Welcome to the GTM Launchpad newsletter! Each week I will share a sales play to help you grow your business, level up your sales game and succeed in the trenches

This one’s for the leaders who feel like they’re doing everything right...

…but something still feels off on the floor

→ Activity is there
→ Calls are happening
→ But pipeline? Inconsistent
→ Meetings? Sporadic

It’s not always effort sometimes it’s just avoidable execution gaps that compound over time

This week we’re digging into 5 common SDR mistakes that keep teams from hitting their stride and more importantly what to do instead

Let’s fix the fundamentals 👇

Sponsor of the Week - Surfe

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Last Friday I was on a sync with my guy Darren Fenton
We got talking about sales workflows and I showed him something I’ve been using since 2021

Surfe

It blew his mind

Here’s why

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I showed Darren how I can
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As I told Darren

“This isn’t about more tools. Its about better workflows. Surfe keeps my team focused on selling not admin”

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Mistake #1: Measuring Volume Over Value

The Problem: You’re tracking 100+ activities/day but the meetings aren’t landing.
The Fix: Track “meaningful moments” instead

→ Cold calls that spark real convos
→ Emails that get replies
→ LinkedIn touches that lead to DMs

What to do
Run a Quality Audit — Pull 5 random calls and emails per rep this week. Ask:

• Was it tailored?

• Did it create tension or just check a box?

Better inputs = Better outcomes.

Mistake #2: Over-Scripting Cold Calls

The Problem: Reps sound like robots and fold under pressure
The Fix: Ditch the word-for-word script. Move to Call Frameworks instead

Use cue cards or simple checkpoints

→ Opener
→ Problem drop
→ Curiosity hook
→ Ask

Let reps use their voice. It’s not about perfect delivery it’s about real conversations

Mistake #3: Only Coaching Scheduled Calls

The Problem: You’re only reviewing demos but those aren’t the biggest leaks
The Fix: Coach the top of funnel

Listen to 3 cold calls per rep this week
Focus on:

→ Call openers
→ Handling the first objection
→ Tone, pace and presence

Why? The first 30 seconds are where most deals die. Coach there not just the pretty stuff

Mistake #4: Treating Objections as Rejections

The Problem: Reps bail the second they hear “not interested”
The Fix: Train objection curiosity, not objection handling

Try this coaching prompt:
“Next time you hear a brush-off… ask a follow up question instead of dropping a rebuttal”

Examples:
→ “Out of curiosity is that because of timing or priorities?”
→ “Totally fair can I ask what’s actually rising to the top right now?”

Keep the door open longer

Mistake #5: Letting the Middle Go Uncoached

The Problem: Reps freeze between the opener and the close.
The Fix: Give them a framework for the messy middle.

Try:
→ Problem → Story → Ask

“Most teams I speak with are dealing with [X]... funny enough we just helped [company] solve that by [short win story]... would it be wild to unpack that together for 20 min next week?”

Structure helps reps stay confident and in control

Coach It Like This

Pick 1 mistake from above
Run a 20-minute micro workshop this week with your team

→ Show 1 good and 1 bad example
→ Roleplay it back
→ Set a challenge to apply it 3x this week

Rinse and repeat next week with the next mistake

These little resets build a culture of constant refinement and that’s what separates great teams from average ones

Explore. Engage. Evolve.

 🎥 Video of the Week

A quick, tactical breakdown of the silent killers holding most SDR teams back — from lazy targeting to lifeless messaging and bad handoffs. Perfect for reps and managers who want to clean up execution and build a stronger top-of-funnel motion.

Why it’s worth it
→ Pinpoints the mistakes that quietly cost you pipeline
→ Sharpens your team’s awareness around daily habits
→ Fast watch, real talk, and zero fluff

Run it back in your next standup and have the team spot which one they’ve been slipping on

📚 Book of the Week – Do Hard Things by Steve Magness

A science-backed guide to building real resilience — not through fake toughness, but by leaning into discomfort with clarity, composure, and inner strength.

Magness breaks down mental toughness into 4 pillars — including ditching the old-school “power through it” mindset and learning to respond with control instead of force.

Great takeaway for your team:
Resilience isn’t pretending it’s not hard. It’s showing up with poise because it’s hard.

Perfect mid-year reset for teams chasing consistency and real confidence under pressure

Bonus Sales Tactics 🤑

1. Mistake of the Week Huddle
Pick one of the five and spotlight it in a daily huddle
→ Pull real calls
→ Share a fix
→ Let reps self-diagnose

Simple. Fast. Transformational over time

2. “Flip the Brush-Off” Challenge
Run a team challenge this week:
→ Reps must keep the convo going for 1 extra line after a brush-off
→ Prize for best save that leads to a meeting

You’ll build reps who don’t fold they flow

3. SDR Story Bank
Reps convert better when they’ve got short success stories ready.
Build a shared doc where each rep adds:
→ 1 story for “no time”
→ 1 for “using someone”
→ 1 for “not interested”

Review as a team → then deploy live

This game is about reps getting sharper, calls getting better and learning happening faster

So if your team’s been grinding but results feel random…
it might not be a motivation issue
It might be time for a reset

Fix the fundamentals
Coach what actually matters
And build a team that doesn’t just work hard but works right

Let’s get after it!

Thanks for reading. See you again next week at 8 am MST!

- Tom Slocum ✌️

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