At Web Summit Qatar, where founders, investors, and technologists converged to shape conversations around the future of business and innovation, one recurring theme stood out: sales fatigue. Amid the buzz, I sat down with Kiran Ramaiah, CEO and Founder of AddMeetings, a Norway-based startup offering a radical rethink of how B2B sales meetings are initiated.
With over 15 years of experience in sales, Ramaiah has seen the industry evolve and, in many ways, spiral. Automation, AI-driven outreach, and unlimited follow-ups have created what he describes as “overwhelming noise” in the sales ecosystem. AddMeetings was built as a direct response to that problem.
“The biggest problem in sales today is the overwhelming noise in outreach,” Ramaiah said. “It keeps growing due to automation, spam, and unlimited follow-ups.”
While many sales platforms focus on helping sellers reach more people faster, AddMeetings was built around a question most tools ignore: what does this experience feel like for the buyer?
Rather than optimising for emails sent or calls made, AddMeetings prioritises relevance, intent, and mutual value, creating a system where both buyers and sellers benefit.
Unlike traditional sales engagement platforms such as Outreach, Salesloft, or LinkedIn Sales Navigator, AddMeetings eliminates the need for cold emails, calls, or unsolicited messages. Instead, it allows sales professionals to directly request meetings, provided they can justify why the meeting is worth the buyer’s time.
For buyers, this means fewer interruptions and more meaningful conversations. They only engage with requests that align with their needs and interests.
One of AddMeetings’ strongest arguments is cost efficiency. Ramaiah pointed to the rising cost of lead generation across industries:
As AI and automation continue to scale outreach, Ramaiah believes cold outreach will only become more challenging unless new models emerge. AddMeetings positions itself as that alternative, one that gives buyers greater control over engagement while encouraging sellers to do better research and deliver clearer value.
In the next five years, he predicts a shift toward intent-based, hyper-personalised sales, where buyers, not sellers dictate when and how engagement happens.
Full Interview: Q&A with Kiran Ramaiah, CEO & Founder, AddMeetings
What inspired you to start AddMeetings?
After working in sales for over 15 years and witnessing the continuous noise in the sales process, I was driven to create AddMeetings.
What problem in the B2B sales process did you see that others overlooked?
The biggest problem in sales today is the overwhelming noise in outreach, which keeps growing due to automation, spam, and unlimited follow-ups. Everyone focused on the sales side of things, but no one considered the buyer’s experience. AddMeetings addresses both, ensuring a balanced approach for buyers and sales teams.
How does AddMeetings differentiate itself from traditional sales engagement tools?
Most sales tools today focus on automating emails, workflows, and follow-ups. AddMeetings takes a pitch-first approach, prioritizing value, relevance, and personalization—eliminating the noise of mass emails and persistent follow-ups while ensuring sellers focus on value and buyers on relevance.
What’s your long-term vision for the platform?
Our vision is simple: if someone receives a sales email or call requesting a meeting, they should be able to say, “Find my time on AddMeetings.com.” In short, reduce sales noise.
Can you walk us through how AddMeetings works from a sales rep’s perspective?
For sales teams, it’s as simple as: Find. Pitch. Meet.
Find prospects on the platform and view their availability.
Pitch a compelling reason for a meeting.
Meet decision-makers by directly requesting time on their calendar.
Since every meeting request includes a paywall, sales teams focus on value and personalization rather than mass outreach.
How does AddMeetings filter out “noise” from cold outreach?
Sales teams must attach a compelling pitch—simple and text-based—to every meeting request, ensuring relevance rather than spam. Buyers receive pitches tailored to their needs and accept only the most relevant meetings.
Does AI or automation play a role in improving outreach efficiency?
Yes. AI helps sales professionals find the right prospects based on what they are selling and filters decision-makers actively looking for those services or products.
What metrics do you track to measure effectiveness?
We track meeting conversion rates, decision-maker engagement, response times, and the relevance of accepted meetings.
What industries benefit most from AddMeetings?
We’re industry-agnostic, but our primary focus over the next three years is SaaS and IT companies.
How do you convince companies to move away from traditional cold outreach?
Companies spend thousands to millions on lead generation. The average cost per lead is around $700, and lead-to-meeting costs range from $2,000 to $20,000. With AddMeetings, the average meeting cost is $250 to $500.
What has been the biggest challenge in adoption?
Expanding our decision-maker database. We’re investing heavily in partnerships and growth to make AddMeetings the go-to platform for sales teams.
Do you see cold outreach evolving?
Cold outreach will always be a challenge. With AI and automation, outreach will only get noisier unless we create alternatives—which is exactly what AddMeetings is doing.
How does AddMeetings compare to Outreach, Salesloft, or LinkedIn Sales Navigator?
Those tools help with emails, scheduling, and tracking intent, but they don’t allow direct meeting requests without cold emails or calls. AddMeetings eliminates that noise.
What’s a common misconception about B2B sales your platform challenges?
Everyone talks about value and relevance, but no one talks about reducing sales noise. We tackle both.
How do you balance automation with a personal touch?
Automation should cut clutter, not replace humans. Our pitch-first model forces personalization—if the pitch isn’t strong, the meeting won’t be accepted.
What’s next for AddMeetings?
Calendar integrations, AI-powered note-taking, personalized meetings, feedback and rating systems, compensation for decision-makers, and support for social causes with every accepted meeting.
Any plans for CRM integrations?
Yes. Once our core features are refined, we’ll integrate with CRMs and sales engagement tools to complement existing workflows.
Where do you see B2B sales in five years?
B2B sales will move toward intent-based outreach. Buyers will control when and how they engage, not sales teams.
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