Losing “Our” Egomania

Imagine Freaky Friday happened to us and you took my place in an SDR hiring interview. You’d hear candidates ask the same question almost every time: “What does it take to be a great SDR?” The answer is simple: no egomania. Everyone has an ego (myself included), and I’d agree. But the truth is, great SDRs keep learning and never let egomania get in the way.

As a 3× SDR Manager, I’ve worked with every type of SDR, but two stories stand out, both centered on ego. One was a former professional athlete, the other a recent college graduate. Neither had sales development experience, yet what separated them was ego. Managing both meant adapting to very different learning styles, but I gave each the same foundation: coaching, mentorship, playbooks, and technology.

The recent college graduate went through onboarding, received my coaching, read a few sales books, and quickly found early success. But that success soon tipped into ego, a common trap for new SDRs. Instead of staying open to feedback and refining their approach, they thought they had it figured out. Even with access to mentorship, playbooks, and tools, their progress slowed, showing how ego can get in the way of growth.

The former athlete had every reason to have an ego but didn’t. After a successful collegiate and semi-professional career, including a video game feature, they came in humble and ready to learn. Like the college grad, they went through onboarding, received my coaching, read sales books, spoke with colleagues, and found early success. The difference was they stayed hungry and kept growing.

They didn’t fall into the ego trap; instead, they embraced feedback and refined their approach. They leaned on mentorship, playbooks, and tools to sharpen their skills every day. Their progress didn’t stall; it accelerated, and today they’re an SDR leader in their own right.

If we had a Freaky Friday moment again, call it the sequel, Freakier Friday, and you took my place in an SDR hiring interview, you’d hear candidates ask the same question almost every time: “What does it take to be a great SDR?” The answer is still simple: no egomania. Both the recent college graduate and the former professional athlete found success, but only one achieved lasting growth. If you want the same, start by losing your egomania.