◆  Outside Sales & Business Development

Cullman, Alabama  /  Est. 2025

Luke Ellis

Outside sales rep turned SDR. $220,000+ in total contract value in my first eight months, and now building outbound from scratch for a managed IT services firm across Alabama.

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Current Sales Development RepresentativeEvolv IT — managed IT services
Territory Alabama, statewideCold dials, email sequences, in-person walk-ins
Certified CompTIA Security+January 24, 2025
Degree B.S. Digital ForensicsUAB — 3.5 GPA, Dean's List
01 The Approach Professional Summary

Do hard stuff, not because it's fun, but because the win actually means something.

I came into outside sales with no experience and closed more than $220,000 in total contract value in my first eight months at UniFirst — outpacing my new-hire peers by better than 50% and taking Employee of the Month out of the full branch.

In 2026 I moved to Evolv IT as the company's only SDR and built the outbound motion from scratch: target lists, call scripts, email sequences, CRM workflow. That's 250+ cold dials a week plus in-person walk-ins across Alabama, working past gatekeepers to practice managers and owners.

I also hold a B.S. in Digital Forensics and a CompTIA Security+ certification, so when I reach out about managed IT, I have real background knowledge of the products and services I'm putting in front of prospects.

02 Field Record Verified against employer reporting
Total Contract Value $220K+

Closed in my first eight months, starting from zero accounts and zero sales experience.

UniFirst / Aug 2025 — May 2026

Quota Attainment 300%

Hit triple quota in my first full quarter carrying a bag.

UniFirst / First full quarter

Vs. New-Hire Peers 50%+

Above the new-hire average for revenue generated in the same window.

UniFirst / Branch comparison

Annual Contract Value Sourced $159K+

Pure cold outreach, averaging $4,400 per account per month.

Evolv IT / Self-generated

Cold Dials per Week 250+

Sustained weekly dial volume, plus in-person walk-ins across the state.

Evolv IT / Weekly average

Meeting to Opportunity 63%

Five of eight self-generated appointments converted into active opportunities.

Evolv IT / Self-generated pipeline

03 On the Ground Two roles / 2025 — Present
01

Evolv IT

Sales Development Representative May 2026 — Present Managed IT Services / Alabama

I'm the only SDR at the company. There was no outbound motion when I arrived, so I built one: target lists, call scripts, email sequences, and the CRM workflow that holds it all together. Most days are 50+ dials and a route of walk-ins — getting past gatekeepers to practice managers and owners who don't take cold calls.

  • $159K+Annual contract value sourced from cold outreach, averaging $4,400 per account per month.
  • 63%Meeting-to-opportunity rate — 5 of 8 self-generated appointments became active opportunities.
  • 250+Cold dials per week, plus in-person walk-ins across Alabama.
  • BuiltThe entire outbound program from scratch — lists, scripts, sequences, and CRM workflow — as the company's first and only SDR.
  • FixedRebuilt CRM data quality in GoHighLevel and installed a follow-up and reminder system after finding deals lost to inconsistent record-keeping.
02

UniFirst

Outside Sales Representative Aug 2025 — May 2026 Uniform & Facility Services / North Alabama

My first sales job. I walked in with a digital forensics degree and a territory to figure out — and inside eight months I was one of the branch's top performers, competing head-to-head against Cintas and Aramark and winning on discovery and service, not price.

  • $220K+Total contract value generated in the first eight months — outpacing new-hire peers by 50%+.
  • 300%Of quota in my first full quarter.
  • #1Most appointments booked in the region in a single week — earning direct recognition from the Regional Manager.
  • AwardEmployee of the Month, October 2025 — selected from the full branch for outstanding performance.
  • LedPlanned and organized the entire branch's Easter seeding campaign, and shared phone word tracks and seeding concepts with the rest of the team.

Company acquired by a competitor — departed ahead of the announced branch restructuring.

The Creed

If you do not quit
you will not fail

04 Reference Letter of recommendation / March 30, 2026
Luke came in with no sales experience and quickly became one of the branch's top performers, exceeding the company's and my own expectations.
Mike McKee Sales Manager, North Alabama — UniFirst Corporation Direct supervisor, Aug 2025 — May 2026
Letter of Recommendation March 30, 2026

To Whom It May Concern,

I am pleased to provide this letter of recommendation for Luke Ellis, who worked under my supervision as an Outside Sales Representative at UniFirst. During his time with our team, Luke demonstrated a relentless work ethic, strong sales ability, and consistent professionalism.

He approached his role with a high level of preparation, ensuring he was ready for both internal and external meetings, which translated into effective execution in the field. Luke maintained a proactive approach to identifying and solving problems, often addressing challenges before they escalated.

He was highly coachable, regularly seeking feedback and, more importantly, executing on it. This ability to take direction and turn it into measurable improvement set him apart. Additionally, Luke was a true team player. He contributed to the broader success of the group by sharing phone word tracks and ideas, including strategic “seeding” concepts for developing large accounts for him and his peers.

Luke came in with no sales experience and quickly became one of the branch's top performers, exceeding the company's and my own expectations. In addition to his performance, Luke brought positive energy to our sales team that genuinely improved the culture. His attitude, competitiveness, and willingness to support others contributed to a stronger, more motivated environment. Had UniFirst not been bought out, I'm positive he would have a fruitful and tenured career here.

I am confident that Luke will be an asset to any organization seeking a driven, prepared, and team-oriented sales professional. He was, and is as I'm typing this, genuinely one of my favorite employees to manage in my career.

Mike McKee

Sales Manager — North AlabamaUniFirst Corporation

05 Capabilities What I bring to a territory

Sales

  • New business development
  • Door-to-door prospecting
  • Cold calling & outbound sequencing
  • Territory management & routing
  • Pain-point discovery
  • Objection handling
  • Negotiation & closing
  • Pipeline development

Tools & Systems

  • Microsoft Dynamics CRM
  • GoHighLevel
  • Excel & Microsoft Office
  • Outbound list building
  • Email sequence design
  • Call scripting & word tracks
  • CRM data hygiene & follow-up systems

Technical Fluency

  • CompTIA Security+ certified
  • B.S. Digital Forensics
  • Managed IT services vocabulary
  • Security & compliance background
  • DEA intelligence internship
  • Product knowledge of IT solutions
06 Credentials Education & certification

University of Alabama
at Birmingham

B.S. Digital Forensics

Years2023 — 2025
GPA3.5 / 4.0
HonorsDean's List
InternshipDEA — intelligenceFederal investigative environment

CompTIA
Security+

Industry certification

CertifiedJanuary 24, 2025
DomainSecurity operations, risk & compliance
Applied toSelling managed ITBackground knowledge of the products and services I sell
07 Contact Cullman, Alabama

Let's
Talk.

Email lukeeellis@proton.me Phone 205 · 531 · 8261 LinkedIn /in/lukeeellis
Based in Cullman, Alabama
Luke Ellis — Outside Sales & Business Development Built in Cullman, Alabama