audience & revenue growth tips for B2B startups and creators

My mission is to build predictable pipelines for B2B startups. I share what I learn along the way. 

Read more if you are ready to build your pipeline 👇

💡 I am super relevant if you are:

→ Indie Hacker
→ Freelancer
→ Early Startup Founder
→ B2B Sales Person
→ Creator (any profession)

✍️ I write about:

→ B2B sales
→ Go to market strategies
→ Signal-based prospecting

Little more about me:

Cryptocurrency Investor. SaaS Enthusiast. Agriculture Business Owner. 

Lived in 3 countries.

I'm a T-shaped growth person who has experience in sales, content marketing, and growth.

Drop me a LinkedIn message if you need any help.

We will keep it simple.

Twitter: @sehaokudan

https://calendly.com/sehaokudan/30min

Seha Okudan

Helping B2B founders turn LinkedIn into deals | GTM Strategist

5 worst discovery questions:

5 difficult scenarios for salespeople:
(Even for the top ones.)

5 difficult scenarios for salespeople:

Stop trying to fake urgency in B2B. 
(it doesn't work)

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁:

→ Knowing pain
→ Understanding the impact of pain

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝟮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀:

1️⃣ Not every problem is worth solving

Trying to create an urgency won't work if they don't have something that is worth solving.

Nobody will buy a strong painkiller for a mild headache, even if it’s the last day of a 20% discount.

If the impact of the pain is close to zero, no urgency will stick.

2️⃣ A problem can have different solutions

Even if the pain is real, buyers still have options.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻:

•⁠ ⁠Build in-house
•⁠ ⁠Pick a cheaper workaround
•⁠ ⁠Wait until the budget frees up

Both a raincoat and an umbrella protect you from rain.

If you don’t show why your path is better, faster, or safer;

Urgency dies.

𝗧𝗟;𝗗𝗥

𝗧𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆:

-⁠ ⁠Find the pain that matters most
- ⁠Show the true cost of doing nothing
- ⁠Prove why solving it now beats later
- ⁠Position your solution as the safest path

Deals move when urgency is real. 

Not when it’s forced.

How do you create urgency without sounding pushy?

5 Unexpected Things in Sales
(hope they happen to you today)

5 Unexpected things in sales:

Contact data is out of control.
(for real)

Don't get me wrong.

I don't mind people pitching me.

I do it every day, too.

BUT

Every single week, some people:

- Add me to lists I never joined.
- Drop me into random waitlists.
- Email me again after I unsubscribe.
- Promise what no one can deliver.
- Sends emails written with poor prompts.
- Message me on WhatsApp out of nowhere.

I block them. They switch mailboxes.
I say, “I’m not a fit,” they keep texting.
I say it on the phone, they keep selling.

“I want to tell you about a promo…”
 “There’s a new offer…”

I don't want to click on report Spam.
I don't want to be rude.
I get it, we all try to make a living.

But this is not outreach.
This is not marketing.

This is SPAM.

Are some people ruining the industry?

Bad contact data can kill your business.
(real examples)

Your data provider is the most important part of your tech stack.
It is non-negotiable.

If your data is bad, you lose.
Simple as that.

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝟭:
Picked the best provider, tested ICP coverage.
Checked accuracy and verified test emails.
Only had HubSpot + the data provider (not ideal).

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀:
Hit targets.
Scaled the team.
Added new tools later.

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝟮:
Paid for expensive tool stacks for sequencing, etc.
Then, they selected the most cost effective data provider.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀:
High bounce rates.
Burned mailboxes.
Low call connect rates.
The team missed targets.
The company started downsizing the sales team.

𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀:
1.  Build a sample list. Verify it.
2. Check coverage across your ICP + regions.
3. Choose tools that use waterfall enrichment.

If your data provider is wrong, nothing you do will work.
You cannot afford bad data.

How do you choose your contact data provider?

12 mistakes that cost you deals:

Ethum

You want to grow but you don’t have the resources, skills, experience to work on regional/International expansion and achieve your dreams ?

We got you covered !

