Episode 47

Smart IT Workspace Construct - Sellers Perspective

Published on: 7th October, 2025

On this episode of The Smart IT Podcast, I welcomed Keenan Coke to the show, where we explored the role of Business Development Representatives (BDRs) in modern sales and how they set the tone for customer relationships.

🔷 Smart IT Workspace Construct - Sellers Perspective (BDR View)


Keenan revealed why the BDR position is about more than just cold calls. It’s about starting conversations, building trust, and connecting prospects with the right experts. BDRs bridge the gap between sales, support, and product teams, ensuring customer needs are heard and acted on.


He described how BDRs built trust by creating warm introductions, ensuring prospects spoke with decision-makers, and filtering out poor fits. We talked about the importance of human connection in sales, noting that even in an AI-driven era, customers still preferred personal conversations over bots.


He cautioned that communication breakdowns between teams could cost deals, while proactive outreach, follow-ups, and partnerships kept customers engaged. Emotional connection and consistent customer experience build long-term commitment.


Keenan argued that loyalty depended on continuous engagement, fast responsiveness, and taking customer feedback seriously.


Finally, he reflected on his own path into BDR work, explaining that he chose it deliberately to sharpen his communication skills. Anyone interested in sales did not need a degree or certification, just the ability and desire to communicate effectively, qualify prospects honestly, and help customers solve real problems.


🔑 Key Takeaways

🔹 How proper qualification and disqualification saves time and strengthens the pipeline

🔹 The importance of cross-team communication to prevent customer frustration

🔹 The role of early adopters and brand loyalty in long-term success

🔹 Why human connection still outperforms AI bots in building trust

🔹 Why strong communication skills matter more than degrees or certifications in sales


If you’re in sales, product, or customer success; or just curious about how businesses grow through people-first connections, this episode is for you.


💡 “The BDR role is about setting the tone for a lasting relationship.”


#SmartIT #sales #BDR


Show notes:

🔹Link to this episode: https://youtu.be/i3rF3aTs7AA

🔹Keenan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keenan-coke/

🔹The Smart IT Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thesmartitpodcast

🔹Captivate Website for all episodes: https://the-smart-it-podcast.captivate.fm/


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About the Podcast

The Smart IT Podcast
Where IT explores what's next...
The Smart IT Podcast, where IT professionals can assemble and hear from each other, industry leaders, thought leaders, and those in adjacent fields to collaborate and learn from each other and explore what’s next for IT.

The Smart IT Podcast explores what’s next for IT as it continues to find ways to get the important things done for our organizations.
Preparing for the next decade, we need to think differently about how we approach our work to continue to thrive into the future.

Smart IT is an approach, conceptual framework, and development model to getting the important things done by transforming the way traditional IT thinks, works, and leads. It supports the disruption of the status quo, simplifies the complex, reduces uncertainty, and improves risk mitigation.

There has never been more pressure to deliver for our organizations; but I know IT is up to the challenge.

That will require IT to lead by working smarter. Let’s do it together.

About your host

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William Reed

I am an advisor of technology for business use, have seen the possibilities, the challenges, the constraints, and the risks. I have seen firsthand the technical debt, silos, broken communication, despair of IT, and business frustrations. And, I have seen the possibilities, the hopes, and the opportunities while working in the trenches of IT.

As someone that has analyzed, designed, built, and supported technology infrastructure for many businesses over the years, and followed the technology trends and cyber threats, I see the opportunities for our organizations and for the professionals of IT as a fulfilling and thriving career.

I believe we have been blessed with great opportunities to continue to improve ourselves and organizations. If it’s possible, there is no reason enterprise IT cannot reach new heights and help our businesses thrive in age of disruption, complexity, and risk.

I have a passion is bringing a fresh perspective to the challenges in front of IT and help inspire a team to tackle and win. And to help individuals and organizations make better decisions to improve outcomes and experiences.

I advise on matters of technology use for organizational benefits. He has over 20 years’ experience in the Information Technology field. He has worked for multiple technology value added resellers, representing the major vendors and technologies in the industry. He has consulted across the major industries, including banking, health care, retail, oil & gas, education, government, finance, and legal.