Building Scalable Sales Teams for Agencies with Karlie Bliss

In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes speaks with Karlie Bliss, a seasoned sales leader specializing in lead generation and sales development. Karlie shares her journey from sales in the SaaS industry to building high-performing sales teams within agencies. Together, they explore the challenges agency owners face in creating predictable and scalable sales pipelines, the critical role of SDRs and AEs, and why founder-led sales aren't always sustainable. Karlie breaks down the importance of refining service offerings, developing a target account list, and using structured sales methodologies to ensure repeatable revenue. They also dig into how agencies can balance growth with service delivery capacity and discuss tactical strategies like LinkedIn advertising, targeted outreach, and the power of sales enablement. Whether you're an agency owner looking to step out of day-to-day sales or aiming to build a structured sales function, this conversation is packed with actionable insights. Key Points From This Episode: [00:00:00] Introduction to Retained Trust and guest Karlie Bliss. [00:01:19] Karlie’s background in sales and transition to the agency world. [00:03:55] How lead generation became Karlie’s expertise and passion. [00:04:54] The difference between selling services versus products. [00:06:40] Breaking down the SDR and AE roles in an agency sales structure. [00:07:50] Why sales managers are critical for growing agencies. [00:10:12] Common challenges for agency owners stepping out of sales. [00:12:03] How sales processes differ between SaaS companies and agencies. [00:15:09] Implementing structured sales models in agencies—what works and what doesn’t. [00:18:41] The risks of scaling sales without aligning operations. [00:20:49] Why agencies need to standardize services for repeatable sales. [00:23:17] How to create a target account list to focus outreach efforts. [00:26:45] The importance of manually refining lead lists for accuracy. [00:30:04] Cold outreach vs. inbound marketing—finding the right mix. [00:34:14] How to transition from founder-led sales to a scalable model. [00:37:42] The role of pricing and packaging in making sales scalable. [00:41:04] Choosing the right marketing channels based on your audience. [00:44:09] Karlie’s recommended read: Traction by Gino Wickman. [00:46:38] Where to find Karlie online. Links: Karlie Bliss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karliemorien/ Level Agency: https://www.level.agency/ Karl Hughes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karllhughes Production and editing by The Podcast Consultant: https://thepodcastconsultant.com