{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Friday Habit ","title":"Building a Lead Generation System for Sustainable B2B Growth","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2405,"description":"In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark sits down with Kevin Downey, a Kansas City-based entrepreneur and recruitment leader who helps B2B companies build high-performing sales teams and create scalable lead-generation systems.\nKevin shares how his early career in golf equipment sales eventually led him into entrepreneurship, recruiting, outbound sales, and email marketing. He explains why his first attempts at email outreach failed, what changed when he began writing emails like real phone conversations, and why properly structured email campaigns can deliver an unmatched return on investment.\nThe conversation also explores how small businesses should approach their first sales hire, why commission-only roles frequently fail, and how Latin American business development representatives can help companies scale outbound activity at a manageable cost.\nKevin also challenges one of the most common beliefs in modern sales: that cold calling no longer works. According to Kevin, activity still creates opportunities. The problem is not that calling has stopped working—it is that many representatives are not consistently making the calls.\nWhether you are building your first sales process, hiring a business development representative, or trying to generate more qualified B2B leads, this episode offers a practical look at the systems, activity, and execution required to grow.\n🧠 Takeaways:Activity breeds business, but representatives must consistently do the work.Cold calling is a business development and marketing function until a qualified decision-maker is engaged.Small businesses may need an appointment setter before hiring a full sales representative.Commission-only sales roles often fail without the right structure, support, and opportunity.Successful cold emails should sound like concise, natural phone conversations.Email marketing requires enough volume to generate consistent leads.CRMs are useful for managing relationships but are not always built for high-volume...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/GREOltxSMn0aaPeI2vHb6SFIwCm4IF7QDVHv1OZur3M/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS81YWU1/ODlkMDNkMWVlZTI4/YWZiMTBjMDUxYjQ3/ZDg4NC5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}