Outbound Sales Development Specialist

Publishing.com empowers individuals from all walks of life to generate meaningful income streams through book publishing. As a leading online education platform, we specialize in guiding our students through the processes of writing, publishing, and selling books and audiobooks on major platforms like Amazon and Audible. We are thrilled to announce that Publishing.com has been recognized as the 19th fastest-growing private company in America for 2023, according to the prestigious Inc. 5000 list. Over the past two years, we've experienced an incredible 30% year-over-year growth and expanded our team by 500%. Recently, we hit a major milestone by helping 60,000+ students through our programs.

Our mission is to become the premier destination for all publishing-related needs. In line with this vision, we are excited to announce the launch of our latest innovation, Publishing.ai, a software designed to revolutionize the publishing industry further. This year marks a significant milestone in our journey toward achieving our goal, as we continue to expand our offerings and support our community of publishers.

About The Role

Outbound Sales Development Specialists (SDSs) are responsible for creating new qualified sales opportunities. As trusted resources, they develop strong relationships with prospects. Outbound SDSs manage their own pipelines and work closely with both BDRs and BCs to efficiently move prospects through the sales pipeline. They play a key role in our customer experience and acquisition strategy.

Outbound SDSs understand they are more than just "sales"; they are the first impression prospects will have of the company. As such, they must be professional, effective communicators, and excellent at building rapport. They are motivated by helping clients achieve their highest levels of success. Outbound SDSs recognize that the sales process is a choreographed experience, involving several stages, which should leave the customer eager to buy by the end.

This role focuses on maximizing the leads that enter the publishing.com funnel and acting as an extension of the company to reach individuals who were not converted through paid marketing. All outbound SDSs must be excellent conversationalists, enjoy engaging with others regularly, and know how to create interest in our services.

Responsibilities

• Establish, develop, and maintain strong business and customer relationships.
• Contact customers from the abandoned cart pipeline to re-engage potential buyers.
• Consistently schedule qualified sales meetings for the setting/closing team.
• Update and move prospects to the correct stages of the pipeline via CRM throughout the day.
• Maintain a clear, accurate, and up-to-date pipeline in the CRM.
• Diligently follow up with potential clients over extended periods.
• Document all interactions with prospects and clients in the CRM "notes" section.
• Create engaging content by conducting and recording interviews with potential prospects.
• Educate prospects about our products, demonstrating expertise and knowledge.
• Allow the Sales Lead and Sales Manager to shadow calls and provide feedback.
• Be available to take calls between 9 am and 5 pm local time.
• Attend product release calls to stay informed on new offerings.
• Use both internal and external resources to stay updated on our products and industry trends.
• Collaborate with the Sales Lead, General Manager, and Customer Success Manager to brainstorm ways to better serve clients.
• Monitor and report any emerging patterns of negative feedback to the Sales Lead and Sales Manager.
• Work with the Sales Lead and BDR Manager to ensure smooth transitions from prospecting to qualified sales opportunities.

Requirements

• Proficient in using Facebook and other social media platforms.
• Exceptional communication skills over the phone, Facebook, and video conferencing (this is a must).
• 1-2+ years of experience in business-to-business (B2C) sales.
• Strong verbal and written communication abilities.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Skilled at building rapport and establishing strong relationships with clients.
• Willingness to learn and adopt new sales processes.
• Routine-oriented with a structured approach to tasks.
• Open to rapid personal and professional growth.
• Self-sufficient and capable of effectively managing time.
• Well-organized, with the ability to maintain a clear and comprehensible pipeline for review by the Sales Lead and BDR Manager.

Results

• All prospects are accurately updated in the CRM, with detailed client information documented so the sales team has proper expectations by the end of the day.
• All qualified prospects are consistently followed up with indefinitely.
• The sales stats sheet is updated Monday through Friday by 7 pm EST.
• An effective line of communication is maintained between the SDSs, Sales Lead, and BDR Manager, ensuring all necessary information is shared in a timely manner.
• SDSs remain well-versed in the latest product offerings through ongoing education and training.
• All internal communication processes are properly followed.

Communication Cycle

• Attend Daily Sales Training at 10 am EST, Monday through Friday.
• Attend Daily Sales Team Wrap Up at 4:30 pm EST, Monday through Friday.
• Attend the Weekly Company Meeting at 9 am EST on Mondays.
• Attend the Weekly Sales/Marketing Meeting at 12:30 pm EST on Mondays.
• Track and report on all required metrics, Monday through Friday, by 7 pm EST.
• Participate in bi-weekly 1:1 meetings with the Sales Lead.
• Submit the End of Week (EOW) report every Thursday by 5 pm EST.

Chain of Communication

• First, search through all relevant materials and trainings to find answers independently.
• If needed, ask another team member who may have the answer (e.g., SDRs, GAs, etc.).
• For urgent matters: Reach out to the Sales Lead or BDR Manager via Slack.
• For non-urgent matters: Email the Sales Lead or BDR Manager with all pertinent details and timelines.
• Apply the knowledge gained to resolve the situation.

Why Publishing.com?

At Publishing.com, our dedication to our mission and core values isn't just talk; it's reflected in how we treat our team. We believe in nurturing our employees' well-being, supporting their families, and empowering them to contribute to their communities. Here's how we stand out:

• Recently recognized as #19 on the Inc 5000's list of Fastest Growing Private Companies in America for 2023
• We are a completely remote team located worldwide with 100+ employees
• We have great benefits including paid time off (PTO), competitive health, vision, and dental benefits, 401k, and team socials...yes, even remotely
• We care about our culture deeply and live by our company values (1) Service that WOWs, (2) Ultimate Team Player, (3) Great Freakin' Attitude, (4) Billion Dollar Standards
• We encourage learning, growth, and continuous improvement and create meaningful programs to support our employees' professional development
• If you want to join a team on the ground floor, this is your chance: we are expanding beyond being an education company to become the one-stop shop for all your self-publishing needs