Over Quota: Recent Episodes
Jason Webb
Over Quota features exclusive interviews with Sales Leaders, Talent Acquisition Leaders, and other members of the leadership team from software/technology companies who discuss leadership, coaching, and what it takes for sales people to differentiate themselves from the competition.
On this episode of The Goats of Growth, Chris Lee, CRO at Interos, talks about the power of AI and and his sales methodology he calls P.O.W.E.R.
Chris dives into what it takes to build high-performing teams, the power of collaboration, and why investing in people always pays off.
What you’ll learn:
🔹 Vision & Curiosity – How asking the right questions creates answers others can’t see 🔹 Building Trust – Why trust is the foundation of every elite team 🔹 Partnerships – Why indirect channels will become vital over the nest year or so 🔹 Team Selling – How collaboration creates unstoppable teams
If you’re scaling a team, leading through change, or looking to blend vision with values, this one’s packed with wisdom.
Chris Lees Linkedin Profile
Timestamps
00:00 – Curiosity as the spark for vision 05:42 – Growing up as the youngest of five and finding creativity 12:30 – Making life easier through innovation and efficiency 18:15 – Why leaders need to think beyond features and functionality 25:10 – Curiosity vs. intelligence: asking better questions 32:40 – The future of indirect channels and partnerships in AI 38:44 – Rapid Fire: What motivates Chris Lee 39:55 – Humility as the path to continuous learning 41:03 – Why Indiana Jones is the ultimate leadership metaphor 42:51 – Family over meetings: the true measure of success
On this episode of The Goats of Growth, I sat down with Tanveer Bhangoo — former Go-To-Market leader, author of Pro Business Mindset, and the upcoming Bet on People. From being a first-generation athlete in Canada to leading in the tech industry, Tanveer’s story is a blueprint for resilience, adaptability, and leadership done right.
He breaks down why off-season preparation is just as important in business as it is in sports, how to build trust quickly in a new role, and why betting on people is the single most powerful move a leader can make. Tanveer also shares the daily habits that drive his performance, the role of humility in growth, and how he navigates scrutiny while pushing teams to win.
What you’ll learn:
🔹 From Athlete to Tech Leader – How sports shaped Tanveer’s leadership DNA 🔹 Off-Season Prep – Why your biggest wins are built before the season starts 🔹 Relationship Building – The foundation for success in any new role 🔹 Betting on People – How to invest in your team for exponential results 🔹 Adaptability – The most valuable skill in today’s business landscape 🔹 Daily Habits & Reflection – The underrated edge top performers use 🔹 Leadership Under Pressure – How to stay grounded while driving change
A candid conversation packed with lessons for leaders, athletes, and anyone who wants to win in the long game.
Tanvirs Linkedin Page Tanvir's Official Website Order the book here
00:30 Introduction to Tanveer Bangu 02:00 The Journey of Writing 'Pro Business Mindset' 05:40 Commonalities in Leadership and Sports 11:40 Micro Habits for Long-Term Success 14:00 The Impetus Behind 'Bet on People' 22:20 The Importance of Trust and Benefit of the Doubt 24:50 The Power of Potential Over Experience 28:20 Betting on People: A Leader's Responsibility 31:40 Adaptability in the Age of AI 33:52 Key Traits for Team Success 36:20 Reflecting on Career Growth and Future Goals
In this episode of The Goats of Growth, Kyle Natichioni, VP of Sales at Reveleer, pulls back the curtain on how his team helped scale the company from $50M to over $100M in ARR — all within the high-stakes world of healthcare tech.
Kyle dives into what it really takes to build a high-performing sales org, from mastering recruiting and revenue operations to creating a sales culture that attracts and retains top talent. He also opens up about the power of grit, lessons from hard coaching, and what drives his leadership style.
What you’ll learn:
🔹 Scaling to $100M+ ARR – Behind-the-scenes strategies from Revolair’s growth story 🔹 Sales Leadership – How to recruit, empower, and retain high-caliber reps 🔹 Grit & Coaching – The uncomfortable but necessary path to becoming elite 🔹 Revenue Ops – Why investing here unlocks compounding growth 🔹 Playbook Building – Why there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach 🔹 Sales Culture – How to foster a team that thrives on accountability and ambition
If you're leading, building, or dreaming of scaling a sales org, this one’s a masterclass.
Kyles Linkedin Profile 00:00 Introduction to Revolair and Kyle Natichioni 02:45 Growth Journey: From 50 to 100 Million in ARR 05:39 Building a High-Performing Sales Team 08:27 The Importance of Talent Acquisition 11:22 Grit and Resilience in Sales 14:20 Learning from Setbacks and Coaching 19:51 Leveraging Technology in Sales Training 23:00 Strategies for Growing a $5 Million Company 28:41 Hiring for Success: Building a Strong Team 30:40 The Importance of Playbook Building 32:27 Data-Driven Decisions in Sales 34:22 Challenges of Embracing Revenue Operations 36:17 Finding the Right Company Culture 39:29 Motivating Sales Teams and Retaining Talent 40:47 Rapid Fire Questions: Insights and Reflections
In this episode of the Goats of Growth podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Candidate 10, a seasoned sales leader with extensive experience in tech startups, particularly in AI and pharma. We talked about her journey from being an early employee at startups to leading high-performing sales teams.
Candidate 10 emphasized the value of foundational sales skills, understanding individual motivations, and crafting effective compensation plans. She also shared her unique ability to read people, her aspirations for future leadership roles, and her perspective on what truly defines a successful sales leader.
Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Goats of Growth Podcast 01:02 Jenna Okoro's Career Journey 03:08 The Importance of Foundational Sales 05:21 Transitioning from Individual Contributor to Leader 07:40 Identifying Individual Strengths in Sales 08:27 Understanding Comp Plans and P&L Management 10:47 Future Aspirations and Industry Preferences 12:54 Bonus Question: Magic Wand Abilities 14:59 The Art of Reading People 17:49 Secret Sauce: What Makes You Unique 19:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
In this episode of the Goats of Growth podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Candidate 8, a sales professional with a unique background in ministry. We discussed his transition from being a pastor to building a career in technology and cybersecurity, and the vital role that empathy and relationship-building play in sales. Candidate 8 shared powerful insights on personal growth through adversity, the value of in-person communication, and his aspirations for future leadership roles. We also touched on work ethic, life lessons, and the journey of redefining oneself in a new career path.
Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Goats of Growth Podcast 01:16 From Ministry to Technology: A Unique Career Path 03:40 Building Relationships and Empathy in Sales 07:54 Learning from Challenges: Growth in Sales 12:39 Finding Comfort in the Sales Process 16:16 Future Aspirations: Leadership and Growth 19:09 Mantras and Life Lessons 22:55 Redefining Oneself: Skills and Growth
In this episode of the Goats of Growth podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Candidate 7, who shares his unique career journey from military service to cybersecurity sales. We discuss the importance of channel sales, valuable career advice, and how he balances work with family life. Candidate 7 reflects on facing setbacks, seeking new opportunities, and the impact of recommendations in the job market. He outlines his ideal job description and expresses openness to roles beyond cybersecurity, highlighting the importance of SaaS.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Goats of Growth Podcast 01:06 Unique Career Journey 04:52 The Importance of Channel Sales 06:33 Valuable Career Advice: Visit Customers 09:11 Balancing Work and Family Life 11:51 Facing Setbacks and Personal Growth 13:25 Seeking New Opportunities 15:37 The Value of Recommendations 17:10 Ideal Job Description for Future Roles 20:42 Open to Opportunities Beyond Cybersecurity 21:48 Compensation Expectations 22:57 Career Advice for the Next Generation
In this episode of the Goats of Growth podcast, I have Candidate 6, a seasoned sales leader with over two decades of experience across major enterprises and high-growth startups. Candidate 6 shares insights into what it truly means to “win” in sales, the critical importance of hiring the right people, and how strong leadership shapes team performance. He dives into the role of preparation, strategic alignment, and the powerful lessons learned from top leaders throughout his career.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Candidate 6 01:00 A Journey Through Sales Leadership 02:11 Finding Growth in Different Environments 06:37 The Ideal Company Size for Impact 07:47 Understanding Winning and Personas in Sales 12:10 Lessons from Influential Leaders 15:46 Advice for Aspiring Leaders 17:12 Recommended Reads for Sales and Business 20:52 Closing Thoughts and Reflections
In this episode of the Goats of Growth podcast, I have Candidate 5, a seasoned sales leader with over a decade of experience. The conversation explores Candidate 5’s journey from door-to-door sales to leading a SaaS sales team, highlighting his leadership philosophy, time management techniques, and the unique challenges of working in a startup environment. He emphasizes the importance of mentorship, resilience in the face of setbacks, and drawing motivation from family. The episode also dives into building a growth-oriented team culture and the value of continuous learning in the world of sales. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Greatest of Anonymous Talent 01:03 Candidate Background and Experience 02:31 Transitioning to Leadership 04:31 Time Management Techniques 06:40 Leadership Philosophy and Mentorship 08:16 Growth Journey in a Startup 11:02 Overcoming Setbacks 13:32 Ideal Job Description 14:40 Motivation and Personal Life
In this episode of the Goats of Growth podcast, I interview an experienced sales rep with a unique entrepreneurial background. He shares his journey from founding a startup to working in cybersecurity sales, emphasizing the importance of adaptability, time management, and networking in achieving success. He discusses his strategies for maintaining consistency in sales and the significance of company culture and career growth in his next role.
Takeaways
Founded a startup that created a running glove with a built-in taser. He has extensive experience in cybersecurity and cloud sales. Barry thrives in early-stage startup environments. He emphasizes the importance of consistency in sales processes. Time blocking is a key strategy for his productivity. Networking is crucial for career growth and opportunities. Barry seeks a culture that fosters community and career development
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Goats of Growth Podcast 00:50 Barry Sun's Entrepreneurial Journey 03:01 Expertise in Cybersecurity and Sales 05:49 Navigating Ambiguity in Startups 09:09 Time Management and Consistency in Sales 12:01 The Importance of Networking 13:56 Career Growth and Future Aspirations 16:10 Closing Thoughts and Final Questions
In this episode of the Goats of Growth, candidate 3 shares his unique journey from a technical background in computer science to a successful sales career. He discusses the challenges of transitioning from a sales engineer to a full sales role, the importance of mentorship, and how he adapts to the ever-changing landscape of sales, particularly with the rise of technology and AI. He emphasizes the significance of daily habits, continuous improvement, and the need to believe in the products one sells. Finally, he also reflects on his motivations for pursuing a career in sales and offers valuable advice for aspiring sales professionals.
What to expect and when:
00:00 Introduction to the Goats of Growth 00:40 Candidate Background and Sales Journey 03:10 Transition from Sales Engineer to Sales Rep 04:38 Finding Your Zone in Sales 06:10 Learning from Mentors and Peers 08:46 Measuring Growth and Overcoming Challenges 09:54 Adapting to Technology and AI in Sales 11:12 Seeking Insights for Success 12:56 Advice for Aspiring Sales Professionals 13:47 Daily Habits for Sales Success 15:15 Ideal Job Description and Compensation Expectations 18:01 Motivation for a Career in Sales 21:13 Current Motivations and Future Aspirations
In this brand new season of the Goats of Growth, we continue our spotlight on rising talent with 'Candidate 2'.
Candidate 2 is a fast-rising sales professional who’s gamified the sales process to stay motivated and find joy in the day-to-day. We dive into his journey from BDR to mid-market AE, how he leverages AI to streamline prospecting, and the role curiosity and organization play in his success. Candidate 2 opens up about the importance of culture, competitive compensation, and staying level-headed under pressure. We also explore how his brother shaped his sales mindset, why refining processes is key to long-term growth, and how building rapport is at the heart of his approach.
Contact us for more info on 'Candidate 2
00:00 Introduction to the Goats of Growth 01:35 Candidate Introduction and Background 02:45 Innovative Sales Techniques 06:25 Personal Growth and Overcoming Challenges 12:57 Future Aspirations and Job Expectations 14:48 Advice for Future Candidates
In this brand new season of the Goats of Growth, we have our very first 'Candidate'.
