185: The Sales Leadership Playbook Every BDR Team Needs Now with Gabe Lullo

2026-01-14

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Gabe Lullo is the CEO of Alleyoop, a sales development agency working with industry giants such as ZoomInfo, Salesloft, and Adobe. He has trained over 8,000 salespeople across diverse businesses and, during his tenure in Alleyoop, he has personally hired and managed more than 1,500 BDRs. With over two decades of experience in sales, marketing, and executive recruitment, his strategies have significantly driven Alleyoop's growth and shaped its corporate culture. Beyond his career ac...

Gabe Lullo is the CEO of Alleyoop, a sales development agency working with industry giants such as ZoomInfo, Salesloft, and Adobe.

He has trained over 8,000 salespeople across diverse businesses and, during his tenure in Alleyoop, he has personally hired and managed more than 1,500 BDRs.

With over two decades of experience in sales, marketing, and executive recruitment, his strategies have significantly driven Alleyoop's growth and shaped its corporate culture.

Beyond his career accomplishments, Gabe graduated from the Barney School of Business at the University of Hartford, and his leadership ethos is rooted in cultivating environments that prioritize both professional development and individual success.

Socials:

linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lullo/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabelullo/

Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL61t3M6geW84XNxsfKI5iARqa6_M9MuSy

Episode Summary:

In this episode, host Lyndsay Dowd talks with Gabe Lullo, the CEO of AlleyOOP, a sales-as-a-service company that specializes in helping businesses scale through effective outreach. Gabe shares his unique journey from recruiting to running a company that makes over 11 million cold calls a year.

The conversation dives deep into the realities of building high-performing revenue teams that last. Gabe and Lindsay discuss the difficult but necessary decision to fire toxic top performers to protect company culture. They also explore how to keep Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) motivated in a grueling role, the critical importance of a "video-on" culture for remote teams, and why LinkedIn is no longer optional for modern executives.

Key Takeaways:

- Culture Over Revenue

- Mindset is 50% of Success

- Video is Essential for Remote Trust

- LinkedIn is a Must-Have

Episode Chapters:

00:00:00 – Intro to Gabe Lullo and AlleyOOP

00:02:17 – Gabe's background: From fundraising at 11 years old to recruiting

00:06:00 – The three pillars of success: People, Process, and Technology

00:07:40 – Why you should fire your toxic top performer

00:10:14 – Culture as a KPI and the "shadowing" interview process

00:13:19 – What is AlleyOOP? (The "unsung hero" of sales)