podcast ·Oct 21, 2026

Creative Marketing That Actually Drives Sales | Sawsan Hamawandy

In Episode 230 of Call The Damn Leads, Drewbie sits down with demand generation expert Sawsan Hamawandy for a high-energy conversation about what actually works in modern marketing — and why most companies are getting it wrong.

Sawsan shares her journey from accidentally landing in sales straight out of university to becoming a marketing leader focused on one thing: driving real pipeline, not vanity metrics.

From cold calling with zero tools to building campaigns that generate meetings with top-tier companies, she breaks down the lessons learned the hard way — rejection, resilience, and figuring it out in real time.

The conversation dives deep into the disconnect between sales and marketing, why separate KPIs create friction, and how aligning both teams under shared goals can completely transform results.

Sawsan also unpacks the power of creativity in outreach — from emoji subject lines to unconventional campaigns — and why taking calculated risks in marketing is no longer optional if you want to stand out.

If you've ever felt like your marketing isn't converting, your sales team is frustrated, or your outreach is getting ignored, this episode will challenge you to think differently and take action.

Key Takeaways

✅Why starting in sales builds a stronger marketing foundation

✅How rejection early in your career creates long-term resilience

✅The importance of building trust before selling anything

✅Why sales and marketing must share the same KPIs

✅How misalignment between teams kills revenue growth

✅The power of using real buyer conversations to shape marketing

✅Why simple, creative outreach often outperforms polished campaigns

✅How humor and personalization increase response rates

✅The risks of over-automating with AI in outreach

✅Why testing bold ideas is essential to standing out in today's market

Memorable Quotes

"Say something impactful in a short space of time." – Sawsan Hamawandy

"You have to get people to buy into you first." – Sawsan Hamawandy

"Marketing should come from sales conversations." – Sawsan Hamawandy

"You're selling to people, not systems." – Sawsan Hamawandy

"If you don't try something different, you'll get left behind." – Sawsan Hamawandy

Connect with Sawsan Hamawandy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/ (search Sawsan Hamawandy)

Call The Damn Leads

"By sales professionals, for sales professionals - Tales of your wildest sales stories and tactics to succeed in your sales career across various industries."

Join Drewbie Wilson, a sales veteran with over 20 years of experience, as he brings you insider stories, humor, and actionable strategies to excel in your sales journey.

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✅Proven Tactics: Actionable strategies to boost your sales game.

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✅Expert Insights: Learn from seasoned professionals in various industries.

Don't miss out on the insights, humor, and strategies that can take your sales career to new heights. Sales professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners looking to grow revenue, sharpen skills, and build real freedom.

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More on this: Alan Stern on turning memes and humor into sales. New here? Start with what Call The Damn Leads is.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's a creative cold email subject line that actually gets meetings?

Sawsan Hamawandy had a sales team that wanted to target everyone, so she built a small campaign to prove a point. 50 contacts. The subject line was five fruit emojis, and the email said, "I think our partnership could be as fruitful as the subject line, can I tell you why?" That was it. She booked 12 meetings, some with big companies they'd never gotten into, and people wrote back with puns! I told her on the show I'm swiping that one.

Why do sales and marketing teams fight, and how do you fix it?

Sawsan puts it on the KPIs. In most companies the two teams get measured on completely different numbers, so she looks for ones where sales and marketing share KPIs. She sits with the sales team to hear the language buyers use, then puts that language in her campaigns. She even carries her own outbound number, and she works in marketing. I've walked into seven-figure businesses, asked what the KPIs were and heard "make money." That's where the fighting starts.

Should you use AI to personalize sales outreach at scale?

Carefully. A woman messaged Sawsan on LinkedIn: "I loved your post on LinkedIn about sniffing. I love sniffing too." The post was about her dog. The AI tool grabbed one keyword and ran with it... and nearly started what she called a very damaging rumor. That's why most of Sawsan's outreach stays manual or semi-automated. Her advice: "People have hobbies and interests outside of work. Pick up on that." Connect on something real and you're far more likely to get a reply.

How do you balance booking meetings now with nurturing leads for later?

Sawsan goes after the low-hanging fruit first. But only about 5% of your total addressable market is in market today, and if you're missing from the other 95%, you won't make the short list when they're ready. One prospect told her, "Where were you guys six months ago?" He was locked into a 3-year contract with a competitor and it was going badly. She left the next step in his court, they had a chat, and now he's checking whether they can leave early.