Marlowe Drake (@marlowedrak12) / X

Just turned down a $4k/mo client. They wanted 1,000 cold emails a day to a list of 300. I said no. Last time I said yes to that setup, we torched a domain in 3 weeks. Saying no is retention.

Marlowe Drake

@marlowedrak12

19h

Took on a client who promised they'd send leads within 48 hours. Week one: zero leads. Week two: zero leads. I spent 14 hours building the list myself. Fired them after 21 days. Cost me $2,800 in setup. Now I charge for list building upfront.

Marlowe Drake

@marlowedrak12

19h

Hired a 10-year sales vet for $80k base. Lasted 3 weeks. Quit after I asked him to send 100 emails a day. Replaced him with a barista, zero sales background. She booked 6 meetings month one. The vet spent 3 hours polishing one email. Send reps are built, not bought.

Marlowe Drake

@marlowedrak12

Aug 30

Pay SDRs on replies, not meetings. Replies they control. Meetings depend on your offer and market. I moved comp to 60% reply bonus. Flameout rate dropped from 45% to 12%. You're punishing people for a system you haven't built. Fight me on this.

Marlowe Drake

@marlowedrak12

Aug 30

Hired 11 SDRs in 3 years. The best 3 never sold a thing. Waitress, bartender, gym coach. The 'experienced' hires showed up with templates, bad habits, and takes they couldn't back up. Blank slate beats rusty playbook. Cost me about $60K in salaries to figure that out.