Remote Interview Techniques

SDRs & AEs - if you do this, I can almost guarantee you that you will land an interview with your dream company. I’ve interviewed HUNDREDS of salespeople over the last 5 years and nobody ever does this: Step 1: Stop Applying through Job Boards Most sales roles get HUNDREDS of applications. It’s very difficult for hiring teams to go through each one. You have to break through the noise and go directly to the hiring managers and show them you can prospect (especially in sales). Step 2: Show Don’t Tell You MUST treat the interview process as if you are an actual rep. Hiring managers are judging all of your communications with them because it’s likely close to how you are going to interact with prospects. Make sure all communication and follow ups are: -Quick (get back to managers within 1 hour if possible) -Short and Concise -Intentional Step 3: Do the Work Ahead of Time Most SDR and AE interviews that I’ve seen recently require a rep to do some kind of prospecting assignment. Get ahead of this and stand out by doing this for your top 3-5 companies proactively build a presentation that shows off your skills and proves you can prospect. You don’t even need to spend hours building decks. Just use Tome which uses AI to build professional decks quickly using a prompt (if you have an outline in mind, use that as the prompt). Best part is that you can share the deck via a link and even include recorded narrations so that you can explain your thoughts as the hiring manager is going through it. Here’s an example one I quickly built out as if I was applying to an SDR role at Deel and wanted to present Clari as a great potential customer: https://tome.pub/3U0CQfy #sales #prospecting #outbound

I am wrapping up our hiring process for our first two sales roles at Lawfully. We had over 700 applicants apply—standing out isn’t easy. For these roles I was the recruiter, hiring manager, and executive sponsor. Here’s my advice on how to stand out: Getting Through to the First Stage— 1. Reach out directly to the recruiter, hiring manager, or executive sponsor I gave priority to candidates who reached out personally. Some sent LinkedIn DMs, while others crafted thoughtful cold emails. Two memorable examples: one email had the subject line “Matt, I’m skiing my way into your inbox,” and another featured a personalized video introducing herself and addressing common interview questions. Make sure your outreach is thoughtful, creative, and mindful of people’s time. Done right, it sets you apart Done poorly, it can backfire. 2. Make your Linkedin look professional Many applicants had unprofessional profile photos, large employment gaps, or short stints at companies. While you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, with 700 applicants to review, these things can quickly lead to being passed over. You control your LinkedIn narrative and the professional story it tells. Demonstrate to recruiters that you can commit and follow through. 3. Use the right professional jargon. For this SDR role, candidates with SDR experience were fast-tracked to interviews. Ensure your job titles and descriptions align with industry standards to avoid being missed. Make it clear what you do, especially if your role mirrors the position you’re applying for. Getting Through the Interview Stage— 1. Research the company before your interview. Out of 60 people I interviewed, only one could identify our competitors, and few provided detailed responses about our products and services. One candidate couldn’t name a single thing about Lawfully, while another was clearly reading straight off our homepage. Take the time to learn about the company. It shows genuine interest and sets you apart. 2. Answer all the questions. I evaluated candidates on several criteria, including experience, passion, coach-ability, and their ability to learn. To gauge learning, I asked their favorite books—professional or otherwise. If someone admitted they didn’t read, it was a quick signal to move on. 3. Answer positively and tie it back to the role and your strengths. Strike the right balance between positivity and authenticity. Candidates who dwelled on negative experiences sent a clear sign they weren’t the right fit. 4. Align your answers with company & hiring manager goals When candidates nailed this, they were an automatic pass. One standout example was a candidate who asked about our goals right at the start of the interview. Throughout the conversation, he consistently explained how he would help us reach our milestone. I’ve got 20 more tips to share—including what it takes to crush the final round. Drop a comment, and I’ll send them your way!

