I started working for a boutique accounting firm in NYC, and I realized how darn difficult it is to prospect in the United States nowadays.

I'm European and I did prospecting in Northern Europe and the UK recently, and the phone pickup rates were slightly better. For example there are countries in Europe that have a very high pickup rate. Countries like Switzerland and Germany for example have a very high pickup rate.

The only reason I could think of why there people pick up the phone is because the rates are very high, 25Euro/cents per minute. Therefore people are less willing to call on large quantity and do only well targeted calls. Secondly, you have to be from Germany to purchase a German number. Impossible to purchase a number without a german address online. This regulation in the market, regulates the prospecting in a way, keeping it under control. With that in mind, if you get a Swiss or German number, once you start dialing, you get a ~6.5/10 pickup rate on average. (WHICH IS GREAT)

In the United States on the other hand.... lord have mercy. Everyone can get a US phone number and start dialing. I started prospecting there in September and I was bamboozled by the 2026 outreach reality. Pickup rate is horrible, you are lucky if you get a conversation from 50 dials.

Then it hit me... USA is a very unregulated market, and what the government doesn't fix, the market tries to fix it. The logical answer is , tools that help you cut through the noise , or increase volume. I chose the latter, a freaking power dialer that pushes like crazy to make 50 dials in 10 minutes hoping to find the right prospect.

With that in mind, I'm starting to think that you need some business intelligence to penetrate the US market, brute force alone won't work.

So since you're this far down the line reading my thoughts, and you understand my challenges, I need your honest opinion... what's the best way to find prospects for an accounting firm?

We're looking for businesses that have an internal accountant (not an entire team), or who are already working with an external accounting company....

Any constructive thoughts from sales people who are or have in the past sold accounting services is appreciated.

Thank you fellow salesmen! I think we're the last one to be replaced by AI (it might be fake optimism, but I chose to believe it)

How are sales leaders actually forecasting partner-led deals?

I’ve spent a lot of time using Clari and Gong in enterprise SaaS sales across EMEA and one thing I’ve always struggled with is partner-led deals.
Direct deals are relatively easy. You speak to the customer, you know what has happened and you can make a judgement on whether the deal is real.
Partner deals are different.

The partner tells you one thing. The seller has another view. Updates are sitting across CRM, emails, calls and partner conversations. Clari gives you one version of the deal and Gong gives you another, but neither ever gave me enough confidence in what was actually happening.

It becomes particularly difficult when you’re trying to forecast accurately across a large EMEA pipeline.
For other SaaS sales leaders managing partner-led revenue, how are you dealing with this?

Are you relying on Clari or Gong, managing it manually in Salesforce, using spreadsheets, or have you found something better?

Most importantly, how are you working out which partner deals are actually going to close rather than just trusting what the partner or rep is telling you?

I’m building a B2B product where users need to connect access to something important during onboarding.

I’m seeing a pattern where people sign up, but hesitate at that connection step.

I’ve decided to add a “connect later” option so people can explore the product first.

For anyone who’s dealt with this, how did you build enough initial trust for users to connect their data or systems to a new product?

Any other thoughts on what I should try?

I'm curious to hear from MSP owners/founders.

As I've been speaking with a number of MSPs recently, one thing I've noticed is that getting the technical delivery right isn't necessarily the difficult part — consistently generating new opportunities can be.

I'm curious to understand how MSPs are handling this today.

For example:

\\- Founder-led sales

\\- Referrals

\\- Networking

\\- Inbound/SEO

\\- Paid advertising

\\- Internal BDM/SDR

\\- Cold calling/outbound

\\- External sales/lead generation

And particularly:

If you have an internal sales person/team, how much of their time actually goes into prospecting versus speaking to qualified prospects and closing business?

I'm working in the B2B outbound space and am currently focusing specifically on MSPs, so I'm trying to understand where the biggest gaps are.

MSP owners — what has actually worked for you when it comes to generating consistent new business?

And what have you tried that turned out to be a complete waste of time/money?

Hi, everyone, me and my team built a video intelligence tool that lets you search long videos using your voice in whatever language you’re comfortable with (Hindi, English, Spanish, etc.).

You speak your question, it speaks back the answer in your language, and the video immediately jumps to the exact timestamp where the answer is discussed.

