There’s no shortage of services promising booked calls. Appointment setters, cold outbound firms, lead lists, SDRs-for-hire.

It all sounds good on the surface. But most founders who try these too early end up frustrated.

Because more calls don’t fix a broken sales conversation.

Founder-led sales is more than getting leads

If you’re still selling the product yourself, every call is a signal. It’s not just about volume. It’s about what you say once you’re in the room. If you don’t feel confident running discovery, handling objections, or asking for next steps, more leads just multiply the stress.

And we’ve seen it firsthand.

Founders who sign up for lead gen services thinking it will "unlock growth," only to find themselves:

• Overwhelmed by cold leads they can’t convert

  
  

• Guessing what to say next in the call

  
  

• Repeating the same pitch and getting silence in return

It’s demoralizing. And it makes you doubt the product when the real issue is the process.

The real problem: sales confidence and structure

What most early founders need isn’t 50 more calls a month. It’s a few good reps with:

• A clear discovery flow

  
  

• A sharp way to qualify real fit

  
  

• A better grasp on how to handle objections

Sales doesn’t need to feel like improv. Once you know the path, each call gets easier. And the results start to follow.

When lead gen does work

We’re not against outbound or appointment-setting. It works. But it only works when:

• Your messaging resonates

  
  

• Your ICP is well-defined

  
  

• You know how to turn interest into momentum

If those things aren’t nailed down yet, you’re just paying to practice.

So what should founders focus on first?

• Talk to buyers yourself

  
  

• Build a sales script you can actually stick to

  
  

• Run 10 calls with focus before scaling up

Once you know how to handle the conversation, then bring in volume.

If you’re doing founder-led sales and want to feel more confident on the call, we can help. Talk to Waymark.