#25: Coming Out About Problems in the Industry - PART 2

What’s the Big Problem with Outsourcing SDRs—and How Are We Trying to Solve It?

My newsletter is read by many people in our space—those who look up to Belkins and aspire to scale their agencies to our level. What can we, as agencies, do to change the status quo?

If you haven’t read Part 1 yet, make sure to check it out first—this part will make a lot more sense once you do.

🔗 [Here’s the link to Part 1.]

Here’s How We, as Outsourced SDR Agencies, Need to Change

1. Take More Responsibility.

We cannot just be responsible for filling the top of the funnel. We need to be active participants in the bigger conversation, influencing:

• Marketing strategy

• Messaging and positioning

• Go-To-Market (GTM) execution

• Industry targeting and buyer personas

Our data holds immense value—it can fuel major decisions for our clients. The question is: Are they even using it? Chances are, they’re not.

And that’s on us.

If any of Belkins’ Account Managers are reading this, I already know what they’re thinking:

“Yeah, right, Michael. Try taking on more responsibility and incorporating data when the client is breathing down your neck about meetings that were promised by sales. The client paid for meetings—not for us to play marketing consultants.”

And honestly? That’s a fair concern.

I completely agree—we need to deliver meetings. Every client conversation must include updates on what’s being done to generate those meetings. But here’s where we get it wrong:

The other 50% of our time should be spent optimizing for long-term success—not just reporting on short-term results.

That means:

• Leveraging current traction to identify areas for improvement not just in the campaign, but in the client’s overall marketing strategy.

• Spending extra hours, staying late, and going the extra mile to find solutions—not just recycle reports.

• Being proactive instead of reactive, bringing fresh insights instead of just explaining numbers on a screen.

Yes, it’s harder than just hopping on Zoom once a week and going in circles with reports. But if we don’t step up and own the bigger picture, we’ll always be seen as just another vendor—never as a true growth partner.

2. Don’t Focus on Tricks—Search for Relevance.

I won’t lie—some of Belkins’ golden days were when we discovered new ways to land cold emails straight into prospects’ inboxes. We created a few killer cadences with engaging subject lines that worked across multiple industries—and we used them for dozens of clients.

Guess the results?

✅ We booked meetings.
✅ Lots of meetings.

But did our clients close those meetings?

❌ Not many.

And here’s me being brutally honest—we got lazy.

We trained our team to rely on pre-built playbooks instead of thinking critically. And worse, we created a false sense of success for our clients:

“You’re getting meetings, so everything is working!”

This entire dynamic is exactly what’s wrong with the industry.

• I figured out how to generate leads? Great.

• I’ll apply the same strategy to you? Fine.

• You’ll get booked calls? Done.

• I don’t care what happens next? That’s on you.

This is a fundamentally broken approach.

Because of this short-sighted mindset, we face three major issues:

1. We struggle to drive healthy Lifetime Value (LTV).

2. Churn rates are through the roof.

3. Small businesses have bad experiences, and larger companies don’t take us seriously.

This forced me to take a hard look at our most successful clients.

I analyzed 100 clients over the past three years who saw real, lasting success with us.

🔍 They all had one thing in common: We didn’t just book meetings—we fundamentally improved their entire sales process.

Here’s what we did for every one of them:

• We helped them refine their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).

• We guided their messaging.

• We helped them break into new industries or accounts.

• We aligned with their internal metrics and business objectives.

• We worked directly in their CRM—tracking and updating progress.

• We had weekly check-ins with AEs, discussing pipeline adjustments.

• We proactively planned ahead instead of reacting to problems.

• We built real, personal relationships with their teams.

And here’s what I realized:

If even one of these key elements was missing, the chances of a successful engagement dropped significantly.

That’s why I no longer believe in selling "just meetings." That’s why I no longer believe in taking shortcuts.

Our job isn’t to “trick” our way into inboxes or rely on gimmicks. Our job is to build sustainable, high-impact outbound programs that actually help businesses grow.

And if we don’t?

Well, we’ll keep watching clients churn—and wondering why.

3. Self-Reflect on Who You Are, Who You Work With, and What Your Business Model Is.

It’s totally fine to start an agency by copying your competition.

I won’t pretend otherwise—I saw a couple of companies this morning literally copying our homepage word for word.

Okay. It happens.

I did the same thing in our early days, and honestly? No shame in it—as long as you don’t get caught.

But here’s the real question:

What’s your next move?

