Real Time AI Sales Coaching: The Future of Support for SDRs

The Role of Coaching In Sales

As a sales development representative (SDR), you play a crucial role in the sales process.

You serve as the first point of contact for potential customers and work to generate leads and set appointments for the sales team.

With so much responsibility on your shoulders, it's important to have access to ongoing support and guidance to help you succeed in your role.

My SDR manager is stretched too thin and when we do have feedback sessions, it's oftentimes hard for me to remember to apply those techniques in my next call. I'm looking to improve but not sure where to begin

We've heard from a number of SDRs about how hard it is to get continuous coaching - mostly out of a lack of resources and the nature of how coaching is done in a remote-first world.

Without your manager there to listen-live on your call and course correct you, it's hard to remember to apply lessons/feedback into your future cold calls.

That's where we believe AI coaching comes to help - it provides an innovative way to give this support in a real-time / scalable way.

The Promise of Real-Time Sales Coaching

But what exactly is real-time AI sales coaching?

Essentially, it involves using artificial intelligence (AI) to provide feedback, guidance, and support to SDRs as they work through their sales process.

The key is to use AI to provide support when it's needed, rather than waiting until the end of a sales cycle to provide feedback or direction.

There are several benefits to real-time AI sales coaching for SDRs. First and foremost, it helps you improve your skills and techniques.

By providing feedback and guidance as you work through your sales process, AI sales coaches can help you identify areas for improvement and offer suggestions on how to overcome any challenges you may be facing.

Moreover, real-time AI sales coaching, in any capacity, also helps to boost morale and motivation among SDRs - the AI can show SDRs when and where they are improving. This feeling of progress can keep you motivated in what is often-times a job of "hearing no's".

The Role of Coaching in Sales

Coach sales SDRs or sales coaching, however you put it, is a cornerstone of success in sales. 

We’ve talked about it from a cursory perspective, but if we were to go into details of coach SDRs’ different aspects, there’s a lot where more it came from.

A good coach understands the nuances of selling, and for SDRs in sales, having access to feedback can make or break their ability to succeed. 

From that point of view, your traditional coaching involves periodic review sessions where managers give feedback on past performance. While helpful, these sessions can feel too far removed from real-time activities, making it harder for SDRs to recall and apply suggestions during their next call.

It’s no secret that sales managers are often stretched thin, especially when overseeing multiple SDRs. 

As a result, it normally leads to infrequent coaching sessions that leave SDRs in sales, hungry for more consistent feedback:

I want to improve but I’m not sure where to begin

This is a common sentiment heard from SDRs.

Also Read: AI Call Coaching for Selling Solar

The important question at this point is: how does a business ensure that SDRs in sales are getting enough coaching along the way?

This is where AI technology becomes a game-changer, particularly when it comes to AI based real time coach sales SDRs phenomenon comes in.

It can be done easily with the help of a software, such as Trellus.Ai. 

The tool comes as a lightweight Google Chrome Extension with a click-and-go orientation. Once installed, you can fire up your favorite CRM such as Hubspot, Salesloft, Apollo.io, Outreach, etc. to resume your workflow.

You won’t notice a difference at first glance.

However, the crux is that once you are engaged in back-to-back sales calls, there are a couple of things in play:

1. You do not have to switch multiple tabs from your CRM to other tools, or browser windows to power dial prospects. 
2. The most important thing is that the program’s built-in artificial intelligence engine picks up on the conversation pattern. 

Trellus, then recommends cues and pointers to highlight any weak areas in the conversation in real time.

This is based on the call behavioral model learning capabilities of the software.

Other than that, Trellus has plenty of other advantages to help the sales team gauge opportunities in a better manner. 

Think of call historic trends, pre-call client conversation history; pick up on where the conversation ended the last time, single line dialing, etc.