Candidate 1 is a driven sales professional with a proven track record in high-pressure environments. We disucss the importance of standing out in a crowded job market, how perception shapes success, and why daily prospecting is the backbone of long-term achievement. Candidate 1 shares how AI tools have elevated their productivity, the power of asking the right discovery questions, and how aligning career goals with personal growth fuels motivation. We reflect on the role of failure, the value of in-office collaboration, and what it takes to close larger strategic deals by deeply understanding client pain points. Contact us for more info on 'Candidate 1'
Chapters
01:27 Candidate Introduction and Background 02:40 Career Insights and Advice 04:54 Daily Habits and Productivity 06:10 Leveraging AI in Sales 07:41 Deep Dive into Discovery 08:23 Future Aspirations and Job Expectations 09:07 Work Environment Preferences 10:14 Closing Thoughts and Feedback
On today’s episode of The Goats of Growth, I'm joined by Christian Byza, CEO and Co-Founder of Learn.xyz, as he shares his journey from organizing conferences in high school to building an AI-powered B2B learning platform.
Christian dives deep into the back story of Learn.xyx , pivoting from consumer to enterprise, and building effective go-to-market strategies. He also shares insights into personal branding, a growth hack you must hear, and how a positive mindset fuels his hustle. Tune in to hear insights on:
🔹 The Entrepreneurial Journey – From product management to launching Learn.xyz 🔹 Pivoting to B2B – How user feedback drove a major shift in the business model 🔹 Creative Marketing – Why unconventional tactics like renting an art gallery can make a bigger impact 🔹 Go-To-Market Growth – The importance of building a strong, scalable team 🔹 Personal Branding – How podcasts and visibility build trust and credibility
This episode is packed with practical lessons for founders, marketers, and anyone navigating the startup grind. Let us know your favorite takeaway from Christian’s story!
Christians Linkedin Profile Chapters
02:01 The Evolution of a Conference and Balancing Startups 05:57 From Product Management to Entrepreneurship 12:01 The Journey of Starting a Company 17:52 The Pivot to B2B Learning Solutions 23:53 Acquiring Users and Scaling the Product 39:08 Networking Strategies for Success 42:52 The Art of Fundraising and Building Relationships 48:45 Scaling and Growth Strategies 50:13 Pricing Models and Value Proposition 51:55 Building a Go-To-Market Team
On today's episode of The Goats of Growth, we’re joined by Rob Merklinger, SVP of Global Sales at JRNI to discuss the key traits that drive sales success—curiosity, teamwork, and effective coaching.
Rob shares lessons from his leadership journey, the challenges of first-time management, and the impact of domain expertise in sales. He also dives into the importance of sales enablement, training for new hires, and simplifying sales processes for better results. Tune in to hear Rob’s insights on:
🔹 Curiosity in Sales – Why staying curious leads to stronger sales performance. 🔹 Sales as a Team Sport – The power of collaboration in closing deals. 🔹 Effective Coaching & Documentation – How accountability and tracking progress elevate sales reps. 🔹 Sales Enablement & Onboarding – Why training and support are crucial for new hires. 🔹 Mastering the Pipeline – The importance of simplicity and strategic forecasting. 🔹 Adapting Sales Communication – The resurgence of phone calls and evolving outreach methods.
This episode is packed with actionable insights for sales professionals and leaders looking to refine their approach. Tune in and let us know your biggest takeaway!
Robs Linkedin Profile
On today's episode of The Goats of Growth, I sit down with Steve Travaglini again, founder and CEO of WinRate, a sales tool designed to enhance the research capabilities of sales reps. We dive into the evolution of WinRate, exploring how AI-driven research is transforming the way sales reps prepare for calls and approach their work.
Steve shares his journey as a startup founder, from the challenges of early validation to the lessons learned through beta testing. He emphasizes the importance of human capital, customer feedback, and partnerships in building a tech company, offering valuable insights for entrepreneurs and sales reps alike.
Tune in to discover Steve’s thoughts on:
- Automating Research in Sales: How WinRate helps sales reps save time while improving their preparation and performance.
- Navigating Startup Challenges: The highs and lows of entrepreneurship, from bootstrapping to building a supportive network.
- The Role of Feedback in Product Development: Why listening to customer needs and iterating based on user input is essential for success.
- Balancing Quantity and Quality in Sales: Striking the right balance for long-term growth.
Steves Linkedin Profile
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to WinRate and Its Value Proposition 06:13 Increasing Sales Capacity and Quality 12:12 Building a Tech Company Without Coding Skills 18:08 Navigating the Early Stages of Product Development 23:16 The Power of Human Capital in Startups 29:11 Identifying Market Needs Through Conversations 35:13 Understanding Beta Testing and Product Development 43:04 Looking Ahead: The Future of WinRate
On today's episode of The Goats of Growth, I have Michaela Dempsey, Chief Marketing Officer at Levelpath, an AI-powered procurement platform, to explore the concept of “delightful procurement” and how AI is transforming the procurement process.
Michaela dives into how AI can streamline procurement and marketing, boosting efficiency and enhancing the user experience. She also shares her views on the essentials of marketing fundamentals, the impact of LinkedIn in B2B growth, and why balancing short-term wins with long-term strategy is key.
Tune in to discover Michaela's insights on:
Delightful Procurement: How AI can make procurement processes smoother and more enjoyable for users.
Retargeting and Visibility: The power of retargeting ads in boosting brand awareness.
Facing Challenges with Confidence: The importance of confidence and resilience in marketing leadership.
Iteration in Marketing: Balancing data-driven insights with gut instincts for effective decision-making.
Long-Term Vision and Sales Alignment: Why aligning marketing and sales with a clear vision drives growth.
Join us for this episode packed with actionable advice on AI, marketing strategy, and leadership from a top industry CMO!
Michaelas Linkedin Profile
LevePath Website
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Levelpath and Michaela Dempsey. 06:10 The Role of AI in Procurement and Marketing. 11:51 Core Fundamentals of Marketing and Customer Care. 18:13 The Power of Retargeting and Long-Term Strategies. 35:26 Facing Challenges with Confidence. 42:57 The Importance of Iteration in Marketing. 48:21 Motivation and Goals in Marketing Leadership. 55:56 Personal Passions and Work-Life Balance.
On today's episode I sit down with Jamie Walker, CMO of KeyFactor, to explore the strategic marketing initiatives that fueled the company’s growth from $15 million to $100 million in ARR.
Jamie shares her insights on the importance of predictable marketing strategies and how balancing short-term wins with long-term goals can drive success. She also dives into the significance of cross-functional collaboration and building a high-performing marketing team that adapts to the evolving needs of the business. Tune in to hear Jamie's perspective on:
KeyFactor's Growth: How the company leveraged a strong product-market fit to scale rapidly. Marketing Predictability: The role of SEO and forecasting in generating a predictable pipeline. Cultural Integration in M&A: How to navigate and blend different company cultures during mergers and acquisitions. Data-Driven Decisions: How data guides product focus and growth strategy. Investing in People: Why employee satisfaction and strategic planning are key for future success.
Join us for this episode filled with valuable lessons on scaling, leadership, and marketing strategy from one of the industry's top CMOs!
Jamies Linkedin Profile
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to KeyFactor and Jamie Walker 03:02 Strategic Priorities for Growth 05:47 The Importance of Predictability in Marketing 08:53 Long-Term vs Short-Term Wins 11:49 Cross-Functional Collaboration and Trust 15:09 Building a High-Performing Marketing Team 30:33 Radical Candor and Accountability in Growth 32:49 Blending Cultures: Education and Training 34:41 Reshaping Company Values and Messaging 38:35 The Long-Term Impact of Culture on Growth 42:44 Strategic Planning for Future Growth 46:20 Motivation and Goal Setting 48:43 Learning from Success and Failure 51:34 Balancing Work and Family Life 55:23 Trust as a Key Quality in Leadership
On today's episode of The Goats of Growth, Cris Mendes, VP of Sales at WEVO, talks about his unique approach to coaching by first identifying the limiting beliefs that may be preventing people from achieving their goals. Once identified, he works with them to overcome those beliefs so they can reach their full potential.
Cris' deep passion for coaching, influenced by his own experiences with impactful mentors, is palpable throughout this episode. With a focus on sales fundamentals and personal growth, Cris also dives into the core traits that define great salespeople, including the importance of curiosity and coachability.
Here's what to listen for:
Coaching in Sales: The significance of effective coaching in sales, focusing on both ability and proficiency to drive long-term success.
Overcoming Limiting Beliefs: How understanding and overcoming personal limiting beliefs can unlock potential in sales and life.
Curiosity and Sales Success: Why curiosity is one of the most essential traits for a successful salesperson.
Discipline Over Talent: The role of discipline in achieving sales success, often outweighing natural talent.
Chris's Linkedin Profile
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Cris Mendes 02:06 The Passion for Coaching and Development. 05:17 Fundamentals of Sales Skills. 07:11 Overcoming Limiting Beliefs. 10:20 Practical Coaching Techniques. 14:44 Understanding Neuro-Linguistic Programming. 17:18 The Importance of Curiosity in Sales. 24:54 Ability vs. Proficiency in Sales. 32:47 The Role of Discipline in Sales Success. 36:34 Curiosity and Coachability in Hiring. 48:40 Rapid Fire Questions and Closing Thoughts.
On today's episode of The Goats of Growth, I have Austin Myers, VP of Revenue at Certificial.
Certificial is on a mission to automate and streamline the traditionally labor-intensive COI process, bridging the gap between the insurance and business industries. With a vision of a seamless future where COIs are obsolete and insurance information flows effortlessly across systems, Austin provides deep insights into how Certificial is leading this transformation. Tune in to discover Austin's insights on:
Revolutionizing COI Processes: How Certificial is automating and streamlining the COI process to save time and reduce risk for compliance managers, insurance agents, and vendors.
Connecting Industries: The importance of linking the insurance industry with the business world to ensure real-time compliance and eliminate insurance risks.
Financial Stewardship in Startups: The critical importance of budgeting, profitability, and proper measurement in decision-making, especially in a startup environment.
Hiring for Success: The traits Certificial looks for in their revenue organization, including curiosity, initiative, ownership, and judgment.
AI and Automation: How Certificial uses AI and automation to scale processes and boost efficiency across the organization.
This episode is packed with insights for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, insurance, and business growth! Tune in and let us know your key takeaway.
Austins Linkedin Profile
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Certificial and the COI Process. 07:00 The Role of VP of Revenue at Certificial. 11:20 Message Market Fit and Evolution. 17:22 Becoming the Category Leader in the COI Space. 20:40 Execution and Growth Strategies. 25:14 Targeting Different Layers of Customers. 29:23 Leveraging Customer Advocacy for Growth. 29:51 The Importance of Budgeting and Being Good Stewards of Money. 31:44 Prioritizing Profitability and Proper Measurement. 34:57 The Role of Experimentation in Sustainable Growth. 36:53 The Hiring Profile for the Revenue Organization. 43:33 Using AI and Automation to Scale Processes.
My guest today is Armen Zildjian, VP of Sales at Clockwork, which is a financial planning and analysis platform for growing businesses and their advisors. Armen has over 20 years of international software sales and sales leadership experience, and has helped take multiple scale multiple tech companies, including Drift, which achieved $1B valuation in 2021, LogMeIn (IPO), GrabCad (acquired by Stratasys), and Dyn (acquired by Oracle). He knows what it takes in the beginning, managing early-stage sales teams with little structure and process, all the way through international expansion with millions in revenue and a global sales team.
In this episode he talks about his process for how he makes it all happen.
Here are several key takeaways from the interview:
Empowering Small Businesses: How Clockwork helps small businesses succeed by providing accurate and timely financial data through financial advisors.
Understanding Customer Value: The significance of truly understanding the customer's problem and the value Clockwork can offer.
Iterative Sales Processes: The need for constant adaptation in sales processes, with feedback loops and certification programs ensuring success.
