Ex-Dell | Be Better Than 99% of Candidates ⚡️

I connect top sales talent to opportunities in B2B technology sales. 

The best talent is not looking for jobs, and that's why we help. 

I work with VP's of Sales and Enterprise AE's with experience in SaaS, cloud computing, and cybersecurity and match them with companies aligned with their experience.

Our mission to help build high-performing sales teams with the best people, performance, and culture.

Whether you're a company in need of sales talent or an experienced seller looking for a new role, Elite Tech Sales is here to help.

Your sales experience shouldn't suck!

Jay Johnston

Building sales teams and delighting customers at early stage hyper growth startups.

Mike Gallardo

The best cold call openers.

(2 of my favorites)


1️⃣ "Hey Mike, I know you weren't expecting my call. Do you have a moment? I promise to make it quick."

2️⃣ "Hey Mike, Not going to lie this is a cold call. Wanna roll the dice and see why I called or hang up now?"


I'd use the first one, or some version of it.
As my default.

The second one is based on my mood.
Usually fridays or after hours is best.


What's your best cold call opener?


- Mike G

👉 Get The Best Sales Newsletter delivered straight to your inbox for FREE: https://lnkd.in/g-dHTj7s

He closed a $1,000,000 deal at Deel 🥳

This was in Mid Market.

Multiple products.
Multi year contract.
Multiple stakeholders.

I listened to every single call.

Here’s what he did:

1. He used a mutual success plan that was clear, structured, and outlined exactly what needed to happen. “I took the time to build a mutual success plan for us. I’d love to align and partner on building this together.”

2. He started the discovery call with the buyer’s objective, which immediately created alignment and made the buyer feel heard. “If you could accomplish one objective on today’s call, what would it be?”

3. His calls were highly structured. He prepared, respected the clock, and opened every meeting with a simple agenda. “Here’s what I was thinking for today’s call. Quick recap, dig into X and Y, and leave 10 minutes at the end for your questions and next steps. How does that sound?”

4. He brought in the right people at the right time instead of trying to cover everything himself. “Rather than me trying to speak to everything, I’ve invited [expert] to walk you through [topic]. If you decide to move forward, they’ll be working closely with you throughout implementation too.”

5. He shared relevant customer stories from similar industries with similar objectives. “Before Deel, they were dealing with [insert challenges]. After Deel, they now [insert value].”

6. He obsessed over decision criteria and made sure he understood exactly how the buying team would evaluate the decision. “Can we dig into how you’ll be evaluating this? Have you purchased software before, and can you walk me through how that decision was made?”

7. He proactively surfaced common roadblocks before they became objections. “Something that’s come up with similar companies is [insert challenge]. Is that something you’re thinking about as well?”

And that my friends…
Is what executing a million dollar deal looks like in 2026.

Here’s the thing though…
Executing on this consistently is hard work.

That’s why I’m excited about what Aligned just launched with their new AI Deal Workspace.

It makes all of this significantly easier.
For both reps and sales leaders.

All you have to do is send one link after a call.
And you get:

1. AI that understands what’s happening across calls, CRM, email, and buyer activity.
2. Clear signals on risk, momentum, and recommended next steps (including drafting your comms)
3. AI support inside the workspace for buyers, so they can keep the deal moving when you're not in the room.

This is exactly how modern, high stakes deals should be run.

We use Aligned at Deel, and I’m partnering with them because this mirrors exactly how we run deals and coach sellers today. Plus, I always love sharing new AI tools that add real value!

👉 If you haven’t already I highly recommend using it for free here: https://lnkd.in/gqNS6GRW

Happy humpday my friends,
Mike G

#alignedpartner

Brand partnership • Sales Director at Deel

$56,000.

That’s what I made at my first startup.

Before that.

$96K as a tax supervisor.

I took a 𝟱𝟴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗰𝘂𝘁 to get into startup sales.

No safety net.
No guarantees.
Everyone thought I was out of my mind.

But I knew one thing.

If I wanted a chance of controlling over my financial future, I couldn’t play it safe forever. 

9 years.
3 unicorns later.

I crossed well over $200K in annual earnings.

The lesson:

Life's too short to play it small.

Dream big, make moves and take risks.

Best way to look back on life without regrets imo.

– Mike G

👉 Get The Best Sales Newsletter delivered straight to your inbox for FREE: https://lnkd.in/g-dHTj7s

Check this cold email out.

It's only 44 words.

Sometimes super simple is best:
- People are always busy
- They don't have time to read novels
- So get to the point and try to build interest


𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲:

Jill, looks like you're hiring AEs.

How are you making sure your commission process scales with the team?

We helped Shopify automate their process. Reps saved 4 hours a month. Submitted less disputes. And spent more time selling instead.

Curious to take a look?


𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀: The reply email can be a simple video showing how your platform solves their #1 problem. Just one sentence like: "Here's a quick 45 second video showing how we remove all the headaches from the commission process.


What do you think?

Mike G

👉 Get The Best Sales Newsletter delivered straight to your inbox for FREE: https://lnkd.in/g-dHTj7s

What would you change about these cold call openers? 
 
Let's get right into it... 
 
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲: 
 
1. Hey Jill, it’s Mike with [company]. I know I caught you in the middle of your day. Mind if I share why I thought this call might be relevant for you?
 
2. Hey Jill, Mike here with [company]. Quick question: are you the right person to speak with about [topic], or should I point this elsewhere?
 
3. Jill, it’s Mike from [company]. I just saw [trigger event or signal] and thought it might make sense to connect. Does now work for a quick chat?
 
4. Hi Jill, it's Mike from [company]. I know calls like this are unexpected. Could I take half a minute to explain why I reached out to you specifically and then you can tell me if it’s worth continuing?
 
5. Hey Jill, this is Mike with [company]. I know I'm catching you out of the blue here. Do you have a quick minute to chat about [signal, insight, benefit]? 
 
6. Hey Jill it’s Mike with [company]. I didn’t know if you were the right person to talk to but I was curious if you could help me out real quick? 
 
7. Hey Jill, this is Mike from [company]. I know you're busy, so I'll get straight to the point: I'm calling about [specific benefit/value proposition]. Is this a convenient time for a very quick chat?

8. Hey Jill, Mike from [company] here. I'm calling specifically because I noticed [specific trigger event or signal you observed]. Do you have a moment?


Would love to hear your opinion!
Mike G

👉 Get The Best Sales Newsletter delivered straight to your inbox for FREE: https://lnkd.in/g-dHTj7s

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The Battle

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Engagements

Likes

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