] Speaker 2: Yeah, I'll take it all the way back to really college, because I feel like that's where a lot of people start. And I was going to University of Florida, studying physiology. Um, decided that that's not what I wanted to do, and I just realized like all the material we're learning was just out of date, because I'm a very

[00:23:44] Speaker 2: self-starter learner. And so, I was reading books where like, we're on the cutting edge of nutrition science and all that. So, I basically dropped out and then decided to do my own thing in, um, health coaching for a bit. That ended up leading me to my first startup job in a company in Napa, uh, called Dry Farm Wines. And so, I did customer,

[00:24:01] Speaker 2: uh, customer service there, I did affiliate marketing, a lot, right? Small company, you wear many hats. And so, I lived in that world of health wellness in like the startups, basically all companies under 100 people, uh, for like supplements and various products for about five, five, six years. Um, and it was just a, a big stint of my career. And then eventually, I hit a point in like 2022 where I was doing

[00:24:27] Speaker 2: strategic partnerships for one of the companies and was like, "I kind of want to get out of this industry." And so, I don't, I don't know where to start, but I have, I lived in Austin at the time. And that's where I met, um, one of my good friends, uh, Chris Bussing, who he was in tech sales. Uh, he used to be a seller at Google, and then, uh, was selling. He was like, "You know, you should try tech sales. Like, it's,

[00:24:44] Speaker 2: you're a good seller, like you would just fit right in." And I had never really considered tech, but I think the, the thing that I wanted to get out of was the startup, um, basically trap where you are just like, you don't really know what's next. There's no structure. And it's like, "Hey, do you want to get promoted?" Like, "Well, your role might not exist in a little bit, and like we might need you to pivot." And like I was sick of doing like eight things at once. Like I just wanted to focus and like grow in a role

[00:25:00] Speaker 2: and hit numbers. I just was never able in a position to do that.

[00:25:00] Speaker 1: basically trap where you are just like you don't really know what's next. There's no structure. And it's like, "Hey, do you want to get promoted?" Like, "Well, your role might not exist in a little bit, and like we might need you to pivot." And like I was sick of doing like eight things at once. Like I just wanted to focus and like grow in a role and hit numbers. I just was never able in a position to do that.

[00:25:19] Speaker 1: So, I think like the lesson learned is find somewhere that's going to allow you to eventually hit your financial goals at the rate that you want, right? Like, and most companies are not going to be able to, they're going to give you the standard, especially public companies, like a standard bump, and so you will have to carve your own path.

[00:25:34] Speaker 1: I had no experience. I didn't even know what ZoomInfo was. I, like I said, I was fresh into the B2B space, um, which is like, ultimately, I don't think you need to have previous experience with something because like, I'm coming in it with fresh eyes, and I'm learning it as I'm a beginner, and like the key skill is like, you learn it to understand it completely, and then you can apply it. No matter what that is, right?

[00:25:58] Speaker 1: Um, but like, SDR ultimately in nature is a transitional role to get to a closer or to get to somewhere else. Like, there are very few lifelong SDRs. And so, you just have this like, what are, how are you thinking about the future?

[00:26:11] Speaker 1: So, staying organized is like the biggest thing. Staying organized, make sure no, no leads slip. If you get it, you better be able to book it, or you better be able to disqualify it.

[00:26:21] Speaker 2: I think structuring your day is so important. A lot of SDRs, they just kind of will wing it, but as I always tell them, like, schedule, like schedule out, uh, calendar block your schedule. So, that way you're going to get the reminder, "Hey, it's time to call. Hey, it's time to send those emails. Hey, it's time to follow up with the no-shows," things like that.

[00:26:38] Speaker 2: And so, it's easy to get stuck doing all these internal tasks when really, what, what are they hired for? If you're on outbound, you're hired to actually do outbound. So, I think it's just really important to focus on actually what's important, what's going to help keep you, your job, or help you get promoted.

[00:26:51] Speaker 1: So, then that started my research down like, what is enablement? What do they do? And most importantly, what are some of the top salary bands? Cuz I want to make sure this career path is actually going to help me hit my financial goals when it gets down to it.

[00:27:04] Speaker 1: And I, one thing I didn't mention that's like, it's good is like, meet with your leadership. Like, meet with people that are not your direct manager because that's what I was doing. I was meeting with my senior manager, I met with my director at the time, just more of like, "Hey, I want to get to know you. Like, what is this? Like, what are the problems?"