We provide our Growth as a Service as an on-going SaaS-like support to CEOs, Founders, Co-Founders, Investors, Chief Commercial Officers, Chief Growth Officers, Chief Revenue Officers, VP Sales, VP Growth to tackle growth-related challenges (like growth Model, Customer Acquisition systems, tactical Cash Flow management, Hiring…) for the cost of a single full time-employee.

Not only we advise but we get Sh* done by implementing what we recommend and partnering with your team on the frontline to sell your product and Services.
 
𝐌𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 : 𝐀𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞-𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 !

Chief Executive Officer & Founder  - Making the impossible look simple (We are hiring !)

ESS - Enterprise Software Solutions

Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, ESS stands as a worldwide cloud-services, entirely dedicated to the Microsoft platform. Our team comprises experienced, skilled, and knowledgeable professionals who embody the digital mindset, methodologies, and tools, applying them to every project.

One of the few Microsoft partners that focuses on Licensing and help companies reduce cloud spend

Chief Growth Officer

Wallex

•• Responsible for driving new direct sales client acquisition, recurring revenue and S$1XX+ million monthly volume of transaction across Singapore and Indonesia. Responsibilities includes Sales Strategy, Sales management, Hiring, budgeting, Sales forecasting, commission modeling. Managed a team of 11 Sales including 2 Sales Director.

Achievements:
 
• Operated a turnaround of within the organization leading to closing the largest Quarter End in company’s history hitting S$1XX million volume of transactions and generating a revenue of S$XXXK with an overall XX% margin in a highly price sensitive and very low margin Industry.

• Developed company's global sales strategy and execution roadmap with a focus on increasing volume, revenue and margin. As a result, generated an additional S$ 1X million in volume for the company from October 2019 (S$1X million in Indonesia and S$X million in Singapore) at an overall margin of XX% compare to the previous XX%. 

• Purchased, customized and implemented Freshsales CRM to support a fully automated Sales process and Pipeline management which help to grow the pipeline in volume from under S$ XXXK to S$ 1X million.

• Reorganized, re-trained and coached a sales force of 5 team members in Indonesia achieving the highest numbers in new client acquisition since the start of the operations (October S$ 1XXK, November S$ XXXK, December S$ X million)

• Built from the ground up a team of 6 Sales Managers in Singapore including 1 Sales director. With a clear vision I was able to attract Top performers from well established companies.

• Developed and implemented The Sales Playbook and best practices, Sales Analytic Dashboard, commission structure while implemented key Sales metrics (average size of deal, sales cycle, revenue and volume closed, conversion rate, pipeline velocity)

• Built the specification for the revenue management dashboard introducing the concepts of MRR, Churn rate, CLTV, CAC

Vice President of Sales and Revenue

Ascender HCM

•	Responsible for new client acquisition in Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, China, Thailand, and Hong Kong. Collaboration with support teams of Legal, Finance, Operations, and Account Management to close new customer deals by leveraging and driving the sales process.  Development of strategies and tactics to grow sales pipeline and close complex multi-country deals, including lead generation, cold calling, social selling, referrals, and networking. 

Achievements: 
•	Successful positioning of the company’s payroll outsourcing managed services, SaaS, and Cloud HCM software by understanding the customer’s key strategies, business drivers, current micro, and macro-economic trends.
•	Achieved 83% YTD of the sales quota while building a sales pipeline from the ground. 
•	Finalised complex deals for both Cloud Payroll and HCM with multinational and local companies, (Firmenich, iQor, UOB, QBE, French School, Indeed) for a total ACV of SGD XXM and TCV of SGD XXM with an average gross margin of XX%.
•	Accomplished complex deals by utilising a clear sales strategy, creative pricing, and contract negotiation tactics.
•	Recognized as valuable salesperson in the company for contribution to the significant improvement of Asia revenue.

Regional Sales Manager

RP International

This role required the development and implementation of a business plan to diversify a revenue stream historically rooted in the Telecoms industry, affecting new sales and business development across the technology vertical (fintech, cloud, big data, analytics, and digital marketing). Developing prospection strategies to build a pipeline from the ground up with a focus on Singapore, while exploiting emerging opportunities in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysian markets.   Development of strategies and tactics to grow sales pipeline and close complex multi-country deals, including lead generation, cold calling, social selling, referrals, and networking.

