What happens to the SDR role in the AI era?
What happens to the SDR role in the AI era?
Replace? Or Augment? That is the question
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gm internet friends,
Hope you each had a wonderful weekend.
I am writing from South Congress Hotel in Austin, Texas, on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I find that a well-designed physical space helps me think more creatively.
I hope you’re settled in somewhere comfortable, or at least listening to some good music that puts you into a good creative headspace this Monday morning.
Alright, now let’s talk AI…
What happens to the SDR role in the AI era?
Replace? Or Augment? That is the question
Most people reading this blog are early adopters and curious technologists, so you know that what’s happening with Generative AI will change the way we think about modern GTM, including the SDR role.
But the big question is, will AI completely replace SDRs?
→ Glass half-empty answer: AI will replace SDRs.
→ Glass half-full answer: AI will make SDRs more effective.
I believe AI is here to stay.
I don’t think it’s going to replace all SDRs.
But I do think it’s going to significantly change the role.
Not overnight. And not entirely.
But faster than we think. And substantially.
Other factors at play are also impacting the SDR role right now. Like, the fact that the Predictable Revenue model is dying. Or, that we are no longer in a “growth-at-all-costs” era. That was a ZIRP phenomenon. And teams are heading into an “efficient growth” era.
Here’s my take:
AI will not replace SDRs. But,
SDRs using AI will replace SDRs.
👆I will die on this hill.
Is Gen AI a good use case for Sales Development?
Everyone has heard that Generative AI is the “next big thing.”
But, how will it impact our world of B2B SaaS SDRs?
I asked ChatGPT what an LLM was, and here’s what it said:
A Large Language Model (LLM) like ChatGPT is an advanced AI program designed to understand and generate human-like text. It learns from a vast dataset of text to recognize patterns, context, and nuances in language. LLMs can answer questions, write essays, summarize information, translate languages, and more, mimicking a conversational style.
Now, think about what the best SDRs in the world do.
And re-read the above definition of an LLM.
There’s a big chunk of the SDR role that is doing exactly what LLMs are great at doing.
Scanning through lots of text - things like 10Ks/quarterly earnings calls, Zoominfo/Apollo/LinkedIn, historical data within the CRM, etc.
Learning from these vast datasets of text to recognize patterns and context.
Answering questions/summarizing information in a conversational style.
Look, I’m not saying that AI can magically do what the best SDRs do today.
But I am saying that some of the things SDRs do today can be done by AI tools now.
This frees up an SDR’s time to do things that LLMs cannot do.
Gen AI is another tool to use, just like any other tool that has popped up in the last decade for digital sellers.
Things like the CRM help keep relationships organized. Sales engagement products help build workflows and automations. The list goes on and on.
Gen AI is no different — it’s a new tool.
Use it. It can give SDR Teams massive leverage.
Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.
We are threatened by new technologies
Most people are intimidated by change. Especially when it threatens their livelihood.
So, it comes as no surprise that a lot of people who have made a living off the SDR role are saying that AI is not going to change anything.
This is simply ignorance. Or, naïveté.
These people have a bag to protect.
But, don’t be fooled by people on the other end of the spectrum either. People telling you that if you don’t learn AI by the end of the week, you’re going to become irrelevant. Only to then link their course on “how to use AI.”
Everyone has something to sell. And has some level of bias — whether consciously or subconsciously.
Understand why someone is saying something. The reason behind why they’re saying something should impact how much weight/trust you assign to their opinion on that particular topic.
Myself included by the way!
Here’s what I know — the early ways I’ve used AI in the last year or so, is an order of magnitude improvement better than four years ago. And the rate at which these LLMs are improving is astounding. So, this is quite literally the worst these tools will ever be. And they’re already pretty damn good.
While it’s scary and hard to keep up with these things, I think it’s worth it if you still have a decade+ left in your career. That’s the bet I’m making anyway. I want to learn how to use and build with these tools. Even if that requires me to let go of my ego in the short-term, and admit that I know basically nothing about how to use these right now.
Because I believe that Gen AI is fundamentally changing the SDR role, forever.
And I want to figure out the ways to use it as a lever. One day at a time.
We’re all learning together.
Thanks for giving me some of your attention this week. It does not go unnoticed.
See you next time,
B. 🏝️