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Founders, Pick Up the Phones! 6 Steps to Hitting the Next Stage of Growth
Johnny-Lee Reinoso
October 14, 2025
Every founder remembers those early days — the long nights, the ramen budgets, the duct-taped prototypes, and the endless “maybe later” emails. Getting traction can feel like climbing Everest barefoot.
But once you’ve reached that first ridge — a few paying customers, some press, maybe a small team — a new problem appears. Growth stalls and the buzz fades. And it’s natural to start wondering, What now?
You don’t need another growth hack…
You don’t need a bigger advertising budget….
You need to hit the phones.
The Founder’s Superpower
Before you build a sales team, before you obsess over outbound sequences or conversion funnels, remember this: no one can sell your vision like you can.
Founders have a unique edge. You built the thing. You lived the pain. You can speak with the kind of conviction no hired gun can ever replicate. So when you call a prospect, they’re not hearing from a salesperson; they’re hearing from the person who’s staking their life on solving this problem.
That level of belief cuts through noise like a laser.
Coming Up: Join JLR’s FREE live masterclass to learn the exact cold calling framework that scaled a consulting firm from $10M to $120M in revenue.
Why Founders Must Sell First
I’ve coached hundreds of startups, and the pattern is crystal clear. The ones that scale fastest are the ones where the founder owns sales early on. Why?
Because those first 100 conversations are pure gold. Every “no” reveals friction in your message. Every “yes” sharpens your ideal customer profile. And every awkward pause teaches you what not to say.
Founders who skip this step try to hire a sales team too soon, and they end up paying reps to learn lessons they should’ve learned firsthand.
The data you need to scale to 7-8 figures isn’t hiding in your CRM. It’s hiding in live conversations. You get that data by talking to customers directly — by calling, listening, adjusting, and calling again.
RELATED: 7 Ways to Avoid Burnout in B2B Sales
Step 1: Pick Up the Phone and Test Everything
Start with a simple goal: 20 meaningful conversations this week.
You’re not calling to pitch — you’re calling to learn. Ask about pain points, budgets, timing, and how they currently solve the problem your product or service fixes. Listen like your business depends on it (because it does).
After each call, jot down:
What resonated?
Where did they push back?
What words did they use to describe the problem?
Patterns will emerge fast. Within two weeks you’ll have better messaging than any agency could dream up. And this outreach is low-stakes and high-yield, as you really aren’t trying to sell anything, so your prospect is far more likely to stay on the line.
Step 2: Codify What Works
Once you’ve found the words that open doors, document everything. Your pitch. Your objection-handling. Your follow-up cadence. Write it all down while it’s fresh.
This is your Sales Playbook 1.0.
It doesn’t have to be perfect… just real. The goal is to capture what you say when the call goes well. Eventually, this becomes the foundation of your training system when you bring on your first SDRs or AEs.
Without it, you’re throwing new hires into battle with blindfolds on. Not good.
Step 3: Obsess Over Metrics (and Meaning)
Track your numbers, but don’t drown in them. Early on, the key metrics are simple:
Calls made
Conversations held
Demos booked
Demos closed
But also track the why. Why did they buy? Why did they ghost you? Why did they light up at that one line you almost cut from the script?
Numbers tell you what’s happening. Conversations tell you why it’s happening. You need both to scale intelligently.
Step 4: Refine the System Before You Scale It
You wouldn’t build a second story before the foundation sets. Same with sales. You need to solidify the base before adding headcount and budget.
Once you start booking meetings consistently, tighten the loops:
Standardize discovery questions.
Create a follow-up process that never drops a lead.
Automate simple tasks (calendar scheduling, CRM logging).
Only after you’ve proven that the system converts should you hire sales reps to replicate it. Otherwise, you’re scaling chaos.
Step 5: Hire and Train From the Inside Out
When it’s finally time to hire, bring in sellers who can learn your rhythm. Let them shadow your calls. Have them listen to recordings of real conversations. Teach them not just what to say, but why it works.
Then give them autonomy to test, tweak, and improve it. That’s how you build a culture of iteration instead of imitation.
Your job as founder evolves from “Chief Closer” to “Chief System Builder.” But the DNA of those first calls should still run through every pitch your team makes.
Step 6: Keep One Foot in the Field
Even after you have a team, never lose touch with the front lines. Schedule time each month to make a few calls yourself. Talk to customers. Sit in on demos.
Why? Because markets shift and messaging dulls. And to be honest, nothing keeps a founder sharp like hearing the raw voice of the customer.
Plus, it keeps your team honest. When they know you’re still out there dialing, they’ll push harder. Culture flows from the top.
Fear is the Only Barrier
Most founders resist cold calling because they think it’s beneath them — or they’re simply afraid. Afraid of rejection, wasting time, and not sounding polished.
But that fear is a compass pointing exactly where you need to go.
Because every time you dial, you’re doing what your competitors won’t. You’re compressing years of market feedback into weeks. You’re getting the unfiltered truth; not survey data or Slack opinions, but real conversations with real buyers.
That’s how you win.
RELATED: 6 Ways to Become Fearless in Sales
The Payoff
When you personally sell those first 20, 50, or 100 deals:
You’ll know your market inside out.
You’ll understand your buyer’s emotions, not just their logic.
You’ll build and refine a product or service that truly fits the pain.
And when you hand off the playbook, your reps will run through walls for you.
Then — and only then — can you scale confidently, because you’re scaling something proven.
Final Words
Every startup wants to grow fast. But if you skip founder-led selling, you’re building on sand.
Pick up the phone. Talk to customers. Learn, refine, repeat.
Because the real growth engine isn’t your tech stack, your marketing funnel, or your funding round — it’s your ability to connect with another human being and transfer belief.
Do that consistently, and the rest takes care of itself. You’ve got this.
Until next time…
Johnny-Lee Reinoso