Eight years of prospecting expertise

In August 2017, Alejandro Vela founded Conectandot with a clear mission: help B2B companies generate real meetings with real decision-makers. Unlike marketing agencies focused on brand awareness or lead magnets, Conectandot went straight for what matters most – confirmed appointments on calendars.

"Our goal was never to generate a marketing strategy, but to go for the meat," explains Alejandro, Commercial Director at Conectandot. "If I promised you 10 meetings, 10 meetings were what you'd have on your calendar, with the exact profile or target you were looking for."

The company quickly established itself across multiple B2B sectors, helping businesses in packaging, human resources, and private security connect with their ideal customers. Through systematic cold calling and relentless follow-up, Conectandot built a reputation for delivering results.

The business grew steadily until 2020, when the pandemic forced operations to halt. Like countless other businesses, Conectandot faced an existential crisis. But when former clients started calling again in 2024, Alejandro was ready to rebuild – though he quickly discovered the landscape had fundamentally changed.

"We tried to restart with our proven methods," shares Alejandro. "I hired people, provided extensive training, and we executed the playbook that had worked for years. But the results just weren't there. Of every 100 calls we made, we were barely generating one or two meetings. Before the pandemic, that same effort would have yielded three to five."

When proven methods stop working

The decline in cold calling effectiveness wasn't due to poor execution. Alejandro's team was doing everything right – the same processes, the same scripts, the same dedication. But buyer behavior had shifted dramatically during the pandemic years.

"I kept asking myself what was happening. I provided more training, I worked harder, I pushed the team. But it wasn't that the work was being done poorly – the work was being done correctly. The pandemic created an abysmal, impressive change in how people communicate."

The traditional cold calling journey had always been challenging: navigate the switchboard, convince the general receptionist, get transferred to the executive assistant, and finally – if you were lucky – reach the decision-maker. This process could take anywhere from two weeks to six months, with no guarantee of success.

Post-pandemic, these barriers became nearly insurmountable. Executives working remotely were harder to reach through company phone systems. Gatekeepers became more protective. And the sheer volume of sales calls made decision-makers increasingly resistant to picking up the phone.

"People simply stopped using the phone the way they used to," Alejandro explains. "And the calls that did get through felt invasive in a way they hadn't before. We were fighting against a fundamental shift in professional communication."

Discovering a new channel

When Alejandro discovered Theos AI and LinkedIn prospecting, he immediately recognized the strategic advantage. Instead of battling through layers of gatekeepers, he could now reach decision-makers directly in a space where they were actively engaged and receptive.

"With cold calling, you had to go through the switchboard, then the general assistant, then the director's assistant, and finally the director himself. This could take two weeks to six months – or never happen at all," shares Alejandro. "With LinkedIn and Theos, you skip all three intermediaries and go straight to the person you actually want to talk to."

The platform transformed how Conectandot identified and approached prospects. LinkedIn provided access to detailed professional profiles, allowing precise targeting based on job titles, industries, company sizes, and geographic locations. But the real magic came from Theos AI's ability to process and act on this information at scale.

"What impressed me most was how Theos evaluates each prospect," Alejandro explains. "You create a segmentation of everyone you want to reach – let's say 5,000 or 10,000 profiles – and Theos tells you which ones are most likely to convert and why. It's not just automation; it's intelligent automation that actually understands your ideal customer."

The numbers spoke for themselves. Conectandot could now reach 200 directors, purchasing managers, CEOs, and other decision-makers every single week. Extrapolated annually, that's 9,600 high-quality contacts – a volume that would have been impossible to achieve through traditional cold calling.

Results that exceed expectations

The transformation in meeting quality became evident almost immediately. One particular moment stands out in Alejandro's memory – a notification that arrived while he was driving to a client meeting in Aguascalientes.

"I was in my car, about to enter a meeting, when I got a calendar notification. A new appointment had been booked. I checked who it was, and I couldn't believe it – a director from Panasonic. An important person from an important company. I thought: this is incredible. These are people I might have spent months trying to reach, or never reached at all."

Beyond Panasonic, Conectandot has secured meetings with executives from other multinational corporations. The caliber of prospects appearing on their calendar transformed overnight – from hard-won appointments with mid-level managers to direct conversations with C-suite executives at global enterprises.

