Predictable Revenue Framework
A systematic approach to building a scalable, predictable B2B sales machine — the outbound prospecting system that helped Salesforce add $100M in recurring revenue.
Core Principle
Predictable lead generation drives predictable revenue. The biggest mistake in sales is having the same people prospect AND close — specialization creates a repeatable, scalable machine. Traditional cold calling is dead; Cold Calling 2.0 (mass, personalized cold emails that generate referrals to the right person) is the new outbound.
Scoring
Goal: 10/10. Rate any sales process 0-10 on predictability, specialization, and process maturity: 10/10 means clear role separation, repeatable prospecting, and predictable pipeline generation; lower scores mean ad-hoc sales or reliance on heroics. Always give the current score and the specific improvements needed to reach 10/10.
The Three Types of Leads
Not all leads are equal — treat them differently.
| Type |
Source |
Conversion |
Cost |
Example |
| Seeds |
Word of mouth, referrals, organic |
Highest |
Lowest (takes time) |
Customer referral, NPS-driven |
| Nets |
Marketing campaigns, inbound |
Medium |
Medium |
Content, SEO, webinars |
| Spears |
Outbound prospecting |
Lower but predictable |
Higher (people-intensive) |
Cold Calling 2.0 |
Key insight: Most companies over-invest in nets and under-invest in spears; seeds are the best but can't be manufactured quickly. Invest accordingly — customer success and referral programs (seeds), content and paid acquisition (nets), SDR team (spears).
See: references/lead-types.md for lead source strategy and investment allocation.
Sales Role Specialization
The #1 principle: separate prospecting from closing. When AEs prospect and close, they hate prospecting and pipeline becomes feast-or-famine.
| Role |
Focus |
Metrics |
| SDR (Sales Development Rep) |
Outbound prospecting → qualified opportunities |
Qualified meetings/month |
| MDR (Market Development Rep) |
Inbound lead qualification |
Qualified leads/month |
| AE (Account Executive) |
Close deals |
Revenue closed, win rate |
| CSM (Customer Success Manager) |
Retain and grow accounts |
Retention, expansion revenue |
SDR (Sales Development Rep)
Generate qu