Hiring and Curiosity: Why hiring experienced salespeople and fostering natural curiosity are crucial for sales success.
Motivation and the 'Why': The importance of having a clear goal and understanding the motivation behind actions in sales.
Empathy in Management: Armen's management style focuses on empathy, understanding the whole person, and unlocking their potential.
This episode is packed with actionable advice for sales leaders looking to scale their teams and empower small businesses! Tune in and let us know your key takeaway.
Armens Linkedin Profile
Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Background. 02:20 Clockwork's Vision and Value Proposition. 08:49 Growth and Scale: IPO or Acquisition? 14:30 Building and Fine-Tuning the Sales Process. 19:27 Handling Challenges in a Fast-Growing Startup. 23:42 Staying Focused and Disciplined in Decision-Making. 28:13 The Role of Sales Reps and A/B Testing. 32:10 Core Principles and Skills for Sales Success. 34:07 Understanding the 'Why' Behind Your Actions. 37:10 The Impact of Developing Others. 40:31 The Drive to Win: Having a Chip on the Shoulder. 51:01 Finding Fulfillment in Hobbies and Interests.
On today's solo episode of The Goats of Growth, I go deep into how to position yourself for the best job opportunities as we move towards the busiest time of year for recruiting and hiring.
Focusing on three critical areas—Recruiters, Resumes, and References.
Tune in to insights on:
Building Relationships with Recruiters: Why connecting with recruiters who specialize in your target industry and roles is key to unlocking the best opportunities.
Crafting a Strong Resume: The importance of tailoring your resume to the job you're applying for, with a focus on relevance and showcasing your domain expertise.
Strengthening References: How reconnecting with former managers and establishing strong references can give you an edge in the hiring process.
Timing Your Job Search: Why preparing ahead of time is crucial, especially as the end of Q3 and the beginning of Q4 are peak periods for recruiting and hiring. This episode is packed with actionable advice for job seekers looking to navigate the job market with confidence and success! Tune in and let us know your key takeaway.
00:00 - Introduction 01:08 - Building Relationships with Recruiters 03:06 - Recruiters as Advocates 04:06 - Crafting a Strong and Relevant Resume 06:03 - Reconnecting with Old Managers for References 09:27 - Preparing for Job Opportunities Ahead of Time
In this episode of The Goats of Growth you will hear my interview with Kiva Kolstein, President and Chief Revenue Officer of AlphaSense.
Curious about the success behind an AI-powered market intelligence platform? Kiva shares how AlphaSense delivers quick and accurate search results and how a focus on operational excellence is driving its growth.
Tune in to discover Kiva's insights on:
Growth and Success of AlphaSense: Leveraging AI to provide market intelligence from a vast array of content sources.
Keys to AlphaSense's Growth: The role of operational excellence, sales enablement, and revenue operations in scaling the business.
Building a Strong Team: The importance of fostering a collaborative and feedback-rich culture to drive company success.
Future Plans for AlphaSense: Expanding globally and enhancing the platform with generative AI and natural language interaction.
Balancing Growth and Efficiency: Strategies for maintaining efficiency while pursuing aggressive growth targets.
Enjoy the episode!
Kivas Linkedin Profile
This is a different kind of show from what I normally do, meaning that most of my shows feature in depth interviews with one guest on various growth oriented topics. However, in this episode, you will hear clips from five recent interviews that I did that basically focus on the same topic, which have been all about the strategic thinking needed for CROs to run profitable and efficient growth organizations in the wake of the growth at all cost error that ended a couple of years ago. So in this episode, you will hear the viewpoints of Meshach Amua -Fuster, portfolio CEO, Tracy Sastilli, former chief revenue officer at Intellimize, Michelle Benfer, SVP of Sales at Bill, Jacco 'Vanderkoi, Founder of Winning by Design and Katie Ivy.
Chief Revenue Officer at Walnut. Enjoy the episode.
Meshachs Linkedin Profile
Jacco's Linkedin Profile
Tracys Linkedin Profile
Michelles Linkedin Profile
Caties Linkedin Profile
In today's episode of The Goats of Growth, we have Catie Ivey, CRO of Walnut! She discusses the differences between selling in today's environment versus selling just a few years ago.
Of course, as a recruiter, the thing that stuck out most to me was the what she said about the differences between great sellers and CSMs and everyone else, and the very real consequences if you're not great at what you do today.
Takeaways from this episode:
Enhancing B2B Sales: Leveraging product demos to create a buyer-centric experience throughout the buying journey. Transitioning to CRO: The challenges and learning curve involved in owning the full revenue number. Optimizing Sales Processes: Strategies for go-to-market teams to do more with less and improve unit economics. Cross-Team Alignment: Creating alignment across product, marketing, sales, and customer success teams for scalability and predictability.Building a Strong Team: Hiring candidates with intellectual curiosity, growth mindset, and coachability.Mentorship and Diversity: Katie's passion for mentoring young women in sales and promoting diversity in leadership roles.Pipeline Building: Exploring new strategies for building pipeline and learning from industry peers. Caties Linkedin Profile
In this episode of The Goats of Growth, I interviewed Gregg Carman, CEO and Founder of Chiefsight, which empowers mid-market companies to make data-driven financial decisions with generative AI. Cheifsight analyzes data from multiple systems and provides relevant recommendations to make faster decsions while your competiors are stuck in analysis paralysis.
Want to hear his go-to-market strategy and his visionfor the future? It's all in this episode!
Data-Driven Decisions: How ChiefSight uses AI to provide real-time measurement of key performance indicators and benchmarks for better, faster business decisions. Generative AI in Marketing: Utilizing AI to analyze data from multiple systems and deliver relevant recommendations, significantly improving conversion rates.
Target Audience Strategies: Focusing on CFOs, with the CEO and CRO as key influencers, and exploring omnichannel strategies for demand generation. Thought Leadership: The role of thought leadership in defining and designing a market, leading to market leadership and profitability. Market Opportunities: Tapping into the large and growing market for decision intelligence applications.
Gregg Carmens Linkedin Profile
00:00 Introduction to ChiefSight and Greg 03:20 Real-Time Measurement and Benchmarks for Better Decision-Making 05:45 Using Generative AI to Analyze Data and Provide Recommendations 09:20 Targeting CFOs with Influencers in the CEO and CRO 16:13 Exploring an Omnichannel Strategy for Demand Generation 24:23 The Power of Generative AI in Demand Generation Marketing 29:14 Thought Leadership: Defining and Designing a Market 32:20 Scalable and Efficient Content Marketing with Generative AI 36:19 Building a Business for Sustainable and Profitable Growth 42:34 The Market Opportunity for Decision Intelligence Applications
In this episode of The Goats of Growth, I interviewed Bobby Touran, Co-Founder of Rainbow, an insuretech company focusing on the restauant industry.
One of the biggest questions I had for Bobby was about the keys to raising money in 2024, given that it;s much more difficult than it was just a few years ago.
Enjoy the episode!
Bobbys Linkedin Profile
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and background 04:27 Seizing Opportunities and Adapting to Change 13:07 Raising Funds and Building a Successful Business 37:22 The Importance of Team, Vision, and Value Proposition in Entrepreneurship
In this episode I interviewed Michelle Benfer, Senior Vice President of the Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable Product Lines for BILL.
I asked Michelle about a post she shared on LinkedIn that caught my eye about the Rule of 40 and how focusing on the right roles and the right intelligence in RevOps makes you less reliant on sales headcount.
Listen to the episode to find out more, including:
Balancing Profitability and Growth: Understanding the rule of 40 and its significance for public SaaS companies.
Driving Productivity: The critical role of RevOps and how to effectively align bonuses with productivity benchmarks.
Sales Enablement: Strategies for boosting productivity and disseminating best practices across the sales team.
Effective Sales Management: Tips for hiring well, coaching effectively, and focusing on pipeline management, performance, and culture.
Navigating 2024: Insights into the challenges of running a sales team and the importance of investing in the right resources. This episode is packed with actionable advice for sales leaders aiming to achieve a balanced and productive sales organization!
Tune in and let us know your key takeaway.
Michelles Linkedin Profile
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Michelle Benfer and Bill 01:37 The Rule of 40: Balancing Profitability and Growth 10:17 The Importance of Sales Enablement in Supporting the Sales Team 35:20 Challenges of Running a Sales Team in 2024
In this episode, Steve Travaglini, the CRO that led LinkSquares from $500K to an astounding $50M in ARR in just 5 years, shares his entire journey.
Struggling with startup setbacks and doubt? Steve resilience, drive, and bias towards action, will inspire you in a way that could set you on path to the same kind of success. Of course, you'll have to do it without Steve.
Tune in to discover Steve's insights on:
Uncovering Success: The journey from setbacks to triumph, and the lessons learned along the way.
Building a Sales Culture: Hiring for grit and optimism to create an unshakable team.
Driving Revenue: The pivotal role of a game-changing product in the sales landscape.
The Blueprint for Growth: Strategies for forging an unbreakable sales culture and fostering explosive growth. This episode is packed with actionable advice for entrepreneurs and sales leaders aiming to achieve extraordinary success!
Tune in and let us know your key takeaway.
Steves Linkedin Profile
00:00 Introduction and Background 03:01 Getting Fired and Joining Link Squares 08:56 Building the Sales Team at Link Squares 15:54 Lessons Learned and Adjustments Made 32:10 Continued Growth and Challenges Faced 37:55 The Evolution of a Sales Leader 38:22 Staying Involved in the Day-to-Day Operations 39:23 Building a Sales Culture and Scaling a Sales Organization 40:12 Delegating and Working on the Business 44:09 Introducing WinRate 48:45 Addressing Pain Points in Pricing, Packaging, and Value Presentation
On today's episode of The Goats of Growth, we have Tracy Sestili, Chief Revenue Officer of Intellimize!
Struggling to bridge the CMO-to-CRO gap? Tracy, a former CMO herself, reveals how marketing expertise can supercharge your CRO role. Can a marketing background be the secret weapon for CRO success? Tune in to discover Tracy's insights on:
- Unlocking Growth: Collaboration, data-driven decisions, and the power of a user-friendly product.
- Scaling Revenue: Pricing, ICP, and the challenges (and rewards) of new market expansion.
- Product-Led Growth: Dominating your niche, lowering barriers to entry, and building brand advocacy.
- The Future of Sales: Adapting to change and the ever-evolving sales landscape.
This episode is packed with actionable advice for marketing and sales leaders looking to drive explosive growth!
Tracys Linkedin Profile
00:00 Introduction and Tracy's Background. 03:30 The Value of a Marketing Background in the CRO Role. 11:45 The Importance of Cross-Functional Collaboration for CROs. 25:15 Addressing Pricing, ICP, and Product Feature Issues. 28:59 Strategies for Scaling Revenue. 32:19 Challenges of Expanding into New Markets. 35:35 The Challenges of Product-Led Growth. 37:24 Dominating a Market before Expanding. 39:12 Creating a Seamless User Experience. 44:09 Balancing Growth and Efficiency. 46:08 Motivation: Doing Impactful Work. 48:38 Personal Goals and Hobbies. 53:01 The Future of Sales Teams in 2024.
In this episode of The Goats of Growth, we're joined by Solomon Kahn, the CEO behind Delivery Layer. We discuss his data industry journey and the inception of his brainchild, unveiling the niche market's potential as well as Delivery Layer's mission: furnishing robust tools for seamless data sharing—a sector long overlooked.
From the exhilaration of securing the inaugural client to navigating the complexities of missed opportunities, Solomon shares candid anecdotes. Tune in as he unveils his LinkedIn playbook, deciphering how strategic audience cultivation fuels outreach and cultivates promising leads.
