Great way to start in a growing company - Sales Development Representative AppFolio Employee Review

5.0
Jul 5, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

• I was an SDR for about 1 year and 3 months. I am writing this as honestly as possible. The company has a great outlook and the SDR program is still only a year or two old (in its current form) and management is constantly trying to adapt its practices. • With my previous job being very unstructured I was able to appreciate the efficiency and structure that AppFolio and the SDR program supplied. I learned a lot within just the first 3 months there than in previous jobs / positions. • I was not the greatest SDR (I always fell into sales roles but it isn't where I shine). I struggled quite a bit early on but I put my head down and worked hard. Support from my team and tips from management helped as well. In the end I was able to leave the role at the top of my game and move to another position within the company that fit my persona better. • The team there is great and I made lasting friendships with my colleagues. • The job is tough but it is a great way to get into AppFolio, especially so if you are looking to breakout and start your sales career or further your career in sales. This really is the top SDR program around. If I could do it then just about anyone can. • Since I left the role I have heard the management and SDR program is doing a much better job at being transparent and involving SDRs in more important decisions. Also, the sales team is engaging much more with the SDRs than before.

Cons

Some of my cons have silver linings. A lot of this is what I observed and just didn't think it fit in the whole heartily in the "Pros" section. • The job is a grind (50+calls a day plus emails). Management tries very hard to break up the grind with growth and self improvement through development team meetings. Essentially learning how to think positively, have resilience, and get out of your comfort zone. • The position is best suited grow into a sales career. If you know that is what you want to do, then hit your goals and talk to the sales managers. • Moving to a different position in AppFolio besides sales can be pretty difficult. So the downside being if you are inconsistent your options could be a bit limited. I was lucky another position came along that I was able to peruse hard and get but most other positions require 1-2 years knowledge of the AppFolio software. • The SDR formula works but it isn't for everyone. Follow what management and the senior team teaches you. STC is an amazing tool but you need to find your way (be a person not a robot) while still utilizing the training you get. It can be hard to explain that to management at times but if you are showing results then you will be left alone. • This may be a stretch but I would say too many meetings. I came from a job that had a lot of meetings but this has even more. I get that meetings were used to break up the day and improve us as callers but there were a lot of times I just wanted to be on the phone hitting goals and not in another meeting. Just added to my stress but maybe that is just me.

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AppFolio Response
8y
Thank you for writing such a thorough and thoughtful review of your experience in our SDR program. I love that your cons have silver linings - almost all aspects of any position that has an impact on the business has challenging points and these are great opportunities to grow as a person and in your career. Thank you for contributing to our company!

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Pros

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Cons

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Pros

Frequent team outings and social events that help build relationships across the team. Generally a friendly, social environment!

Cons

The property management team is highly competitive when it comes to promotions, and I’ve seen BDRs remain in the same seat for years or eventually leave, as internal advancement opportunities can be limited. However, for top performers, there is promising upside, and you get to work with some of the best leaders in the organization. On the investment management team, leadership quality is more uneven, and there appears to be a lack of management experience, which has created gaps in coaching, accountability, and overall team development. As a result, performance outcomes have lagged, with the majority of BDRs and AEs struggling to consistently hit target. Team turnover has also been notably high, and leadership engagement only increased after a large portion of the team had already decided to leave, which by that point felt too late to rebuild morale or trust.

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AppFolio Response
1w
Thank you for sharing your feedback. It’s great to hear that you enjoyed our culture and team outings. We take your comments seriously – especially regarding the need for proactive management support, better coaching, and clearer advancement opportunities for our BDR and AE teams – and we are actively working to address these areas to ensure our reps feel supported and set up for long-term success. Thank you again for helping us improve, and we wish you the very best.
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