Akilan A P

Business Development Executive

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India11 yrs 1 mo experience
Highly StableAI Enabled

Key Highlights

  • Transformed struggling outbound teams into revenue-generating engines.
  • Authored multiple influential sales playbooks and leadership books.
  • Expert in aligning sales, marketing, and RevOps for efficiency.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a SaaS sales and revenue operations expert with a strong focus on BDR strategy.

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Skills

Core Skills

Sales Development LeadershipRevenue Operations StrategyGo-to-market (gtm) StrategySales Process Optimization

Other Skills

AI ImplementationAccessAccount ManagementAccount MappingBusiness DevelopmentBusiness Relationship ManagementBusiness StrategyClient ProspectingCoachingCompetitive AnalysisConsultative SellingContinuous Process ImprovementCross-Functional CollaborationCustomer ExperienceCustomer Service

About

For 10 years, I’ve been obsessed with fixing broken outbound motions and scaling BDR teams that don’t just book meetings—they create real revenue impact. My playbooks, training frameworks, and AI-driven processes have helped startups and enterprises turn struggling outbound teams into high-performing sales engines. 💡 What I Bring to the Table: 🔹 BDR Team Leadership & Hiring: Finding unconventional talent & coaching top-tier BDRs 🔹 Outbound Strategy & Playbooks: Crafting sequences that maximize engagement & meetings 🔹 AI & Tech in Sales: Automating grunt work so reps can focus on high-value selling 🔹 Revenue Operations & Process Optimization: Aligning teams for predictable revenue growth 📚 Author of Two Books and Three Sales Playbooks: 📕 Leaders, Not Rockstars – A no-BS guide to leading BDR teams, balancing coaching, targets, and managing the chaos of frontline sales. 📘 Swipe Right on Leadership – A modern take on leadership, navigating generational shifts, and leading with adaptability in today’s workplace. ❓ 101 Probing Questions – The ultimate guide to asking the right questions that unlock real insights in sales conversations. 📗 The BDR Handbook for Founders & Early BDRs – A step-by-step guide to building a repeatable outbound motion from scratch. 📙 What to Say – BDR Handbook – A tactical resource on how to navigate cold calls, objections, and multi-threading like a pro. ⚡ I believe BDRs are as important as CEOs—they're the first impression of your business, the real revenue drivers. If you're looking to scale a BDR team, fix a broken outbound motion, or just jam on sales strategy, let’s connect.

Experience

Deel

SDR Manager India

Apr 2025Present · 1 yr · Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India · Remote

  • At Deel, I lead the India SDR team with one clear mission: build an outbound engine that consistently delivers pipeline which converts. For me, this is not just about numbers on a dashboard. It is about creating a motion that scales, a team that owns its craft, and a culture where learning is as important as winning.
  • From the ground up, I have shaped the outbound playbook for India, designing cadences, processes, and talk tracks that fit our market realities. Alongside that, I hire and coach SDRs to not just book meetings but to think like sellers who can challenge, discover, and build trust.
  • One of the ways I drive this is through the IMPACT framework, a methodology I created and scaled within Deel. This gives structure to every conversation and ensures our team goes beyond surface level curiosity into meaningful discovery that leads to real opportunities.
  • I spend as much time on people as I do on process. SDRs in my team know that consistency, accountability, and curiosity are non negotiable. They also know that their growth is mine to enable, whether that means building confidence on cold calls, creating peer led learning, or opening doors for career moves.
  • Beyond the team, I drive alignment with AEs so handoffs feel seamless, and I work closely with Marketing, Sales, and RevOps to keep pipeline goals realistic, measurable, and moving.
  • At the heart of it, my role is about building two things in parallel. A high quality pipeline and high quality people.
Salesforce CRM ManagementCross-Functional CollaborationSales Process OptimizationGo-To-Market (GTM) StrategySales Development LeadershipRevenue Operations Strategy+1