Achievements: 
•	Acquired ten new logos of digital and fintech companies (Transferwise, Grab Taxi), reactivated partnerships with largest consulting firms (Accenture, PWC, KPMG) and generated a sales pipeline of SGD XXM after only six months in the role. 
•	Achieved XX% generating XXK with an average margin of XX% with the conversion ratio of 30%. 
•	Significantly improved profitability by maintaining an average of 25% fees on assignments. 
•	Successfully negotiated a global agreement with the world’s largest fintech company (Alipay) for several locations including the US, the Middle East, and SE Asia.

Head of Business Development for Permanent Recruitment 	

K2 Partnering Solutions

Responsible for driving new sales and business development to onboard new logos within the technology industry (cloud, cybersecurity, mobility, social media, analytics) for both contracts and permanent assignments within APAC (Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia)

Achievements: 
•	Successfully built up a new revenue stream by implementing innovative services through partners ecosystems, leveraging the partnership between K2 and Salesforce.com. 
•	Established and nurtured C-level relationships within targeted accounts through many varied engagements (referrals, networking, warm and cold calling, social selling) to grow sales pipeline and close deals in the Singapore market. 
•	Acquired 10+ new logos in the first year from the ground up, generating a pipeline of SGD XXM. 
•	Accomplished direct annual sales turnover of SGD XXk with a conversion rate of 10% (XXk directly and SGD XXk indirectly) by cross-selling with the other business units across the Asia Pacific and Europe. 
•	Closed the largest deal across the Asia Pacific, generating a service fee of SGD 50k on one placement.

Technology Practice Director

Gemini Personel

•	Led teams comprising of 240+ employees across China (Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou) and managed P&L for the group exceeding USD 10m revenue.  Managed a team of 11 directors across all functions, including Sales, Marketing, HR, Finance, Delivery, and Marketing and upheld complex relationships with the Board of Directors, shareholders, and Group Chairman. Managed effectiveness through performance management, recruitment, coaching, and mentoring

Achievements: 
•	Led transformational New Sales and Account Management culture change, initiating sales revenue increase.
•	Increase sales by 22% in the first year through a series of process changes that refocused sales and account management teams on quantifiable sales goals and performance. 
•	Leveraged web crawling technology to support the lead generation process, resulting in the creation of a USD 20m sales pipeline with a conversion rate of 11%.
•	Navigated intense internal politics, eradicating a dysfunctional and intimidating corporate culture, to restore employee morale, motivation, and a focus on performance and service excellence. 
•	Provided effective change leadership to increase employee retention across senior and middle management teams.

Managing Director

I-Technology Recruitment

Led diverse teams across China (Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong) and managed P&L. 

Achievements: 
•	Revived a struggling operation from being on the verge of bankruptcy to turnaround success.  
•	Championed the development and implementation of strategic plans and innovative marketing ideas. 
•	Restructured company organization to focus on selling and built a team capable of delivering sustained organic growth. 
•	Credited for my part in growing sales 400% in 1.5 years and boosting the annual turnover to USD 4m+.
•	Leveraged technology and implemented and analytics-driven sales process. 
•	Implemented new accounting processes and robust financial discipline/monitoring processes (revenue, deals margin, cash flow) 
•	Increased gross margin from 30% to 77% and a net profit margin of 30+%. 
•	Recruited and trained Chinese teams across Sales, Human Resources, IT, Delivery, Marketing, and Accounting functions.

Chief Operating Officer

Groupe onePoint

•	Responsibility for XX+ employees, managing P&L exceeding USD XXm revenue and daily operations, focusing on sales and business development. 

Achievements: 
•	Increase sales by repositioning the subsidiary as the Group’s outsourcing platform while acquiring new customers locally. 
•	Led a quick turnaround in sales by leveraging the customer base of the group. 
•	Increased annual sales turnover from USD XXM to USD XXM.
•	Created new revenue streams through BPO services (Business Process Outsourcing).

Achievements: 
•	Successfully developed strategic and tactical sales plans to secure existing account and grow new markets. 
•	Established new business, customer acquisition and pre-sales in a complex sales environment. 
•	Promoted innovative technology revenue streams such as mobile technologies, augmented reality, enterprise architecture acting as sales, pre-sales, and technical subject matter.