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿? 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀. Yes, following up after an interview matters. From my conversations with recruiters and talent acquisition professionals, I can tell you this- 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘂𝗽𝘀. Most of them actually appreciate a well-timed reminder. It shows you're interested. But there's a version of following up that gets you the job and 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱. Let me tell a 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱. One candidate attended the interview and received a clear update about his interview status. But he didn't stop there. Three update emails a day. Multiple days in a row. Even added that he had other offers waiting and needed an answer now. Unfortunately, hiring doesn’t work that way. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀. Then he emailed the Recruiting Head directly. He checked with the hiring team, confirmed the candidate had already been updated multiple times, and guess what? 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆. 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. It's not just about them. Recruiters are managing multiple roles, candidates, stakeholders, approval chains, and timelines you'll never see. Your application hasn't disappeared. It's sitting in a queue with 100 others, waiting for a few people's calendars to align. When you 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, you're not showing enthusiasm. That patience isn't part of how you operate. And 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴 𝗻𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲. So, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽? ✅ Up to three follow-ups in seven days — maximum. ✅ Space them out — Day 3, Day 5, Day 7. ✅ Keep them short, professional, and polite. ✅ After that—𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽. 💡 𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗽: Recruiters remember how you behaved when things weren’t in your control far more than your perfect interview answers. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹. ♻️ 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 to help someone avoid this mistake. 👉 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 for more career strategies and insights. (Disclaimer: The message and email addresses are fictional, but the incident is real. AI-generated for content purposes only.)

If I were applying for an SDR role today, here’s exactly what I’d do: Research deeply : I’d go beyond the company website—dig into recent news, funding rounds, product updates, and even the company’s competitors. This shows that I’m genuinely invested. I don't care who referred me or how I got the interview. I'd bring my A game in every interaction. Your research will show when you talk. Tailor my resume : Every company has its own language. I’d match their tone, key phrases, and highlight the skills most relevant to that SDR role. Don't blidly add tools. No one is impressed with how you know sales navigator when your last job didn't require one. Show me the real deal. Engage with their content: I’d interact with their posts on LinkedIn, follow key employees, and leave thoughtful comments. Let them see I’m already in their ecosystem. Build a custom outreach sequence: I wouldn’t just wait for them to reach out. I’d send personalized emails that showcase my ability to prospect effectively, using the company’s own product or service as an example. Don't wait for them to send you an assignment. While others are waiting, you take the lead and stand out. Cold call prep: I’d practice cold calling using Blue with the persona they sell to as if I’m already working for them. I’d create a pitch for their target persona, download the recording, and send it to the hiring manager. Why leave anything to chance when you can start strong? What did I miss? #sales #sdr

After my last post where I shared how I received a positive response from a CEO whom I reached out to for an SDR job, I received lot of messages asking me how I would approach an SDR job in 2024. Here’s a Detailed step by step guide 👇 Step 1: Self-Assessment Instead of applying to every company with an open SDR profile, start by asking yourself questions about: 1. Types of companies you would love to work for 2. Target personas you would love to prospect 3. The product that you think is actually solving an important problem 4. Salary expectations 5. Work culture in the sales team Step 2: Research and Prospecting Now once you have selected the companies, go to LinkedIn to find the SDR Manager, SDR team lead, and 2-3 more contacts in the SDR team If you want to go higher up, you can also target the Director or VP of Sales from your target companies Utilize free credits from platforms like Apollo, Uplead, or Hunter.io (there are 100s of them) to find their email IDs. Additionally, leverage AI tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity AI for the research purpose to learn about the company you're interested in. Ensure you know these four key things about the company: 1. Their product/service 2. Customer stories / whom do they sell to 3. Revenue model 4. Recent company news (funding, acquisitions, etc.) Step 3: Showcase Your Skills This is crucial. Instead of simply sharing your resume, think about how you can add value to the hiring manager: 1. Craft a cold email sequence tailored to their needs (use Lavender 💜 or Twain) 2. Use Hyperbound to showcase your cold calling skills and share the recording. 3. Develop a 30-60-90 plan outlining how you'll drive success if hired. 4. Propose creative prospecting ideas, such as leveraging videos, memes, or LinkedIn voice notes. Share these insights via email or LinkedIn DMs or, If you find their number then you can directly cold call them and book the first interview If the SDR manager gets pissed off because you cold called them then it's a great signal not to work for that company Step 4: Track Your Progress Utilize tools like Aligned (free for job seekers) to track if your emails or resources have been viewed. This helps you follow up effectively. Create a Digital Sales Room where you can share: 1. Your resume 2. Resources created for the company 3. Testimonials from past employers or peers 4. A call-to-action, such as a calendar link (Shared 3 great Aligned Room examples in the comment section) Step 5: Document Your Job Hunting Journey (Optional) Share your job hunting journey transparently on LinkedIn. This not only involves others in your journey but also increases your visibility. More exposure could lead to more opportunities. Step 6: Persistence and Follow-up Use a multichannel approach to follow up with your prospects, especially the hiring manager. *Continued in comments 👇

