Chris Ritson

Late Co-Founder + COO

Founder & Sales Trainer

The SDR to AE Bootcamp

Founder

The SDR Leader

Co-Founder & SDR Leadership Coach

The User Syndicate

Angel Investor & Member

Data Literacy Academy

Angel Investor

Qobra

MySalesCoach

Jointflows

Uhubs

Uhubs saves Sales Leaders time and ramps reps faster by using data to intelligently develop reps into A players.

Sourced From The User Syndicate:

https://theusersyndicate.com/
https://theusersyndicate.typeform.com/membersapply

ecademy

I make Cold Outreach easy for SDR teams💰

I run TWO businesses (am I crazy? Maybe) 

Here’s what they do: 

Business 1.0 - I help SDRs hit quota and get promoted. 

How? 

1. My digital courses - The Cold Call OS, Outbound Systems & The Social Selling OS are all best sellers. 

2. My live Bootcamps - The SDR-to-AE Skills Camp. 

3. My Outbound Team Training Program. 

Want to learn more? Check out my website or email me at chris@flexprts.com.


Business 2.0 - I help SDR Leaders build high performance SDR teams. 

How? 

1. Live Bootcamps - The SDR Leader Bootcamp 

So yes, I’m a busy boy. But I LOVE what I do and I LOVE the SDR community! 
 
When you need me, reach out:

Email: chris@flexprts.com
Phone: +447814904622

Co-Founder + CEO

An SDR Cold Emailed me...

The Email:

''Hi Chris - I hope you're well.

Are you looking to grow your customer base? I bet you are.

We work with lots of leading training companies to boost the number of customers they have.

We also offer a full 28 day refund.

Do you think you'd have time on Monday to discuss this?

Thanks - Ant''

My reply:

''Hi Ant - always appreciate SDRs hustling!

I'm not interested but here are some email tips to help you convert others...

1. Remove ''I hope you're well'' - it's polite but unnecessary.

2. Switch your first sentence for an observation about me.

3. Love you're making a bet but give more context. What exactly are you betting?

4. Be specific with the customers you have helped. Limit to one logo and include the exact result you achieved.

5. Remove the refund line & reduce your CTA to 'worth a short convo?'

6. Include a PS. if you can.

Here's the whole step by step guide if you'd like it: https://lnkd.in/ezqwV9RZ

Good luck - Chris.

PS. Always use a PS in your cold emails mate!

----

1 week later Ant messaged saying he'd booked a meeting using the framework.

Win for him.
Win for his biz.
And a big win for me.

It takes 1 minute to write feedback emails to SDRs.

And can be all the difference between them hitting quota or not.

PS. ♻️ Repost if you'd like to share this with your network.

And follow me Chris Ritson for more SDR training content like this.

Founder @chrisritson.xyz & thesdrleader.com | Online Courses, Bootcamps & Workshops For SDRs and SDR Leaders

I interviewed 2 SDRs 👫 
 
SDR 1 - Male, on £30k. Wanted £35k. 
SDR 2 - Female, on £23k. Wanted £26k. 
 
I hired them both on £35k. 
They hit target for 12 months. 
 
Male SDR asked for a pay rise. 
The female SDR didn't. 
 
I gave them both pay rises. 
Promoted both to AE 6 months later. 
 
Male leaders - just because the men in your team ask more doesn't mean they deserve it more. 
 
Remember: It costs $0 to favour fairness. 

PS. Do you agree? ♻️ repost if you do! Thanks! 
 
---- 
 
📌 Want to be an AE in 2025? I created a 2-hour workshop for you. 

- Learn how to create AE job applications
- Master AE job interview stages
- Choose the right job offer

99% don't treat interviewing as a skill.
They never learn or master it. 

When you do → you win! Way faster.

Check out the workshop here:

https://lnkd.in/ez3-wy5b

SDR Manager: ''Make more dials''
SDR Leader: ''Let's do calls together''

SDR Manager: ''Send more emails'' 
SDR Leader: ''Shall we practice emails?'' 