Career break

Personal goal pursuit

Oct 2024Mar 2025 · 5 mos

  • For the first time in 10 years, I took a step back to rest, recharge, and refocus—spending quality time with family, my pets, and catching up on reading. But let’s be real… I couldn’t stay away from sales and RevOps for too long.
  • 🚀 Consulting in RevOps & BDR Strategy
  • Even during my break, I worked with early-stage SaaS companies, helping them:
  • ✔ Set up scalable BDR & outbound processes from scratch
  • ✔ Optimize RevOps frameworks for predictable revenue growth
  • ✔ Implement the right tech stack (CRM, SEP, AI-driven analytics, automation)
  • ✔ Refine GTM strategies, aligning Sales, Marketing & RevOps for efficiency
  • 📚 Published My First Book – Leaders, Not Rockstars
  • A no-BS guide for BDR Leaders, focused on coaching, team development, and balancing performance with people-centric leadership.
  • 📚 Published My Second Book – Swipe Right on Leadership
  • A business fiction that explores generational leadership gaps, helping organizations bridge the disconnect between Gen Z and leadership teams.
  • Taking a break didn’t mean stepping away completely—it meant recharging while sharpening my craft, helping businesses grow, and getting ready for what’s next. 🚀

Mesa school of business

Learning Facilitator

Jun 2024Dec 2024 · 6 mos

Infeedo

2 roles

Senior Manager Revenue Operations

Promoted

Apr 2023Sep 2024 · 1 yr 5 mos

  • My mission was clear: transform RevOps from a back-office function into a revenue-generating engine. By leveraging AI, automation, and data-driven decision-making, I built scalable processes that made revenue forecasting more predictable, sales motions more efficient, and handoffs between teams seamless.
  • 🚀 Key Achievements:
  • ✔ Increased opportunity conversion by 10% through deep Win/Loss analysis, refining outreach strategies
  • ✔ Built real-time Salesforce dashboards, giving leadership clear visibility into pipeline forecasting, deal flow, and SDR performance
  • ✔ Led cross-functional GTM projects, ensuring smooth lead handoffs between SDRs, AEs, CSMs & Marketing, improving speed-to-revenue
  • ✔ Optimized CRM data hygiene & segmentation, enabling better lead qualification and targeting
  • ✔ Integrated & optimized GTM tech stack, combining Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, Chorus, Rattle & OpenAI-driven analytics to enhance efficiency and decision-making
  • By bridging the gap between strategy, process, and execution, I helped create a RevOps framework that didn’t just support sales—it accelerated revenue growth.
Salesforce CRM ManagementCross-Functional CollaborationSales Process OptimizationContinuous Process ImprovementGo-To-Market (GTM) StrategyRevenue Operations Strategy+1

Sales Development Manager

Jun 2021Mar 2023 · 1 yr 9 mos

  • My role was to build and scale a high-performing SDR team that didn’t just book meetings—but drove real revenue impact. I led the charge in transforming outbound efforts, aligning teams, and creating a coaching-first culture that fueled consistent pipeline growth.
  • 🚀 Key Achievements:
  • ✔ Drove $6M+ in ARR, building a $26M+ pipeline across multiple global markets
  • ✔ Scaled outbound contribution from 5% to 40%, making outbound a core revenue driver
  • ✔ Achieved 22% QoQ pipeline growth by refining outreach strategies and optimizing prospecting efforts
  • ✔ Aligned SDRs, AEs, and Marketing, reducing cross-functional friction & accelerating deal velocity
  • ✔ Created a coaching-first culture, implementing weekly training, book clubs, and tactical skill sessions
  • ✔ Expanded & scaled SDR teams across India, SEA, and ANZ, adapting strategies for different markets
  • This wasn’t just about hitting numbers—it was about building a predictable, scalable outbound motion that could sustain long-term revenue growth.
Salesforce CRM ManagementCross-Functional CollaborationSales Development LeadershipSales Process OptimizationContinuous Process ImprovementGo-To-Market (GTM) Strategy+1

Stoa

Learning Facilitator

Aug 2022Apr 2024 · 1 yr 8 mos

  • Sales is as much a mindset as it is a skill. At Stoa, I coached founders, operators, and professionals on how to sell smarter, not harder. Covering everything from outbound motion to business operations, my sessions helped professionals develop a repeatable GTM playbook—one they could actually use in real-world scenarios.
Business DevelopmentSalesSales & MarketingSales ProcessesSales ManagementSales Operations+1