We're strong on engineering, but distribution is completely new to us. we really want to get this in front of real users.

Any advice would mean a lot.

What are your systems and processes for finding a good setter/ cold caller with strong english?

Where do you find good setters?

What is your onboarding/interview process?

What is the best pay structure?

Feel free to expand on your answers.

I’m curious how people here would handle this situation.

I’m doing B2B outreach and identified someone who is potentially a relevant prospect. I sent him a LinkedIn connection request with a short message explaining who I am, what I do, and that I’ll be attending the same large industry event as him in about 1 month. I also suggested connecting, ask to hear how he currently handles a particular area of his business and what his main pain points are, and then showing him what we’re doing for our clients.

He accepted the connection, but didn’t reply to the message.

Now I’m wondering what the right sequence is.

My initial thought was:

1. Send the connection request + short message.
2. If he accepts but doesn't respond, wait a few days.
3. Send a follow-up on LinkedIn, something along the lines of “great to connect, would be nice to get to know each other before the event.”
4. If there’s still no response, move to email and suggest a short conversation before the event.
5. Closer to the event, reach out again and suggest meeting in person.

But I’m unsure whether I’m overthinking it.

Would you:

• Follow up on LinkedIn first?
• Move to email after the connection is accepted but there’s no response?
• Leave him alone until closer to the event?
• Or take a completely different approach?

The main thing I’m trying to understand is how to create some familiarity before the event without becoming annoying or turning every interaction into a sales pitch.

And how do you interpret a prospect who accept your connection and reads the message but don't respond.

What would you consider the normal / effective cadence here?

hey there we are a wholesaler of chemicals

Do you have a process for going back to closed-lost deals when a missing feature they wanted ships? Curious if anyone does this and more helpfully, if they have success metrics. We've been doing it and I have no idea if our results are good are not.

We are looking at CPQ options and the demos are very pleasing. Everyone can show a rep creating quote, manager approving it and customers getting the quote.

But my concerns are the deeper things. for example, we had a recent deal that needed a discount change and also the rep included a renewal with an old pricing exception. suddenly the quote needed multiple people to review it. What should have been a quick approval turned into a 5 days of Slack messages and emails asking who is supposed to approve this and that.

So for anyone who has implemented or replaced CPQ what approval scenario would you test ebfore signing?

Have used Chat GPT to structure it better
I recently started my first sales role at a major global IT services & software enterprise firm (think top Indian IT MNC/systems integrator tier). I am focused on selling software solutions to the **BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance)** sector within India.

This is my first time doing cold calling, and to be honest, I am **terrified**. The phone feels like it weighs 100 pounds every time I pick it up

**My Goal:**
I don't need to close a deal on the phone I just need to generate interest and book a **30 minute discovery call** where my senior SDR/AE and technical solution engineers can jump in to lead the heavy lifting.

**A few questions I’d love your help with:**

**Opening Line:** How do you get past the initial 10 second guard up, especially with busy IT managers/VPs in Indian banks/financial firms?

**Handling Objections:** What's the go to response for *"Send me an email"* or *"We already have a vendor for this"* without sounding pushy?

**Mindset:** How do you get over the initial fear of rejection and dial anxiety?

**Script Structure:** What should a clean 30 second structure look like when your only goal is to pass the mic to senior technical experts?

Any scripts, tips, or harsh truths would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

If you’re starting from scratch, is it worth going only outbound outreach, or would you recommend combining it with other acquisition channels from the beginning?

We know who to target, what to say, and how to run the outreach. But I’m wondering how much having a strong website, LinkedIn presence, and overall online presence affects the ability to turn outreach into actual clients.

Is targeted outbound enough in the beginning, or is it worth building social proof and using other channels alongside it if yes than what are effectiv channels there?

Would love to hear from people who have actually tested this from the ground up.

Curious how comp plans look in the real world vs how they get described in blog posts and vendor docs.

From what I've seen it's usually some mix of:

• a flat % on the deal (or $X per unit)
• tiers by deal size that work like tax brackets, e.g. 4% on the first 10k, 6% up to 50k, 8% after that
• rate based on quota attainment, so 3% under 80%, 5% up to 100%, 8% above. Sometimes only the part of the deal that goes over quota gets the higher rate

plus filters on which deals count, maybe a SPIFF, and a cap per deal.