"Honestly, we don't promise a specific number of meetings anymore," Alejandro admits. "But that's because we're now delivering quality over quantity. Before, we guaranteed 10 meetings because that's what clients expected. Now, a single meeting with a Panasonic director is worth more than dozens of lower-level appointments. The value proposition has completely changed."

The shift also improved meeting attendance rates dramatically. With cold calling, getting prospects to actually show up for scheduled Zoom calls was a constant struggle. Now, Alejandro reports that out of all meetings booked through LinkedIn, only two people have failed to attend – and one of those immediately apologized and rescheduled.

Technology adoption for the tech-averse

Alejandro is candid about his relationship with technology. A self-described phone enthusiast who genuinely loves the art of cold calling, he didn't naturally gravitate toward digital tools. But he recognized that clinging to comfortable methods while the world evolved would only lead to obsolescence.

"I'll be honest – I told Gonzalo from our very first meeting that I know nothing about technology. I feel like I was born in the wrong era," laughs Alejandro. "I was messaging him every 10 minutes with questions. Sometimes I'd figure out the answer myself and message back to apologize. Then another question would come up. It was constant."

The learning curve was real, but the support made it manageable. What could have been an overwhelming transition became a guided journey, with the Theos team providing responsive assistance at every step.

"The attention from Gonzalo and Rama has been incredible. They never made me feel stupid for asking basic questions. And gradually, I started understanding not just how to use the tools, but why they work the way they do. LinkedIn with Sales Navigator combined with Theos becomes incredibly powerful once you understand the logic behind it."

Using the platform, Alejandro can now create precise segmentation, let Theos analyze which profiles offer the highest conversion potential, and automate personalized outreach – all without the tedious manual work that previously consumed hours of each day.

"The fact that you don't have to click, click, click, click to send connection requests – that it happens automatically – is truly wonderful. But it's not just about saving clicks. It's about having an intelligent system that knows which clicks actually matter."

Complementing existing strategies

One crucial insight Alejandro emphasizes: AI-powered LinkedIn prospecting doesn't need to replace existing sales channels. For companies with established outbound operations, it represents an additional, highly intelligent channel that complements rather than competes with current strategies.

"These tools can trigger many things," Alejandro explains. "If you already have a call center operation – great. If you have salespeople – great. If you're running Facebook strategies – great. You already have three channels. LinkedIn with Theos gives you a fourth. And it's a very intelligent channel that takes you directly to the target you're looking for."

The implications extend beyond just lead generation. Alejandro sees AI-powered prospecting as a powerful motivational tool for sales teams. Instead of offering traditional incentives that may or may not drive performance, sales directors can now provide something far more valuable: qualified opportunities.

"Think about it from a salesperson's perspective. Your director comes to you and says: here's a meeting with this major company, go close it. That's incredible. It speaks well of leadership, and it genuinely helps the team succeed. It's a tool and an incentive wrapped into one."

The psychology shifts too. Rather than salespeople grinding through rejection after rejection on cold calls, they receive pre-qualified opportunities with executives who have already expressed interest. The entire sales motion becomes more efficient and more rewarding for everyone involved.

Embracing the AI era

Looking toward the future, Alejandro sees AI adoption as non-negotiable for businesses that want to remain competitive. The technology isn't just changing how companies prospect – it's fundamentally reshaping what's possible for lean organizations.

"People are waiting for the first unicorn company built by a single person – and it's going to happen," Alejandro predicts. "AI provides leverage that simply didn't exist before. You can accomplish things that previously required entire teams. That's not science fiction; that's happening right now."

His advice to other business owners, particularly those who share his initial hesitation about technology, is straightforward: start now, ask questions, and don't let unfamiliarity become an excuse for inaction.

"You need to be open to changes and keep updating yourself with technology. I insist – I'm not someone who loves technology, but this year it's given me some hard knocks to understand it. And you have to understand it, because when you do, you save so much. Not just money – time, processes, everything."

"Don't close yourself off. Don't know anything? I didn't know anything either. AI isn't as complicated as it seems – in fact, technology is easier now thanks to AI than it was before. These tools will help you tremendously, and not just you – your entire team benefits."

For Alejandro and Conectandot, Theos didn't just save a business that was struggling to adapt – it transformed it into something more powerful than ever before. From near bankruptcy to booking meetings with multinational executives, the journey proves that embracing change, even when uncomfortable, leads to extraordinary results.