SDR Manager: ''Your activity is really low''
SDR Leader: ''Your conversion is amazing'' 

SDR Manager: ''Here's a stretch target''
SDR Leader: ''Go home, you've hit goal'' 

SDR Manager: ''You need to be in office''
SDR Leader: ''I trust you to get the job done''

SDR Manager: ''You''ll be promoted soon'' 
SDR Leader: ''I can't promote you until we improve XYZ, here's a coaching plan'' 

Most ''Managers'' never make it to ''Leader''. 

Do you agree? 

PS. ♻️ Repost for others in your network. 

And follow me Chris Ritson for more SDR content.

An SDR cold-called me...

[And it was a really good call]

Here's the conversation:
 
SDR: ''Hi Chris - it's Mike, how are you today?'' 
 
Me: ''Yh good, how are you?'' 
 
SDR: ''Good - thanks for asking, so when I speak to founders they typically tell me they spend £££ on events but get next to no leads from them. Is that similar for you? 
 
Me: ''Tbh events aren't a big focus for me''. 
 
[Note how Mike handles...] 
 
SDR: ''Mind sharing what is a focus for lead gen?'' 
 
Me: ''Organic via Social and Outbound''. 
 
SDR: ''Fair enough, are there plans for that to change at all, say in the next 6 months''? 
 
Me: ''It's unlikely to be honest, you're best disqualifying me for a year and coming back to the account. Btw this was a great call, don't let me saying no stop you calling like this''. 
 
No meeting but it was a great call.
 
Here's why: 
 
1. Got straight to it after the ''pleasantries''. 
 
2. Led with a ''typical'' problem statement which made me feel comfortable opening up. 
 
3. Didn't say ''what are your priorities'' instead said ''mind sharing...''. This is a huge difference. 
 
4. When he realised my focus wasn't something he could help with he asked about the future to see if I was more of a ''not right now'' rather than pushing me hard. 
 
Calling is about how you make the prospect *feel*.
 
Switch your language from ''what'' or ''why'' questions to ''mind saying'' or ''mind telling me''. 
 
It's MUCH softer & your prospects prefer it. 
 
PS. I created a free cold call training for you to get ahead.

Sign-up here: https://lnkd.in/e2CKDQSG

High paid SDRs in 2025:

Will not:

1. Work >100 accounts
2. Do 200+ calls per day
3. Blame Marketing leads
4. Grumble about their AE
5. Discard accounts too quickly
6. Think sales is a ''numbers game''
7. Send 1000s of automated emails
8. Have a manager who won't coach 'em
9. Post ''thought leadership'' on LinkedIn and get loads of inbound meetings...

Will:

1. Work fewer, better accounts
2. 40-50 strategic calls per day
3. Give Marketing weekly feedback
4. Find a caring coach as a manager 
5. 20-25 highly targeted emails daily
6. Work on mastering the DMs on LinkedIn
7. 2 hours of ''no distraction'' work every-day
8. 15 minutes weekly reviewing performance
9. Learn that conversion matters more than aimless volume

Want to know what ''high-paid'' looks like in your location?

Go here: https://lnkd.in/e3h2b-q3

♻️ Repost if you think this will be ''the way'' in 2025.

---

PS. I'm Chris Ritson, I post SDR content everyday. Follow me if ya fancy it.

I interviewed an SDR who hit 155% in Q4...
 
Here are the 4 things they swear by: 
 
𝟭. 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 
↳ 3 ''high relevance'' emails hitting 1 problem per sequence.
↳ 1 problem per email. Under 50 words. 
↳ 1 highly relevant story based on the problem you solved per email. 
 ↳ One ''low friction'' CTA. E.g. Can I send a 30-second video explaining more? 

𝟮. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 
↳ Stop saying ''agree'', ''great news'' or something similar 
↳ Use challenge-based questions to start the conversation 
↳ Share alternative opinions to your prospects + support with stories 
↳ Use the CTA - ''can I DM you''? 
 
𝟯. 𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 
↳ 30% of prospects aren't in market right now 
↳ Tailor ALL content to them on a 1:1 basis so they remember you. 
↳ Don't send long case studies. Stay ''on problem'' with every touch point. 
 
