Navigating Your Sales Development Career Search: Tips from a Contentsquare Recruiter
Can you tell us about your journey to Contentsquare and your role here?
I graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2017, not really knowing where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do, so I did some traveling abroad. I landed my first job in Australia as a Coordinator. From there, I worked in this function, but I always had this itch to work in-house, to fully understand the business I recruited for, and to feel fulfilled by bringing people into a company that was exciting to work for.
In early 2022, Contentsquare reached out to me. I was super excited about it, and it’s been a great place to be. We have the resources, structure, and established teams to do our work, but we still have that startup mentality – things move fast, and you have a lot of autonomy in your role. It’s not so structured that you can’t make an impact.
In my role, I partner with different business units, including Sales Development. It’s a constant learning experience. I tackle new challenges with every role I recruit for, and I do my best to provide the best candidate experience to each person I engage with about opportunities here. A career switch is a big deal, so I do my best to partner with them and be honest and open in communications. Once I hire someone, it’s exciting to interact with them at work.
Could you give us an overview of Contentsquare’s Sales Development team, its importance within the company, and what they do on a daily basis?
The Sales Development team plays an integral part of our pipeline generation for potential Contentsquare clients. I work closely with our EMEA Sales Development team. Within EMEA, we have different teams in Paris, Munich, Amsterdam, London, and Madrid. Each team is dedicated to different markets in the region. These teams are crucial in shaping our business and determining our growth strategies. Each region has its unique approach to market evangelism. For instance, we have strong brand recognition in France, whereas newer markets require more extensive evangelism efforts.
The day-to-day of an SDR includes lead generation by prospecting – making outbound calls, and building email campaigns. They are researching enterprise prospects in their market and building targeted strategies to engage with CSuites. They qualify these leads and work closely with their Account Executive to set up meetings or demos. Sales Development requires patience, persistence, and a desire to go beyond and be better. They may also take additional training or focus on self-improvement on product knowledge and sales skills.
In your opinion, why is Contentsquare’s Sales Development Program a great place to kick off a career in tech sales?
If you’re eyeing a career in tech sales, you can’t go wrong at Contentsquare. In addition to being in the B2B enterprise space as a market leader, the sales team has a strong training program, and Contentsquare as a whole prioritizes growth and development.
Our sales team receives a strong foundation of the DXA industry, client profiles, our product, and SaaS sales in general. We have a dedicated Sales Enablement team to ensure that our new SDRs receive comprehensive onboarding and all the tools and tactics for success in their first three months, and following onboarding, they continue to support the ongoing development of our teams. In addition to formal training, SDRs also collaborate closely with their Account Executives weekly, which not only helps with day-to-day tasks but also provides an invaluable opportunity to learn from some of the best professionals in the DXA space.
In terms of growth and development, as long as you’re dedicated to your work, proactive in your role, and committed to learning, you’ll find opportunities to advance. While the traditional path from SDR leads to becoming Account Executives, all employees engage in professional development discussions alongside their quarterly performance reviews. As a result, we’ve witnessed SDRs transition to various other areas of our business, including Customer Success, Sales Enablement, SDR Management, and more.
What makes an ideal candidate for the Sales Development team at Contentsquare?
This can change from region to region, but the focus is massively on soft skills. As long as you give your all, you want to learn, are proactive, and take on everything you can, they aren’t opposed to those without sales experience.
In terms of soft skills, curiosity takes the lead– SDRs do a lot of talking in the role but also need to have a genuine thirst for knowledge. In their day-to-day, they ask probing questions, actively listen to responses, grasp pain points, and respond. Additionally, it involves having a deep-seated curiosity to grow your skills and a genuine desire to learn and be the best.
We also want to see a determination for a career in sales. Resilience is key, both during the interview process and when you’re in the role itself. Being an SDR offers great satisfaction but also can have its challenges, and those who understand these and are realistic about what to expect tend to excel.
We also seek individuals who are driven by targets whilst also thriving in a team environment. The Sales Development team fosters an environment of open communication and transparency, and they lean on each other, so collaboration is crucial in this role with a preference for a healthy sense of competition. Not necessarily competition with your team members, but a competition with oneself to continuously improve – one that encourages personal excellence but doesn’t involve sacrificing the needs of the team.
Lastly, a desire to genuinely understand our mission and our values at Contentsquare. When you’re interviewing here, we want to see what you’ve done to research us, what you’ve found, and how that relates to your personal motivations or aspirations for a company. We want to have an understanding of what makes us unique to you, how you resonate with Contentsquare’s vision, and why we’re a preferred choice.
If you show these during the interview process, you will stand out.
If someone were to apply, do you have any resume or application tips?
As a recruiter, we often have to fill multiple roles at a time, which means we have roughly hundreds of resumes to look through each week.
If you’re applying to the role, always answer the application questions in detail, and make sure we can get the most out of your resume in the least amount of time. Here are some tips:
- Write your role type (intern, full-time employee, contractor, etc.)
- Write a blurb about what industry you were in and what your previous companies did.
- If you don’t have experience in sales, write a paragraph about why you’re looking to break into this field
- Highlight any achievements that show that you challenge yourself and/or are research-driven, such as sports, clubs, projects, etc.
As an aspiring SDR, you may also reach out to recruiters via LinkedIn. This can be a great way to make yourself stand out, but it’s important to focus on your messaging and note that every recruiter has different preferences. In my opinion, when you do reach out, simply let us know that you have applied and express your interest in the role. We will review your application and get back to you as soon as possible.
Could you provide insight into the interview process and tips for success?
The interview process varies from region to region and team to team, however, there will always be a phone screen, a manager interview, a team interview, and a possible assignment presentation or role-play pitch within one of those steps. Your recruiter, if not myself, will always communicate the steps with you at the beginning of the process.
In terms of preparation for the interview, I always send a prep email to candidates, letting them know what to expect during the interview and tips for success. If you have not received this from your recruiter, don’t hesitate to ask them, and they will share it with you. It’s also important to have an elevator pitch for phone screens and interviews. Be sure to be clear and concise and communicate with impact. It’s important to avoid sounding too rehearsed and instead focus on building a relationship through two-way conversation. In order to effectively communicate, understanding social cues and active listening is also essential.
Lastly, following each stage of the interview process, you’ll get feedback – positive and/or constructive. Show resilience and determination for your career and breaking into the role, and don’t hesitate to reapply in the future.
Do you have any final words for those considering a Sales Development role at Contentsquare?
Contentsquare’s Sales Development team offers an exciting and supportive environment for those looking to start a career in tech sales. With Rebecca’s valuable insights and advice, aspiring SDRs have a clear roadmap to success within this dynamic and growing company. If you’re considering a career in tech sales, Contentsquare is certainly a place where your aspirations can take flight.
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Do you want to join Contentsquare in a global, values-driven, dynamic, and collaborative work environment? To view our careers site, please visit Contentsquare Careers.
We pride ourselves on our mission to make the digital world more human, and the experience we give our candidates and employees is just the same – a more human experience.
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