Let's be real: when you're looking to start your career in sales, you want to work at a place where your hustle and hunger actually pay off. You don't want to get stuck just dialing a list; you want to get paid, grow, and be able to grow your sales career. Shannon Etts tells us about her role as a Team Lead, SDR at NextRoll and how this role helps her build valuable skills she'll take with her throughout her sales career.

Why I chose the SDR path

I joined fresh out of college with a lot more hunger than experience. I love talking to people, and years of sports made feedback feel like fuel, not criticism. Coaching, accountability, and making the next rep better are second nature. I also appreciate a good challenge and wanted a role where effort turns into growth and earnings. SDR checked every box: clear targets, fast feedback loops, and a real path to level up—so I applied to NextRoll, got the job, and haven’t looked back.

What surprised me in my first 90 days

When I started as an SDR, I pictured a siloed role: headphones on, lists to dial, and a scoreboard to chase. The reality at NextRoll is very different. Yes, sales is a grind, and the targets are real. What makes the work sustainable and successful here is how team-oriented it is. My growth came when I stopped trying to do everything alone and started collaborating on purpose.

I joined as a remote SDR and expected to feel far from the action. Instead, I felt plugged in from day one. Our Chicago office hosts a lot of in-person collaboration, and the team is intentional about looping remote reps in. Standup meetings, training sessions, and strategy huddles are accessible and high-value. When we meet at conferences, it’s both productive and a lot of fun, and it deepens relationships that already exist in our day-to-day work.

How collaboration changed my outcomes

I used to think “owning my number” meant doing everything myself. My results took off when I started doing three simple things:

• Strategize with peers. Daily call blocks and short meetups help pressure-test talk tracks and swap what’s working by persona and vertical.
  
  

• Plan with my manager. We set clear weekly goals, look at conversion data, and prioritize accounts together so I know exactly where to focus.
  
  

• Align with Marketing. Refining value props turned “generic outreach” into messaging that resonates. 

Sharing those learnings back to the team is part of the rhythm here. Wins are team assets, not personal secrets.

A Week in the Life of an SDR

Beyond collaboration, structuring my week is a huge part of my success. Here’s a peek at what a typical week looks like for me:

• Daily standups. A quick 30-minute huddle to align on priorities and goals, surface blockers, share micro-wins, and commit to next actions. Keeps momentum high and pivots fast.
  
  

• Prioritize with intent/ICP. Rank accounts using signals. Signals= simple clues they care now: right type of company + recent action (site visit or email open). Start there.
  
  

• Build outreach around outcomes. Say the one thing you’ll help them do: sell more, get more donors, keep customers, or book more meetings.
  
  

• Daily learning loop. Spend 20–30 minutes on skill work (call reviews, product updates).
  
  

• Coachability in action. Pick one piece of feedback each week and operationalize it.
  
  

• Discipline & hygiene. Write it now: result and follow-up. Track the usual “no” reasons so you can fix your opener.
  
  

• Resilience routine. After a rough streak, breathe and reset (short walk, new opener, fresh list) to get back on the scoreboard quickly.
  
  

• Outcome review. End-of-week retrospective—double down on what moved meetings/pipeline; cut what didn’t.

Who thrives in this SDR role (and why)

You’ll do well here if you like clear goals and the process of getting there—testing, measuring, and improving every week. The traits that actually move the needle:

• Adaptable: Markets shift; treat change as an experiment and adjust quickly.
  
  

• Coachable: Turn feedback into action the same day—one tweak per week, tracked against reply/meeting rates.
  
  

• Resilient: Not every day is a win; reset fast, try the next approach, keep momentum.
  
  

• Team-oriented: Share what works so everyone improves, and partner cross-functionally with Account Executives who are closing deals and Marketing to keep the story aligned.
  
  

If you saw yourself in what I just described, lean in: NextRoll is where you can learn fast, win as a team, and build a sales career you’re proud of—with support every step of the way.

Interested in the SDR role at NextRoll? Check out our openings and say hello. I hope to see you on the team soon.