𝟰. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁/𝗪𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀: 
↳ STOP inviting everyone to every event and webinar in your list.
↳ Match the problem the webinar or event will focus on to your personas.
↳ Only invite personas with an explanation of why it's useful to them.
 
Hitting quota was really tough in 2024.
Good news; it ain't 2024 no more 🙌

Hope it's helpful, my SDR friends. 

♻️ Repost if you fancy it. Thanks!

PS. My SDR to AE Bootcamp closes for registration 24th Jan.

I met an SDR who only makes 20 cold calls a day.
And hits >120% of her quota every month.

[she's a master at LinkedIn DMs] 

Here's 5 tips she swears by:

1. Master one channel
↳ Stop spreading yourself thin. Get great at DMs and double down.

2. Don’t pitch until you’ve found a pain point
↳ Start the conversation, uncover the problem, then pitch. Stop sending cold pitches.

3. Name drop your colleagues
↳ “I spoke with X,” or “I saw Y post...” Show you’re connected and credible.

4. Use calls to follow up
↳ Leverage the phone to warm up cold DMs. It makes your outreach more personal.

5. Skip case studies in DMs
↳ No one wants them. Focus on building rapport and having real conversations.

Bonus: ONLY ask closed questions to finish each DM: 

''Saw you are hiring 2 BDRs. Mind if I ask a question on that?'' 

This isn't rocket science. Find what works, and master it.

♻️ Reshare if you think this could help other SDRs.

PS: I'm Chris Ritson, I created a ($0) cold call training called 12 mistakes of a cold caller. 

You can get it here: https://lnkd.in/e94K8936

Met an SDR who only works Enterprise 
They hit 160%+ of quota 4 quarters straight

Here's the 5 top tips they gave me to book BIG meetings: 

1. Get great at asking for referrals 
- You'll speak to a lot of the ''wrong people'' to get to the right person. Referrals speed up the process 10x. 

2. One meeting isn't good enough
- If you want to build Ent pipeline you need 3+ meetings at the same account. Land and expand. 

3. Use ''Introduction Emails'' 
- When you go high in an account don't ask for meetings. Ask for introductions to their subordinates. People listen to power. 

4. Go low for information 
- Middle management have no power. But they do have problems. Gather intel low. Use it in your messaging to seniors. 

5. 1 person meetings are red flags 
- Always aim to get 2+ people on every meeting you book. 1 person meetings rarely go anywhere. Multithread like your life depends on it. 

Stop using mid-market and SMB tactics to try and book big meetings. 

Go into ''detective mode'', gather intel, use it in your messaging and be patient. 

I created a talk-track for multithreading your cold calls...

Grab it here: https://lnkd.in/e2CKDQSG

Hope this is helpful, my Ent. SDR friends. 

♻️ Reshare for others in your network. 

PS. I'm Chris Ritson, I help SDRs through content on here.

SDR commission plans need a major overhaul. 
The "monthly quota" just doesn't cut it anymore.

Here’s why:

1. Monthly quotas pressure reps and damage outreach

↳ Increased pressure leads to poor outreach tactics and spammy messaging.
↳ Quality 1:1 conversations get ruined by urgency and scarcity tactics.

2. Sales is NOT binary

↳Only 3% are ready to buy now.
↳30% will be in the market later.
↳Prospects prefer self-guided learning

3. Pushing reps to disqualify “maybes” burns territories and misses future opportunities.

↳80%+ prefer to learn about companies on their own time.
↳With 11.3 touches needed to book a meeting (up from 7.3 in 2014), SDRs need time to build trust, not just hit quotas.

Sales and relationships take time. 
Monthly plans force the opposite behaviours. 

SDRs should align with prospects, not an outdated commission plan.

Better Relationships = More Results = More Commission 💯
 
♻️ Reshare if you think this could help other SDRs.

PS. Are monthly commissions a little outdated?

I met the #1 SDR in the UK...

Here's 9 top tips he shared with me:

[in a 15 min convo]

1. Calling is the easiest way to book meetings

- Use a script
- Practice your opener
- Repeat 1000x until its perfect

→ No shying away from the phone. Practice daily until you achieve mastery.

