Reflections from the Hot Seat: Outbound RevOps and Real Sales Lessons
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
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This episode of The Insiders was a bit different. Usually, I’m the one asking the questions. But this time, Ollie turned the tables and put me in the hot seat, and I have to admit, it was great fun. We talked about everything from why cold calling still works to what I’d do if I had to build a sales team from scratch. And, as always, we went off on a few tangents (some of which might surprise you).
Ollie asked tough questions and it forced me to think out loud about what’s really changing in B2B sales. Here are some of the ideas I shared, plus a few reflections I’ve had since.
Brand recognition is still the game-changer
If I’ve learned one thing over the years, it’s this: brand trust can make or break a go-to-market strategy.
“If I’m selling as Deloitte into CFOs, I can probably get a lot of meetings. But if I’m selling an amazing but unknown fintech product with zero brand recognition, it’s going to be much harder.”
For emerging companies, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is obvious – no one knows you yet. The opportunity? You can build credibility from the ground up, telling a story that’s sharper and more personal than any corporate giant can manage.
Outbound isn’t dead, it’s smarter
There’s a lot of noise online about outbound sales being “dead.” I disagree. Outbound has always been part of our DNA at durhamlane, and it’s not going anywhere.
“Outbound calling is table stakes. You have to go out and find potential customers. They won’t just come to you.”
But outbound doesn’t mean hammering the phones. It means finding signals of intent, being professionally persistent, and showing up with something relevant and valuable to say.
If you want to see what this looks like in practice, check out how we have built successful outbound strategies for our clients in different industries.
The social-first shift
One of Ollie’s questions led me to talk about Instagram, which might sound odd for B2B sales, but it’s where many decision-makers spend their downtime.
“A great place to sell to me is on Instagram. If you can catch my attention when I’m in a relaxed mode, you’ve already won half the battle.”
This isn’t about gimmicks; it’s about recognising that the line between professional and personal channels is blurring. If your buyers are scrolling through social media at 9pm, why wouldn’t you want your brand to be part of that landscape?
What I’d do differently if I built a sales team from scratch
Ollie asked me what advice I’d give someone starting from zero. My answer? Think RevOps first.
“I wouldn’t go out and hire a bunch of expensive salespeople straight away. I’d focus on aligning sales, marketing, and operations around one goal: driving revenue.”
At durhamlane, we’ve always believed that marketing and sales are two sides of the same coin. What’s changed is how we orchestrate the customer journey, from the first flicker of interest to the final signature. Fast, relevant responses win – and that’s a process challenge as much as a sales one.
The listening rule that changes everything
I talk a lot about active listening because I’ve seen how powerful it can be. In the podcast, I shared the 95/5 rule I learned early in my career:
“If you can talk for 5% of the time on a discovery call, and get the prospect to talk for 95%, you win.”
Listening isn’t passive. It’s where the real gold lies – the unspoken priorities, the hidden objections, the reasons why someone might say yes (or no). When we get this right, it transforms the conversation.
Final thoughts from the guest chair…
Being the guest instead of the host reminded me why I love doing this work. It’s about curiosity – the “why” questions Ollie kept firing at me – and about sharing experiences honestly, even the challenging ones.
I believe 2025 will reward teams that stay curious, listen deeply, and don’t shy away from asking “why” one more time. Whether it’s refining outbound tactics, building trust with a new brand, or exploring social-first engagement, the fundamentals don’t change: care enough to understand your customer.
If you’d like to dive deeper into these ideas, you can listen to this episode of The Insiders here.
Your SDR team is the engine of your pipeline. Getting it right takes structure, leadership, and clarity. Looking to create a team that consistently adds value and drives revenue? Let’s talk.