For the past few years, sales teams were told two things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Neither fully worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Across conversations with Matt Tokarz<\/a>, Jack Smith<\/a>, Emily Goor Canna<\/a>, and Jennifer Salerno<\/a>, one theme is clear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Outbound isn\u2019t disappearing. And it looks very different than it did in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n As Matt Tokarz shared, hiring trends move in waves:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe always see trends in BDRs. It\u2019ll go away for months and all of a sudden every client will want a BDR.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right now, outbound is resurging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many early-stage companies rode strong inbound momentum over the last few years. But as that slowed, they realized they never built a durable outbound engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, many leaned heavily into AI-driven outreach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And as Matt noted, companies are now seeing the gaps in those AI initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Automation alone didn\u2019t create sustainable pipeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So leaders are going back to fundamentals. They\u2019re rebuilding structured outbound with the right people and the right systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the biggest shifts is happening at the SDR level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jack Smith highlighted that outreach today is far more personalized and value-based:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s not heavy volume cold calling\u2026 they\u2019re sending LinkedIn videos, creative messages. It\u2019s a lot of experienced SDRs that can really have the strategic approach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a meaningful evolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Buyers are flooded with generic emails and automated sequences. AI-generated messaging blends into the noise. Activity alone doesn\u2019t move pipeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emily Goor Canna shared that some companies are even shifting away from strict activity KPIs and focusing instead on outcomes like demos set or SQLs generated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s a big change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of asking, \u201cHow many calls did you make?\u201d One client told Emily directly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe want a human in the seat, literally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That sentiment is spreading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The modern SDR is no longer just entry-level muscle. The role now demands:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bar is higher, but so is the impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n While SDR expectations are rising, something else is happening behind the scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jennifer Salerno recently closed a role titled Outbound & Go-To-Market Specialist<\/strong>, a hybrid position focused on AI prompting, automation, and outbound infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This wasn\u2019t traditional RevOps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The role centered around:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words: engineering pipeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re seeing more titles like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n These roles didn\u2019t meaningfully exist a few years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the talent pool is still thin. In Jennifer\u2019s search, the company initially looked locally before expanding nationwide due to limited qualified candidates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This isn\u2019t a short-term experiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a structural shift in how teams are built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you zoom out, the pattern becomes obvious:<\/p>\n\n\n\n AI didn\u2019t replace sales roles. Low-effort, high-volume outreach is fading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s emerging is a layered GTM model:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strategic SDRs<\/strong> driving personalized top-of-funnel It\u2019s not human vs. AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s human + AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Humans bring:<\/p>\n\n\n\n AI brings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The companies winning right now are combining both. Not over-indexing on either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re a founder or revenue leader:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re a sales candidate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bar has moved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the teams that adapt early will build pipeline that\u2019s scalable and human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For the past few years, sales teams were told two things: Neither fully worked. Across conversations with Matt Tokarz, Jack Smith, Emily Goor Canna, and Jennifer Salerno, one theme is clear: Outbound isn\u2019t disappearing.It\u2019s being rebuilt. And it looks very different than it did in 2020. Outbound Is Back, But Smarter As Matt Tokarz shared, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":2506,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sales-skills"],"yoast_head":"\n
It\u2019s being rebuilt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nOutbound Is Back, But Smarter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nThe End of \u201c100 Dials a Day\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re asking, \u201cDid you create meaningful pipeline?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nThe Rise of the Go-To-Market Engineer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nThe Real Trend: Human + AI<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It raised the bar for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
GTM Engineers<\/strong> building automation systems behind the scenes
Revenue leaders<\/strong> structuring outbound intentionally<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nWhat This Means for Hiring in 2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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