Internal Networking as a Remote SDR, Do The Job To Get The Job, & More Tips on Breaking in & Job Openings

Before we dive into this week’s Pipeline Papi Press, quick note on the looming FAA flight cancellations due to the government shutdown. Quick Heads-Up for the Travelers (and Road Warriors)

Just a quick PSA for anyone planning holiday trips or Q4 business travel:

Be careful
There’s a brewing storm in the skies and not the weather kind.

Starting this Friday, the FAA is slashing flights at 40 major airports across the country due to controller fatigue and staffing shortages caused by the record-long federal government shutdown (now Day 38).

We’re talking: Chicago, Atlanta, all three NYC airports, and dozens more.

GOOD LUCK

Welcome to The Pipeline Press, brought to you by Pipeline Papi, Lindy Boy, Quota Cowboy, Rookie Rep, & Ant Calabrese. Every Friday, you’re getting stories, tips, job openings, and a little lifestyle drip to keep the edge sharp and the mission clear. PROMOTION, QUOTA, EARNINGS. Follow us on X if you aren’t already, we are all very active in the tech sales space if you want to continue the convo or have any questions.

Let’s get into it.

How to be unforgettable even when nobody sees you in the office.

Breaking news: remote work isn’t going anywhere

And for SDRs trying to make a name for themselves in tech that’s a blessing and a curse.

No chance encounters at the coffee machine.
No quick office banter with your AE.
No hallway pats on the back after a great cold call.

You're just a profile pic and some Slack notifications.

So how do you make sure the right people know your name?

Here are 5 things I’m doing right now to network internally and build my brand as a remote SDR:

You don’t have a physical presence. So you need a digital one.

That means you should be visible — in the best way.
Not annoying. Not braggy. Just… present.

Try this:

Be the name people see in the team chat every day, not just when they check the leaderboard.

Don’t be the guy DMing “got any advice?”

Instead, ask something specific:

Then the magic part: go use what they said.

Then message back:

“Tried your advice.. It worked, Appreciate it!

That’s how people remember you. You listened. You applied. You followed up.

Sounds obvious, but this is the FOUNDATION of basically the way everyone sees you.

You don’t need to be a LEGEND necessarily, but if you’re reliably consistent, people notice.

SMASH quota. Send call recaps. Keep your pipeline clean.

When you perform:

BE DEPENDABLE

Most reps grind in silence.

But if you’re trying to stand out make your growth loud.

Try this:

That shows you're improving and documenting it.

You’ll build a rep as the one who’s on their way up.

ALWAYS come in with a good attitude and ALWAYS be active in the team Slack chats.

It’s about being:

Do that, and everything changes:

You’re remote.
But Memorable.

Sup Lads - I wanted to keep my part short & to the point to really emphasize the importance of it.

If you’re trying to break into tech sales, here’s the truth:
It’s almost impossible to land interviews just by cold applying.

Every job post has hundreds (sometimes thousands) of applicants. Your resume gets buried before a real person even sees it.

So what’s the move then?
Do the job to get the job.

That means:
- Cold outreach to SDRs, AEs, RDs at the company you want to work for.
- Ask thoughtful questions. Build real relationships.
- Learn about their product, ICP, and challenges - then use that in your interviews.

Internal referrals are everything.
When someone inside vouches for you, you instantly jump to the top of the pile.

Most people never even try to network because it feels uncomfortable.
But guess what? That’s literally what sales is - reaching out, building trust, and creating opportunities.

If you can’t prospect for a job, how are you going to prospect for pipeline?

Do the job to get the job.
That’s how you break in.

Until next week.

Rook ♜
X: @rooktorep

Everybody wants to break into tech sales right now. The problem? Every SDR job post has thousands of applicants. You can’t separate yourself by being another resume in a pile.

If you really want to get hired, you’ve got to do the job to get the job.

That means stop “applying” like everyone else and start selling yourself like an SDR would sell their product. Because that’s exactly what the interview process is, it’s sales.

Each person you talk to in the process cares about something different. You need to meet them where they’re at.

The Recruiter:
They’re screening for the basics, can you actually sell? Have you done cold calls before? Are you money-motivated, hardworking, coachable?
This isn’t the time to brag. It’s the time to check the boxes clearly and confidently.

The SDR Manager:
This one’s big. They’re hiring for their team, and they want people who are autonomous people who will show up, grind, and not need babysitting.

You need to convey that you’re going to make their life easier.
That you’ll do whatever it takes to make them look good.
Ask about their goals, what they’re trying to accomplish with their team, and show how you can help them get there.

You’re selling yourself as the solution to their problem. Their “pain point” is hitting team quota. You’re the fix.

Show that you’re:
• Coachable
• Hungry
• Self-sufficient
• Someone who will make them money, not create headaches.

Stroke the ego a little and let them know you want to learn from them.

The VP or Director of Sales:
This is usually the final round. It’s a vibe check.

They’re just making sure you’re not going to be a liability and that you’ll fit in, be a long-term investment, and not embarrass anyone after you’re hired.

They want to see that you actually care about the company’s success, that you think long-term, and that you plan to grow there, whether that’s into an AE role or leadership one day.

By this point, if you made it here, you probably already have the job. Just don’t blow it by being weird.

At the end of every interview, close for the next step.

Literally ask:

“Based on what we talked about today, do you have any concerns about moving me forward to the next round?”

That does two things:

Don’t just say “thanks for your time” and wait. Treat every interview like a pipeline.

Go to https://repvue.com and find companies that have high ratings from reps. Then hit up their AEs on LinkedIn.

Message them something simple:

“Hey man, saw you’re crushing it over at [Company]. I’m looking to break into tech sales and wanted to learn more about your experience there, do you have a minute to chat?”

Build a little rapport. Ask good questions.
Then, when it feels natural, ask if they’d be open to referring you.

They usually get a referral bonus, so it’s a win-win.

Once you have that referral, reach out directly to the hiring manager, either through LinkedIn or (ideally) a cold call, and set up next steps. Be proactive.

That’s how you separate yourself from the normies blasting out 100 Indeed applications and wondering why they never get a callback.

Final Thought
Getting hired in tech sales isn’t about being perfect on paper.
It’s about showing you already think and act like a salesperson.

Because if you can sell yourself into the job, you can probably sell the product too.

Currently Hiring For

SDRs:

NYC - new grad top 150 school 60 base 90 ote uncapped and commission
NYC - 1 YOE strong preference in fintech - 110 base 130 k ote uncapped

SF - new grad top 50 school 80 base 100 ote
SF - new grad top 25 school or athlete or somewhere in the middle 80 base 135 ote

Main Companies: Office Hours, Meow, Solidroad, Simple AI, Vapi

AEs:

Sf/nyc - comm-midmarket-enterprise aes min 2 yoe as a direct seller at snowflake / figma / vercel type companies (technical product sales)

100-200 base 200-400 ote depending on segment being worked and Yoe.

Main companies: dust.tt, factory.ai, decagon, sequence, unify

Reach out to him HERE on X if you fit any of these descriptions

P.S. The Pipeline Papi SDR Bot is live. Your SDR copilot for custom cold call scripts, objection handlers, discovery questions and more, for EVERY Prospect. Built to make booking meets 10x easier.