Cracking Outbound

Becca Lindquist, Vice President for the Americas at dbt Labs, tells Todd Busler how she helped grow the company from under $1M to over $100M in ARR, and what it takes to scale outbound without gimmicks.

In the episode, Becca digs into what separates good sales leaders from great ones: evolving your seat as the company grows, investing early in enablement, and building outbound muscle across the org, not just in the SDR team.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why top reps generate their own pipeline
• What to look for in your first 50 sales hires
• What makes pipeline council meetings worth doing

Things to listen for: 

(00:00) Introduction

(01:13) How Becca stayed in seat to $100M+ ARR

(03:01) Adapting your role as the company scales

(06:15) Building outbound systems from day one

(07:42) Keeping the PG culture as you grow

(09:40) Outbound challenges with open source leads

(11:34) Teaching reps to spot real business pain

(13:24) Scaling enablement without losing impact

(19:29) How dbt runs effective pipeline councils

(21:52) Making partner selling actually pay off

How to rethink outbound by focusing on quality, efficiency, and what actually moves the needle.

In this episode, Todd Busler sits down with Andrew Berger, VP of Revenue at Capchase, to talk through how outbound has changed since the early days of cold calling with a phone book.

Andrew reflects on lessons from building Square’s outbound engine, how internal tools and third-party data powered real personalization, and why setting ROI thresholds shaped every decision. He shares the difference between selling to buyers new to financing and those already in the market, and how that distinction drives team structure and messaging.

It’s an inside look at how being in the trenches, testing constantly, and rallying around one clear metric are helping the team scale.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why high-volume outbound no longer guarantees results
• How to use team structure to prioritize pipeline
• What it takes to build trust with executive teams through selling

Things to listen for: 

(00:00) Introduction

(02:28) Breaking into tech through a Craigslist post

(04:14) Learning ROI through early sales experiments

(06:51) Personalization tactics that actually drove strong results

(09:10) Smart tools that streamlined outbound prospecting work

(12:45) Leading with investor-style accountability and returns

(15:40) Learning to manage with clear expectations

(19:37) Splitting playbooks by buyer type and readiness

(22:51) Messaging shifts based on market familiarity

(30:22) Rallying the team around one weekly metric

Creating a winning outbound sales culture starts with the right ingredients.

In this episode, Todd Busler, Co-Founder and CEO of Champify, breaks down the six key ingredients for creating a successful outbound sales motion. He talks about the importance of commitment, setting clear expectations, and maintaining a rigorous process.

Todd also highlights how focusing on talent, performance management, and continuous testing can accelerate growth.

It’s a practical look at the essential elements that drive a thriving outbound sales culture.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The six ingredients for establishing a thriving outbound sales culture
• Why a top-down commitment is crucial to success
• Best practices for skill development and talent management

Things to listen for: 

(00:00) Introduction

(02:26) Six essential ingredients for outbound success

(04:34) Establishing a consistent operating cadence for strategy

(05:29) Role of revenue operations and support for success

(09:23) Motivating the team with rewards and recognition

(13:02) Acquiring top talent and effective hiring strategies

(15:02) Consistent performance management practices

(17:21) No single solution; strong culture is key

(18:23) Focus on cold calling and AI preparation

What actually makes an outbound sales engine run at the enterprise level?

In this episode, Todd Busler sits down with Zack Sikora, GVP of Sales at Benchling, to talk through what consistent pipeline generation actually looks like at the enterprise level.

Zack shares how his time at AppDynamics shaped his thinking around qualification, why AEs must own outbound, and how activity signals can tell you everything you need to know about performance. He also opens up about building a culture where creativity is celebrated, enablement is a priority, and leaders know when to step aside and let reps lead.

It’s a front-row look at how structure, storytelling, and small wins can power serious sales results.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to create a PG culture centered on AE prospecting that lasts
• What to track across the sales cycle
• Why enablement is your secret advantage

Things to listen for: 

(00:00) Introduction

(01:39) Zack’s path through elite sales orgs

(02:50) From hardware sales to value selling

(05:37) Using activity signals to guide coaching

(08:02) Pairing EQ with a process-driven mindset

(11:18) Sharing small wins to fuel PG culture

(15:03) Leading with outcomes over features

(20:19) Why AEs must own their outbound motion

(29:37) Enabling sellers with tailored bootcamps

(34:33) What outbound could look like with AI

Building a sales system that drives repeatable growth takes structure.

In this episode, Todd Busler talks with Mark Niemiec, CRO at Salesloft, about the power of sales scaffolding. 

Mark shares how zeroing in on Salesloft’s mission—helping sellers win—sharpened their focus and fueled real results. He dives into how blending big-company infrastructure with small-company hustle created a high-performance culture. You’ll also hear him unpack how a bold new narrative and better tools empowered reps to land bigger, more strategic deals.

It’s a behind-the-scenes look at the strategies driving Salesloft’s sales team to scale and stay aligned.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to build a sales scaffolding system for predictable success
• Why creating a singular focus leads to massive sales impact
• When to make the jump from sales planning to sales execution

Things to listen for: 

(00:00) Introduction

(05:46) Streamlined teams improve efficiency and morale

(07:24) Optimizing sales: people & pipeline

(12:13) Revamping sales strategy: expanding beyond cadences

(16:00) Elevating customer engagement techniques

(18:42) Compensation strategy focuses on customer succes

(20:56) Revitalizing sales team engagement strategy

(23:24) Data-driven marketing collaboration strategies

(27:44) Blending artistry with engineering rigor

(31:29) Efficient storytelling boosts business strategy

(35:11) Blending creativity and data in sales approach 
(36:40) Culture's role in business success.

How to build a SaaS company from scratch with a sales-focused mentality from day 1.

In this episode, Todd Bustler talks with Alex Olley, Co-Founder and CRO of Reachdesk, about what it really means to build a go-to-market motion from scratch.

Alex gets into the bold outbound bets that paid off, why attribution debates are a distraction, and how one smart RevOps hire changed the game. He also breaks down how tightening their ICP—and giving frontline teams a seat at the strategy table—helped Reachdesk hit its stride.

It’s a behind-the-scenes look at how a little chaos, ownership, and constant testing fueled their early sales motion.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to scale pipeline without relying on inbound
• What a “caveman strategy” looks like in modern sales
• When it’s time to rethink your hiring and team structure

Things to listen for: 

(00:00) Introduction

(01:31) Founding Reachdesk and choosing the CRO path

(05:15) The caveman strategy behind early sales motion

(10:56) One-to-one personalization that drove real results

(12:43) How a RevOps hire unlocked next-level growth

(16:06) Narrowing the ICP using clear buyer signals

(24:03) Giving the front line a voice in GTM decisions

(27:06) Why “Allbound” beats attribution arguments

(33:38) Testing verticals with a focused outbound squad

(35:57) What Alex would do differently if starting today

How do the best companies build outbound machines that actually work?

If you think outbound is dead, you’re either lying or you’re bad at it.

I’m Todd Busler, former VP of Sales turned co-founder of Champify, and I’ve spent my career building repeatable systems that drive real pipeline.

On this show, I’m talking to sales leaders who have cracked the outbound code and created an outbound culture within their companies.

If you’re tired of guessing and ready to build an outbound motion that actually delivers, hit subscribe. Let’s crack this thing wide open.