Hundreds of agencies in our space never evolve.

They don’t rethink their business model.
They don’t upgrade their pricing packages.
They don’t expand or refine their service offerings.
They don’t innovate, optimize, or reinvent themselves.

They just keep copying. They stand still. They deliver the same recycled results to every new client.

And what happens?

They churn 80% of their clients.

Clients leave frustrated, disappointed, and unwilling to recommend them.

Here’s the hard truth:

If you’re just in it for quick money—if you’re too lazy to push innovation—you’ll eventually:

❌ Get stuck.
❌ Be forced to shut down.
❌ Never build anything substantial.

The agencies that survive—the ones that actually scale—are the ones that:

✅ Listen to their customers (like SaaS companies do).
✅ Talk to their teams and learn from them.
✅ Experiment constantly—which usually means failing a lot.
✅ Test new ideas on themselves first, then with clients.
✅ Evolve over time, reinventing themselves every few years.

That’s the only way forward.

And if you refuse to evolve?

Well—expect to be left behind.

4. Strive for Excellence—Because the Quality of Your Offering Is Declining as We Speak.

In one of my previous newsletters, I wrote about excellence as one of the defining qualities of great leaders.

#13: Building a Great Agency: It Starts with You

To build on that, let’s talk about why it matters now more than ever.

The uphill battle we’ve been fighting at Belkins—and the battle every agency should be fighting—is the relentless push for improvement in everything.

The reality? Most people are too lazy.

• Reports suck.

• Tools aren’t working.

• SDRs aren’t booking enough meetings.

• Onboarding could be better.

• Outreach strategies could be 10x stronger.

💡 Every single one of these things needs daily attention.

And I don’t just mean at the client level. Your agency itself needs to be in a constant state of evolution.

That means:

• Automating where possible.

• Creating better processes.

• Training and upskilling talent.

• Bringing in new hires.

• Letting go of those who can’t keep up.

Because here’s a fact:

The SDR role in 2024 is not the same as the SDR role in 2025.

And if the role is changing, your agency must change too.

So what does that mean for you?

• Pay close attention to how roles are evolving.

• Identify the skills, tools, and processes that need improvement.

• Optimize every part of your agency—from execution to operations to leadership.

At some point, your team might panic:

“Too many changes! We’re moving too fast!”

And while it might feel like chaos in the moment, this is the only way forward.

Do it in a structured, planned manner—but do it fast.

Because I can tell you from experience:

💡 The years when Belkins took its foot off the gas—those were the years we failed. And the next year, we had to work twice as hard to catch up.

The agencies that hesitate, slow down, or settle for “good enough” will fall behind. Those that embrace continuous improvement will own the future.

5. Your People Are Your Greatest Asset, Your Future, and Your Differentiator.

Your goal should be to build a brand that clients associate with one key trait:

💡 “This agency is easy to work with.”

And who makes that possible?

Your people.

This is, by far, the most challenging part of running an agency—because while people are your greatest strength, they can also be your biggest disappointment.

Believe me, I know.

After 10 years in professional services, I’ve probably worked with over 1,000 people—and I’ve seen it all.

• Brilliant partnerships that fell apart overnight.

• Loyal team members who unexpectedly left.

• High-potential hires who burned out or checked out too soon.

That’s just the nature of the business.

But does that mean you should stop investing in people?

Does that mean you should cut costs, automate everything, and remove the human element?

Absolutely not.

Especially now—with AI agents going full force and automation becoming the default.

Instead, you need to double down on people.

📌 Commit to making people your north star, no matter what.

And here’s the thing—many of them will surprise you.

The Harsh Reality of People in the Agency Space

It’s a widely accepted truth that people in agencies burn out the fastest.

• There’s always more work to do.

• You’re often not paid for the extra effort.

• You’re constantly fixing someone else’s mistakes.

Take this scenario:

👤 An Account Manager at Belkins builds a poorly thought-out strategy.
🔄 Now, an SDR has to go the extra mile to make it work.
❓ But what’s the SDR’s motivation?
💰 Is it just more commission?

Not always—because sometimes, you simply can’t afford to pay more. And this is where the real trade-off happens.

Running an agency means working through hundreds of frustrating relationships—just to find and empower the few who truly shine.

But when you do? They will become the passionate, driven force that takes your agency to the next level.

That’s why you invest in people.

That’s why you don’t take shortcuts.

That’s why you build a culture where talent thrives—because talent is the only thing that truly sets you apart.

