Samantha McKenna

Founder @ #samsales l Sales + Cadences + Executive Branding on LinkedIn l Ex-LinkedIn l Keynote Speaker l 13 Sales Records l Early Stage Investor l Overly Enthusiastic l Swiss Dual Citizen l Creator, Show Me You Know Me®

I had my first exposure to competitive "sales" in sixth grade when my school raised money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.  Knocking door to door and delivering a pitch was the start of my education; I still have the portable TV that I won for second place, which fuels my competitive spirit.

I’ve spent my career in sales doing a few things – breaking records, putting others first, creating global sales programs, educating through peer interaction, and going to great lengths to make people feel valued.  I’ve launched new verticals, overseen the GTM strategy for some of the most successful initiatives in company history, and put in processes across businesses that redefine how each company works and succeeds.

As the founder of #samsales, I oversee an all-women team of 14 who believe in a manners-first and buyer-first approach. We:

•	Run sales trainings that cover prospecting via your likely under-utilized LI Sales Nav licenses, how to write great email copy, Show Me You Know Me™, perfect discovery calls, etc. all while being sales methodology agnostic

•	Speak at 100+ annual events - keynoting for SKOs, international conferences, and podcasts alike re: sales, social selling, and women in tech/sales/leadership

•	Write the content you have in Outreach.io, etc using our proprietary techniques + the most up-to-date data on what works to drive opens + replies

•	Teach social selling - as an LI influencer, ambassador of Sales Navigator, and former LI leader, I understand how to use the ecosystem to truly SELL. I've personally trained tens of thousands on the platform, ranging from 10-person teams to Fortune 500 brands. 

•	Build brands for C-Suites on LinkedIn.  If you want to build a brand on LI but don't know what to write, don't understand the algorithm, and don't have the time to manage, our full-service strategy will manage it exclusively like we do for some of the most prominent/highly visible execs you see on LI.

As a founder, I have one goal - to make as much positive impact as we can.  Since our inception, we’ve raised over 120K via personal donations + our annual charity events for incredible causes, and have given away hundreds of our trainings to the military and transitioning teachers, free of charge.

When you hire us, you're not just hiring a team, but rather investing in one who constantly puts good into the world.

Who am I, otherwise - 

Philanthropist, investor, dog lover, die hard competitor, writer, former Nickelodeon game show contestant, extrovert, expert in self-deprecating humor, and willing to walk through fire to make you laugh.

Limited Partner

Sign up for our newsletters, webinars, and all our content here www.samsalesconsulting.com 

We just fired off an update to every one of our LinkedIn Executive Branding clients on the changing nature of the algorithm and reach on LinkedIn. A quick snippet from one part of our email, if you're also looking for a bit of reasoning on the changes:

What we're seeing today:

Feed saturation: 20% more daily posts competing for the same space.

Rise of suggested and paid content: now ~35% of all feeds.

Quality filters: comments, saves, and profile clicks now count more than likes.

Audience fatigue: people scroll faster and engage more selectively.

How the Algorithm “Thinks” Now:

LinkedIn now groups every post into topic clusters (AI-based “buckets” like sustainability, leadership, or innovation). The stronger your connection to a clear theme, the more likely your content is to be suggested to new, relevant audiences beyond your followers.

That’s why keywords and consistency of posting matters more than ever. The algorithm looks to your headline, about section, and recent posts to confirm your expertise before deciding who sees your content.

Note, you might still see some posts doing tremendously well and wonder, am I the only one getting hit? One of the downfalls of social: easy to feel great about yourself when your content tanks...

But, it's important to keep in mind that you only see half the story: the engagement and comments, not the impressions. Some of my highest engaged with content gets the lowest views, but some of my most curated-for-my-buyers-thought-leadership gets the lowest engagement and highest sends/saves.

Take yesterday's LI/algo post: 86 likes but 12,000+ impressions and 35 saves and 19 sends on LI. 

Then there's also my Dumb and Dumber GIF with 123 likes and 55,000 impressions so...at least it was shared around? 😏 

But as always, do a quick check on your Dark Social score (impressions/likes) - if you're sailing above 50 on average, you're doing great. Above 70 (like the above) and it means your content is resonating and useful to broad audiences.

****************************************************************

The best I can offer is that this platform is like the gym. We get easy wins when we start but things fluctuate daily, we hit plateaus, and what worked then doesn't work now, but keep at it. I've been posting since 2011 and this platform has done more for me than I could ever pay back to it, even if it's a fickle little creature most days.