Solomons Linkedin Profile
00:00 - Introduction to Solomon Kahn and Delivery Layer 03:32 - The Need for Delivery Layer in the Market 08:35 - Building Delivery Layer and Pricing Strategy 11:34 - The Power of Building an Audience on LinkedIn 22:50 - Future Growth and Challenges for Delivery Layer 35:50 - Exploring the Use Cases of Delivery Layer 46:19 - Building Trust and Reliability in the Data Industry 53:27 - The Long-Term Vision for Delivery Layer 57:26 - Motivation and Learning in the Data Industry 01:02 - Navigating the Jump from $100K to $1 Million in ARR 01:05 - The Importance of Sleep and Personal Well-being
In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I interview Jacco van der Kooij, founder of Winning by Design, about the challenges facing SaaS companies in achieving go-to-market fit. Jacco explains that the "growth at all costs" mentality has led to inefficient spending on sales and marketing, resulting in unsustainable growth. Tune in to learn how he advocates for a shift towards process-centric strategies, emphasizing the need for data-driven decisions, cost efficiency, and the unique treatment of different market segments.
Jaccos Linkedin Profile
Revenue Architecture (00:01:12) Jacco's book "Revenue Architecture" and its insights into successful revenue leadership.
Has SaaS lost go to market fit? (00:01:48) Discussion on a paper titled "Has SaaS lost go to market fit?" and its implications for venture-backed SaaS companies.
Product market fit and go to market fit (00:02:53) Exploration of the concepts of product market fit and go to market fit, and their significance for sustainable growth.
SaaS companies' go to market challenges (00:04:23) Analysis of the challenges faced by SaaS companies in maintaining go to market fit and the increasing cost of marketing and sales.
Impact of cost increase on go to market fit (00:05:22) Discussion on the rising cost of acquiring revenue and its impact on go to market fit and sustainability.
Automation and evolving go to market strategies (00:11:13) Insights into the potential impact of automation on certain tasks and the evolution of go to market strategies in response.
The role of the CFO and CRO in go to market strategies (00:13:47) Exploration of the evolving roles of the CFO and CRO in managing go to market strategies for rapid growth companies.
Scaling and efficiency in go to market motions (00:17:25) Consideration of tactics for scaling and maintaining efficiency in go to market motions for companies reaching the $200-300 million revenue level.
The importance of being process-centric (00:21:01) Discussion on the shift from people-centric to process-centric organizations and the need for optimization and automation.
Impact of process automation on productivity (00:22:21) Exploration of how automation and technology can increase productivity and revenue per headcount.
Skills and certification for executives (00:25:54) Discussion on the necessary skills and certification for executives in the context of revenue architecture and the changing business landscape.
The need for education and certification in revenue architecture (00:29:32) Exploration of the importance of education and certification for executives to understand revenue architecture and compound growth.
Investment in retention and expansion for revenue growth (00:32:10) Insights into the shift from new revenue acquisition to investment in retention and expansion for revenue growth.
Challenges in shifting marketing and sales alignment (00:37:43) Discussion on the challenges and time required for shifting marketing and sales alignment in organizations.
Balancing short-term demands and long-term growth (00:40:04) Exploration of the paradoxical challenge of meeting short-term demands while focusing on long-term growth strategies.
Server, software, and GTM (00:41:13) Discussion on the design and success rates of server, software, and go-to-market motion.
Success rates of server and software (00:41:57) Explanation of the success rates of server (99%) and software (five nines).
Success rate of GTM (00:42:39) Exploration of the success rate of companies in the go-to-market motion, defined as closing over a $3 million round in funding.
Vision and compound growth (00:45:41) Discussion on the importance of vision and compound growth in go-to-market strategy.
Changing GTM motion (00:47:44) Exploration of the evolving go-to-market motion and the need for proper architecture in sales strategies.
Exploring future topics (00:48:43) Request for a future episode to delve into the seeds being planted for the next phase of go-to-market strategies.
In this episode, you will hear the excerpts from 6 inetrviews I did for The GOATS of Growth book. I asked everyone the same question, which was, "What major setbacks did you face early on and how did you overcome them?"
In order of appearance, you will hear:
- Ed Calnan
- Elissa Fink
- Mark Roberge
- John McMahon
- Laura Zwahlen
- Ryan Burke
Each one of them has acheived, by definition, uncommon success, and all of them faced challenges early on in their journeys before they achived their respective success. Persistence, is the common theme that I took away from hearing their stories, and I think you will too.
Enjoy
In this episode I had the pleasure of speaking with Kayvon Touran, CEO and Co-Founder of Zal.ai.
He shared how a career frustration he had inspired Zal which helps organizations implement career pathing and specifically to help them contextualize, apply and measure the efficacy of their learning and development programs.
That said, more than anything, this episode is about the start of an entrepreneurial journey and how to take an idea and see it through all the way to builing a product with a market and a strategy to sell it. Lots of leanings along the way.
Enjoy!
Kayvons Linkedin Profile
The ideation phase (00:02:05) Kayvon's journey in early stage technology startups.
The need for context in learning and development programs (00:03:19) Kayvon's realization of the context problem in workforce development and the need for personalized, dynamic, and applicable learning content.
Challenges in career pathing implementation (00:05:25) The difficulties and opportunities in implementing career pathing, the value of career pathing, and its challenges in terms of cost and time.
Creating alignment between strategic initiatives and career goals (00:07:11) The importance of creating alignment between an organization's strategic initiatives and employees' career goals, and the challenges faced in achieving this alignment.
The messy process of ideation and information gathering (00:16:56) The chaotic process of gathering information, following instincts, and overcoming doubts during the ideation phase.
Judging information and separating signal from noise (00:19:58) Kayvon's intuitive approach to processing information and the importance of combining different perspectives to determine the accuracy of the information.
Resources for Research (00:21:40) Kayvon talks about the various resources used for research, including programs and homegrown research.
Challenges in Job Architecture (00:25:33) Kayvon explains the challenges faced by companies in creating accurate job architecture and how Zol addresses these issues.
Career Path Tool and Skill Verification (00:28:44) Kayvon details the features of the career path tool and the importance of skill verification in their platform.
Staying Disciplined in Feature Development (00:30:54) Kayvon discusses the discipline required to avoid building unnecessary features and the focus on delivering value to users.
Building the First AI MVP (00:31:29) Kayvon explains the process of creating the first AI minimum viable product and the value-driven approach to development.
Customer Acquisition Strategy (00:37:40) Kayvon shares the strategy of building a community of interested individuals and incorporating customer feedback into the product development process.
Pricing and Commercializing (00:40:39) Discussion on pricing strategies and challenges in quantifying the value of solutions for changing job dynamics.
Iterative Process and Refinement (00:41:27) Emphasizing the iterative approach in developing the business, including pricing strategies and market positioning.
Investing in Company Growth (00:45:38) Strategies for reinvesting in the company to enhance product offerings and expand the customer base.
Target Market Segmentation (00:49:40) Segmenting the target market based on company size and tailoring offerings to specific audience and organizational needs.
In this episode of the "Goats of Growth" podcast, I interview Meshach Amuah-Fuster, a dynamic business leader. Meshach shares insights from his journey, emphasizing the evolving role of revenue-focused CEOs. We discuss topics such as customer lifetime value, cost management, and the delicate balance between growth and profitability. Our conversation also highlights the importance of data-driven decisions and creating value in today's digital age. Whether you're just starting your ascent or already a seasoned CEO, this episode is packed with wisdom for every stage of your journey.
Meshachs Linkedin Profile
Becoming a CEO (00:02:34) Meshach's transition from sales to CEO, driven by a passion for operational aspects and the evolving role of a CEO.
CEO's Revenue Focus (00:05:59) The shift towards revenue-focused CEOs due to the paramount importance of top and bottom-line revenue and the need for hands-on leadership.
Leap from CRO to CEO (00:08:18) The significance of the leap from CRO to CEO and the need to fill skill gaps for effective leadership.
Customer Lifetime Value to CAC Ratio (00:13:00) Explaining the significance of the customer lifetime value to customer acquisition cost ratio and its impact on marketing investment decisions.
Cost-Cutting Decisions (00:19:03) The impact of cost-cutting on different business models and the need to understand where to maximize top and bottom-line simultaneously.
Decisiveness in Making Business Decisions (00:21:02) The importance of making quick decisions during crises and the process of decision-making in business.
Organizational Pivots and Decision-Making (00:25:45) Discussion on the frequency and magnitude of organizational pivots, including quick changes and larger strategic shifts.
CEO's Time Management and Daily Routine (00:27:54) Insight into the CEO's daily routine, including early rising, exercise, nutrition, writing, and time for thinking and planning.
Vision, Strategy, and Execution (00:31:59) The relationship between vision, strategy, execution, and the significance of consistency and discipline in achieving success.
The valuation metrics (00:39:41) Explanation of key components influencing the valuation of an organization, including run rate, retention rate, globalization, ROI, and barriers to entry.
Growth vs. profit focus (00:40:55) Discussion on organizations' focus on growing valuation and exiting in a few years versus traditional profit-focused approach.
Creating value and tapping into emotional states (00:43:50) Explanation of creating value and tapping into emotional states in sports and fashion industries to drive revenue and profit.
Importance of Vision vs. Execution (01:01:55) Discussion on the significance of vision and execution in business strategy.
In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I got a solo episode for you to keep yourself productive and motivated, especially if you're working solo as an entrepreneur or fractional CRO.
Jays Linkedin Profile
Change your latitude (00:06:40) Discussing the benefits of changing work locations daily for increased focus and productivity.
Hire people who can do the teachable and repeatable (00:12:56) Explaining the value of hiring help for tasks that are teachable and repeatable, allowing for focus on strategic activities.
Find and follow people who have walked in your path (00:15:23) Highlighting the significance of seeking guidance and inspiration from those who have pursued a similar career path.
Do the hardest stuff first (00:18:28) Stressing the importance of prioritizing challenging tasks early in the day to ensure focus and productivity.
Time block everything (00:20:19) Emphasizing the benefits of scheduling and time-blocking activities to maintain a purposeful and focused workday.
Partnerships and Collaboration (00:21:25) The speaker discusses the benefits of working closely with partners and finding someone to share experiences and accountability.
Involving Family in Business (00:22:23) The speaker shares how involving family members, in this case, his wife, can provide support and help in managing the business.
Importance of Walks (00:23:17) The speaker emphasizes the value of taking walks for mental clarity, idea generation, and strategic thinking.
Public Accountability (00:25:08) The speaker talks about the importance of being publicly accountable, such as committing to regular podcast episodes, to stay productive and motivated.
Final Remarks and Call to Action (00:27:05) The speaker concludes the episode, encouraging listeners to follow, rate, and share the podcast, and promises a guest for the next episode.
In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I spoke with Vince Beese, Founder of Sales@Scale and Sales HQ. You'll hear his insights into how he consistenly scaled revenues for many companies, including an IPO and 3 other successful exits. But before sharing his strategic approach to growth, he added the caveat that nothing else will matter if you don't have product, market, fit. Once you have that,the real work begins and there is no silver bullet. Find out how he finds sales at scale.
A must listen to anyone.
Vinces Linkedin Profile
Understanding Product-Market Fit (00:02:25) Achieving extreme growth relies on product-market fit. Vince discusses the importance of product-market fit in achieving substantial revenue growth.
Differentiating in a Crowded Space (00:09:53) Vince explains the significance of understanding and communicating the unique value proposition and differentiation in a crowded market.
Generating Top Pipeline (00:13:45) The discussion shifts to strategies for generating top pipeline, including channels, outbound communication, and the handoff process from leads to opportunities.
Testing and Data Reliability (00:15:15) Vince highlights the importance of testing and data reliability in outbound communication, sharing insights on when to consider data reliable.
Benchmarking Response Rates (00:19:45) The conversation touches on benchmarking response rates for outbound communication, providing insights for less experienced individuals.
Importance of Personalization in Enterprise Sales (00:21:26) Exploring the significance of personalization in enterprise sales and strategies for achieving it at scale.
Scalability and Human Element in Sales (00:23:16) Discussing the balance between scalability and the human touch in sales, including recruiting, coaching, and development.
Leveraging Networks and Referrals (00:26:03) Highlighting the value of networking, referrals, and personal connections in sales and business growth.
Overcoming Bottlenecks in Revenue Growth (00:33:43) Addressing common bottlenecks in revenue growth and challenges in advancing from one revenue milestone to the next.