By following these five principles, you will shape your journey as an agency leader while strengthening client relationships and driving real impact:

1. Take more responsibility and ownership in client relationships.

2. Focus on marketing fundamentals, not just tactics.

3. Continuously evolve your services.

4. Hold your team to higher standards.

5. Commit to a people-first mindset.

What Is Belkins Doing About All of This?

We are trying to live by these principles—every single day, climbing the hill.

After reaching $10 million in revenue with a good—but not yet perfected—offering, we hit a plateau that lasted almost two years.

Quarter after quarter, we struggled to grow at the 5–10% rate we had achieved consistently in the years before.

Looking back, Old Belkins made every mistake imaginable:

• We focused too much on one channel (trying to perfect the game instead of expanding).

• We took limited responsibility, relying on clients to figure out the rest—especially the closing process.

• We scaled outreach too quickly, assuming clients would come in with a well-thought-out ICP and messaging strategy, while we only refined them.

• We prioritized immediate gratification, chasing X meetings booked with tricks rather than nurturing real buying intent.

Then one day, we said:

Fuck it!

If we couldn’t make this wheel spin faster and smoother, then we would build a brand-new one—one where we took full responsibility for the entire process, end to end.

So Here’s Exactly What We Did:

1️⃣ Extended Our Onboarding to 4+ Weeks (or More if Needed).

• Instead of rushing to launch, we now dedicate more time to:
  ✅ Creating a full client competency mapping.
  ✅ Breaking down industries and buyer personas.
  ✅ Mapping messaging to tailored pain points and value propositions (thanks, OpenAI!).
  ✅ Aligning client messaging across all channels—ensuring consistency and impact.

2️⃣ Designed Smart, Cross-Channel Strategies.

• Outbound is no longer a standalone function.

• We integrate all outreach channels (cold email, cold calling, LinkedIn) with:
  ✅ Paid ads
  ✅ Content marketing
  ✅ Webinars
  ✅ Offline events
  ✅ PR efforts

• The result? A holistic, multi-touch customer journey—whether working with a client’s existing teams or building out new functions on their behalf.

3️⃣ Deeply Integrated with Clients’ Existing Channels.

• We now:
  ✅ Run multiple channel mapping sessions to align outbound and inbound efforts.
  ✅ Co-develop 12-month integrated plans alongside client teams.
  ✅ Work closely with sales, marketing, and revenue teams to ensure technology and reporting are fully aligned.

This is not the Belkins of two years ago.

We stopped playing small. We stopped treating our role as just “appointment setters.”

Now, we own the full process.

Because that’s the only way to build something that actually lasts.

This Also Meant:

1. Rethinking Belkins’ internal roles and responsibilities—ensuring we have the right people in the right positions to execute this vision at the highest level.

2. Moving upstream—since this approach requires larger budgets, more mature organizations, and mid-market ticket sizes.

3. Building strong partnerships with lead generation agencies like Revit and Outbound Consulting to develop programs for smaller businesses (under $5,000/month budget).

   • This allows Belkins to refer clients to trusted sister agencies that can provide best-in-class solutions tailored for smaller businesses.

4. Developing cross-channel programs in collaboration with agencies like buyWords, Kalyna Marketing, and ClickRoads.

   • These specialized partners step in when clients need expertise in marketing strategy, PR, paid ads, content, design, branding, or video production.

   • Instead of building these capabilities in-house (which isn't financially viable or time-efficient), we bring in the best specialists for the job.

5. Investing in new tech partnerships with HubSpot, Reply, and Nooks while also building proprietary tools like:

   • Folderly (email deliverability & optimization)

   • MeetResearch.ai (AI-driven data analysis & lead sourcing)

   • Internal AI-powered products to optimize client management, strategy development, and lead sourcing.

6. Reimagining how we share and scale knowledge—not just internally, but across our community.

   • We’re launching SME programs, training, certification, and cross-departmental collaboration initiatives to ensure that expertise is both developed and properly communicated.

This Is the Next Chapter in Our Journey.

After 8 years of hard work, these new challenges and opportunities give my team and me the energy to keep pushing forward.

Many players come and go. But Belkins?

We’re here to stay. And we’re here to get shit done.

If this newsletter resonates with you, and you’re interested in partnering, collaborating, or just exchanging ideas, I’m actively looking for new agency and tech partners.

📩 Send me a message on LinkedIn—I’d love to chat.