[00:27:21] Speaker 1: And I then ended up setting up, because I wanted to become a manager, I ended up setting up time with my senior manager on a bi-weekly basis on like a just a recurring meeting. So, I'm like, "Here's what I'm working on. Like, give me projects. Give me work to help me prepare."

[00:27:35] Speaker 1: So, by the time you get to an interview, "Oh, Anthony's already done X, Y, Z that we've given him, and those are the things that we need in a manager role."

[00:27:44] Speaker 2: Welcome to Prospecting Pros, and on today's show, we have Anthony, and I'm going to try to say your last name, Benedettini? Did I say that right?

[00:27:53] Speaker 1: Almost spot on, yeah. Benedettini. It's a...

[00:27:56] Speaker 2: Benedettini. Welcome. Um, he, Anthony came recommended from our, our, our last guest, so I'm excited to talk with him. Um, and so, the way we typically start is I want to learn a little bit about you and your background and how you got to your current role today.

[00:28:11] Speaker 2: So, I'm on your LinkedIn now. I see some, a wide range of, of different companies from wine to Tesla to ZoomInfo. So, walk, walk the audience through, you know, some of your, your, um, you know, where you got started and how you got to where you are today.

[00:28:27] Speaker 1: Yeah, to take it all the way back to really college, cuz I feel like that's where a lot of people start, and I was going to University of Florida, studying physiology. Um, decided that that's not what I wanted to do, and I just realized like all the material we're learning was just out of date, cuz I'm a very self-starter learner, and so I was reading books where like we're on the cutting edge of nutrition science and all that.

[00:28:51] Speaker 1: So, I basically dropped out and then decided to do my own thing in, um, health coaching for a bit. That ended up leading me to my first startup job in a company in Napa, uh, called Dry Farm Wines, and so I did customer, uh, customer service there, I did affiliate marketing, a lot, right? Small company, you wear many hats, and so I lived in that world of health wellness in like the startups, basically all companies under 100 people, uh, for about five, five, six years, um, and it was just a, a big stint of my career.

[00:29:27] Speaker 1: And then eventually, I hit a point in like 2022 where I was doing strategic partnerships for one of the companies and was like, "I kind of want to get out of this industry." And so, I don't, I don't know where to start, but I have, I lived in Austin at the time, and that's where I met, um, one of my good friends, uh, Chris Bussing, who he was in tech sales. Uh, he used to be a seller at Google, and then, uh, was selling, and he was like, "You know, you should try tech sales. Like, it's, you're a good seller, like you would just fit right in."

[00:29:49] Speaker 1: And I had never really considered tech, but I think the, the thing that I wanted to get out of was the startup, um, basically trap where you are just like, you don't really know what's next. There's no structure. And it's like, "Hey, do you want to get promoted?" Like, "Well, your role might not exist in a little bit, and like we might need you to pivot." And like I was sick of doing like eight things at once. Like I just wanted to focus and like grow in a role and hit numbers. I just was never able in a position to do that.

[00:29:56] Speaker 1: basically trap where you are just like you don't really know what's next. There's no structure. And it's like, "Hey, do you want to get promoted?" Like, "Well, your role might not exist in a little bit..."

[00:30:00] Speaker 1: basically trap where you are just like you don't really know what's next. There's no structure, and it's like, "Hey, do you want to get promoted?" Like, "Well, your role might not exist in a little bit, and like we might need you to pivot." And like I was sick of doing like eight things at once. Like I just wanted to focus and like grow in a role and hit numbers. I just was never able in a position to do that.

[00:30:19] Speaker 1: So, I think like the lesson learned is find somewhere that's going to allow you to eventually hit your financial goals at the rate that you want, right? Like, and most companies are not going to be able to, they're going to give you the standard, especially public companies, like a standard bump, and so you will have to carve your own path.

[00:30:34] Speaker 1: I had no experience. I didn't even know what ZoomInfo was. I, like I said, I was fresh into the B2B space, um, which is like, ultimately, I don't think you need to have previous experience with something because like, I'm coming in it with fresh eyes, and I'm learning it as I'm a beginner. And like the key skill is like, you learn it to understand it completely, and then you can apply it, no matter what that is, right?