Kissflow

Sales Development Manager

Jan 2021Jun 2021 · 5 mos · India

  • My time at Kissflow was a short but insightful journey, where I got the opportunity to explore new markets, sales motions, and ecosystems. While setting the groundwork for outbound, I also deepened my understanding of the no-code/low-code space, the Middle East market, and the partner ecosystem.
  • 🚀 Key Takeaways:
  • ✔ Gained exposure to the no-code/low-code industry, understanding its GTM challenges and opportunities
  • ✔ Explored the Middle East market, learning how buying behavior and sales cycles differ from other regions
  • ✔ Dabbled in the partner ecosystem, evaluating how channel sales could complement direct outbound efforts
  • This role reinforced the importance of adapting sales strategies to different regions and business models, adding another layer to my GTM expertise.
Data-driven Decision Making

Freshworks

Sr. Sales Development Representative

Dec 2018Jan 2021 · 2 yrs 1 mo · Chennai

  • Freshworks was where I truly honed the craft of outbound sales at scale. This wasn’t just about making calls—it was about testing, optimizing, and redefining how SDRs drive pipeline. I had the opportunity to experiment, document, and build playbooks that shaped the SDR function.
  • 🔥 Key Contributions:
  • ✔ Owned outbound prospecting across US East, West, and Mountain regions, refining regional strategies
  • ✔ Implemented Freshchat & Freshsales motions, enhancing prospect engagement and conversion rates
  • ✔ Managed sales territories across the UK & North America, adapting outbound approaches for different markets
  • ✔ Wrote ‘The SDR Handbook’—an invite-only playbook that became the go-to resource for new SDRs
  • ✔ Mentored 30+ SDRs, helping them ramp up faster, hit quota consistently, and refine their sales approach
Data-driven Decision Making

Frost & sullivan

3 roles

Business Analyst - Transformational Health

May 2018Nov 2018 · 6 mos

  • I combined data, strategy, and market intelligence to help drive growth for global healthcare clients. I played a key role in strategic planning, KPI measurement, and investment decisions, ensuring that business units had the insights they needed to make high-impact decisions.
  • 🚀 Key Contributions:
  • ✔ Redefined KPI measurement frameworks, helping leadership track performance with clarity
  • ✔ Led research operations for a global team of 30 analysts, improving content production efficiency
  • ✔ Chaired bi-weekly executive meetings, presenting market insights and performance trends to board members
  • ✔ Optimized product marketing materials, aligning messaging with customer needs and competitive trends
  • ✔ Enhanced user experience strategies, analyzing web traffic to tailor digital engagement
  • ✔ Saved $300,000 by streamlining production processes and eliminating inefficiencies
  • This experience sharpened my ability to combine data-driven insights with strategic execution, a skill that later became foundational in my RevOps and sales leadership career.
Sales Process OptimizationData-driven Decision Making

Business Development

Jun 2015Apr 2018 · 2 yrs 10 mos

  • Selling into Western Europe gave me a deep understanding of global sales dynamics—from navigating cultural nuances to positioning high-value consulting services.
  • 🎯 Key Wins:
  • ✔ £400,000+ in revenue closed
  • ✔ Managed & expanded the Western Europe market
  • ✔ Built a £5.5M+ pipeline, driving long-term sales opportunities
  • ✔ Achieved 87% average quota attainment
Continuous Process ImprovementData-driven Decision Making

Growth Diagnostics Executive

Sep 2014May 2015 · 8 mos

  • I learned the art of cold outreach, pipeline building, and consultative selling. I was responsible for identifying new business opportunities, building relationships with key decision-makers, and ensuring long-term client retention.
  • 🚀 Key Contributions:
  • ✔ Prospected and engaged new clients, successfully initiating strategic business conversations
  • ✔ Built and maintained a strong pipeline through targeted cold outreach and market research
  • ✔ Developed account penetration strategies, ensuring access to decision-makers at key organizations
  • ✔ Facilitated high-value meetings between senior leadership and prospective clients
  • ✔ Managed client retention efforts, ensuring continued business growth and repeat engagements
  • ✔ Collaborated with research teams to deliver insights that directly addressed customer pain points
  • This role taught me how to navigate enterprise sales cycles, handle objections, and create value-driven conversations—a foundation that later helped me build and scale BDR teams with a focus on outbound efficiency.
Data-driven Decision Making

Education

Indo-German Training Centre

Post Graduate Program in Business Administration

Jan 2013Jan 2014

Loyola College

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) — French Language and Literature

Jan 2010Jan 2013

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