My career in prospecting started far from the world of SaaS. I cut my teeth in ticket sales at various sports organizations, where the playbook was simple: dial hundreds of numbers a day and push season tickets, group tickets, and single-game tickets. Then do it all again the next day. It was a grind, full of rejection and small wins, but it taught me lessons I still lean on today.
I learned resilience, the importance of active listening, and—most importantly—that prospecting is about people. Even in high-volume sales, you can’t fake connection. Each conversation is an opportunity to understand someone’s needs, find common ground, and hopefully solve a problem together.
When I transitioned into tech prospecting in 2019, those lessons carried me forward. Since then, I’ve worked across established enterprises, scrappy start-ups, and everything in between.
And now, at Tingono, I’m applying it all in a new way—as the company’s first dedicated BDR.
Lessons Learned Along the Way
Being a one-man prospecting team at a growing start-up comes with unique challenges. Here are the lessons that continue to guide me:
-
Prospecting is Human at its Core
At first, cold calling or outreach can feel awkward—even unnatural. But strip away the scripts and templates, and what’s left is just two people talking. Apply your solution to a pain point your prospect has, have a conversation that addresses it, and build trust so that they see you as someone who understands them and is here to help. Once you embrace that, the job feels less like “interrupting” and more like starting conversations that matter.
-
Every Role Builds Perspective
When I joined Tingono in March 2025, I had a guidebook to lean on, but much of the role I had to learn on my own. Research, cold calling, emails, LinkedIn outreach—sometimes all within the same hour. Each role I’ve had before this—whether at very well established companies, startups in a different industry, or those scrappy in-betweeners—added layers of perspective. At larger orgs, I saw the value of structure. At startups, I learned to thrive in ambiguity and grit. Together, those experiences sharpened my instinct for what really drives results: adaptability, persistence, and a focus on outcomes, not activity for activity’s sake.
-
Add Value Before You Ask for Time
No one wants to feel like just another name on a list. Sharing an insight, pointing out a relevant trend, asking a question about a conference you both attended, or simply showing you’ve done your homework can open doors. When prospects feel like you respect their time and context, doors open. You’re not just another voice in their inbox, you’re someone who might actually make their job easier. That shift in perception, from nuisance to partner, is what earns attention and trust.
-
Prospecting Requires Multiple Channels
Cold calling works, and it works better when paired with thoughtful emails, LinkedIn touches, and even video messages. Buyers live across multiple platforms. You should too. A multi-channel approach doesn’t just boost response rates; it shows persistence and creativity. Sometimes it's about being in the right place at the right time with the right message.
-
Consistency Beats Cleverness
There’s no single magic phrase or perfect subject line. Success comes from consistency: following up, maintaining a rhythm, and building trust over time. The reps you put in matter more than any one clever line.
What’s Next
Has it all been perfect? Not even close. There were plenty of slow days this summer, and times where volume dipped while I focused on finding my rhythm. But that’s part of the reality of being a one-man team—you’re always balancing quality with quantity, learning, and adjusting.
The next step is clear: scale the volume while keeping the quality. Now that the foundation is built, the goal is to hit a faster, more consistent cadence heading into the fall—without losing the human connection that makes prospecting work in the first place.
