Spover

Lead-to-Opportunity Conversion Rate is Overrated, Here is Why: It’s a popular metric for tracking SDR efficiency, but does it tell the whole story? Here’s why it might not matter as much as you think: 1️⃣ 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁-𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: Chasing high conversion rates can push SDRs to prioritize quick wins over long-term opportunities. 𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦: SDRs may focus on easy-to-convert leads instead of pursuing larger enterprise deals with higher revenue potential. 🎯 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬: Track deal size trends alongside conversion rates to ensure focus isn’t skewed toward smaller, less strategic deals. 2️⃣ 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: A strong conversion rate can hide issues if it’s based on a limited lead pool. 𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦: Targeting warm inbound leads might inflate numbers but won’t prepare SDRs to scale cold outbound efforts. 🎯 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬: Measure the source breakdown of leads (e.g., inbound vs. outbound) to assess scalability and identify gaps in lead diversity. 3️⃣ 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀: Optimizing for conversion rates can lead to pushing under-qualified leads to AEs. 𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦: Passing mildly interested leads just to hit targets can frustrate AEs and slow down deals. 🎯 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬: Monitor AE feedback on lead quality and track qualified pipeline win rate to align SDR goals with actual deal outcomes. Conversion rates tell part of the story, but relying on them alone creates blind spots. What’s your take? --- #MetricsMonday #Spover #Sales #ColdCalling #OutboundSales #SalesMetrics #SalesProspecting #RevOps #SalesOperations #SDR #SalesDevelopment Tianyu Shao Henry Peng Spover

“Most careers turn into sales jobs when you get senior enough.” – #SamAltman of OpenAI I couldn’t agree more. Here’s why: At the senior level, success often hinges on your ability to sell—whether it’s products, ideas, strategies, or yourself. Here are some examples: 💼 Accountants & Consultants: Partners spend more time selling their firm’s expertise to clients than crunching numbers. 📊 Investment Bankers: MDs pitch CEOs to win the chance to take their companies public. 🎓 Academics: Senior professors sell their ideas to secure grants, attract top students, and influence their field. 🎥 Movie Directors: Directors sell their vision to studios and actors, persuading them to invest time and money in their projects. 🎯 Tech Leaders: CTOs and CEOs sell a vision to investors, employees, and customers, driving buy-in across all fronts. No matter your industry, sales skills become indispensable as you grow. Do you agree? Let’s discuss. ------ #Spover #Sales #SalesLeadership #LeadGeneration #ColdCalling #OutboundSales #SalesMetrics #SalesProspecting #RevenueOperations #RevOps #SalesOperations #SDR Henry Peng Tianyu Shao Spover

Why Product Qualified Leads (PQLs) Are Your Secret Weapon for SaaS Growth When it comes to SaaS sales, not all leads are created equal. Traditional MQLs rely on engagement metrics, but Product Qualified Leads (PQLs) are game-changers. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗣𝗤𝗟? A PQL is a lead identified by meaningful product usage. These leads have experienced your product’s core value, making them far more likely to convert. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗣𝗤𝗟𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: 🎯 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: They’re already engaged, making conversion easier. 💡 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝘆-𝗜𝗻: They’ve seen the value firsthand. 📈 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀: Less convincing is needed. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗤𝗟𝘀: 1️⃣ Zoom Free 40-minute meetings let users experience Zoom’s value. Hitting limits flags them as PQLs ready to upgrade. 2️⃣ Slack Slack’s free plan enables basic collaboration. Teams needing advanced features become ideal PQLs. 3️⃣ OpenAI OpenAI’s free API lets developers test capabilities. Once limits are reached, they’re nudged toward paid plans. PQLs turn product usage into conversion opportunities. It’s not about selling—it’s about helping users realize how your product solves their problems. How does your SaaS business leverage PQLs? Let’s discuss! #Spover #Sales #OutboundSales #SalesMetrics #RevOps #Product #PQL #MQL #SDR Spover Tianyu Shao Henry Peng

