Find out what shadow IT is, the risks it poses, when it’s useful, and how to set up your business to manage IT well.
When someone uses company IT hardware or software without telling the IT department, this is called “shadow IT.”
With the fast growth of mobile devices and cloud services, IT has changed from a tightly controlled space with strong security to an open space with lots of people and things going on. Users are used to downloading and using cloud-based apps and services to help them with their work, and they will do so even if their company doesn’t allow it.
As a result of these changes, shadow IT has grown and is probably responsible for a bigger share of your software costs than you think.
Interviewing for a Sales Development Representative (SDR) role at Vendr? You’ve come to the right place. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll overview the Vendr hiring process, typical SDR interview questions, and expert tips to help you craft winning responses. With proper preparation, you’ll be ready to impress your interviewers and land the job
Overview of the Vendr SDR Interview Process
The Vendr SDR interview process typically involves
- An initial 30 minute phone screen with a recruiter
- A 60 minute video interview focused on sales skills and competencies with the sales manager
- A final 60-90 minute panel interview with multiple team members including sales leadership
Some candidates may also complete an assignment or skills assessment during the process. Overall, Vendr aims to evaluate both your sales abilities as well as your fit with the company culture.
During interviews, expect questions about your sales experience, approaches to prospecting, persistence, pipeline management, and ability to hit quotas. Interviewers will also assess your communication skills, thinking on your feet, and passion for the role.
Thorough preparation and researching Vendr will help you tackle the interview process with confidence. Now let’s drill down on some of the most frequently asked Vendr SDR interview questions and tips for acing your responses.
Common Vendr SDR Interview Questions and Answers
Here are some of the most popular Vendr SDR interview questions to expect:
Why do you want to work at Vendr?
Vendr looks for candidates genuinely excited by their mission culture and products. Research the company website and news coverage to highlight specifics that appeal to you. Share how you align with their values and why you’re passionate to contribute.
What attracted you to a sales development role?
Discuss why you’re drawn to the mix of high activity outreach paired with influencing and relationship building. Share your interest in laying the pipeline groundwork to drive revenue. Highlight sales experience or transferable skills that equip you for success in an SDR function.
How would you describe your approach to prospecting and qualifying leads?
Summarize your proven process for executing outbound campaigns. For example, you may: research target accounts and contacts, customize messaging, employ multichannel outreach cadences, and leverage CRM for organization. Share how you qualify leads using probing discovery questions and assess fit.
How do you typically structure your day or week in an SDR role?
Outline how you prioritize prospecting activities versus meetings, administrative work, and training. Share how you balance focusing on immediate results while also carving out time for strategic thinking and planning. Give examples of how you maximize productivity through time management.
How have you consistently met or exceeded sales quotas in past roles?
Discuss sales processes, systems, and habits you’ve leveraged to drive pipeline and conversions. Highlight how you set ambitious but realistic goals, tracked progress through metrics, adjusted approaches, and sought continuous improvement. Share examples of how you went above and beyond to hit targets.
How do you handle rejection and/or overcome objections during prospecting?
Acknowledge that rejection and objections are inevitable in sales. Share how you maintain a thick skin, persistence, and positive attitude when prospects say no. Give examples of how you identify objections and tailor messaging to address concerns. Outline how you leverage rejections as learning opportunities to improve.
Why do you think you’ll thrive in a fast-paced, high-activity startup sales environment?
Discuss your passion for the energy and collaboration of a growth-stage company. Share how you’ve driven success, met deadlines, and delivered results in past rapid-growth environments. Highlight how you multitask, prioritize, and stay focused under pressure. Give examples of how you take initiative and remain agile amidst changing priorities.
What sales metrics or KPIs are most important to track? How would you use them to measure your success?
Discuss metrics like calls made, emails sent, touches per prospect, connect rates, qualified leads, meetings booked, opportunities created, pipeline generated, and deals closed. Share how you’d use KPI dashboards to set targets, gain visibility into activity levels, refine strategies, and highlight areas for growth. Demonstrate how you’d track progress toward quotas.
Walk me through how you would approach an outbound sales campaign from start to finish.
Summarize the key steps including: researching target accounts, identifying decision makers, drafting tailored messaging, loading into CRM, executing multichannel cadences and tracking outreach, following up on responses, qualifying leads, and coordinating meetings. Share how you’d evaluate campaign effectiveness and optimize future initiatives.
How do you stay organized and prioritize while juggling multiple prospects?
Spotlight sales tools and productivity hacks you’d leverage, like adding next steps to CRM records, categorizing leads by sales stage, maintaining follow up schedules, blocking focused work time, etc. Share your experience managing multifaceted sales workflows and pipelines. Discuss how you focus on highest value activities while keeping all balls in the air.
What makes you a strong culture add to the sales team?
Discuss qualities like your work ethic, positivity, drive, emotional intelligence, competitiveness, and team orientation. Share how you build trusted partnerships with colleagues and believe rising tides lift all boats. Give examples of how you’ve contributed to successful, collaborative sales teams in the past.
How to Stand Out in Your Vendr SDR Interview
Beyond preparing strong responses to expected questions, here are some tips for impressing your Vendr interviewers:
Demonstrate enthusiasm for the company and role – Convey genuine excitement and interest. Ask thoughtful questions that show you’ve researched Vendr in depth.
Provide specific, quantified examples – Ground responses in concrete stories that showcase valuable sales skills instead of theoretical concepts.
Ask smart questions – Prepare 2-3 thoughtful questions that demonstrate your understanding of Vendr’s products, mission, culture, and values. This shows initiative.
Watch your communication skills – Be articulate, concise, confident, and professional. Avoid filler words like “um” or “like.” Maintain friendliness and poise even under pressure.
Exhibit business acumen – Apply industry knowledge and sales principles when discussing metrics, processes, campaigns, and scenarios. Show strategic thinking beyond just tactics.
Project confidence – Believe in yourself and your ability to provide value in the SDR role. Be assertive and enthusiastic rather than timid.
Show you’re coachable – Demonstrate ability to accept feedback, learn continuously, and evolve approaches to drive optimal results.
Ask about next steps – Before leaving your final interview, inquire about timeline, next steps, and if they need any additional information. This reinforces your interest.
With the right mindset and preparation, you can impress your Vendr interviewers and get one step closer to earning a SDR role at this promising company. Use these common interview questions and tips to confidently showcase your top sales talents and fit with Vendr’s mission. You’ve got this! Now get out there and ace those interviews.
Examples of shadow IT
Common examples of software purchased without the knowledge of the IT department include:
- Productivity apps (Trello, Slack, Asana)
- Messaging apps on corporate-owned devices (Snapchat, WhatsApp)
- Physical devices (flash drives, external drives)
- Cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive)
- Communication apps (Skype, VOIP)
How to prevent shadow IT
Itâs not entirely preventable, but there are preventative steps you can take to improve cloud security.
A culture change to a collaborative environment lets IT and business teams share goals and stay aligned. Employees feel heard and work hard when there are clear processes and workflows for asking for new technology and a quick turn-around time for new app requests.
Employees will feel more empowered to use the right channels instead of installing their own apps if they are taught about internal processes, the risks of shadow IT, and what other teams are using.
Some software, like Vendr, can help by making software as a service (SaaS) apps easier to see and manage. Vendr lets users see which SaaS apps are being used and by whom. This helps users save money, keep track of vendors, and keep data safe and compliant. See how Vendr can help.
Top 30 Vendor Management Interview Questions and Answers
FAQ
Why do you want to be a vendor sample answer?
Why do you want to work in vendor management?
How do I prepare for a vendor management interview?
