Most sales teams are chasing cold leads while their next best opportunity is already sitting inside their existing network.

In this episode of Because Growth Matters, Daniel is joined by Stephen Oommen, a sales and networking expert who is challenging the traditional approach to prospecting.

Stephen shares why he believes cold calls and cold emails should be the last step in your sales process, not the first, and how focusing on real relationships leads to faster trust and stronger revenue outcomes.

He breaks down how warm referrals have driven over 98 percent of his career revenue and explains why modern sales teams have sacrificed effectiveness for efficiency. Stephen also shares practical frameworks for mapping your network, becoming referable, and building genuine connections that naturally lead to opportunities.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Stephen

01:32 Stephen’s background in sales

04:47 Why warm referrals outperform cold outreach

07:38 Stephen’s career journey and the role of mentors

11:07 Practical networking strategies anyone can start today

13:09 Three simple steps to improve sales results

17:40 Why genuine human connection matters in business

24:17 How referrals shorten sales cycles and build trust faster

25:10 Where sales managers unintentionally block progress

26:09 The real importance of building and maintaining a network

31:16 When and how cold outreach still has a place

34:50 Mentorship lessons that shaped Stephen’s career

38:00 Why investing in sales enablement matters

41:31 Choosing mission over money in sales

44:00 The 1% that leads to big changes

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Connect with Daniel:

LinkedIn: Daniel RobusWebsite: https://www.growthmattersintl.com

Connect with Stephen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenoommen/