Platinum Agency

Your allbound boutique agency that helps B2B Companies get more Leads | +10 Million Impressions | +990 Leads generated | +20 Clients

Founder & CEO

Podcast Host

Clay

Partner

lemlist

HeyReach.io

Certified Expert

ColdIQ

Helped ColdIQ with their GTM strategy around the coaching program. And built onboarding systems for newjoiners.

GTM Advisor

Sales Elements

✅ Created Onboarding Workflows ✅ Had +220 Onboarding Calls with clients ✅ Built Slack Community with almost 200 members from scratch  ✅ Built dozens of automations in Zapier ✅ Had 90+ Coaching Calls with B2B Software Sellers ✅ Built the affiliate program and launched it ✅ E-Mail cadences & dozens of newsletters

VP Customer Success & Head of Everything

Seismic

Highlight: Closed my first self sourced deal while not carrying quota after 3 months 💰

Senior Director Commercial Sales

Personio

Highlight: Over 100% Quota Attainment in my first month 🏄🏼‍♂️

Sales Development Representative

Statista

• Managing the entire sales cycle from finding a client to securing a deal for Pharma, Energy & Finance Industry (DACH) 
• Create detailed business plans designed to attain predetermined goals and quotas
• Present products to prospective clients 
• Negotiate agreements and keep records of sales and data

Trainee Sales + Marketing

• Joint project work with business development: Implementing Salesforce within Statista 
• Onboarding, advising colleagues from CE & APAC in Salesforce & Trialhead
• Creation of User Manual for a better Onboarding Experience in Salesforce of Statista Worldwide

Salesforce Advisor Global Markets

Zenjob

•	Passing on most important information to students through onboarding presentation
•	Conducting interviews with students to identify their work experience, other skills or qualifications and character traits
•	Administrative and organisational tasks regarding preparation and follow-up of the onboarding process 
•	Employer branding regarding Zenjob's company values

Working Student HR - Recruiting / Onboarding

CEO @ Platinum Agency | Helping B2B Companies get more Leads | VP Customer Success @ Sales Elements

For founders ready to scale their business and/or LinkedIn presence

>> How I can help you <<

Strategic Content Creation:
Develop compelling content that speaks directly to your ideal clients' biggest challenges and positions you as the solution they've been searching for.

Lead Generation via Cold Email & LinkedIn:
Book more qualified sales conversations using AI-powered outreach systems 

There are 2 ways we can work together:

Done-for-You: Complete hands-off execution while you focus on closing deals
Done-with-You: Collaborative approach where we build your systems together

Want to learn more? Visit https://www.platinumagency.io/

Got blocked on LinkedIn for the most ridiculous reason...

A person I barely knew sent me a 47-second voice message.

We'd exchanged maybe 7 messages before.

Nothing deep. Just casual chat.

Then radio silence for months.

Until this random voice note landed in my inbox.

Here's the thing:

I don't do voice notes.
I find them intrusive and time-consuming.

So I politely asked:
"Could you send a written message instead?"

What happened next shocked me.

He went ballistic.

Called me rude. 
Ungrateful. 
Entitled.

Acting like a child because I didn't listen to his voice note.

Then came the cherry on top:

"Byeee" followed by an instant block.

I wasn't sure whether to cry or laugh.

Here's what every founder and salesperson needs to understand:

Your prospect owes you NOTHING.

They don't owe you a reply.
They don't owe you their attention.
They don't owe you 15 minutes of their precious time.

And they definitely don't owe you a listen to your random voice note.

The moment you forget this, you become the problem. Not the solution.

Respect boundaries. 
Accept rejection gracefully.

Your ego is not your prospect's responsibility.

Sönke Venjacob

Founder @ Platinum Agency | Helped 20+ B2B Companies Scale through A.I. Outbound & LinkedIn Content | Podcast: GTM Advantage

Sales is evolving faster than ever. Here's where I see it heading in 2025:
 
In the past 5 years I've been watching closely, and here's what's coming for SDRs:
 
1️⃣ The Go-to-Market Engineer emerges. 
 
This hybrid role will master email infrastructure, automation, data enrichment, lead scoring, and copywriting.
 
One person with this skill set could replace multiple traditional SDRs. It might become one of the highest-paying careers in tech sales.
 
 
2️⃣ AI becomes your copilot, not your replacement.
 
Tools like Clay, Instantly, and n8n will be essential. But they'll augment human skills, not replace them.
 
The SDRs who learn to leverage these tools effectively will outperform everyone else.
 
 
3️⃣ Content creation becomes non-negotiable. 
 
Building your personal brand on LinkedIn isn't optional anymore.
SDRs who consistently share insights generate inbound leads while they sleep.
 
Your content opens doors your outreach never could.
 
 
4️⃣ The full-stack AE makes a comeback. 
 
As AI streamlines prospecting, we may see AEs handling the entire sales process again.
 
Finding talent who can manage both tech and closing? That's the real challenge. 
 
And it's where the biggest opportunities lie.
 
 
5️⃣ Personalization at scale becomes the standard Generic outreach is already dead. 
Tomorrow's GTM Engineers will blend AI-powered data with human creativity. 
 
The result? Hyper-relevant outreach that actually gets responses.
 
The winners in 2025 won't just be tech-savvy or people-oriented.
 
They'll be both.
 
What skills are you developing to stay ahead of this curve?

Ever felt outnumbered by bots in your own meeting? I did-last week.

I joined a call and noticed something strange: more AI notetakers than people.

The vibe? Weird. Human energy drops. Focus shifts.

Here’s what usually happens with classic AI notetakers:

- A bot pops up in the call.
- Everyone pauses (do we let it in?).
- Guests look around, confused (did someone invite this robot?).
- IT gets nervous about privacy and data.

Meetings are supposed to move things forward. Instead, you get distracted. You lose trust. You’re no longer talking to your team-you’re talking to the bots.

I’ve seen this again and again. Bots break up the flow. They force you to connect calendars, explain to guests why a “notetaker” is in the room, and hope IT doesn’t block everything.

I want meetings to feel simple. To build clarity and action, not tech stress.

That’s why I’m excited about Bluedot - AI Meeting Assistant

- No bots.
- No awkward joins.
- No calendar access needed.

It lives in your Chrome extension. You click, it works. Quietly. In the background. Nobody else feels a thing.

What stands out for me:

→ AI summaries that get technical lingo, action items, and who said what.
→ Works on Zoom, Meet, Teams, Webex.
→ Syncs notes with Salesforce, HubSpot, Notion, Slack, and more.
→ AI coaching and speaker analytics (keep growing after the call).
→ Personalized follow-up emails (in your own tone, no AI-robot speak).
→ Privacy-first: GDPR-compliant, EU & US hosting, SOC 2 Type 2 coming.
→ Multilingual. 100+ languages.
→ Free for viewers-pay only for note recorders.

No more awkward moments. No more explaining to guests that the “notetaker” isn’t a real person. No more IT headaches.

50,000+ teams at NYT, Salesforce, Disney, Netflix already use it. Bot-free. Fuss-free. Built for scale.

Meetings should feel human again.

Stop letting AI lead your GTM. Use it as your donkey, not your strategist.

Alex Baldovin sees teams stacking tools and calling it a strategy.

But most GTM systems are broken before the first outbound even goes live.

Why?

- They chase the next shiny tool.
- They build lists, not engines.
- They automate busywork, not results.

Here’s the real talk:

AI is great for grunt work. Clay, ChatGPT, Make, n8n-love them. But if you let them drive, you end up with chaos, not revenue.

GTM Engineers know the difference.

They don’t just add more tools. They design signals and systems that go from zero to revenue. Every workflow starts with a question: “How will this scale AND stay human?”

Outbound hasn’t died. It’s evolved.

The new play isn’t cold spam. It’s credibility-driven contact. Research, context, timing-these matter more than volume.

Owning your data? That’s your GTM insurance.

AI works for you, not the other way around.

Delegate the heavy lifting. But own your message. Never let a robot decide how you show up in someone’s inbox.

Want to see how this looks in practice?

🎙 In the latest episode of The GTM Advantage, Alex breaks down:
→ Why GTM Engineers are replacing full teams
→ The real reason most AI use fails in sales
→ Tactical plays with Clay
→ Why email isn’t your only channel

If you’re building or rebuilding your GTM motion, this is gonna help you.

🎧 Listen here: 
https://lnkd.in/ddBDrMK5

Founder @ Platinum Agency | Helped 20+ B2B Companies Scale Revenue through AI Powered GTM Systems | Podcast: GTM Advantage

Over $2.6M pipeline doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of GTM systems that just work.

I’ve helped 20+ B2B companies hit big numbers. Not because we got lucky. Because we built GTM engines that scale, repeat, and keep going when you sleep.

Here’s exactly how we did it at Platinum Agency:

→ AI-powered outreach
We use smart tools to find, enrich, and connect with the right people.
No spray-and-pray. No guessing games.
Every message goes to someone who is actually ready.

→ Signal-based prospecting
We look for buying signals:

- New hires
- Funding rounds
- Website changes
- LinkedIn engagement
When the signal flashes, we’re already there.

→ Hybrid inbound strategies
Content drives inbound leads.
LinkedIn posts, podcasts, and resources answer real problems.
Inbound is not “wait and hope.”
It’s active, intentional, and built for founders who want results.

The magic is in the SYSTEM.
Not one-off hacks.
Not random cold emails.
Not posting and praying.

We built repeatable engines for ambitious founders.

Every step feeds the next:

- Outreach finds signals
- Signals drive content
- Content attracts inbound
- Inbound closes deals
- Every win makes the engine smarter

What changed for our clients?

- More qualified meetings
- Faster deal cycles
- Less wasted time
- Actual growth, not vanity metrics

I’ve seen founders go from “barely surviving” to closing five-figure deals in month two or three.

The point I try to bring across here:
Intentional GTM engines drive exponential growth.
You need systems that scale with YOU.

PS: Random shot that I took of Mount Fuji with my Fuji camera

You don’t need 10 tools to write great content... You need Scripe

I used to have tabs open everywhere.

One for trends.
One for drafting.
One for ideas.
One for editing.

(And let’s be honest, at least three more that I forgot about.)

But I wanted speed. Not chaos.

That’s why Scripe is now my go-to.

Here’s what I see when I open Scripe:

→ Trends in my GTM space, updated in real-time.
→ Fresh content ideas with one click.
→ Fast post drafts that sound like me (yes, even with my bad jokes).

No more endless scrolling for inspiration.

No more blank page panic.

No more saving half-baked ideas in random docs.

Scripe does three things for me (and for every founder who wants to scale up):

1️⃣ Spots what’s trending-so I never fall behind.
2️⃣ Gives me a list of post ideas-no overthinking, no second-guessing.
3️⃣ Drafts posts in seconds-I can tweak, post, and move on.

I focus on the message, not the mess.

Feels like I hired a strategist, ghostwriter, and content planner-without the group chat drama.

If you want to future-proof your GTM, stay visible, and never run out of LinkedIn content, Scripe is the shortcut.

I’m not saying you have to quit your 9 other tools.

But you might want to.

Ready to see how fast content can be?

Try Scripe for your next post. You might get hooked after the first click.

99% of SDRs send garbage messages. Kellen shares how to break that pattern for good.

You know the drill.

You open LinkedIn.
You get another cold message.
It’s “Hey, I saw your [insert industry] company, let’s chat!”
Delete. Move on.

Founders and GTM teams waste months on this.
Spray. Pray. Hope someone bites.