2. Never underestimate a hard week

- Do your calls
- Do your emails
- Build your lists

Don't skip activities because it's been a hard week.

→ Small inputs, executed daily compound and make next week better.

3. Reps that don't quit win

- No pickups? Keep dialling
- No responses? Keep emailing
- Getting ghosted? Keep DMing

→ The best reps keep going past what their colleagues think is ''normal''.

4. Never celebrate a meeting booked until you've asked for a referral.

- Ask on calls
- Ask over email
- Ask in the DMs

→ If you don't ask, you don't get. Try to book 2 meetings on 1 call.

5. Reps who can identify nurture and convert ''maybes'' into meetings win.

- Maybe does
- Not mean
- Never

→ Maybes ARE Money. The best reps know this.

6. Good, bad or ugly. Always review your performance.

- 1 hour per week
- What worked?
- What didn't?

→ The best review how they performed and optimise for the next week to be better.

7. A ''low-level'' stakeholder at a good account is better than a ''high'' level stakeholder at a bad account.

- ICP only
- Ignore the rest

→ 99% of success is in the list you put your precious time and energy into. Make it great.

8. Prayer is powerful in sales

- Reflection
- Peace
- Stillness

→ Prayer is a time for Saad to get away from the stress of KPIs and refocus himself when things get tough.

9. Have a great manager

- Be
- A
- Sponge

→ A great leader to learn from is rare. Saad said he was lucky to work with Rachael Boyle [and I agree].

You see...

Being a great SDR → HARD.
Being stressed & missing quota → HARD.

Choose your hard. LFG 🔥

9 Tips from The No.1 SDR in the UK

An SDR said this to me...

''I can't be an SDR much longer, I need to quit''. 

For context, they'd: 

- Been an SDR for 18 mths
- Hit quota 5/6 quarters
- Missed a promotion 
- Feel stuck in role

They're desperate to be an AE but companies tell them the same thing...

''You need closing experience''...
''You've never closed any deals''...

They feel demoralised and like your their career is on hold. 

Here's what I advised them...

1. Prioritise a great manager 
- If that means sticking in your current role, so be it. 

2. Prioritise a company with product market fit
- If that means sticking in your current role, so be it. 

3. Prioritise joining a team that appreciates you
- If that means sticking in your current role, so be it. 

If you DON'T have these → consider quitting. 

But don't mistake a fancy job title [AE] and a bump in salary as success. 

If you've got a great manager, product and team, you're already winning. 

Stick with it, be patient and earn your stripes. 

Agreed? ♻️ Repost this for others to see. 

PS. The average career is 80,000 hours - play the long game. 

----

📌 Thinking about being an AE in 2025? Join my FREE 2 hour workshop: https://lnkd.in/ez3-wy5b

No alternative text description for this image

August 26th 2022 → my son was born. 
12 days later → I quit my £180,000 job. 

''You need a job to pay the bills'' - My Mum
 
But I was also:
 
→ Overworked 
→ Grumpy AF 
→ Unfulfilled
 
So I did it, I quit.
 
I was scared about not making money. 
But I was more scared about being unhappy. 
 
Fast forward 2yrs: 

- I've helped 200+ SDRs get promoted to AE and close their first deals.

- I've created courses that 1000+ SDRs have used to up-skill themselves on outbound. 

- I've worked with 20+ VP Sales to create bespoke training courses for their SDR teams.

- I've given away >£10,000 in courses to sellers from disadvantaged nations [this one feels the best]. 

Today, the latest version of my SDR-to-AE bootcamp is LIVE [updated for 2025].

- 10x live 60 min workshops 
- 1:1 help and support from me 
- Live AMA sessions with yours truly
- 5 weeks of building full cycle AE skills

Rated 4.96*/5 by 250+ students; https://lnkd.in/ejFQERRF

Buzzing to keep proving my mum wrong! 

LFG 🔥🔥🔥

PS. Guess mums don't know everything! Am I right?