Sales HQ and Co-Selling Community (00:38:53) Introduction to Sales HQ, a co-selling community, and its vision for providing a collaborative environment for sales professionals.
Creating a Hybrid and Remote Sales Environment (00:39:56) Vince explains the concept of recreating a collaborative and motivating environment for remote and hybrid sales teams.
Community and Collaboration at Sales HQ (00:40:45) Vince emphasizes the importance of community, collaboration, and learning from each other in the sales environment.
Benefits of Hybrid Model and Expansion Plans (00:44:26) Vince discusses the performance benefits of the hybrid model and his vision for expanding Sales HQ to other cities.
Personal Interests and Networking (00:49:10) Vince shares his love for sports, particularly being a season ticket holder, and his passion for staying active.
Building a Great Sales Culture (00:50:02) Vince highlights the importance of transparency, open communication, and trust in building a great sales culture.
Bonus Question: An Interesting Fact about Oneself (00:51:21) Vince shares his go-to interview question and discusses the challenge of finding something genuinely interesting about oneself.
In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I had the pleasure of speaking with Sherri Sklar, a seasoned tech growth strategist and Chief Revenue Officer, while also an Operating Partner at Edison Partners, which a growth equity firm. Sherri partners with Boards, CEOs, and executive leaders to help them build, scale and optimize their sales, marketing and customer success teams.
In this episode we discuss:
- Strategies for effectively aligning sales and marketing efforts.
- How she first added Operating Partner to her CRO title
- The significant role her network track record of success has played
- The value of assessing talent and recruitng the best
- There sponsibilities of a CRO/Operating Partner
- Key metrics for gauging and optimizing success.
- Valuable insights into fostering a robust sales culture.
- All that and more.
Tune in and enjoy the episode.
Sherri's Linkedin Profile
Sherri Sklar's expertise (00:01:02) Overview of Sherri Sklar's expertise and career in tech growth strategy and revenue leadership.
Defining the role of an operating partner (00:02:07) Explanation of the role and purpose of an operating partner at a private equity firm.
Operating partner expertise areas (00:04:10) Discussion of the different function areas besides go-to-market that operating partners may focus on.
Transition to operating partner role (00:09:24) Sherri Sklar's transition from Chief Revenue Officer to operating partner and the circumstances leading to it.
Networking and career opportunities (00:10:56) The role of networking and relationships in career opportunities and job referrals.
Impact on a portfolio company (00:13:29) Sherris impact on a portfolio company's growth and success.
Strategic decision-making (00:16:31) The process of making strategic decisions and conducting assessments for growth strategies.
Identifying common growth challenges (00:19:49) Common challenges and areas for improvement in scaling companies, particularly related to identifying ideal customer profiles and aligning sales and marketing.
Transitioning from fractional CRO to operating partner (00:25:01) The path from being a fractional CRO to becoming an operating partner at a private equity firm and the necessary qualifications.
The role of an operating partner (00:32:12) The responsibilities and involvement of an operating partner in a private equity firm, including due diligence, creating plans, and being an advocate for portfolio companies.
Measuring success and impact on portfolio companies (00:34:52) Evaluating success and impact in terms of enterprise value, growth, bookings, and retention, and the key levers to impact results positively.
Evaluating sales talent for portfolio companies (00:38:14) The qualities and skills to look for in evaluating sales talent and the impact of getting the right talent on the commercial value of the company.
Coaching and leadership (00:51:15) Sherri discusses the importance of coaching and leadership in developing both talented and struggling team members.
Building a great sales culture (00:54:33) Sherri suggests a meaty question for the next guest about building a great sales culture and its impact on organizational success.
In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I have a podcast first in which you'lI hear my interview with not one guest, but two! Scott Anderson and Jason Ingargiola of And1 Advisors join me to discuss the 6 cultural pillars needed for building startups and that become unicorns which are:
- Culture of Living Your Values
- Hire for Culture
- Coaching Culture
- Cross-Funtional Winning Culture
- Customer Centic Culture
- Learning Culture
Enjoy the episode!
Here are the link to find out more about my guests and to get in touch with them.
Scott Andersons Linkedin Profile
Jason Ingargiolas Linkedin Profile
And 1 Advisors Website
Living Your Values (00:09:52) Importance of embodying and holding each other accountable to company values for a successful culture.
Foundation of Ownership (00:12:15) Creating a culture where everyone takes ownership of their roles and decisions, fostering a sense of responsibility and accountability.
Culture of Speed (00:13:26) Encouraging innovation, learning from failures, and driving quick decision-making and execution to maintain a competitive edge.
Feedback and Accountability (00:14:46) Establishing a feedback loop and holding individuals accountable for aligning with the company's values and culture.
Leadership Examples (00:16:47) Illustrating the importance of upholding values through executive actions and the impact of living company principles in decision-making.
Company Values in Action (00:18:08) Demonstrating the significance of adhering to core principles through real-world examples from the consumer packaged goods industry.
Mutuality (00:19:06) Internal and external mutuality, vendor and partner relationships, and living company values.
Hiring for Culture (00:20:09) Recruiting best athletes, holding mutual accountability, and conducting separate cultural interviews.
Determining Cultural Fit (00:24:30) Objective and subjective hiring approaches, stability, repeatability, and scalability.
Coaching Culture (00:31:14) Creating a coaching culture, coaching for performance, and soft skills for effective coaching.
The importance of listening and understanding (00:37:28) Understanding the significance of active listening and interpreting communication styles for better understanding and mentorship.
Mentor mentality and cultural dynamics (00:39:31) Discussing the impact of adding team members on the cultural dynamics and the importance of maintaining core values.
Cross-functional and winning culture (00:41:26) Emphasizing the importance of a winning culture and recognizing and rewarding individuals based on their unique motivations.
Customer-centric culture and client selection (00:48:29) Exploring the significance of making customers part of the culture, being part of their culture, and focusing on ROI for successful partnerships.
Saying no to potential clients (00:53:56) Understanding the importance of selecting the right scope of work and being transparent with clients for long-term success.
The importance of living company values (00:56:38) The significance of being consistent with values and engaging with the CEO to uphold company values.
Run a learning culture (00:57:26) The challenges of implementing learning culture in organizations and the need to have a plan for personal and scalable learning.
Accountability and onboarding academy (00:58:55) The role of accountability in information sharing within the organization and the need for a structured onboarding academy.
Culture drives retention and recruitment (01:00:59) The impact of culture on retaining talent and driving recruitment strategy for a company.
Rapid fire five questions (01:02:32) A series of quick questions and answers related to personal motivations, goals, preferred ways of learning, favorite characters, and leisure activities.
Advice to one's past self (01:09:15) Reflections on advice to give to one's past self, including the importance of having a vision and staying true to oneself.
Question for the next guest (01:11:33) The hypothetical choice between a team of middling performers and a team with a couple of high performers and many struggling individuals, and the implications for scaling the business.
In this episode of "The Goats of Growth, I talk with Mark Feldman, Co Founder & CEO of Revenue Base. We disucss the pivotal world of data acquisition and its profound impact on business expansion and explore the delicate balance between quantity and quality in outreach strategies. Mark stresses the importance of active listening and adept problem-solving to drive sales aswell as the necessity of cultivating efficient growth in today's dynamic market.
And if you're in need of understanding what the key strategies are for understanding and addressing customer needs on both logical and emotional levels, and how they contribute to driving sales, well we go into details in this episode.
Mark Feldmans Linkedin Profile
Mark Feldman's Background (00:01:06) Mark Feldman and Jay reminisce about their first meeting and Mark's career at Net Prospects.
Founding of Revenue Base (00:02:03) Mark discusses the impetus for starting RevenueBase and the problems it solves in data quality.
Challenges of Data Quality (00:02:28) Mark explains the frustration with data vendors and the focus on quality data at Revenue Base.
Time-consuming Data Acquisition (00:03:45) The discussion on the time-consuming and unreliable process of acquiring contact data and building lists.
Struggle with Data Quality (00:05:23) The continued struggle of database companies to provide quick access to accurate data for revenue and sales teams.
Acceptance of Bad Data (00:06:13) The normalization of dealing with bad data and the need for a shift in mindset towards data quality.
Steps for Marketing Growth (00:07:20) Mark Feldman advises on the steps for marketing growth, targeting the right audience, and personalized messaging.
Balancing Volume and Quality (00:14:28) Jay seeks advice on the balance between volume and personalization in outreach efforts.
Creating Segments for Targeting (00:18:30) Mark Feldman discusses the importance of creating segments and providing value to specific audience groups.
Scaling and Iteration (00:20:36) The discussion on finding the right messaging and knowing when to scale and iterate for growth.
The benchmark for change (00:21:43) Discussion on when to change strategies based on data benchmarks and the importance of recognizing false signals.
Avoiding early mistakes (00:23:19) The significance of listening to and understanding customer needs to avoid common mistakes that hinder growth.
Balancing growth and profitability (00:26:08) The shift in investor mindset towards growing efficiently and profitably, and the impact on valuations and exits.
Rapid fire five (00:28:00) Five quick questions to know more about Mark Feldman, including his motivations, preferred learning method, and favorite activities outside of work.
Learning from failure (00:30:21) Mark greatest defeat, lessons learned, and the importance of learning from failures to move forward.
Question for next guest (00:32:43) The question Mark suggests asking the next guest about advice they would give their younger selves at the start of their careers.
In this weeks episode of The Goats of Growth, I found myself on the flip side of the microphone, participating in the insightful 'Allegos EnableMinute.' During our conversation, we delved into the nuances of strategic hiring, the art of coaching for success, and the pivotal role that revenue leaders play in steering the trajectory of growth.
Allegos Linkedin Profile
Allego.com
Jay Webb's background and the Goats of Growth (00:02:04) Jay Webb's role as the founder and CEO of the Goats of Growth, and the concept behind the name.
Interview and hiring process for revenue leaders (00:03:09) The initial steps and process involved in interviewing and hiring a revenue leader.
Qualities and characteristics of revenue leaders (00:06:02) The common qualities and characteristics organizations look for in a revenue leader.
Assessing a candidate's strategic vision and ability (00:09:18) Methods for assessing a candidate's strategic vision and ability to drive revenue growth.
Successful placements and standout candidates (00:13:06) Examples of successful placements for revenue leadership positions and standout candidates.
Key trends and emerging practices in revenue leadership (00:16:30) Discussion on key trends and emerging practices in the field of revenue leadership.
Succession planning for revenue leaders (00:19:17) The importance of succession planning for revenue leaders and the skills needed for the future.
Succession Planning (00:20:28) Importance of staying updated on skills and trends for CEOs and revenue leaders.
Early Conversations (00:21:38) The significance of starting conversations about leadership changes early to avoid disruptions.
Recruiting Mentality (00:22:26) Emphasizing the need for revenue leaders to have a proactive approach to talent identification and recruitment.
In this episode I spoke with Kevin McShane, private equity Operating Partner and former linebacker of the 1988 National Champion Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who built a career in technology and a reputation as a CRO for creating enough value that would lead to multiple successful exits. We covered everything from the leadership lessons he learned from Coach Lou Holtz, his move in tech CRO roles, his advice for other CROs and operators who aspire to make the move into private equity, what makes a succeful private equity operating partner, and much more.
Kevin McShanes Linkedin Profile
Timestamps from the show:
Lessons from Coach Holtz (00:02:40) Impact of Lou Holtz's leadership on the Kevins career and the importance of caring for every individual.
Transition to Private Equity (00:07:27) Kevins journey from CRO to operating partner, including successful exits and leadership principles.
Difference Between Venture Capital and Private Equity (00:13:03) Explanation of the distinctions between venture capital and private equity in terms of investment and ownership.
From Operator to Operating Partner (00:15:16) The impetus for the guest's transition to an operating partner role and the challenges and excitement of the new position.
Training and Leadership (00:17:37) The significance of ongoing training and leadership development in driving growth and success in organizations.
Measuring Performance and Impact (00:22:54) Discussion on the challenges of transitioning from day-to-day operations to a broader role and measuring impact in a new position.