BDR roles are hard to come by right now. Not there aren't any jobs out there - there are hundreds of BDR openings in North America as I post this. The challenge for jobseekers is that companies are leveraging tools better than ever before, budgets are tighter, and pipeline generation looks different than it used to. As a result, organizations are looking to do more with less BDRs per sales team. The math stacks against candidates - less roles, more candidates, new entrants looking to get into tech sales every day. Bottom line is that you have to set yourself apart and find ways to stand out in the hiring process. Here are some thoughts on how. 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐁𝐃𝐑𝐬 When landing your first BDR role, you are being hired for your mindset, not experience - illustrate that you have the right mindset for the role.  🧠 Talk about what courses you are taking to help you better prepare.  🧠 Share key learnings that you have picked up from people you are following. 🧠 Explain how past experiences have taught you how to be successful in this role. 🧠 Find ways to demonstrate grit and tenacity early. 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐃𝐑𝐬 Hiring managers want to know how and what you did in your last role. 📗 What tools did you use? 📗 What projects did you take on? 📗 How quickly did you ramp? 📗 What were your numbers - inputs and outputs? 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 ☎ Go outbound in the hiring process - send hiring managers an email, message them on LI, call them, send videos, etc.  ☎ Be a BDR in the interview - ask lots of questions, close on calls, follow up after each round. ☎ Leverage mutual connections to give you a good word. Nobody does all of this. I am helping a client with BDR interviews right now, and one candidate actually cold called C-suite prospects to learn more about their problems so he better understood the landscape. Do you think that separated him from the rest of the pack? It is daunting to be 1 of 1,000 applicants, but I promise you if you do half of what I just said you will set yourself apart from ~980 of them. 

The most common DM I get: "Tyler, how do I break into tech sales?" It's a fair question. Seemingly every SDR job on LinkedIn has hundreds of applicants. Which makes standing out harder than ever. This means you can't just send in an application and hope to get an interview. You gotta do some extra work. Here are 6 steps to make yourself stand out among a sea of applicants: 1. Change Your Mindset You're not applying for a job. You're offering a solution to a problem. And that solution is YOU. 2. Make A List Of 50 Companies Scour LinkedIn to find companies who are hiring. Then cross-reference them using RepVue to make sure they're good companies. You can also use RepVue to find other good companies you may want to work for that haven't posted jobs on LinkedIn. Go to their website to see if they're hiring. 3. Make A Top 10 List Narrow down your list to 10 companies you REALLY want to work for. These are who we'll focus on first. 4. Start Connecting With SDR / BDR Managers Send out LinkedIn connect requests to the SDR / BDR managers at those 10 companies. These are the people who will be doing the hiring. So naturally they're who you want to get in front of. You get about 100 connect requests per week. So use the rest to connect with managers at other companies in your top 50 or SDRs / BDRs in your top 10. Chatting with other SDRs / BDRs is a great way to get your name on the manager's radar. 5. Send Videos to People Who Have Accepted Your Request Rather than selling yourself through written LinkedIn DMs (like most people), You're going to send LinkedIn videos. There's a good chance you will be the only applicant to send the hiring manager a video. Which means you've FINALLY differentiated yourself from the hundreds of other applicants. But what to say in that video? Use this structure: - Thank them for connecting - Mention that you saw they're hiring - Connect your skills back to their SPECIFIC job description - Tell them that this makes you the best candidate for the position - Thank them for their time and ask to have a deeper conversation about the position Keep it under 1 minute. You can only send LinkedIn videos through the LinkedIn app. I typically just record them on my phone and then send them through the app from there. Lastly, send a short written note immediately after you send your video. Something like: "Hey (NAME), written messages get boring so I thought I'd send over a video to shake things up :)" 6. Do This Over and Over and Follow Up You can't just send one video and expect to get a job. You have to send them to a lot of different people. And then follow up 2-3 times to see if the manager saw the video. Once your videos are of high quality, it then becomes a numbers game. Trust the process. If you follow these steps, I am confident that you will finally get an interview. It's a lot more work than sending in an application, But it's necessary if you really want a job in tech sales.

