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Transcript

OK18: I talk about outbound, SDR leadership and AI (Hype vs Reality)

I joined Jordan Abbott on the SDR Leaders of EMEA podcast.

Listen now on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple.

Last week, I started using a new app for podcasts: Snipd. Listen to today's episode here. And honestly, it’s a game-changer. Why I love it: it transcribes the whole episode using AI. It automatically saves key insights (or you can “snip” parts you like). At the end, you get a recap email with your notes. You can send everything to Notion or Readwise. You can try it free for a month. Not getting paid to say this, I just think it’s super useful.

In today's episode, I joined Jordan Abbott on the SDR Leaders of EMEA podcast.

In this episode, I reveal the leadership lessons I learned the hard way, from overcoming isolation as a new manager to avoiding costly hiring mistakes.

Discover why leadership is a completely different job, how to unlock your team’s hidden superpowers, and where AI fits into outbound strategy today.

You’ll also learn actionable tips for mastering cross-functional collaboration and preparing for seasonal challenges in sales.

We discuss:

  • Transitioning from SDR to Leadership

  • Common Outbound Leadership Mistakes

  • Building Effective Outbound Teams

  • Leadership Enablement and Isolation

  • AI in Outbound Strategy

  • Encouraging Self-Awareness in Outbound Reps

  • Preparing for Seasonal Challenges

Listen to the SDR Leaders of EMEA podcast on: Spotify & Apple

Some takeaways

Leadership is NOT Just a Promotion

Going from SDR to manager? Forget about just replicating your own success. Your job is now about making others successful. That means understanding their strengths, their motivations, and getting the best out of them, not just pushing what worked for you.

Hiring > Processes

Processes help, sure. But if you hire the wrong people, no process will save you. A strong team can figure things out even if the process isn’t perfect. A weak team? They’ll drown in structure and still fail. Hire well. Everything else follows.

Find and Double Down on Strengths

Stop forcing everyone to be great at everything. Some reps kill it on cold calls. Others write killer emails. Identify their superpowers and lean into them. Trying to make everyone “well-rounded” is just slowing them down.

AI is a Time-Saver, NOT a Replacement

AI isn’t replacing SDRs anytime soon, especially for high-value accounts. What it can do is handle low-value tasks like CRM updates, scoring prospects, and automating busywork. That means more time for SDRs to actually sell.

Outbound is a Team Sport

If sales, marketing, and product aren’t talking, your outbound strategy is broken. The best outbound teams work across departments to align messaging, share insights, and make outbound more efficient.

Self-Awareness Through Data

Want your team to improve? Have them compare their metrics (connect rates, meetings booked, etc.) against team averages. No more excuses. Just raw data showing them where they need to step up.

Q4 is NOT a Lost Cause

People love to say “outbound dies in Q4.” Wrong. If you adjust your strategy (timing, messaging, target accounts), you can still hit numbers. The real problem? Reps slow down, not the market.

In this episode, we cover:

00:00 Introduction to Leadership

01:03 Guest Introduction: Elric Legloire

02:21 Transitioning to Leadership

05:02 Common Pitfalls for New Leaders

09:58 Leadership Enablement and Development

15:19 Professional Development for SDRs

23:03 Trends in the Outbound Space: AI

28:52 Q4 Strategies and Preparation