Met an SDR who hits >125% with DMs. 
Here's their ''1st touch DM''  template:

Template 1: 

''Hi X - saw you just [insert observation]. Bet you're thinking about [insert you're bet]. 

Mind if I ask a couple questions on that? 


Example: 

''Hi X - saw you just hired 3 SDRs. Bet you're thinking about ramping them up fast on the phones. 

Mind if I ask a couple questions on that?''


Why it works: 

1. The observation is all about them and an action they took. 

2. They make a bet about the prospects problem [this requires persona knowledge]. 

3. There is NO mention of their company. Zero pitch. The entire message is about the prospects situation and problem. 

4. Rather than pitch, they go straight to a permission-based question. Just like you would on a cold call opener. 

5. The question is a closed-question. It's evokes a simple ''yes/no'' response. It's easy for the prospect to respond. 

Stop focusing on posting content. 
Start mastering your DM game. 

Hope this is helpful. 

PS. ♻️ Reshare this if you find it helpful. 

And follow me Chris Ritson for more SDR content.

First quarter in SDR = Hardest 
First quarter in AE = Hardest 
First quarter in Mgmt = Hardest 

Next quarter in SDR = Easier 
Next quarter in AE = Easier 
Next quarter in Mgmt = Easier

Whatever the job. 
The start is brutal. 

Keep going! 

PS. Reshare this for other newbies in your network. ♻️ Thanks! 

----

📌 Want to be an AE in 2025? Join my FREE 2 hour workshop this week: https://lnkd.in/ez3-wy5b

An SDR Cold DM'd me... 

Here's the DM: 

''Hi Chris, are you currently looking into growing your sales team? 

If this is a priority for 2024 we offer flexible solutions to help you grow. 

Shall we get on a call next week? 

Sincerely - Holly'' 

My response: 

''Holly - thanks for the DM. 

I'm a bad fit but here's some feedback on your DM game to help get more positive replies: 

1. Remove the question straight out the blocks. Instead insert your research [observation] about me and what you believe my problem might be. 

Eg. Saw the business is growing, Chris. Bet you're looking at ways to ramp-up sales.

2. Remove the entire second line. Go for closed-question instead. 

Eg. Mind if I ask a question about that? 

3. Remove the CTA of booking a meeting, it's too early for me to give you 30 mins. Start small, getting me responding first. 

Hope this helps - Chris 

2 weeks later I asked Holly how things had gone...

0 meetings from LinkedIn in 2025 had turned into 4 meetings and 20+ conversations started.

Just shows how 3 minutes of feedback can really change as SDRs fortunes! 

♻️ Reshare if this was helpful. 

PS. I'm Chris Ritson and I run The SDR Ramp Camp. It launches next week 👀

In 2020, I hired 2 SDRs...

SDR 1 - 21, no sales experience.
SDR 2 - 25, 4 years as a recruiter.

Month 1-3:

SDR 1 - worked 9-5, hit quota, ramped on time.
SDR 2 - worked 8-7, broke the record for ramp-up.

---

Month 4-12:

SDR 1 - worked 9-5, hit quota [mostly], wanted to be an AE.
SDR 2 - worked 8-7, broke ALL company records, wanted to be an AE.

---

Month 13:

SDR 1 - interviewed for AE, missed out. 
SDR 2 - interviewed for the AE role, got it

SDR 2 went on to another promotion 12 months later. 

SDR 2 had less of a ''work-life'' balance.

But SDR 2 had their eye on a big goal [being promoted] and knew sacrifices had to be made to get there.

It's hard to work late and do the reps.
It's also hard to miss out on promotion.

Choose your hard 💯

♻️ Reshare this story with your network.

PS. I worked 8-7pm+ in my first 3 roles. Now I run 2x businesses and work 9-5. 

Work hard. Earn your stripes. Reap the rewards.