IT Service Sales Manager

PS consulting

Responsible for 15 direct reports and USD XXM+ turnover.

Achievements: 
•	Improved sales growth by building new revenue streams through new markets and leveraging the existing base of customers.
•	Recruited, coached, and mentored the Sales Manager and an engineer to exceed business goals consistently.
•	Attained annual sales revenue of USD XXM +.
•	Managed 10+ key strategic accounts, including retail, banking, industry, telecommunication.

Business Development Director / Enterprise Architect / Solution & Technical Architect

Converting businesses into brands | Creating Insane marketing and sales systems for your brands to 10X your growth.

Is your brand not generating enough sales?

It sucks if your business goes downhill because of:

➤  Hiring issues
➤  Execution hurdles with over 25 employees
➤  Owner-led sales to system transition challenges
➤  Ineffective marketing by a profitable multinational
➤  Issues with financial modelling, pricing, and forecasting

LET ME HANDLE YOUR PROBLEMS!

I will embed my growth teams in your brand to ensure all the elements of growth including:

➤ Boosting Sales
➤ Managing Revenue
➤ Launching Products 
➤ Analyzing Competitors 
➤ Mastering Digital Marketing
➤ Gathering Market Intelligence
➤ Strengthening Human Resources 

In short - I can help you build a 7-figure brand in no time.

Your growth journey begins with the right partner.

Being your sales and marketing expert, I can guarantee:

➤  10X sales 
➤  10X lead generation
➤  Effective audience outreach
➤  Customer acquisition system
➤  Enhanced customer retention 
➤  Double digit year on year growth 
➤  Attract A-players for small and medium businesses

Just to let you know:

I'm not just about sales; I'm about building empires.

With 20 years of sales and marketing mastery,

I've transformed businesses into revenue powerhouses!

Still not sure?

My 15+ recommendations speak for themselves!

So, are you ready to turn your business into 7 figure brands?

I'm the guy you don't want your competition to hire! 

DM me “SALES” and transform your brand into a sales machine.

Pascal CALOC (Your Sales Guy)

I don’t use ChatGPT for my business ops but this morning, I asked ChatGPT to analyze all my sales conversations from the past 60 days.

I took all my sales data from the last 60 days.  Every lead, conversion, reply rate, and client touchpoint and asked ChatGPT to analyze it.

But didn’t tell it how much I’d earned.

It looked at the messages, timing, tone, and close rates. 

Then gave me this answer:

“Based on these patterns, you’re closing between $20K and $30K a month, but you’re leaving around 40% of potential revenue untouched.”

Close. But not quite.

So I told it the real number. 
And then it said something that made me pause:

“You’re not missing leads. You’re missing conversion signals. Most of your warm prospects don’t disappear… they just drift because your system doesn’t re-engage them at the right emotional point.”

Here’s what ChatGPT found after a deeper look:

26% of leads that ghosted opened follow-up messages within 72 hours. 9% replied after being re-engaged through a different channel (LinkedIn or Email). 

71% of closed deals used the same 3 trust triggers, clarity, authority, and timing.

In short:

→ You’re not underperforming.
→ You’re under-tracking.

So now I’m curious: What would happen if you let ChatGPT audit your last 30 sales conversations?

Would it tell you you’re bad at selling… or just blind to your signals? Only time will tell. 

P.S. Do you think ChatGPT will replace the CRMs as well?

Pascal Caloc

Yesterday my client accused me of using ChatGPT to run their sales ops. 😳

For a second, I thought my heart stopped.

I asked, “Why do you think that?”

He said:

“Because the follow-ups are too fast, 
too structured, and too much robotic.”

I laughed.

“No AI here,” I said. 
“Just a simple system that actually works.”

We checked the numbers together:

Zero bots involved
Replies up by 40%
2 deals closed that week

He laughed and said, “Well… whatever it is, keep doing it.”

Sometimes, great systems look like magic.

But it’s really just consistency backed up data and lots of testing. 

