This week we are highlighting Katie Clemmons as Vendition’s Apprentice of the Week! Katie has been crushing it as Smack’s first SDR hire and we can’t wait to see what more is to come her way.
For eight years, Katie worked and ran a cleaning business. Funny enough, Katie’s husband was introduced to Smack when he was between two jobs. As he learned more about the opportunity he realized it wouldn’t be right for him…but would be perfect for Katie! He couldn’t have been more right because Katie found a company that understood her strengths without penalizing her for a lack of corporate experience. They knew with the foundational training Vendition would provide and the coachability she demonstrated in the interview process, she’d be a sure fit for Smack.
Check out our interview with Katie to learn more about her experience:
“Basically Ashleigh [the Vendition coach] was the reason I understood exactly what everyone else in the company was talking about. She broke down for me what my role was in the big picture of the company. Once I was able to understand my role in the company, I was so much more likely to understand how the rest of the company could succeed with me filling this hole.
“Ashleigh gave me all the details and the day-to-day teaching about being an SDR which was perfect for someone who came from knowing nothing about working in a startup.
“It’s been great in the time I’ve been training to now. From day one when I walked in, I felt completely incapable and had no idea what I was doing–I felt lost. To now, I’ve gone from feeling lost to not only feeling like I can do this, but also I feel like my understanding is where it needs to be. I’m past the point of getting my feet beneath me, and now I’m looking at next steps. I’m not treading water anymore. I really wanted to be at the next company for a while, start at the bottom and grow up, and I have that here now.
“I loved having this training because it wasn’t even a month in until I had my first sale. It was during my third week, from a cold call. [The team wasn’t] even expecting that for the first few months. The best part was that ended up being our first company outside our team’s established network that signed on a continued contract.”
Some top tips from Katie to future SDRs:
”Understand your daily expectations and make time management a priority–if you can’t function on a day-to-day basis, then you can’t really accomplish anything.”
“Be willing to do what nobody else wants to do–nobody wants to have to get on the calls, so be willing to grind.”
“Be patient with yourself and give yourself time to grow.”
Closing thoughts:
“Vendition has taught me to be clear on my expectations. Ashleigh helped me to stay plugged into my leadership and rest in that. My CEO would set an expectation, and in my mind I would need to double that. It’s always good to go above and beyond but that brings on unnecessary pressure when really it’s time to learn the process. I’ve already told my leadership that this program is something Smack needs to use to onboard any future new hires. Ashleigh was able to help train me without removing anyone else from their responsibilities, and for that I feel even more prepared to help train the next person coming into my role specifically.”
Great work at Smack, Katie! We’re so proud of your hustle.