Building Trust and Collaboration (00:23:43) Operating partner's role, building trust with the CEO and leadership, low ego and collaboration.
Co-creating Playbooks (00:26:19) Collaborative approach to combining playbooks, aligning on KPIs, and co-creating game plans.
Measuring Success (00:30:29) Metrics for measuring success: annual revenue growth, EBITDA, hiring/training, sales productivity, and hold period.
Entering Private Equity (00:34:46) Steps for transitioning to an operating partner role in private equity, research, and targeted outreach.
Developing Talent and Leadership (00:42:06) Motivation, extreme ownership, developing talent, and checking ego for leadership success.
Favorite Character (00:47:49) Kevin's admiration for Captain Miller from "Saving Private Ryan" and Tom Hanks' portrayal.
Yoga Practice (00:49:00) Kevin discusses the importance of checking ego and the lessons learned from practicing yoga.
Discipline Equals Freedom (00:51:53) Kevin emphasizes discipline, early rising, and self-care for leadership and personal success.
Greatest Defeat (00:54:28) Kevin suggests asking the next guest about their greatest defeat and the lessons learned from it.
Reaching Out (00:55:21) Kevin invites people to connect with him on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and share experiences.
Passion for Leadership (00:56:18) Kevin shares his passion for developing great leadership and building a supportive community.
How do you hire for growth without over hiring?
That's part of what I spoke to Karl Sharman, Head of Talent at Forgepoint Capital, about in this episode where he shared his perpective on the following:
- Why paying attention to ARR/Revenue per employee is so important and the alarming trend he saw happening 2H of 2022
- The role of talent management and why he advices their porfolio companies to focus on performance efficiency
- How he helps their Founders/CEO to understand what great talent management looks like
- Why it's important that Forgepoint Capital invest in Founders and CEO's that are coachable
- What he looks for when evaluating CROs
- Why having the proper organizational design is so critical to managing burn rate
All that an more in this episode.
Karl Sharmans Linkedin Profile
The Southampton Football Club (00:01:10) Discussion about the guest's experience and role at the Southampton Football Club.
Talent Spotting in Football (00:03:50) Talent spotting process and decision-making in football recruitment.
Transition to Forge Point Capital (00:07:41) Karls transition from the football world to working with Forgepoint Capital.
Forge Point Capital's Investment Focus (00:10:07) Overview of Forgepoint Capital's investment focus and portfolio companies.
Talent Acquisition and Performance Management (00:15:03) Discussion on the shift from talent acquisition to performance management and its impact on companies.
The portfolio benchmarking (00:19:14) Discussing the mixed portfolio and the benefits of sharing data and benchmarking for better understanding and decision-making.
Performance management and development (00:21:32) Exploring the positive aspects of performance management, including employee development, and dispelling negative connotations.
Culture and talent management (00:23:24) Discussing the impact of culture, naming, and positive language in talent management and the importance of coaching and educating founders and executives.
Coaching and influencing founders (00:24:23) Exploring the role of coaching and influencing founders and executives in making informed decisions and having a positive impact on their companies.
Distribution of organization (00:27:07) Examining the distribution of organizational resources, particularly in relation to engineering, and the importance of achieving a balanced organizational design.
Measuring the value of a CRO (00:30:03) Introducing the concept of valuing a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and discussing the criteria for measuring their impact and success.
Factors affecting CRO tenure (00:31:24) Exploring the reasons for the average 17-month tenure of CROs, including transparency, expectations, and onboarding, and the importance of context and experience in evaluating CRO candidates.
Attributes of a top CRO (00:37:47) Discussing the qualities and attributes of a top CRO, including energy, positivity, and previous experience, and the importance of building scorecards to identify top candidates.
Tom Brady and NFL Player Comparison (00:38:40) Comparing Tom Brady's role in NFL to hiring the right candidate for a company.
Onboarding Responsibility (00:39:43) Discussion on the responsibility of onboarding new hires, particularly for CEO and CRO positions.
CEO's Role in Onboarding (00:40:22) The importance of CEO involvement in onboarding, with a reference to Elon Musk's approach.
Motivation and Impact (00:43:28) Discussion on what motivates the speaker and the impact of making a difference.
Long-Term Goal: Becoming CEO of Disney (00:44:44) Karls ambition to become the CEO of Disney and the long-term goal associated with it.
Community and Collaboration Impact (00:48:42) The significant impact of community and collaboration on the speaker's career and business operations.
In today's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jared Robin, Co-Founder of RevGenius and a new side-hustle he calls The Collab. He revealed his secret about how he builds online, empathetic and inclusive communities which are now boasting a remarkable 40k+ members.
What intrigued me the most were Jared's organic growth strategies which were a combination of LinkedIn and a referral program. Pay close attention to the specific ways he used both. If community-building is anywhere on your radar, this episode is a must-listen.
Jared Robins Linkedin Profile
The value of a welcome email (00:01:05) Discussion on the impact of a well-written welcome email and its significance for the right audience.
Building empathetic communities (00:03:33) The approach to creating inclusive and empathetic communities for go-to-market leaders.
Creating a private community for senior leaders (00:06:04) The rationale and structure behind the creation of a paid private community for senior leaders.
Passion projects and community building (00:09:11) The philosophy behind passion projects and the importance of community movements.
The growth journey of Rev Genius (00:12:10) Insights into the initial steps and growth strategy of Rev Genius, including the decision to delay monetization.
Formation of Rev Genius and early growth tactics (00:14:57) The formation of Rev Genius, initial growth strategies, and the transition from LinkedIn chat to Slack.
Utilizing LinkedIn and referral programs for growth (00:20:27) The impact of using LinkedIn, referral programs, and badges for community growth and engagement.
Adviser role becomes the norm (00:21:40) Discussion about the trend of having multiple jobs and the experience of being invited to a new job.
Transition to Slack community (00:23:24) The shift to using Slack for the community, website development, and initial member growth.
Community engagement tactics (00:26:05) Strategies for community engagement, including onboarding, volunteer network, and managing engagement over time.
Sponsorship and revenue growth (00:34:21) The various ways sponsors engage with the community, revenue sources, and the core team's structure.
Team growth and revenue goals (00:42:29) Discussion about the need for team expansion based on revenue growth and the long-term revenue goals.
Sleep and leisure activities (00:45:14) Jared talks about his average hours of sleep and his favorite leisure activity.
Impact of AI and collaboration (00:46:36) Jared discusses the potential impact of AI and collaboration on future growth and development.
In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I had the pleasure of chatting with Carol Meyers, a seasoned go-to-market executive, about the ins and outs of serving on a company's board. We covered everything from snagging a board seat to the impact and responsibilities of board members, touching on the time commitment involved.
Carol shared some fascinating experiences, including insights into crisis management and the dynamics of board interactions. We also dived into the path to board membership for different C-level executives and unraveled the distinctions between a board of directors and advisors. A must listen and let us know your key takeaways.
Carol Meyers Linkedin Profile
Getting the First Board Member Seat (00:02:00) Carol Meyers shares her experience of getting her first board member seat and the value of being a potential customer.
Purpose of Asking Questions (00:04:36) Carol Meyers explains the reasons for asking questions during board meetings, including seeking clarification, provoking different viewpoints, and ensuring good governance.
Measuring Value as a Board Member (00:07:22) Carol Meyers discusses how she gauges her impact as a board member and the indicators of adding value, such as team and CEO appreciation and the implementation of ideas.
Time Commitment as a Board Member (00:09:58) Carol Meyers outlines the varied time commitments for board members, including meetings with company leaders, preparation for board meetings, and the flexibility required for unexpected events.
Weekly Meetings with CEO (00:12:24) Carol Meyers describes her weekly meetings with a CEO, emphasizing the evolving nature of discussions and the role of collaboration and support for the CEO.
Challenges Faced as a Board Member (00:13:42) Carol Meyers highlights potential challenges faced by board members, including crises, mergers, and leadership transitions, and the need for proactive and flexible responses.
Dynamics Between Board Members (00:16:08) Carol Meyers discusses the dynamics between board members, particularly in venture-backed companies, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing shareholder interests over personal agendas.
OpenAI and Sam Altman Board Situation (00:19:12) Jay asks Carol Meyers about the board situation with OpenAI and Sam Altman, seeking her opinion and explanation of what went wrong.
The unique situation (00:19:30) Discussion about a unique situation where a nonprofit board transitioned into a for-profit business, causing misalignment and poor handling.
Career path to the board (00:21:18) Advice for C-level executives on how to position themselves for a board seat, emphasizing personal responsibility, learning, and networking.
Importance of P&L responsibility (00:23:20) The significance of profit and loss responsibility for board members, and its relevance in board discussions and decision-making.
Transition to board roles (00:27:12) Advice for executives without a clear path to board seats, focusing on learning and broadening expertise to become valuable board members.
Board of directors vs. advisors (00:29:41) Differentiating between the roles of board of directors and advisors, including responsibilities and compensation.
Motivation and goals (00:33:14) Discussion on personal motivation and a big goal, with a focus on achievement and a light-hearted goal of improving at golf.
Learning preferences and sleep habits (00:35:34) Carol's preferred way of learning and staying sharp, and her transition to getting eight hours of sleep per night.
Leisure activities and favorite character (00:37:29) Carol's diverse leisure activities, including golf, boating, and traveling, and her admiration for Audrey Hepburn as a favorite character.
Introduction to Inflection (00:40:09) Introduction and discussion about the app "Inflection" and its features.
Using LinkedIn (00:42:10) The use of LinkedIn as the preferred platform for communication and networking.
In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I sit down with Breen Sullivan, founder of The Fourth Effect. We discuss her company's mission to match board-ready women with companies seeking new board members.
Our conversation took us through the intricacies of advisory versus governing boards, exploring the significance of directors and officers insurance, and dissecting the strategic roles governing boards play in the corporate landscape. A great discussion that shed light on boardroom dynamics.
Breens Linkedin Profile
You can tour the platform here.
Background and Founding of The Fourth Effect (00:01:26) Breens background and the founding of The Fourth Effect to empower women in board appointments.
Breaking into the Board Candidate Pipeline (00:03:41) Advice on entering the board candidate pipeline and positioning oneself for board roles.
Difference Between Advisory and Governing Boards (00:08:31) Explanation of the distinctions between advisory and governing boards, including contractual relationships and fiduciary obligations.
Stratifying Roles within the Governing Board (00:17:34) Discussion on selecting individuals for the governing board and their roles, emphasizing strategic high-level involvement.
Compensation and Independence in Fiduciary Boards (00:18:43) Insight into the compensation, independence, and trust aspects of fiduciary boards, emphasizing the importance of high trust and independence.
The difference between advisory and governing board (00:22:08) Discussion on the difference between advisory and governing boards, including liability and insurance.
Function of the governing board (00:25:31) Exploration of the role and expectations of governing board members in advising and impacting the company.
Types of directors (00:30:34) Explanation of the differences between independent directors, executive directors, and non-executive directors.
Word of mouth growth and backroom investment club (00:32:28) How the platform grows through word of mouth and the role of the backroom investment club in connecting companies and board candidates.
The importance of diversity and the link between boardrooms and cap tables (00:35:50) Discussion on the significance of diversity in boardrooms and the connection between board service and equity investment.
Rapid fire five and bonus question (00:38:54) A series of quick questions and answers, along with a bonus question about a personal fact not found on LinkedIn.
Reaching out to The Fourth Effect (43:43) Breen shares how to contact The Fourth Effect and invites listeners to visit their website.
Corporate Partnerships and Professional Development (46:06) Breen discusses opportunities for corporations to support women's memberships and professional development at The Fourth Effect.
Welcome to another episode of "The Goats of Growth"! Today, I sit down with Evan Macedo, the Treasurer & VP of Operations/Finance at Sapers and Wallack, a financial services business. We're diving into the world of executive benefits packages and why they matter for venture and private equity portfolio companies
In our chat, Evan breaks down why these packages are a big deal for attracting and keeping the best talent. He shares practical tips on designing these benefits, making sure they match what employees really want and need. Plus, if you're a new executive, Evan has some straightforward advice on how to negotiate your own package.
