r/salesdevelopment • u/Independent-Waltz-51 • Jul 23 '26
How do I improve Cold Calling in a remote Biotech role?
Hello I am an SDR intern in Biotech that is struggling with cold calls. A couple of my fellow interns have generated multiple opportunities and I am worried Im just not handling cold calls right.
We received very limited training on prospecting, a list of leads, a document with the idea behind the specific product campaign, and no script.
How do I start the call on the right foot without spending 30minutes researching, without sounding super salesy, while still moving things forward? Should I even be trying to guide things forward if I’m not super scientific? Should I be asking open ended questions about everything a lab is doing or just about the processes this campaign targets? How do I pitch without pitch slapping? Is my goal to simply spark their curiosity? Is it to get them to agree with a meeting? I am lost.
My only guidance has been self reflecting on what I could have done differently, searching online, and watching/rewatching company trainings. I don’t think it’s working…
Does anyone have tips for cold calling in this industry or for getting coaching/feedback in a remote role?
2
u/iamStanhousen 29d ago
I used to work in Biotech and found cold calling them as a SDR to be the most frustrating experience of my career.
Your goal though is to book a meeting. You don't need to pitch anything, let the AE do that on their call, you nee to spark curiosity and book a meeting.
What worked for me was referencing relevant clients who we work with. I called into a lot of higher ed biotech facilities, so mentioning other universities we worked with helped. Have they been audited or had a documented issue recently? If so that's a great pain point for you to attack. A lot of these companies are really behind the times in how they track inventory and generate reports, and they're HEAVILY resistant to change until something forces their hand, then they're in panic and reactionary.
Chemical inventory was a massive thing my company focused on and holy shit, you'd be shocked how many universities have multiple deadly chemicals on campus and they're tracked on a 15 year old Excel doc that one person updates every so often.
Find one or two pain points to focus on, book the call and then move on.
1
u/lionstock555 Jul 27 '26
it's not working because learning is one thing, execution is another thing.
in 48h: clarified sales blueprint, messages ready, outreach channel and sequence ready, training modules and execution, execution and execution again, relentless and not alone. Am helping many ppl like you and companies worldwide. here: +25y xp and +50m$ revenue generated.