[00:30:58] Speaker 1: Um, but like, SDR ultimately in nature is a transitional role to get to a closer or to get to somewhere else. Like, there are very few lifelong SDRs. And so, you just have this like, what are, how are you thinking about the future? So, staying organized is like the biggest thing. Staying organized, make sure no, no lead slips. If you get it, you better be able to book it, or you better be able to disqualify it.

[00:31:21] Speaker 2: I think structuring your day is so important. A lot of SDRs, they just kind of will wing it, but as I always tell them, like, schedule, like schedule out, uh, calendar block your schedule. So, that way you're going to get the reminder, "Hey, it's time to call. Hey, it's time to send those emails. Hey, it's time to follow up with the no-shows," things like that.

[00:31:38] Speaker 2: And so, it's easy to get stuck doing all these internal tasks when really, what, what are they hired for? If you're on outbound, you're hired to actually do outbound. So, I think it's just really important to focus on actually what's important, what's going to help keep your job or help you get promoted.

[00:31:51] Speaker 1: So, then that started my research down like, what is enablement? What do they do? And most importantly, what are some of the top salary bands? Cuz I want to make sure this career path is actually going to help me hit my financial goals when it gets down to it.

[00:32:04] Speaker 1: And, uh, one thing I didn't mention that's like, it's good is like, meet with your leadership. Like, meet with people that are not your direct manager because that's what I was doing. I was meeting with my senior manager, I met with my director at the time, just more of like, "Hey, I want to get to know you. Like, what is this? Like, what are the problems?" And I then ended up setting up, because I wanted to become a manager, I ended up setting up time with my senior manager on a bi-weekly basis, on like a just recurring meeting.

[00:32:30] Speaker 1: So, I'm like, "Here's what I'm working on. Like, give me projects. Give me work to help me prepare." So, by the time you get to an interview, "Oh, Anthony's already done X, Y, Z that we've given him, and those are the things that we need in a manager role."

[00:32:44] Speaker 2: Welcome to Prospecting Pros, and on today's show, we have Anthony, and I'm going to try to say your last name, Benedettini? Did I say that right?

[00:32:53] Speaker 1: Almost spot on, yeah. Benedettini. It's a...

[00:32:56] Speaker 2: Benedettini. Welcome. Um, he, Anthony came recommended from our, our, uh, our last guest, so I'm excited to talk with him. Um, and so, the way we typically start is I want to learn a little bit about you and your background and how you got to your current role today. So, I'm on your LinkedIn now. I see some, a wide range of, of different companies from wine to Tesla to ZoomInfo. So, walk, walk the audience through, you know, some of your, uh, you know, where you got started and how you got to where you are today.

[00:33:28] Speaker 1: Yeah, to take it all the way back to really college, cuz I feel like that's where a lot of people start, and I was going to University of Florida, studying physiology. Um, decided that that's not what I wanted to do, and I just realized like all the material we were learning was just out of date, because I'm a very self-starter learner. And so, I was reading books where like, we're on the cutting edge of nutrition science and all that. So, I basically dropped out and then decided to do my own thing in, um, health coaching for a bit.

[00:33:56] Speaker 1: That ended up leading me to my first startup job in a company in Napa, uh, called Dry Farm Wines. And so, I did customer, uh, customer service there, I did affiliate marketing, a lot, right? Small company, you wear many hats. And so, I lived in that world of health wellness in like the startups, basically all companies under 100 people, uh, for about five, five, six years.

[00:34:20] Speaker 1: Um, and it was just a, a big stint of my career. And then eventually, I hit a point in like 2022 where I was doing strategic partnerships for one of the companies and was like, "I kind of want to get out of this industry." And so, I don't, I don't know where to start, but I have, I lived in Austin at the time, and that's where I met, um, one of my good friends, uh, Chris Bussing, who he was in tech sales. Uh, he used to be a seller at Google, and then, uh, was selling, and he was like, "You know, you should try tech sales. Like, it's, you're a good seller, like, you would just fit right in." And I had never really considered tech.