But here’s the truth:

→ The best outbound isn’t about blasting templates
→ It’s about running campaigns with a sharp angle, for a real persona, in a real segment

On the new GTM Advantage episode, Kellen Casebeer (Founder of The Deal Lab) breaks it all down.

He’s seen the patterns.
He knows what makes buyers say, “Wow, you actually get me.”
Not “Ugh, another generic pitch.”

Kellen’s frameworks:

1️⃣ Every campaign = specific angle × specific persona × specific segment

No more “one-size-fits-all.”
He shows how to dig deep:
→ Who is this for?
→ What do they care about?
→ What angle will cut through?

2️⃣ Break the pattern with “mini-sequences”

Forget 10-step cadences that scream “automation.”
Instead:
- Short, sharp, custom
- Each touch feels like it was written just for them
- The goal? Get noticed, not ignored

3️⃣ Stop guessing, start learning

Most teams chase what “should” work.
Kellen’s approach?
→ Test angles
→ Track replies
→ Double down on what gets real responses

If you’re building your first outbound motion-or scaling past founder-led sales-this episode is a masterclass.

No more guessing games.
No more garbage messages.

Real talk.
Real frameworks.
Stuff you can use today.

Listen now on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dbX679pR

90% of email deliverability advice is online. Don’t waste money on consultants.

Every week, someone comments under a LinkedIn post asking about deliverability. 

Every week, there are people offering consulting services for deliverability. 

This doesn’t make sense, really. 

Because the truth is simple:
Email deliverability isn’t a secret club.
You don’t need a guru.

All the basics are public.
Every major platform- Smartlead, Instantly.ai, you name it-agrees on the same things:

- 2-3 inboxes per domain
- 2 weeks of warming
- 15-30 emails daily
- Multiple domains

That’s it.

Anyone selling “secret techniques” is either:
→ Using hacks that break fast
→ Or not being honest 

What actually matters?
Solid fundamentals and boring, repeatable execution.
Here’s the list I use for every project:

- Keep extra inboxes ready as backup
- Warm new inboxes every week (never stop)
- Align DKIM, SPF, and DMARC (yes, triple check)
- Register domains with a trusted provider
- Use free email testing tools (like Chat GPT)
- Work with outbound sequencers that actually deliver
- Use Maildoso for fast inbox setup

That’s the “magic.”

No expensive consultant required.
No hidden playbook.

Here’s the real deliverability stack:
→ 94% of consultant advice is already online
→ The process is clear, not complicated
→ You can do it yourself, if you follow the basics

The only “secret”?

Stick to the fundamentals.
Do them every single week.

That’s how you win the deliverability game.

In 2021, I tried to meet everyone at my new company, even the co-founder. My boss stopped me.

New company. New city. Middle of Covid.

I was curious (maybe too curious).

Sent messages to everyone:

- VP Sales
- Web team
- Developers (a few times, sorry)
- HR-Managers
- Finance

I wanted to understand how things worked. I wanted to see the big picture, not just my little sales corner.

Then I went for it:
Reached out to one of the co-founders on Slack.
Didn’t even know if he’d respond.

His assistant replied. We set up a virtual coffee.
On my birthday, of all days.
I thought it was a good sign.

But then my manager heard about it.

“Why would the co-founder want to meet with you? You’re just an SDR. Please cancel.”

That one hit hard.
Not just the words.
The way it made me feel small.

(I still remember sitting at my desk, staring at that message.)

I cancelled the meeting.
Didn’t argue.
Didn’t push back.

Because I was afraid.
Afraid of stepping on toes.
Afraid of being “too much” as the new guy.

Looking back, I wish I had said no.
I wish I had stood up for myself.

Here’s what I learned:

→ Curiosity should never be a problem.
→ Your job title isn’t a limit on your ambition.
→ Good leaders lift people up, not box them in.

If I ever manage a team, I’ll never tell someone to shrink themselves.

We need more people showing initiative, not less.

Behind every high-performing campaign is an email system you actually control. Here’s what we changed.