#samsales #LIEB

Oliver Knowles

Scribeless

Handwritten letters stand out. Ensure your message is heard, and drive positive ROI through locally sent, personalized mailers.

Sales and Operations Manager. (Fractional)

OK-Digital

Remember, people buy from people, but trust is the key ingredient. :)

Have a look at the wonderful feedback I've received from clients during our collaborations.

Know someone, who might benefit from a conversation with me? Let's connect and explore how I can help.

Fractional Business Development Director

Bonanza Studios | Growth Consultancy

As the Growth and Opportunity Lead over at Bonanza, my role is all about spotting and chasing the best growth opportunities for the business.

Bonanza.studios - Works with SaaS startups to nail market fit, optimise cash flow, and drive customer acquisition—without the guesswork.

Growth and Opportunity Lead at Bonanza (Fractional Contract)

Leadable

Outbound sales in an ABM style needs to be relevant and personalized to every prospect. We handle all of this so that your sales team can break through the noise with Tier 1 accounts.

https://www.leadable.io

Head of Sales

Brightmile

Head of Sales Development

Backed by one of the world's largest insurers, Brightmile is the simplest and fastest way to improve your drivers’ safety and reduce your business risk. Brightmile harnesses new technology to deliver AI-powered real-time, contextual prevention whilst engaging drivers. I lead the demand generation side of our business.

Account Manager

Outbound sales to Enterprise needs to be uniquely personalized to every prospect. We handle all of this so that your sales team can focus on closing.

https://www.leadable.io

Client Growth Manager (Fractional)

GatherContent

GatherContent is a Content Operations Platform that helps teams produce effective content, at scale. Customers use our platform to manage the people, and process, for producing effective content that meets user needs and business goals.

We work with leading digital agencies, higher education institutions, governments, non-profits and membership organisations. Some of our customers include Digitas LBI, Harvard University, The Australian Government and Doctors without Borders.

We launched in 2012 and now help thousands of customers, all over the world. Our team is fully remote, working from all over the UK.

Senior Account Executive

TINT (tintup.com)

Head of Europe 

TINT (tintup.com) is a simple, yet powerful solution that lets you aggregate, curate, and display any social media feeds onto your websites, mobile apps, Facebook Pages, retail displays and event walls. It's social engagement, anywhere. Trusted by over 45,000+ brands worldwide.

European Sales & Marketing at TINT (tintup.com) 

Mubaloo Limited

As part of The Mubaloo Group TRW designs and builds enterprise grade websites that empower users and transform business.

TRW shape user experiences around giving more choice to customers, and powerful tools to staff. This helps our clients drive internal efficiencies, improve customer retention and acquisition

Business Development Manager

Kudan

Specialists in mobile Augmented Reality

Kudan is a market leading Augmented Reality specialist. We create award winning solutions through big ideas and technology.

Our services span strategy to core technology development with specialists in digital marketing strategy, 3D and graphic design and computer vision.

Through our AR solutions and strategic planning, we drive footfall, traceability and integrate on and off-line activity in your campaigns. With our AR, your offline activity is now as measurable as digital campaigns.

We have our own technology, an industry-leading track record – and we know how to make a difference.

Clients: ebay, MI (kraft), Diageo, BBC, Monster Energy Drink, Pieminister, Mothercare, Singtel, Universal Music...

Helping business owners build, own & master their outbound sales/GTM Playbook (OK-Digital)

Are you at the helm of an early-stage SaaS company and ready to set up your initial outbound sales function? 

Do you aim to devise a process that's both predictable and scalable, helping you unlock your next round of funding?

Or perhaps you're a founder or sales leader with a compact sales team, still figuring out the intricacies of outbound sales? 

Are you eager to cultivate these essential skills within your team instead of relying on external outsourcing?

Maybe I can help?

I'm a fractional Business Development Director (BDD) with a personalised approach to drive growth. 

Here's what I offer:

✅ ICP/Persona & Messaging Mapping
✅ List Building & Enrichment
✅ Cadence & Email Sequences
✅ Calling Script Writing
✅ Fractional SDR
✅ Playbook Documentation
✅ Tech Stack Implementation

Ready to Drive Predictable Growth? Build, Own & Master Your Outbound Sales / GTM Playbook 🚀
Connect with me at oliver@ok-digital.co.uk - +44 (0) 7990012125.

Yesterday I did something I've maybe done 2-3 times in my entire 20-year sales career.