[00:34:51] Speaker 1: But, I think the, the thing that I wanted to get out of was the startup, um, basically trap where you are just like,

[00:35:00] Speaker 2: I post about AI content on there, and then just in general, LinkedIn is the best spot. But more than happy to chat with anyone, or really like give you insight into what we're doing at ZoomInfo in terms of enablement. Love speaking on all things AI, so really just want to connect with as many people as possible. So yeah, LinkedIn, best spot.

[00:35:20] Speaker 1: Awesome. We'll drop his LinkedIn profile. Check out ZoomInfo. We're also ZoomInfo users at LevelUp Leads. We rely on their data for our SDRs as well. So, thanks for coming on. Appreciate it. Until next time.

[00:35:34] Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Why Follow-Ups Lead To Sales – Ep. 29
In this episode of Prospecting Pros, John Karsant talks to Dillon Tucker about his transition from finance and insurance sales to SaaS, SDR leadership, and fractional growth consulting. Dillon shares his early mentorship experiences at Outreach that sparked his love for coaching and developing sales talent. They talk about the common mistakes SDRs make and Dillon says that bad follow up is often the biggest reason opportunities are lost. He explains how prioritizing prospects, eliminating friction and making scheduling easy dramatically improves conversion rates. Dillon also talks about the importance of multi-channel prospecting via phone, email, and LinkedIn, while adjusting to evolving buyer behaviors. The episode wraps up with practical advice on asking better discovery questions, building SDR programs from scratch, and how sales professionals can stand out by focusing on genuine curiosity, empathy, and solving real customer problems.
Why Cold Calling Still Wins in 2026 – Ep. 27
In this episode of Prospecting Pros, John Karsant talks with Troy Johnson, SDR Program Manager at JumpCloud, about the evolution of sales development and what it takes to succeed in today’s market. Troy shares how he went from leasing apartments to sales in tech, to eventually leadership and enablement in SDR. He describes how the role of an SDR has transformed over the years, with AI making research and outreach simpler but also adding to the noise and competition. The conversation shows why cold calling has become one of the best prospecting channels again, even though it’s one of the most difficult to execute. Troy also shares practical advice for aspiring SDRs including how to stand out in the hiring process by doing the job before you are hired. The episode wraps up with insights on SDR management, onboarding, AI-powered coaching tools, and why developing strong fundamentals remains critical regardless of how much technology changes.
Why 50% of SDRs Fail When They Become AEs – Ep. 26
In this episode of Prospecting Pros, John sits down with Chris Ritson to talk about the real path from SDR to AE and why that jump is a lot harder than most people think. Chris shares how his own career moved from SDR to AE to sales leadership, and why that experience shaped the way he now coaches reps and SDR leaders. The conversation gets into what actually makes someone successful in an AE role, why so many internal promotions struggle, and why leadership is not always the obvious next step for top SDRs. Chris also talks about ambition, career ownership, and the pressure younger SDR leaders are under in today’s market. It is a thoughtful, honest conversation about sales careers, growth, and figuring out what you actually want, instead of chasing the title that looks best on paper.
How to Stack Yes’s While Cold Calling – Ep. 25
In this episode of Prospecting Pros, John sits down with Fletcher Cox to talk about his path from Oracle and startup sales into building Odessa, a cold calling agency focused on pay per meeting outbound. Fletcher shares why he still believes the phone is one of the best ways to break through the noise, learn fast, and actually hear what buyers care about. He walks through how his team thinks about list quality, messaging, and what makes a strong offer, plus why he avoids rigid scripts in favor of frameworks that help reps sound human. The conversation also gets into hiring, resilience, and why some of the best cold callers come from unexpected backgrounds. Fletcher also reflects on the mindset he built through long distance travel and how that same grit shows up in sales, entrepreneurship, and the day to day reality of doing hard things consistently.
How Top SDRs Are Built – Ep. 24
In this episode of Prospecting Pros, John sits down with Rahul to talk about his path from odd jobs in Poland to leading sales teams and eventually building School of SDR. Rahul shares how he got his start as an SDR, why outbound taught him resilience, and how a few lucky breaks, paired with a lot of hard work, pushed him into sales leadership much earlier than expected. He also gets real about management, why it is often less glamorous than people think, and why not every top rep should become a leader. The conversation digs into what actually makes a strong SDR today, from hunger and coachability to business acumen and curiosity. Rahul also explains why he started School of SDR, what he is trying to fix in sales training, and why he believes SDR teams deserve far more respect than they usually get.
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