Building Motion on X, The Triple Threat, Trade Show Prep, Tech Sales Interview Process & Urgency During Downsizing

Before we dive into this week’s Pipeline Papi Press, I gotta say something real quick:

Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier were just arrested in connection with an FBI investigation into illegal gambling tied to insider NBA info and rigged poker games.

I, like most, love a good Saturday college football parlay. It’s fun. It’s part of the culture.
But let’s be honest… sports betting has PROBABLY always been rigged. And now, as prediction markets like Kalshi go mainstream, this kind of manipulation is going to bleed into everything.

Politics. Stocks. World events.
The line between real life and gamified markets is already getting blurry.

The house has the edge.
The insiders eat first.
And your trust in the system? That’s the first thing they’ll cash out.

So enjoy the games but don’t forget what’s really happening behind the curtain.

Welcome to The Pipeline Press, brought to you by Pipeline Papi, Lindy Boy, Quota Cowboy, Rookie Rep, & Ant Calabrese. Every Friday, you’re getting stories, tips, job openings, and a little lifestyle drip to keep the edge sharp and the mission clear. PROMOTION, QUOTA, EARNINGS. Follow us on X if you aren’t already, we are all very active in the tech sales space if you want to continue the convo or have any questions.

Let’s get into it.

A tale as old as time:
You fire off a tweet you put some time into. Organized your thoughts, built a good hook, spaced it right etc. Then POST it.
You check back an hour later no likes, no replies, no momentum.

So you give up.
You think, “This platform just doesn’t work for me.”

We’ve all be there. And here is what you need to realize.
Consistency comes before attention does.
And the shadow lurkers are watching.

That tweet you thought flopped? It might be the one that gets you noticed by the right person three weeks from now. It might get screenshotted into a group chat. It might be the seed that lands you your next job, your next collab, or your next referral.

You just won’t know it in real time.

All of this backs up what I’ve seen firsthand:
The results come after the dry spells.

Every post is a REP.
You’re sharpening your instincts, building muscle, and laying digital track for people to follow.

And trust me, THEY’RE WATCHING.
Your future manager. That head of sales. That recruiter. That VC. That startup founder.
They’re reading. Tons of these people are on Tech Sales X.
They just aren’t hitting the like button yet.

Post daily. Even when it gets a few views and makes you want to delete the app.

Use AI to brainstorm ideas.
Steal formats from people who have the kind of audience you want.
Talk about what you're working on, learning, trying, failing at, and building.

Just don’t go quiet.

Every day you show up, you stack proof of who you are.
You build leverage.
And one day, you’ll be the person other people start replying to.

So keep posting.
Even when it gets no engagement.

Because one day, you will be thankful that your past self did.

If you’re like me, you probably don’t keep up with the (fake) news, don’t waste time on doomers, and understand that no matter what happens in the world, you’ll find a way to win. That’s just facts.

You’ve heard it all before,  “AI will take our jobs”, “the world’s falling apart”, “WW3 is around the corner”. 

None of that matters to us sales anons. Here’s what does matter: what you can actually control.

Bare minimum, you need two to three streams of income. Start with your W2 sales gig - BDR, AE, GTM, whatever lane you’re in — that’s step one.

Then add something on the side: maybe a part-time biz dev contract, a bartending shift at a hotel bar, or flipping sneakers on eBay. Back in my early sales days, I even coached tennis as my second hustle.

Why? Because if you get laid off, the company downsizes, or you make a “questionable” joke around the blue-haired HR rep (kidding… mostly), you won’t be left scrambling.

Too many people rely on one paycheck, and when it disappears, they spiral. Not you. Sales skills transfer. You’ll always find a way to monetize.

Once you’ve got extra cash flowing, invest it. Don’t blow your money on useless consumer junk. Move in silence, stack your cash, and put it to work — SPY, BTC, or whatever steady vehicle makes sense.
Avoid meme stocks and shitcoins (please). When the economy dips or life throws a curveball, your safety net will be the money you saved and grew.

This isn’t revolutionary advice — but you’d be shocked how few people actually live by it. Most are paycheck-to-paycheck, broke, and complaining. Not you. Not us.

Go run the numbers, you paper-chasing, cheddar-stacking sales chad.

What’s up everyone, your boy is very tired after this week of settling in our new Pup and traveling so much. I go to Chicago this coming week for an Expo, so thought it’d be fitting to cover some Tradeshow prep!

Before a show, you really should be prioritizing those that live in the city of the show. Sure, some people may fly in out of state, but other than seeing a LI post that they are going most times they won’t.

So, focus on prospects that live in the immediate area and invite them (preferably call them but cold email ab the event also can lead to some results)

Secondly, I really dive deep into the product. You don’t know what you’ll be asked by someone at a booth, and you may be on your own if it gets really busy. Refresh on all things product 2-3 weeks beforehand, and furthermore be open to saying “IDK” if you really get caught in a situation where you need some backup. 