I stopped a software demo early and walked out.

Here's what happened:

Last week I posted looking for a specific solution for one of my clients. 

Got some good DMs, followed up with everyone. 

One SDR and rep seemed friendly, asked me to join a meeting with their AE.

I made my requirements crystal clear. 

Pushed back twice to qualify properly.... asked directly if they could actually show me what I needed. Got confirmation they could.

Showed up to the demo.

They didn't know who I was. AE was unprepared and a bit aggressive. 

When I reminded them what I was looking for, they went ahead and tried to present something completely different. 

Pushed me towards what they wanted to show, not what I actually needed to see.

So I politely shut it down. "Look, let's not do this."

I get it being an SDR is tough, especially this time of year when you're scrambling to hit quota and you need meetings to show up. 

But here's the thing:If someone gives you information to prepare for a call, use it. Don't just tell the prospect what they want to hear to get them on the calendar. 

t's wasting your time, the AE's time, and everyone else's time. 

And it's never going to convert.

Anyone else had to walk out of a demo?

I blend modern outbound tech with old-school sales craft to build systems that actually convert.

I think this might be my favorite cold email I've ever received.

They've 100% cracked the code to book meetings with sales folks.

"A FREE PATAGONIA FLEECE.......!!!"

Where do I sign 😎

*𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨.

When I'm testing a new talk track in a new vertical, I do something simple that's made me a better seller.

If a conversation flows naturally, whether there's a meeting booked or not, I ask before hanging up:

"One last thing: How did that land with you? What resonated, what didn't?"

Sometimes they tell you that you nailed it (nice for the ego). 

But the real value is when they tell you exactly how to tighten your message or get closer to what actually matters to them.

I still do this on every new campaign (or when it feels right to do so). 

Each conversation makes the next one more valuable.

A lot of salespeople, especially early in their careers, feel like they're interrupting people or wasting their time.

But if you're reaching out because you genuinely believe you can help them, hand on heart, then you're not interrupting. 

You're trying to find the people you can actually serve.

That's your North Star. 

Every conversation should be aiming towards that.

Cold calling is an honourable job when done with the right intention. 

And that intention is simple...............find people you can genuinely help.

Whilst trying your best not to annoy too many people on the way. 

💖

I've got subscriptions to Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT. 

I try to keep on top of what they're all doing because the arms race between them is pretty interesting to watch.

But when I look at my actual usage over the last few months, a pattern's emerged.

Claude handles most of my copywriting and deep thinking around messaging. 

Gemini I'm in constantly for two things: the Google Workspace integration for working directly in Sheets and Slides is slick, and when I need to pull research or insights from documents already sitting in my Drive or Gmail, that native access is genuinely useful for account research and technical digging.

ChatGPT though? I'm just not going back to it as much anymore. 

Not because I decided to stop using it, I just find myself naturally reaching for the other two.

All three have their limitations and strengths, but Claude and Gemini have become my day to day tools without me really planning for that to happen.

What are you noticing with your own usage? 

Are you gravitating towards one or two, or still jumping between all of them?

#HappyFridayLinkedIn

Happy Friday to all my fellow sales folk.

For all those who are hitting the phones today, I salute you and wish you all have meaningful conversations today.

To give you a better chance, we all know that your data and lists are probably the most important things for investment.

I've been recently using BetterEnrich which uses waterfall sourcing across 17 providers for both mobile and email.

I have been seeing great connection rates and quality across all the data that I've pulled for my clients' campaigns.

The pricing is also way better than the other household name waterfall provider that, in my opinion, charges far too much per credit. 😘

If there's one place that you look to invest your money in, it's data quality. 

Can't recommend this enough.

Reach out to Abu Rayhan and he'll get you set up.

*And to confirm, this is not a sponsored post in any way. I'm just always happy to share tools and services that I use myself.

Quick ask for the Salesforce crowd...

Looking for recommendations on sales engagement tools that work natively within Salesforce.

Need something for sequences, task management, and dialling that keeps reps working directly in the CRM - not switching between multiple platforms.

The goal: avoid the sync issues that come with external tools. Want everything happening in one place.

What are you using? What's actually working well for outbound teams?

Appreciate any recommendations 👍

Question for my fellow cold callers:

Has anyone actually managed to get past Android and iOS call screening?

😅  ❄️ ☎️

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The Battle

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Oliver Knowles

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Samantha McKenna's LinkedIn Performance

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