Fixing Your Awful Onboarding & Problematic Pipeline Progression with Katherine Andruha, VP of Business Development at Fivetran - Ep 45

Employee churn is a serious problem that is seldom discussed, especially given how much of a detrimental impact it has on even the best companies.

To help illuminate this problem and how to fix it at your organization, Katherine Andruha joins co-hosts Craig Rosenberg and Matt Amundson for a much-needed conversation filled with tips, tricks, and a few flamingos.

Katherine Andruha is the Vice President of Business Development at Fivetran and has led top-performing sales teams for decades at cutting-edge SaaS companies such as Simpplr, Cloudflare, Coursera, Eightfold.ai, Anaplan, Apttus, and Aruba Networks.

Katherine sheds light on where current onboarding programs fall short and shares what can be done so that employees are actually put in the best position to succeed. Additionally, Katherine dives into the importance of properly managing pipeline progression.

Also, Craig recounts getting “flocked”, Matt compliments Craig’s athletic abilities, and Sam the Producer grossly mispronounces someone’s name.

Critical Takeaways

• A comprehensive onboarding process for BDRs is critical. Make sure new BDRs aren’t making live calls until week four. This allows them to become fully comfortable with the systems, processes, and their pitches, minimizing the risk of errors and increasing their initial successes.
• Utilize AI tools for mock calls to simulate real-world environments. This allows BDRs to practice handling objections and refine their pitches in a risk-free environment before they contact actual leads.
• Incorporate various channels such as live calls, LinkedIn voice notes, and personalized videos. Ensure that new BDRs are trained to use these channels effectively as people are now more responsive to phone calls and LinkedIn interactions.
• Ensure that managers have a consistent checklist for onboarding and supporting BDRs. This will help maintain consistency and high standards across teams.
• Regularly review pipeline stages to ensure there are no stale leads. Utilize automated reminders for deals that have been stagnant for too long to push progression actively.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

06:30 Introducing Katherine Andruha

11:23 Onboarding and Training Challenges

19:25 Effective Onboarding Practices for B2B SaaS Companies

29:05 The Importance of Confidence in BDRs

30:37 The Sales Manager's Role in Onboarding

33:26 Territory Ownership and AE Handover

35:15 Creating a Fun and Productive Environment as a B2B Seller

37:45 Pipeline Progression and Accountability

42:48 The Role of CMOs in Pipeline Progression

44:57 Closed Lost Analysis and Product Feedback

48:01 The Importance of Phone Calls

48:41 Using Swag to Engage Prospects

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Epic Quotes

• “Know your business. It's the only way you will be taken seriously.” - Katherine Andruha
• “Just call the leads” - Katherine Andruha

Connect with Katherine Andruha

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherineandruha/
• Website: https://www.fivetran.com/

Shoutouts

• Doug Landis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglandis/
• Sangram Vajre: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sangramvajre/
• Alan Berkson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanberkson/
• Nooks: https://www.nooks.ai/

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