Key Features

Real-Time Sales Coaching

• Provides personalized coaching tips during live sales calls to help representatives refine their techniques and improve performance
• Analyzes conversations in real-time and offers instant feedback based on the context of the dialogue

Seamless Integration

• Integrates directly with popular sales engagement platforms like Outreach, Salesloft, HubSpot, and Apollo.io
• Allows users to stay within their current platform, eliminating the need for context-switching between tools

Automation and Insights

• Integrates with existing sales engagement platforms to deliver real-time insights and behavioral prompts based on customer interactions
• Automates mundane tasks like dialing and call routing, allowing sales teams to focus on high-value activities

Unique Integration Capabilities

Another one of Trellus.Ai’s key attributes is its robust integration capabilities with existing CRM systems in your company.

These integrations help to ensure that all client interactions are logged and analyzed within a single platform, aiding in improved customer relationship management. Supported integrations include:

• SalesLoft: Syncs call data and customer interactions directly into SalesLoft, allowing for efficient lead management.
• HubSpot: Ensures contact details and communications are up to date, enabling better tracking of sales and marketing efforts.
• Apollo.io, OpenPhone & More! Facilitates seamless communication and data sharing across different departments within a business.

Affordable Pricing

• Offers both free and paid plans with a range of features to suit different needs and budgets
• Provides an accessible solution for individuals and teams looking to streamline their outbound communication and boost call success rates

Common Challenges of Traditional SDR Coaching

Coaching SDRs traditionally involves reviewing recorded calls, one-on-one feedback sessions, and role-playing scenarios to improve sales techniques. 

While these methods are effective, they often fall short in today's fast-paced, remote work environment. Here's why:

1. Limited Time for Managers: Sales managers are busy, and it’s not always feasible to provide frequent, one-on-one feedback to every SDR on the team. When they do provide feedback, it’s often in a structured setting like weekly meetings or quarterly reviews, which doesn’t allow for the kind of real-time correction that can drastically improve performance.
2. Delayed Feedback: Traditional feedback tends to be delayed, coming after the call or interaction has already taken place. SDRs might struggle to remember the context of the call, making it harder to apply the feedback effectively.
3. Overlooked Areas for Improvement: No matter how skilled the manager is, human error and time constraints mean that certain areas for improvement might be overlooked. This is especially true when managers are juggling multiple tasks and priorities, leaving SDRs with unaddressed gaps in their skills.

These challenges make it difficult to coach SDRs effectively, creating a gap in the learning and development process. Real-time AI sales coaching aims to bridge this gap by providing instant, personalized feedback during sales activities.

The Many Benefits of AI-Powered Coaching for SDRs

So, why should sales teams turn to AI-powered coaching to support their SDRs? 

Let’s explore the benefits to get a better idea of how sales reps can be coached in real time, without any manual work or constant intervention on their managers’ part.

1. Instant Feedback and Corrections

When an SDR is mid-call, they don’t have time to wait for the next feedback session. AI can offer immediate feedback based on the context of the conversation. 

For example, if an SDR misses an opportunity to ask a key question, the embedded artificial intelligence technology can alert them in real-time or just after the call, suggesting the right time to follow up. 

Since real-time coaching is done in an active state, instead of delayed feedback through emails or chats, SDRs can more easily apply the suggestions to their next call, leading to a faster rate of improvement.

2. Scalability Across Teams

One of the primary benefits of AI coaching is its scalability. 

A sales manager may only be able to coach a limited number of SDRs at any given time, but an AI system can coach all SDRs simultaneously, regardless of team size. 

As a result, it makes it easier to ensure that all SDRs are receiving the support they need to thrive.

3. Enhanced Morale and Motivation

Sales development can be a tough job, full of rejection and the occasional missed opportunity. 

Since ongoing feedback is a constant in this situation, it highlights any possible weaknesses in a sales rep’s conversational style, and encourages them toward more positive output.

Also Read: Turbocharge Your Outbound Lead Qualification - 7 Top Strategies

In Summary

In short, real-time AI sales coaching is an innovative and effective way to support and develop SDRs.

By using AI to provide ongoing feedback and guidance, sales managers and coaches can help you improve your skills and techniques, boost morale and motivation, and build trust and open lines of communication.

As a result, it can lead to better sales results and a more positive company culture overall.

Above all, don't hesitate to ask your manager or coach about incorporating real-time AI sales coaching into your development plan – it could make a big difference in your success as an SDR.