Evan Macedos Linkedin Profile
https://sapers-wallack.com/
The importance of executive benefits packages (00:02:03) Discussing why having the right executive benefits package is critical for attracting and retaining talent.
Case study: Offering a competitive executive benefits package (00:03:59) Exploring how a tech company under $100 million in revenue can offer a benefits package to incentivize a new Chief Revenue Officer and retain them.
Common mistakes in executive benefits packages (00:09:34) Highlighting the lack of communication and understanding of benefits as a common issue in companies.
The importance of communication and meaningful benefits (00:10:18) We discuss the importance of effective communication and offering benefits that hold personal value to employees.
The "Keep Plan" to incentivize employee retention (00:11:22) Evan introduces the "Keep Plan," which offers financial incentives for employees with children going to college, encouraging them to stay with the company.
The Sharpe Concept for maximizing retirement savings (00:12:38) Evan explains the Sharpe Concept, a supplemental alternative retirement program that allows individuals to maximize their retirement savings beyond traditional 401(k) plans.
Unreasonable Expectations (00:21:41) Discussion on the importance of doing homework on a company and avoiding unreasonable expectations from an incoming employee.
Long-Term Investment (00:22:12) Importance of finding the right fit between company goals and employee goals to avoid making a bad hire and the benefits of upfront due diligence.
Motivation to Help People (00:23:33) Evan's motivation to wake up every day and help people by solving their retirement worries and providing peace of mind.
Evan Macedo's contact information (00:31:46) Evan shares his contact information and encourages listeners to visit the company's website to learn more about their services.
Show notes with Evan Macedo's details (00:32:15) Jay mentions that they will include the details of Evan Macedo's contact information in the show notes for easy reference.
In this episode of "The Goats of Growth", I had the plasure of talking with Cliff McDonald, co-managing partner of BrainHeart Growth and Chief Growth Officer of RehabPath.
Cliff shares his personal journey with addiction and recovery, and how this led him to his role at RehabPath. We discuss the importance of managing career stress, aligning personal values with one's work, the significance of emotional intelligence in team dynamics, and the necessity of psychological safety in the workplace. Cliff dives into insights on evaluating a company's culture and the importance of authentic core values.
Cliff Macdonalds Linkedin Profile
The journey to Rehab Path (00:01:08) Cliff McDonald discusses his transition from BrainHeart Growth to becoming the Chief Growth Officer at RehabPath.
Working in behavioral health (00:03:11) Cliff shares his personal experience with substance use disorder and his passion for working in the behavioral health industry.
Discovering Rehab Path (00:07:04) Cliff explains how he came across Rehab Path and his initial involvement with the company before joining as a formal team member.
The importance of having a guide in recovery (00:11:22) Cliff discusses how having a platform like RehabPath can match individuals with treatment providers.
The pressure of being revenue responsible (00:12:25) Cliff reflects on the pressure of being revenue responsible and shares a story about Shaquille O'Neal's perspective on pressure in comparison to his own experience.
The importance of finding meaning and mission in work (00:16:54) Cliff talks about the significance of finding meaning and purpose in one's career, and how being tied to the mission of an organization contributes to overall well-being and prevents burnout.
The importance of engagement and relationships (00:21:53) Discussion on the significance of engagement and relationships in finding the next opportunity and experiencing positive emotions and achievement.
The value of core values and team dynamics (00:24:56) Exploration of the importance of core values and team dynamics in creating a positive work environment and successful teams.
Challenging toxic cultures in sports and business (00:30:16) Conversation about the need to challenge toxic cultures in sports and business, promoting psychological safety and creating a safe environment for individuals to perform their best.
The culture of an organization (00:31:11) Discussion on how to evaluate the culture of an organization during the interview process and how to uncover if it is authentic or just lip service.
Authentic core values (00:33:01) Importance of authentic core values in a company and how they are proven or disproven through stories shared by leaders.
The spiritual life and past life exploration (00:41:44) Cliff discusses his experience of feeling free in nature and speculates about being an explorer in a past life.
The story of the two wolves (00:42:27) Cliff shares an old Native American tale about the two wolves that exist within each person, one representing negative emotions and the other representing positive emotions.
Reflections on fatherhood and future lives (00:43:24) Cliff and Jay discuss the idea of coming back in a future life, with Cliff expressing a desire to come back as a wolf and Jay jokingly suggesting he wants to come back as his own children.
In this episode of "The Goats of Growth", I interview Lindsay Meyl, co-founder of RevAmp, a platform that enhances the impact of revenue teams by analyzing and intervening in all revenue-generating activities. We discuss discuss her bottoms-up capacity model and the common mistakes people make in capacity planning--particulary pertaining to have the proper GTM resources to hit your target. You do not want to miss out on this episode if you're capacity planning for 2024.
Lindsey Meyls Linkedin Profile
Bottoms Up Capacity Planning Model (00:04:34) Jay discusses the bottoms up capacity planning model created by Lindsay and asks her about common mistakes people make in their planning for the future.
The go-to-market strategy (00:11:13) Explains the different components of a go-to-market strategy, including outbound and inbound actions, partner plays, and customizing resource ratios.
Assigning demand channels (00:12:18) Discusses how the model assigns specific demand channels based on the go-to-market motion, allowing for easy translation into pipe council meetings.
Establishing baselines and improving productivity (00:17:07) Emphasizes the importance of setting personal baselines for performance and improving from there, rather than relying on external benchmarks. Also discusses the relationship between headcount and productivity in achieving revenue goals.
The monthly targets for revenue (00:21:04) Discussion about the monthly targets for each team to ensure they are on track to meet the revenue target.
The importance of having a tool like Revamp (00:21:59) The need for a tool like Revamp to provide visibility and ease of analyzing information to improve performance.
Knowing when to scale (00:23:31) Exploring the concept of scaling based on leading indicators of success, such as time to value and net retention revenue.
The big goal (00:31:17) Lindsay Mitchell talks about her goal for Revamp to become the next HubSpot and disrupt the go-to-market industry.
Preferred way to learn (00:32:17) Lindsay discusses her preferred ways to learn, including listening to podcasts and participating in go-to-market communities and courses.
Favorite thing to do when not working (00:34:09) Lindsay reveals that she enjoys reading as her favorite activity when she's not working.
In this episode of "The Goats of Growth", I had the pleasure of speaking with Josh Atkins, VP of Sales and General Manager of Life Sciences at Qualtrics. We discuss the best approach to building a successful sales team, including his "AEIOU" approach, while emphasizing hiring individuals with a deep understanding of the industry and a passion for their work.
We also delve into the importance of clear communication, prioritizing wellness, and fostering a passionate and active work environment.
Josh Atkins Linkedin Profile
Building a New Life Sciences Team (00:02:23) Josh Atkins discusses his role as the VP of Sales and General Manager of Life Sciences at Qualtrics and the process of building a new team.
Core Competencies for Sales Reps (00:03:45) Josh Atkins shares the core competencies he looks for when hiring sales reps, including being active, an ensemble player, inquisitive, an operator, and having industry knowledge.
The Evolution of Hiring Criteria (00:09:26) Josh Atkins talks about how his hiring criteria evolved over time and the advantage of having the freedom to build his own team.
The Love Language of Life Sciences (00:10:30) Josh discusses the importance of finding people who have a passion for life sciences and can understand the industry.
Evolution of Team Building (00:12:29) Josh talks about his desire to build his own team and the shift in his thinking when it comes to location and qualifications of potential team members.
Screening for Operators (00:18:40) Josh explains how he screens for operators by assessing their ability to navigate different roles and stakeholders in order to advance a deal.
The prioritization of deals (00:20:31) The importance of showing up prepared, giving a pre-read, and clearly communicating your ask to prioritize your deal.
The role of leaders in deals (00:20:54) The need for leaders to understand their role and be specific about what they need to do to support the deal.
Defining enterprise sales (00:23:31) The ability to articulate a solution hypothesis, ingest data, and understand the client's business to effectively engage in enterprise sales.
The victim mentality and excuses (00:30:13) Josh Atkins discusses how he used to make excuses to cover up lack of results and the feeling of being a victim in his career.
Taking radical self-assessment and surrounding oneself with smart people (00:31:00) Josh Atkins emphasizes the importance of creating a path, chart, and list to avoid forgetting important tasks, and the value of self-understanding and surrounding oneself with intelligent individuals.
In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I had the pleasure of sitting down with Colin Spector, the VP of Sales at Orum—an innovative AI-powered live conversation platform.
We dive deep into a discussion about the core skills essential for success in sales, such as grit, curiosity, and care, and Colin shared invaluable insights into how he nurtures these qualities within his team. A key highlight was Colin emphasizing the significance of leaders actively listening to their team members' ideas. A must listen for leaders with ambitions of growing their team.
Colins Linkedin Page
Developing Sales Skills and Empowerment (00:04:05) Colin discusses the importance of grit, curiosity, and care in sales reps, and how to empower them to think outside the box and improve their skills.
The reason for pattern interrupt (00:11:09) Colin explains how using an engineer as a salesperson was a pattern interrupt that led to more successful meetings.
The importance of attitude and activity (00:14:05) Colin discusses the two levers that can be controlled every day: attitude and activity, and how they contribute to success in sales.
Caring and champion building (00:18:03) Colin emphasizes the importance of caring for customers and building champions by helping them solve their problems and achieve their goals.
Taking care of each other in business (00:22:12) Discussion about the importance of taking care of employees, sales reps, and customers in order to create a positive work environment.
Big goal: Purchasing a rental property in Portugal (00:23:06) Colin's goal of buying a rental property in Portugal that can be used as a vacation property for his family.
Learning new information through immersion(00:24:24) Colin's preferred way of learning new information, including languages and industries, by immersing himself in the culture and language.
In this podcast of The Goats of Growth, I had the pleasure of talking with Ron Gupta, Chief Revenue Officer at Ushur, an AI-powered customer experience platform.
Ron highlighted the key strategy of focusing on customer retention and lifetime value, especially in the enterprise market. He stressed the importance of understanding reasons for declining revenue and investing in existing customers to expand market share. Ron also touched on challenges in scaling, emphasizing the need for strong customer success, marketing, and account management.
Check out the episode for quick insights into growing a business and excelling in the world of AI and customer experience.
Ron Guptas Linkedin Profile
Customer Retention and Lifetime Value (00:05:42) Ron prioritizes focusing on customer retention rates and lifetime value. He explains that for enterprise companies, it is crucial to invest in existing customers, especially if there are product issues or flaws. By over investing in existing customers, companies are more likely to retain them and increase their lifetime value.
Increase Market Share (00:09:01) Ron mentions that by focusing on customer retention and lifetime value, companies can automatically increase their market share. He gives an example of selling to subsidiaries within an enterprise, which allows for an increase in market share.
Expand into New Markets (00:09:01) Ron also mentions that by focusing on customer retention and lifetime value, companies can expand into new geographies. He gives an example of starting with selling in the US and then expanding to the European entity of a customer.
The importance of customer feedback (00:09:27) Exploring the value of gathering feedback from existing customers to improve products and features.
The snowball effect of customer success (00:11:35) Discussing how satisfied customers can lead to increased case studies, higher net promoter scores, and more positive reviews, which can attract new customers.
Investing in existing customers (00:13:13) Highlighting the need to allocate resources towards customer success, marketing, and account management in order to drive growth from the existing customer base.
Sales Enablement and Cross-Pollination (00:18:41) Discussion on the importance of sales enablement and cross-pollination of successful strategies among customers, partners, and the university program.
Selling to Existing Customers.(00:19:38) The significance of selling to existing customers, the lower cost involved, and the role of capabilities, success, marketing, and account management in this process.
Motivation and Goal Setting (00:20:26) The motivation for winning, personal goal of achieving work-life balance, and the preferred timeframe for accomplishing it.
In this episode of "The Goats of Growth" I interview Alex Levin, CEO and Co-Founder of Regal.io, a customer engagement platform.