Three ways to follow up after an interview (even if you’re worried you’ll seem like a pest)… You had a great interview. They said they'd get back to you "next week." So you wait. Watch a week pass. And wait some more… Too terrified to follow up because you don't want to seem pushy. What if they think you're desperate? What if you annoy them and they change their mind? So you sit there. Checking your email every ten minutes. Refreshing LinkedIn to see if they've been active. And the longer you wait, the more your chances slip away. You're worried about being "too much," but all you’ve become is forgettable. They're not sitting around thinking about you. They've forgotten half of what you said. And that silence you're hearing? It's not them carefully considering your candidacy. It's them being busy and distracted. So, what’s the solution? My client, Lisa, could tell you. She interviewed with a data analytics firm. Had a great conversation, the hiring manager was impressed and said he'd have an answer the following week. Instead of waiting and hoping, Lisa went home and created a quick work sample demonstrating what she could do using a tool they’d discussed. Took her 10 minutes, tops. No begging. No "just checking in." Just proof of her thinking. She sent it that evening. Got an offer the next morning. Here's how to follow up without looking desperate: Send value, not questions. Don't ask when they'll decide. Send something that helps them decide. Three options that work: 1. A relevant insight 💡An article or trend that speaks to their challenge. Shows you're thinking about their business. 2. A mini work sample 📈 Like Lisa did. Quick and dirty is fine. Just useful. 3. A strategic question 🙋🏼♀️ Not "when will you decide?" But "have you considered this angle?" Hiring managers don’t really know what they’re doing. They're second-guessing themselves, worried about making the wrong choice. When you follow up with proof instead of pressure, you're making their job easier. Giving them confidence in their decision. Showing them what working with you would actually look like. Stop being afraid of looking pushy. Start being afraid of being forgettable. What's the most valuable follow-up you've ever received after an interview? Follow Gwen Gayhart for more on finding meaningful work after 50.

Most people job hunt like it’s 2015. I teach my clients to job hunt like an SDR - and it works. One client had zero B2B experience - she booked 6 interviews in 1 week. Another came back from a year-long gap - got hired in 5 weeks using this strategy. This works if you’re new. This works if you’re stuck. Because here’s the truth: If you don’t stand out, you get ignored. The same skills that help SDRs book meetings... Are the ones that help you get hired. What doesn’t work: → Hitting “Easy Apply” and waiting → Commenting “Interested” without adding value → Blasting out your resume and hoping for the best What does work: → Researching companies like prospects → Reaching out to actual decision-makers → Sending short, relevant messages that show effort → Tracking everything like a pipeline Here’s how I coach clients to run it like an SDR: 1. Skip the 10-company rule - if the product’s cool or the manager seems sharp, reach out. 2. Study the company’s product, vibe, and recent posts 3. Identify 1-2 hiring managers per company 4. Send a short message with 3 things: - Why them - What you understand about their work - What you bring to the table 5. Follow up across channels (LinkedIn, email, cold calls - even voice notes) 6. Treat interviews like demos. Come prepped. Come sharp. This approach has changed my clients’ job search and their confidence. PS: Found this helpful? Repost to help someone who needs this. Save it for when you do.

I’ve noticed a number of posts from job seekers expressing their frustration with the interview process, and it’s truly important for us as recruiters to take a moment to reflect on this. As professionals in this field, let’s remember that our candidates are individuals with their own stories, families, and responsibilities. They face the same challenges we do, from mortgages to medical expenses. Here are a few ways we can elevate the candidate experience: ✔️ Communicate Regularly: Even if there are no updates, a quick message saying, “I have no new information, but you’re still under consideration,” goes a long way in keeping candidates informed and valued. ✔️ Deliver News Personally: If a candidate isn’t selected, let’s strive to share that news with a phone call rather than an automated email. This personal touch shows respect for their effort and time. ✔️ Provide Constructive Feedback: Whenever possible, offer insightful feedback. If a candidate was lacking in experience, for example, kindly point that out. This helps them grow and prepares them for future opportunities. By fostering a more compassionate and transparent process, we can make a positive impact on the lives of job seekers and contribute to a more uplifting recruiting environment. Let’s keep pushing for improvement together! #jobseeker #interview #recruitment #recruiter