#SantaClaus is the best #SDR in history. 🎅 Here’s why: 🎄 Lead Qualification: His Naughty or Nice List is the ultimate CRM — only qualified leads make it through. 🎁 Personalization at Scale: Every lead gets precisely what they want, based on their wishlist (intent data, anyone?). 🛷 Forecasting Mastery: Santa uses historical trends and real-time insights to load his sleigh perfectly. 🤝 Team Alignment: He works seamlessly with his AEs (Accountable Elves) to ensure a smooth handoff. What other sales lessons can we learn from Santa? 🎅✨ Comment below 👇 ------ #Spover #Sales #SalesLeadership #LeadGeneration #ColdCalling #OutboundSales #SalesMetrics #SalesProspecting #RevenueOperations #RevOps #SalesOperations #SDR #SDRLife #SalesDevelopment #PipelineGrowth #Santa #Christmas #xmas #sora #openai Henry Peng Tianyu Shao Spover

🤦🏻 Fail Fast, Learn Faster: 5 #Startup Lessons We Wish We Knew Sooner We took this photo a year ago, and it reminded me of how far we’ve come. When we started Spover, we had big dreams but much to learn. One "metric" we’ve come to pride ourselves on is how often our past selves look a little foolish to our current selves — it’s the best proof that we’re learning, growing, and moving fast. Here are a few key moments that stand out: 🙈 𝗔𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺. We were so eager to close deals early on that we’d pitch without fully understanding the customer’s pain points. We did not know how to listen. Now, we focus on solving real problems first. 🙈 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱. In one early meeting, we got caught up in showcasing all the cool tech we built but missed the one feature that solved the prospect’s problem. Lesson learned: always lead with value, not features. 🙈 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝘂𝘀. We thought warm intros and referrals would be enough to grow the business. It wasn’t. Cold calls became our best source of honest feedback and product direction. We learned that growth takes grit, not just connections. 🙈 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴. We kept a low-performing, bad-attitude engineer for too long, hoping things would change. They didn’t. The time lost taught us that cultural fit and accountability are as important as talent. And when you know, you know. 🙈 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲.  In our eagerness to build, we often lost sight of what truly mattered to our users. We've learned to always start with the problem, not the solution. These weren’t our proudest moments, but they were necessary. What’s a lesson your past self taught you? Comment below! 💡 ------ #MetricsMonday #Spover #StartupLessons #GrowthMindset #startuplife #Sales #SalesLeadership #LeadGeneration #ColdCalling #OutboundSales #SalesMetrics #SalesProspecting #RevenueOperations #RevOps #SalesOperations #SDR #SDRLife #SalesDevelopment #entrepreneur Henry Peng Tianyu Shao

Boosting Meeting #ShowRate for #SDRs 🚀 Booking meetings is just half the battle — getting prospects to show up reflects your SDR team’s effectiveness. Yet, many SDR leaders we spoke to do not know the show rate of a specific SDR. A poor show rate often highlights deeper issues: 🔍 𝗨𝗻𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀: Your team might be targeting the wrong leads. 📉 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝗨𝗽: Inconsistent reminders or post-booking engagement can cost you meetings. ❓ 𝗡𝗼 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲: Prospects won't prioritize the meeting if SDRs fail to uncover pain points or demonstrate product value during the call. HOW TO FIX IT: During the Call: 💬 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀: Ask thoughtful questions to understand the prospect’s challenges. 🎯 𝗧𝗶𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻: Clearly explain how the product will address their specific needs. 📌 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀: Reiterate the meeting time and value at the end of the call. After the Call: ✅ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺: Follow up immediately with a personalized email and a reminder the day before. 💡 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲: Share an agenda or resource to keep them engaged. 📅 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗜𝘁 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘆: Include a reschedule link to reduce no-shows. ☕ 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵: One customer sends coffee gift cards before meetings—and their show rates skyrocketed. A strong show rate ensures a healthy pipeline and maximizes your team’s efforts. What’s your go-to tactic to boost show rates? 💬 #MetricsMonday #Spover #Sales #SalesLeadership #LeadGeneration #ColdCalling #OutboundSales #SalesMetrics #SalesProspecting #RevenueOperations #RevOps #SalesOperations #SDR #SDRLife #SalesDevelopment #PipelineGrowth