P.S. Would you take it as an insult or a compliment if someone said your work felt “too good to be human”?

The American dream isn’t the big title, business-class flights, or fancy office lunches anymore.

It’s having enough free time to actually be with your family.

Honestly… it took me years to understand that.

I used to think success meant working nonstop.
More calls. More clients. More hustle.

I was glued to my laptop like it was the only way to survive.

But one day, my daughter asked me why I was always on my laptop.

What’s the point of success if you’re too busy to enjoy it?

That’s when I stopped chasing “more work”…
and started building systems that gave me more life.

Systems that:

Bring leads without me being online all day
Keep follow-ups running even when I’m with my family
Turn LinkedIn, email, and CRM into a predictable engine

And suddenly… I got my time back.
Weekends felt like weekends again.
My business kept growing without the chaos.

So yeah, the dream isn’t the job or the title.
It’s the freedom.

More time for your kids.
More peace in your head.
More control over your day.

And you don’t get that from hustling harder.

You get it from building smarter.

Have a good weekend you all. 

P.S. What does “freedom” look like for you right now?

Every resignation letter starts with a moment your team feel unprotected.

A real leader protects their team. Always.

When things go wrong, real leaders don’t point fingers.

They step forward. They take the hit.
They protect their team from unnecessary blame.

1. Leading with empathy
2. Listening before deciding
3. Protecting your team means
4. Creating psychological safety
5. Advocating for fair opportunities

Because trust is built in those moments.
Not during performance reviews or team meetings.

If your team knows you’ve got their back,
they’ll move mountains for you.

Leadership isn’t about being in charge.
It’s about taking care of those in your charge.

Spreading motivation and positivity on Monday. 

P.S. What’s one thing your best leader did that made you feel protected?

I paid $40,000 for my MBA.

But it’s still sitting in my closet. 

After 13 years, 6 acquisitions, and crossing 7-figures in lifetime revenue…

Here are 16 business truths they’ll never teach you in business school:

--

1. Over 90% of startups fail. Instead of building from scratch. Buy one that’s already running, grow it, and repeat.

--

2. You don’t get rich by cutting costs. You get rich by using leverage, debt, and investors to buy assets that pay you back.

--

3. The real “American Dream” isn’t a 9–5, shiny title, or office perks. It’s time freedom and enough passive income to raise your family right.

--

4. You don’t need a degree for a 6-figure salary.
You can buy one by acquiring a small, cash-flowing business.

--

5. The wealthiest person on your street probably doesn’t work in tech. They likely own a plumbing, HVAC, or junk removal business. Unsexy > unstable.

--

6. That $40,000 MBA. It won’t teach you half as much as buying your first small business.

--

7. Marry a supportive partner. It’s the most underrated financial decision you’ll ever make.

--

8. I’m not leaving my kids cash. I’m leaving them a business portfolio and the knowledge to run (or sell) it.

--

9. 90% of “unique ideas” fail. The self-made millionaire you admire probably owns something simple and boring.

--

10. The best business model is not flashy.
Low risk. Proven market. Predictable income. That’s what builds wealth.

--

11. If my grandma can’t understand the business, I don’t buy it. Clarity > Complexity.

--

12. Don’t quit your job until your business income matches your paycheck. Dream big but don’t go broke chasing it.

--

13. Buy assets. Set up a trust. Make your kids beneficiaries. That’s real generational wealth.

--

14. 10,000 boomers retire every single day. 20% of small businesses are up for grabs. This is the biggest wealth transfer in history.

--

15. Don’t wait till you’re 60 to be “free.” Start buying cash-flowing assets now so you can enjoy life while it’s happening.

--

16. The myth: “Start small.” The truth: A $3M deal is often easier and safer than a $300K one. Better systems. Better books. Better team.

--

The majority of my business wins came from doing the opposite of what I was taught.

While everyone chases trends…
I chase boring, profitable businesses.

Because freedom isn’t built on hype, it’s built on cash flow.

P.S. Which point did you resonate with the most?

taplio

The Battle

Seha Okudan

Pascal CALOC (Your Sales Guy)

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taplio

The Battle

Seha Okudan

Pascal CALOC (Your Sales Guy)

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

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