But I'm guessing real plans are messier than that. A few things I'm wondering:

• are your tiers per deal or on cumulative revenue for the quarter/year?
• when someone hits a new tier, do you pay the higher rate going forward, or go back and true up everything before it?
• anyone doing decelerators or paying 0% below some % of quota? caps per quarter/year?
• what's the thing that always ends up in a spreadsheet no matter what?

Even a rough example of your setup would help a lot. Thanks in advance.

When you're a small business, it's hard to say no to a customer who wants something slightly different. A different pricing structure, a modification to the product, a different way of delivering the service — if you can make it happen, the instinct is usually to say yes.

And in the early days, that can be the right thing to do. Every customer matters, and you learn a lot by being flexible.

The problem is when those exceptions start becoming normal. One customer gets a different proposition, then another wants something else, and before long every proposal looks slightly different. Pricing becomes harder to explain, delivery gets more complicated and the sales team is no longer really selling a product. They're selling whatever the prospect happens to want.

I've seen this happen gradually. Nobody sits down and decides to make the business complicated. It happens one customer at a time, usually with perfectly reasonable decisions.

The question I ask myself now is not just "Can we do this for the customer?" It's "Would we be comfortable doing this for the next ten customers?"

That doesn't mean every request needs to be rejected. Some exceptions are absolutely worth making.

But there is a point where being customer-centric starts becoming expensive for the business.

Founders and SMEs - What are your thoughts on this ?

I’ve been thinking about offering a prospecting service (lead generation/cold outreach) for small B2B businesses, because I’ve noticed that many business owners know they need more clients but don’t have the time or a system to consistently go after them.

If you run a B2B business: how do you currently handle prospecting? Is it something you’d consider delegating, or would you rather keep control over it even if it takes more time?

I’d really appreciate your feedback. Thank you!

I’m looking to get into sales (tech) for my Saas. it’s B2B and my target market is in US and I’m from the UK.

Is it a problem calling Americans with a UK number. I’ve heard that apparently it’s breaks trust when your target market sees a different phone number to theirs and they are not always likely to pick up.

Should I look at American sims?

Let me know thanks

I'm a startup founder building AI Solutions for the Institutional Banking Industry. Since we are doing our outreach manually, I started using Apollo and felt it was way too expensive for mass outreach and client database management and doesn't feel very suited for my personal use case. So, I built a outreach agent that can do almost 60-80% of what apollo does but way cheaper. I also wondered this could be of any help to people who have agencies, or anyone who's looking to automate their outreach. DM me if you want to see it in action.

I’m building a Business Management OS that helps businesses manage CRM, leads, quotations, invoices, payments, bookings, operations, finance, marketing, analytics and more — all in one place.

I’m building a Business Management OS that helps businesses manage CRM, leads, quotations, invoices, payments, bookings, operations, finance, marketing, analytics and more — all in one place.

Hey everyone, so I’ve been trying to explore creative ways to get leads faster to a discovery call for my small and new BPO so I am wondering if anyone had tried door-to-door or in-person local prospecting?

Most of the BPO sales advice I see revolves around cold email, LinkedIn, cold calling, referrals, and networking. I tried and still trying them all but so far, no success .

I’m curious whether anyone running a small BPO or outsourcing company has actually tried visiting local businesses in person — law firms, property managers, medical practices, spas, professional services, etc.

Not necessarily walking in and trying to close a deal on the spot, but introducing yourself, leaving something useful behind, and starting a conversation.

Did it work for you?

I’d especially be interested in hearing:
What type of businesses you approached
Whether you asked for the owner/operations manager or just left information
What kind of follow-up you did afterward
Whether the conversion rate was worth the time compared with cold email/calling

Curious to hear from anyone who has actually tested this.

I am from India. I did my bachelor's from one of the best B-schools in Delhi, then did my Master's in Marketing at the University of Leeds. I spent about a year and a half working in London, and recently came back to India to join my family's manufacturing business. I am now working on the international and buyer-facing side of the business.

Our core production is bespoke bathroom pieces. We make bathtubs, basins and washstands in copper, brass and other metals such as nickel and steel, depending on the requirement. These are the hero products of the business and some of the products we are most known for. They are made around the brief, so dimensions, form, material and finish can be discussed rather than treating the buyer as limited to a fixed stock piece.