Once upon a time, I built 30+ metrics to predict account #upsell — terrible idea. Before diving into a complex upsell / expansion model for your #SaaS product, start with these three simple yet powerful metrics. They should outperform many other overly-engineered predictive features and are loved by Sales and PMs. Our Sales partner, Ben Volkman, and his #Zoom Upsell Team found them highly predictive. 💡 License Utilization = Provisioned Licenses / Purchased Licenses * 100% High utilization signals readiness for expansion since the client is maximizing their current contract 💡 Purchase Utilization = Purchased Licenses / Est. Employee Count * 100% Low utilization signals growth potential, suggesting clients may need additional licenses to cover their workforce. 💡 MAU Utilization = MAU / Provisioned Licenses * 100% This can also be WAU or DAU. High utilization here reflects strong product stickiness and user satisfaction. If an account (1) is fully utilizing its purchased licenses, (2) has additional employees without licenses, and (3) shows high user satisfaction, go upsell! #MetricsMonday #Spover #Sales #SalesLeadership #LeadGeneration #ColdCalling #OutboundSales #SalesMetrics #SalesProspecting #RevenueOperations #RevOps #SalesOperations #SDR

A Parody: #ElonMusk hires an #SDR Leader to build the team for #DOGE Elon Musk hired me to lead SDRs in building the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team. Our goal? Recruit relentless innovators ready to work 80+ hours to revolutionize government operations. Here’s how we’re using top SDR principles to find the best: 🎯 Targeting the ICP — Using precise data to identify individuals with grit, resilience, and a passion for impact. ICP should feel the pain of government red tape and lack of accountability. 🐶 Personalized Outreach — Crafting tailored messages that inspire action and connect to DOGE’s bold mission: run government like a startup, with efficiency, accountability, and speed. 📐 SDR Efficiency Matters — Just like SDRs track calls, connects, meetings, and opportunities, we think of the process as a funnel and measure efficiency with: • Calls Made - Outreach attempts to potential candidates • Connections Established - Meaningful conversations about DOGE roles • Interviews Set - Booking qualified candidates for deeper discussions • Offers Extended & Accepted - Bringing exceptional talent on board • Conversion rates for each step ❓ What framework would you use if you were hired to recruit for DOGE? 👍🏼 Hit a like if you think Elon should hire me :) #MetricsMonday #Spover #Sales #SalesLeadership #LeadGeneration #ColdCalling #OutboundSales #SalesMetrics #SalesProspecting #RevenueOperations #RevOps #SalesOperations

Do you have some #RevOps in you as a Salesforce Admin? If you're not on a technical path (to CTA, etc)... chances are you might. Hear Ben and I break down: - What is Revenue Operations (and an analogy between a hammer and a scalpel) - The role that technology plays in Revenue Operations - The role Revenue Operations plays in adoption and scaling technology efforts - How it differs in larger versus smaller organizations - Careers in Revenue Operations (for established Salesforce Admins and for folks looking to join the Salesforce Ecosystem) And if you're a RevOps professional, feel free to nitpick my definition of MQL/SQL 😁 Few folks/organizations that got a shoutout (as great references in RevOps) throughout the chat: Wizards of Ops Ben Fuller (very clearly *not Salesforce Ben*) Eddie Reynolds / Union Square Consulting Pavilion Spover You can find the podcast on any of Salesforce Ben's main channels! Go check it out. #salesforce #trailblazercommunity #salesforceohana