-----

📌 And follow Chris Ritson, I run LinkedIn's No.1 SDR to AE Bootcamp. Next cohort starts Jan 28th. 16/50 seats left. 🤘

Met an SDR Leader who hit >130% quota.
(Without chasing her team about KPIs)

Here's the 4 tips she shared with me:

1. Apply 80:20 Rule to KPIs 
- Better at calls? Do 80% dials. Better at emails? Do 80% emails. Play to strengths. 

2. Don't Count Activity, Count Conversations
-  Keep dialling/emailing when you get no responses. Control effort.

3. The 1 Goal Everyday Method 
- Every rep sets 1 goal for the day. This is their north star. Report on it at close of play.

4. Reduce Automation to 20% [max]
- Automation doesn't count as ''activity''. There are no rewards for sending lots of emails. 

This isn't rocket science. 

Obvious stuff, executed everyday. That's what makes SDR teams win! 

Do you agree? 

♻️ Reshare this post for others in your network. 

And follow Chris Ritson for more SDR content like this.

2017 -- Found a resume in my junk email.  

2018 -- The applicant became a top performer in my Outbound SDR Team. 

2019 -- Promoted the applicant to UK SDR Manager. 

2020 -- The applicant got promoted to Head of Sales Development Americas and moved to New York. 

2021 -- The applicant was part of a $700M acquisition from Workday.

2022 -- Messaged the applicant asking him to go for a pint to chat ''business''. 

2023 -- We launched The SDR Leader Bootcamp with ZERO expectations. 

2024 -- We helped 150+ SDR Leaders go from manager to leader through our bootcamps and 1:1 coaching. 

2025 -- We don't want to be a unicorn. We just want to help more SDR Managers upskill and take their careers to the next level. 

Today -- The latest edition of our SDR Leader Bootcamp is open for registration. 

Imagine if I never checked my junk email...

I've have never met one of my best mates/ business partner Laurence Langstone 

The Butterfly Effect is VERY real 🦋

An SDR sent me a cold call recording. 

SDR: ''Hi Pete, it's James from ACME, can I get 2 mins to tell you why I called?''

Pete: ''James from where?''

SDR: ''ACME''. 

Pete: ''Okay, I'm not interested but thanks''. 

Phone went down. 

The SDR asked me what they could have done differently? 

----

Me: ''Try this talk track...''

SDR: Hi Pete, it's James from ACME, can I get 2 mins to tell you why I called?

Prospect: ''James from where?'' 

SDR: ''James [insert last name] at ACME, we helped [insert job title] with [insert problem]. Mind if I get 2 mins to tell you why I called? [Pause]. 

---

Why it works: 

1. Your full name gives you more credibility - use it. 

2. The prospect wants context on your company, not just the company name. Give them context on who you help and what problem you solve. 

3. Your prospect needs to be re-asked your question. It tests if what you've said is good enough to earn the 2 mins you originally asked for. 

Remember: 

95% of cold calls die in the first 30 seconds. 

Master the first 30 → Master Cold Calls 💯

♻️ Reshare if you think this could help other SDRs.

PS. How would you respond to ''where you calling from''?

5 years ago I hired 2 SDRs 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 
 
SDR 1 - uni grad, well spoken, private school educated. 
 
SDR 2 - ex-builder, strong accent, barely passed exams. 
 
--- 
 
SDR 1 - fitted in straight away and made lots of friends. 
 
SDR 2 - got bullied by other reps for their accent and lack of education. 
 
--- 
 
SDR 1 - got off to a great start, hit ramp quota early. 
 
SDR 2 - bad start, missed ramp quota, got probation extended but effort was faultless. 
 
--- 
 
SDR 1 - took foot off the gas, became inconsistent, missed quota. 
 
SDR 2 - ignored everyone and carried on working hard, started hitting quota 5 months in. 
 
--- 
 
I promoted SDR 2 after 15 months. 
SDR 1 never quite made it to AE. 
 
If you want to be a successful leader - please judge people by the size of their heart not their resume ❤️

You can get my SDR hiring playbook here: 
https://lnkd.in/eAwDPS8F
 
♻️ Repost if you enjoyed this. 
 
PS. Buzzing for the next SDR Leader Bootcamp. Thankyou for the support on this, my friends 👯

Taplio

Chris Ritson's Linkedin Analytics

What is Chris talking about?

Who is engaging with Chris

's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?