Learn Tech Sales: 90‑Day SDR/AE Playbook

A practical, repeatable tech sales system you can run daily to find prospects, start conversations, book discovery, deliver high‑impact demos, and progress deals. You’ll set up a lean tool stack, sharpen messaging with AI, and build authority on the platform your buyers already use.

Follow a 90‑day cadence that compounds: tight outreach, quantified discovery, outcome‑led demos, and consistent follow‑ups—plus optional inbound content to warm future deals.

Pick your lane: SDR (hunter) or AE (closer). Define a tight Ideal Customer Profile: industry, company size, job titles, tech stack, triggers. Use your own background to pick a niche you can speak to with credibility.

List the top 3 pains your ICP pays to solve and the business outcomes they want (revenue up, costs down, risk reduced, time saved). Build a Ladder of Credibility: public research → proprietary data/case studies → testimonials → your observations. Lead with a clear answer, not fluff.

Stand up the basics in one afternoon: Gmail for sending, Calendly for booking, Loom for personalized video, a simple CRM (e.g., GoHighLevel) for contacts/activities, and a shared Google Drive for assets. Connect your calendar, set your email signature with your single booking link, and create one pipeline view (Prospect → Replied → Meeting → Opportunity → Closed).

Buyers check profiles before replying. Pick one primary platform and make it conversion‑ready: clear positioning, authority proof, and one action link.

Decide the next step you’ll consistently ask for: a 15‑minute problem mapping call or a tailored demo. Increase perceived value using the offer equation: amplify dream outcome and likelihood of success; reduce time delay and effort. Keep the CTA specific (timeboxed, single link).

Set a weekly rhythm you can keep. Example: Mon–Thu: 20 tailored touches/day (email or DM), 2 Looms/day, 1 role‑play/day. Fri: pipeline review, message tweaks, and one authority post/video. Send one helpful value email to your list each week. Repeat the cycle.

Start with one platform where your ICP hangs out. Build a focused list: 50–200 accounts with triggers (hiring, funding, new leadership, tech change). Personalize by role and pain. Prefer segments less bombarded for higher reply rates.

Write like you talk. Keep it short: how you found them, the problem, why your angle is different, and a specific next step. Plain text wins; one CTA; no attachments on first touch.

Record a 60–90s Loom: hook, social proof, problem, tailored solution path, 1–2 benefits, and a single CTA. Show their site/app with your face bubble; title the video with their company and pain so it stands out.

Create one 15‑minute Calendly event with 3–5 qualifying questions. Add the link to your email signature, DMs, and pinned posts. After booking, auto‑send a thank‑you email with time, agenda, and a brief resource to set context.

Run SCAN: Study the business, Calculate the opportunity, Architect the solution, Narrate the results. Tie each answer to money/time/risk. Confirm constraints, stakeholders, and timing. End by agreeing on the problem, impact, and next step.

Build a tight narrative: restate the agreed pain, show only the 3–5 moments that create the outcome, and confirm value after each section. Use OBS Studio to rehearse face/screen switches and reduce post‑production. Lead with a clear answer; keep depth for questions.

Summarize pains, current cost, proposed approach, expected outcomes, and proof. Price in the context of value created and time saved. Use the offer equation: increase success likelihood (implementation support) and reduce time/effort (templates, onboarding).

Map objections to constraints: money, authority, need, timing, risk. Trade scope, sequence, or terms—don’t default to discounts. If it’s truly “not now,” book a date‑certain next step tied to a trigger (budget cycle, result deadline).

Have a cadence: send the second email 3–5 days after the first, then every 2–3 days, spacing out as you go. Mix formats: quick bump, value email, short Loom, social DM. Send a weekly value email to your list with a useful story, insight, takeaway, and a soft offer.

Use one platform to publish consistent answers to searchable pains. On YouTube, focus on: search‑based tutorials (trust starters), credibility builders (proof), and deep dives (differentiators). Structure videos: hook, setup, solution, application, CTA. Repurpose to shorts; upload natively to each platform.

Create a checklist, swipe file, or 10‑minute mini‑course that solves the next problem after your content. Host it on a simple landing page (e.g., Beehiiv). Offer it at the end of videos or posts and in email signatures to build a warm, problem‑aware list.

Track opens, replies, meetings booked, show‑rates, and stage conversion. Data‑mine sales calls, onboarding, emails, DMs, and comments for phrases buyers use—feed those back into subject lines and hooks. For videos, study the first 5 seconds; make more of what works and stop what doesn’t.

Pick the right model for the job (speed vs depth). Use one‑shot prompting for accuracy. Increase information density and avoid conflicting instructions. Connect models to your external notes/docs for factual accuracy. Use AI at critical points: research, drafts, summaries, and rehearsal—not to replace real conversations.

Engineer your environment to make prospecting and practice effortless: block daily outreach time, script role‑plays, prep assets. Use your phone for quick capture, but a computer for editing and analysis. Upgrade mic/cam when funds allow—never let gear stop you. Show up fully yourself.