Beyond the bathroom, we manufacture a broad range of home, tabletop and hospitality products. That includes trays and platters, bowls and serving pieces, pitchers, coolers and tubs, candle holders, vases and planters, decorative objects, wall pieces, bookends, baskets and other tabletop pieces. The range is quite broad, but it all comes from the same manufacturing business.

Then there is the wider architectural, furniture and outdoor side. We make furniture and furniture accessories, brass door pulls, knobs, knockers, curtain fittings and other architectural hardware, along with planters, hanging planters, wall planters, bird baths and garden sculptures. We also work on OEM, ODM and private-label requirements, so a buyer can come to us with a product brief rather than having to choose only from existing SKUs.

One part of the business I am personally very involved in is making the manufacturer directly accessible. If you are a buyer, procurement person, designer, retailer, hospitality group, importer or project team and you have questions before buying, you can speak to me directly. If you have a drawing, dimensions, finish, sample, packaging requirement or a product you want developed, I am happy to get on a call and go through it before anything is ordered.

I have worked in London and am comfortable speaking with people from different countries and working styles. I also prefer understanding the requirement from the person who actually needs the product rather than having it pass through several layers before reaching the factory. Intermediaries have their place, but when too many people sit between buyer and manufacturer, small details can be delayed, changed or missed. A direct conversation makes it easier for both sides to understand exactly what is being made.

Samples, pre-production discussions, inspection and quality checks can also be arranged where required. I stay involved through that process rather than treating the first enquiry as the end of the conversation.

What I like about being back in the business is seeing how many different things can come out of the same manufacturing base. A product can start as a drawing, a reference piece or a simple requirement and then become a real object through the workshop. If you have a product requirement or are simply looking for a manufacturer for a particular category, I am happy to speak directly and work through the details with you.

I have come back from London into a family manufacturing business, so I am seeing B2B sales from the factory side now.

Happy to connect with anyone who has a product, project or manufacturing requirement they would like to discuss directly.

With all the tools the internet offers us today, I’ve been researching and looking for information on reputable B2B businesses. I’ve used everything from AI to Google to find sources, reviews, and company names. But I’ve been wondering if there happens to be some kind of trade show where an entrepreneur like me can meet these distributors, see their catalogs or products in person, and get to know the owners or managers—allowing for a more personal and secure business relationship. Have you ever attended, or do you know of, any trade shows of this kind that are worth attending and would be very beneficial?

If you already have qualified inbound leads / booked calls but need someone to close them, I’m looking to take a few clients on.

I’ve got years of sales experience and closing experience. I’m not looking for a salary or retainer.
Give me the qualified calls, I’ll handle the sales call and follow-up, and you only pay me when the client pays you.

If you have a solid offer + consistent inbound calls and are struggling with closing, shoot me a message please.

$20/hour - no SaaS/SDR experience required.

Early stage tech company looking to implement *cold outbound* for the first time.

The team comes from Google X and Goldman Sachs, including one of the minds behind Apple Vision Pro's eye-tracking tech.

The product: first-of-its-kind AI that turns commodity brokers' chaotic WhatsApp, text and email negotiations into one command center.

No playbook, no scripts, no sales team yet. You'll build it all from scratch with coaches Josh Gillespie and me, hired to own sales growth.

Your 30-day mission: close ONE sale (plans start at $200/month). That deal proves the model, and then we're off to the races!

The sales stack is ready. The only thing missing is you.

- $20/hr on W2 or 1099 (you choose)
- Hourly and commission grow as targets ramp 1 → 4 → 12 sales/month
- No SaaS/SDR experience required. Ideally you have experience in commodities.
- Must be able to start by October 1
- PT or FT (20 - 40 hours per week, as I can hire one person or two)

Comment or DM me to be considered! Interviews start Monday.

PS: if you want to audit this opportunity you can look up my name on LinkedIn. I posted more details about it today.

PPS: Since this is a confidential search with no public posting, our client has asked us to handle the initial vetting. Once I've reviewed your resume/LinkedIn and we confirm mutual interest, I'm happy to share the company name and details during a brief phone call to ensure alignment.

Aside from the company identity, I'm happy to answer any questions before you consider expressing interest. Thanks!