It leads to a great segway to say “I honestly don’t know, and I’d like to bring in one of my colleagues to address that question. Do you have time open next week where we could provide clarity on that?”

Another thing to note, before a show it can help to go through some C/L deals and invite (preferably in-town but its subjective based on the event). Reconnecting and mentioning you have some new features since they last evaluated, it can lead to some zombie deals that maybe just needed a new spark.

Lastly, I’m of the belief that when you look good, you play good. Go get a haircut and a shave before you go to the show. Doesn’t mean you go full 3 piece suit, but physically preparing for face to face contact by taking care of yourself can get you in the right frame of mind. And trust me, there will be plenty of people you see there that should’ve taken that advice. 

That’s all for me this week everyone. Don’t mind me aura-farming at this expo in Chi-town next week

-QC

Sup boys. Last week I wrote about making sure to say “yes” to the right SDR organization. But in order to be in that position, you need to have job offers. Which means you need to do well in the interview process.

So, I thought it made sense to put some information together for those of you who are looking to break into tech sales.

Here’s exactly how I approached each stage when I was breaking in and how it helped me land multiple different job offers:

1️⃣ HR Screen: The First Gate

This round is often the hardest to pass (this is statistically proven).
It’s quick, usually over the phone, and designed to weed people out.

Your goal?
Be upbeat. Be conversational.
Make small talk before diving in.

They’re not looking for perfection, they’re looking for energy and grit.
If you sound like someone who’s hungry to win, you’ll stand out immediately.

2️⃣ Hiring Manager Round: The “Fit” Test

Expect questions like:
“Why our company?”
“Why sales?”
“Why you?”

Don’t overcomplicate this.
Know the company. KNOW WHAT THEY DO. Tie it back to your story.
Use their website, look up their customers, even reference something recent they posted.

I can’t emphasize how important it is to nail these 3 questions!!!

3️⃣ Mock Cold Call: The SDR’s Moment

This is your spotlight.
Prep a loose script (but don’t read it word-for-word) and have an objections sheet ready!

Then practice out loud.
Work on tone, confidence, and flow.

To be straightforward, this is the make or break moment. If you bomb it chances are you aren’t moving on. However, if you truly put in the time and preparation for this it's pretty straight forward.

Reminder, you don’t rise to your expectations, you fall to your preparations!

4️⃣ Final Round: The Panel

Usually with multiple managers and/or a case study.
This is where you bring it all together:
Confidence. Coachability. Consistency.

Sell yourself like you’d sell a prospect, clearly, naturally, with conviction.

Final Thoughts:

Don’t overthink the interview process.
Have your metrics ready. Know your story. Stay calm.

If you have any specific interview Qs or want me to dive into more detail, let me know!

Until next week.

Rook ♜
X: @rooktorep

I’ve been seeing a lot of sales orgs downsizing lately. And to be honest, it’s not surprising. The sales world is getting way more competitive. Even just in the last few months since I started tweeting more, the number of people trying to break into tech sales has exploded.

Here’s the thing, the future of sales is lean and mean.

A lot of SMB-level companies are moving away from big SDR teams and replacing them with full-cycle AEs, sales reps who can both book and close their own meetings. Why? Because one good rep, enabled with the right tech stack and marketing support, is way more cost-efficient than three mediocre SDRs and a closer.

If you’re a strong communicator and can handle the full sales cycle, you’ll be in demand for years. But if you’re just trying to “get your foot in the door” and don’t actually develop the skill of selling, you’re going to get left behind.

There will still be SDR roles, but mostly at the mid-market or enterprise level. And even there, you still need to know how to sell, because you’re talking to execs, VPs, and decision-makers who don’t have time to waste.

That’s why I keep saying this, if you’ve been thinking about getting into sales, start now.

I genuinely wish I had started in sales right after college. If my first job had been at a tech org where I could just rip the phones and learn, I’d be even further ahead today. Because sales is the highest-ROI skill you can possibly learn.

It translates to everything, business, relationships, communication, confidence.
Sales is business.

The three languages of business are:
• Sales
• Marketing
• Accounting

And sales might be the most important one, because even with great marketing, someone still has to close.

So here’s my advice, especially if you’re new:
• Get a sales job.
• Start cold calling.
• Learn to handle rejection.
• Learn how to communicate clearly.
• Learn how to close.

Don’t waste time on “high-ticket closing” nonsense or influencer schemes.
Get into a real sales org.

The skill of selling, of being able to communicate value, persuade, and close, is what separates people who make money from people who talk about making money.

And once you can sell, you’ll never be broke again.

P.S. The Pipeline Papi SDR Bot is live. Your SDR copilot for custom cold call scripts, objection handlers, discovery questions and more, for EVERY Prospect. Built to make booking meets 10x easier.