For years, I watched teams lose deals, leads, and even their sanity-all because their emails landed in spam or got blocked. You build the perfect offer, write the best copy, and then-POOF. The message never reaches your prospects.

I’ve been there. (The pain is real.)

Smartlead's SmartServers flipped the script for everyone.

Here’s what changed when we switched:

Full control over the sending environment
→ You own your security, IPs, and reputation.
→ No more sharing with random senders. (Goodbye, “bad neighbor” effect.)

Higher deliverability, less risk
→ Emails land where they should.
→ Your domain stays safe.
→ More replies, less “why did this bounce?” moments.

True flexibility
→ Assign servers per campaign or per client.
→ Perfect if you manage multiple brands or run an agency.
→ No more messy overlap or cross-contamination.

Built-in best-practice guidelines
→ Set up is simple.
→ You get the right guardrails from day one.
→ (No need to Google “how not to get blacklisted” at midnight.)

The old way:
- Hope for the best
- Lose control
- Blame the algorithm

The new way:
- Take the driver’s seat
- Own your results
- Sleep easier

I used to think deliverability was a dark art. Turns out, you just need the right tools-and a bit of control.

If your growth depends on email, don’t leave your fate to chance.

Want help deciding if SmartServers fits your setup? Drop me a message.

Outbound gives you control.

Content gives you scale.

We analyzed both to help you choose the right one for lead generation.

Here is what the numbers show:

Outbound includes cold emails, cold calls, and DMs.
You choose exactly who to reach.

That gives you more control, but fewer leads overall.

Reply rates:
Cold email: 1–4%.
LinkedIn DM: around 33%.
Cold call: 15–25%.

Meeting rates:
Cold email: under 1%.
LinkedIn DM: 3–5%.
Cold call: around 8%.

This works well when your ICP is very specific.

Best for high fit, targeted conversations.

Now let’s look at LinkedIn content.

You post and the audience finds you.

You get less control over who sees it, but much more volume.

Average post reach: 1,000 to 3,000 views.
Average leads per post: 5 to 10.
Qualified rate: around 5%.

This works well when your market is broad.
Best for awareness and reach.

In short:
Outbound is precise.
Content is scalable.

You don’t have to pick one.
The best teams use both.

But it starts with defining your ICP.

That’s what decides what works best.

PS: give a follow to Noam for more social selling tips.

Only 30% of companies show up on LinkedIn and ZoomInfo. The rest are invisible-are you missing them?

Spent an hour with George Rekouts, founder of DiscoLike. He is building what I’d call a data engine on steroids for GTM teams.

Here’s the wild part:

Most sales teams still hunt in the same shallow pond. LinkedIn and ZoomInfo? They only show you about a third of the real business world.

What about the other 70%? The ones nobody sees? (That’s where the real deals hide.)

George walked me through how DiscoLike flips the game:

- Uses certificate authorities to spot every secure domain (even the ones in stealth mode)
- Finds companies that never show up in your usual searches
- Supports 48 languages, so you can hunt globally without English slowing you down

We dug into actual use cases:

→ Segmenting your pipeline with AI clustering. Not “industry” or “employee count.” That’s surface-level. Instead: Finding groups where your messaging already hits home (and doubling down on them).

→ Surfacing hidden “perfect-fit” segments. The ones your competitors can’t see, because they’re stuck with the same old filters.

But here’s the kicker:

Even with all this AI horsepower, humans still win on detail. AI can drift. Humans catch nuance. (George is the first to admit it-he shared a time DiscoLike totally bombed a live demo. Instant respect for that kind of honesty.)

If you’re frustrated with the limits of LinkedIn data...

If you want to uncover pipeline nobody else is even looking at...

If you’re tired of “AI” as a buzzword and want to see it actually work in GTM...

You’ll get a ton out of this episode.

Listen here: https://lnkd.in/ePyCnfSQ

Big thanks to George for sharing the wins AND the misses. That’s the stuff I want more of in GTM.

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