Alex discusses the company's approach and focus on customer outcomes which has led to significant revenue growth for over 150 brands. He also talks about the importance of balancing growth and burn rate, and how Regal maintains a competitive edge despite having less funding than incumbents.
Alex Levins Linkedin Profile
The $2 billion in revenue and value proposition (00:01:22) Alex Levin explains the value proposition of Regal and how they quantify the $2 billion in revenue they have helped drive for brands.
The importance of engaging customers in communication (00:02:11) Alex Levin discusses how engaging customers in thoughtful communication leads to higher customer lifetime value and how Regal helps facilitate this.
Scaling the team and the role of engineering (00:04:51) Alex Levin explains why Regal hasn't needed to double their team despite doubling their business, particularly highlighting the role of engineering and the importance of effective communication within a team.
The concept of removing people from a project (00:10:01) The strategy of removing people from a project instead of adding them to ensure focus and efficiency.
Zero-based budgeting and linking metrics to hiring decisions (00:11:41) The concept of zero-based budgeting and the importance of linking hiring decisions to metrics or revenue goals.
Investor expectations and growth vs burn rate (00:13:46) The expectations of public markets regarding growth and burn rate, and how it affects hiring decisions and investor attractiveness.
Marketing spend and payback period (00:19:38) Discussion on the percentage of revenue spent on marketing and the payback period for SaaS companies.
Competition and competitive advantage (00:20:37) Exploration of competition in the market and the competitive advantage of startups in terms of distribution.
Attributing success to market opportunity (00:24:32) The importance of being in the right market with growth potential for success, rather than solely relying on the strength of the team.
Big goal and timeline (00:28:55) Alex Levin shares his big goal of reaching 10 billion in revenue for their customers within a year or two.
Leading with empathy (00:30:46) Alex Levin explains how he leads with empathy by considering the needs and priorities of different stakeholders, including employees, customers, and investors, while making decisions.
In this episode, Rouzbeh Rotabi, the Founder and CEO of The Aval Group, joined me for a second time to discuss the challenges of growing during uncertain times. We highlighted the importance of teamwork, efficiency, and getting everyone on the same page.
He also mentioned the importtance of using customer data, moving resources wisely, and making sure everyone is aligned throughout the entire organization.
Rouzbeh Rotabis Linkedin Profile
Scaling through challenging times (00:03:04) Discussion on how to continue scaling during challenging times, including alignment, efficiency, and having the right team.
Becoming more efficient (00:05:05) Exploration of the concept of efficiency in scaling, including focusing on specific markets and aligning go-to-market strategies.
Making data-driven decisions (00:06:12) Importance of honest and transparent conversations in decision-making, considering data, and focusing on profitable verticals for growth.
Terminating customers for business sense (00:10:19) Rouzbeh Rotabi shares an example of when his company made the tough decision to terminate 27 customers due to bad revenue and excessive servicing. He highlights the importance of looking at the information and fact base correctly when making such decisions.
Reallocation of internal resources (00:13:00) The conversation shifts to the reallocation of internal resources, particularly when it comes to personnel matching with different verticals. Rouzbeh suggests having honest conversations with customers about changing the servicing model and discusses the need to assess resource allocation based on ROI calculations and the specific roles and talents of team members.
The importance of understanding the revenue cycle (00:18:35) The importance of understanding the revenue cycle in a B2B environment and the value of gross revenue retention.
The shift towards customer success (00:19:02) Rouzbeh talks about the shift towards focusing on customer success and the need to harmonize execution in marketing, sales, and customer success.
The importance of prioritization (00:28:08) Discussion on the need to prioritize and align on key unit of measures in order to drive growth and success.
The challenge of alignment in venture-backed companies (00:29:43) Exploration of the difficulties in achieving alignment between different teams and departments in venture-backed companies.
The significance of repeatability and product-market fit (00:31:35) Explanation of the importance of having a repeatable product and achieving product-market fit in order to demonstrate success in venture-backed companies.
The challenges of technical difficulties (00:36:57) Discussion on the technical difficulties experienced during the podcast recording and the need to address and react to them.
Being curious and adaptable in the face of market changes (00:38:10) Conversation on the mindset needed to navigate market changes, emphasizing the importance of being curious about technology options and adaptable to current situations.
In this episode of The Goats of Growth, I had the privilege of chatting with Nirav Sheth, who currently serves as the VP of Presales and Specialists for the Americas at Okta. Nirav's career journey is quite a fascinating one, with stints at big-name companies like Google and Cisco. During our conversation, he shared some of his key leadership principles, notably the significance of building capacity within an organization.
Nirav stressed the importance of investing in the growth and development of individuals within a company and highlighted the role of mentorship in helping people build confidence. He also gave us a glimpse into his personal journey, which took him from aspiring to be a doctor to becoming a successful business leader.
This episode is packed with insights that can benefit anyone, so don't miss it!
Niravs Linkedin Profile
Building a Legacy by Creating Capacity [00:04:07] Nirav explains the importance of building capacity throughout all levels of the organization to create a legacy and drive growth.
Meaningful Career Conversations [00:05:48] Nirav discusses the significance of having meaningful career conversations with individuals to understand their aspirations and align them with business needs.
Enabling Empowerment and Entrepreneurship [00:07:37] Nirav shares an example of empowering a high-potential individual to lead a cross-functional team and drive a campaign, creating an entrepreneurial environment within the organization.
Building confidence and support for growth [00:10:19] Discusses the importance of providing support and mentorship to individuals aspiring for leadership roles to build their confidence and help them transition to the next level.
Striking the balance between autonomy and support [00:11:21] Explores the need to strike a balance between empowering individuals with autonomy while also providing the necessary support and removing obstacles when they face roadblocks.
Investing in personal and professional growth [00:12:48] Focuses on the journey of continuous development, including cross-functional experiences, mentorship, executive coaching, and continuous learning through reading and consuming various forms of content.
The surprise of not becoming a doctor [00:19:30] Nirav talks about how his 18-year-old self would be surprised that he did not become a doctor, despite initially planning to pursue a medical career.
Choosing an MBA over medical school [00:19:50] Nirav explains how he made the decision to pursue an MBA instead of going to medical school, and how his family's involvement in business influenced his choice.
In this exciting episode of the Goats of Growth I had the pleasure of interviewing Tony Medrano, an experienced go-to-market executive with a track record of success in health tech and AI SaaS. Tony focuses on the art of prioritization in the context of a high-growth environment and underscores the critical nature of honing in on high-revenue opportunities, a strategic move that can lead to your success.
But what truly sets this episode apart is the personal touch Tony brings to the discussion. He opens up about his most significant failure, a story that holds important lessons for us all. In addition to his professional insights, ensuring this episode is one you won't want to miss.
Tony's LinkedIn Profile
Deals first [00:03:23] Tony discusses the importance of prioritizing deals and focusing on closing them, especially in hypergrowth scenarios.
How to prioritize your deal time [00:04:25] Tony explains how to prioritize deal time by allocating a significant portion of time to pursuing high-revenue opportunities and dedicating a portion to strategic long-term initiatives.
Q Health's growth during COVID [00:07:35] Tony provides context on Q Health, the company he worked for during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their premier molecular diagnostic point-of-care test for COVID-19. He highlights the company's growth and their initial customer, the NBA.
The 60-30-10 Rule [00:10:34] Discussion on how to prioritize time for highest revenue, strategic thinking, and flexibility.
Building a Small Team [00:13:50] Importance of starting with a small team and managing them properly in a hypergrowth situation.
Making Your Bed [00:18:39] Emphasis on taking care of administrative tasks early in the day to be prepared for unexpected customer needs and urgent situations.
The underdog story [00:22:10] Tony discusses how underdog stories motivate him in business and personal life.
Completing another Ironman [00:23:03] Tony shares his goal of completing another Ironman triathlon competition and the benefits it brings to his life.
Tools for learning [00:26:25] Tony provides tips for learning new information, including using chat bots, utilizing YouTube, and taking online courses.
Travel [00:30:26] Tony talks about his experiences traveling and exploring different countries, including biking, running, and swimming in various locations.
Biggest Failure[00:31:47] Tony shares the story of starting a company during his grad school days, raising funding, experiencing growth, and then facing a sudden market crash.
Question for my next guest [00:34:01] Tony suggests a question for the next guest, asking what their 18-year-old self would think if they were suddenly placed in their current situation.
In this (part 2) episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Steven Birdsall, a 3X CRO and 4X COO, of both private and public companies.
To recap part 1, we explored pivotal nuances between private and public companies, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities of going public as well as the strategies for optimizing go-to-market approaches, including insights on maintaining focus, achieving margin expansion, and the significance of the "rule of 50" in creating value.
This episode is a contuation of that discussion, but it starts off with Steven answering the question of how to manage expecatations when you have multiple investors, in his case, Board members from 5 separate PE firms. Whether you're in that position now, or it's possible you could be in the future, you'll find Steven's perspective and advice helpful.
Steven's LinkedIn Profile
What to listen for:
Managing Expectations with Board Members Managing the expectations of different board members requires understanding their specific goals and context, whether it's achieving rule of 50 or market expansion.
Doing more with less: Explains two ways to do more with less: planting seeds by developing new products and adjusting pricing.
Transparency in communication Emphasizes the importance of transparent communication from the CEO when making changes, such as cutting resources or expanding into new markets.
Focus, efficiency, and channel model Discusses the importance of focusing on a specific market, improving efficiency, and utilizing channel models effectively for growth.
What motivates Stephen? Stephen discusses his motivation to help others in various aspects of his life, such as at work, at home, and in church.
Stephen's goal to become a CEO Stephen shares his goal to become a CEO and his decision to leave his current company to focus on achieving this goal by the end of the year.
And much more!
In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Steven Birdsall, a 3X CRO and 4X COO, of both private and public companies.
Together, we explore pivotal nuances between private and public companies, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities of going public as well as the strategies for optimizing go-to-market approaches, including insights on maintaining focus, achieving margin expansion, and the significance of the "rule of 50" in creating value.
So much so that like mentioned in the outro, I had to seperate this epic episode into 2 parts. Stay tuned for part 2.
Steven Birdsalls Linkedin Profile
Laying the Proper Foundation for Going Public [00:01:12] Discussion on the importance of laying a strong foundation for a company before going public.
Difference Between Board Expectations in Private and Public Companies [00:01:41] Exploration of the contrasting expectations from boards in private and public companies.
Experience with Taking a Company Public [00:07:58] Stephen Birdsall shares his experience of taking Anaplan public in 2018 and discusses the different scenarios he has encountered in his career regarding IPOs.
The significance of changing the go-to-market model [00:11:27] Stephen Birdsall discusses the importance of changing the go-to-market model when preparing for an IPO and the challenges faced in the planning software market.
Creating a pod-based go-to-market strategy [00:14:20] Birdsall explains the concept of a pod-based go-to-market strategy, focusing on the benefits of streamlining different functions and creating accountability at a TAM (Total Addressable Market) level.
Building scale through industry-level TAMs [00:17:08] Birdsall talks about the next step in scaling the business by creating industry-level TAMs and how it leads to a more efficient go-to-market strategy centered around specific industries.
Focus on Industry and Geography [00:18:00] Companies under $100 million should focus on a specific industry or geography to maximize their opportunities and scale.
Traditional Go-to-Market vs Pods [00:19:00] Sub $100 million companies selling to specific personas, such as CFOs, should focus on traditional go-to-market strategies instead of implementing pods.
Private Equity Rule of 50 [00:23:34] Private equity-backed companies aim to achieve the Rule of 50, balancing growth and margin expansion to ensure profitable growth in the business.
Solving Math Equations [00:27:15] Explanation of how to solve math equations by separating known and unknown variables and the importance of setting up the problem correctly.
Different Approaches to Learning Math [00:28:10] Discussion about how kids learn math differently today and the importance of coming to the same solution regardless of the approach.
Growth at All Costs Mentality [00:30:28] Exploration of the concept of growing at all costs and the potential consequences of disrupting the rule of 50 in terms of profitability and workforce.
Private Equity's Value Creation Mode [00:36:43] Private equity firms aim to create value by acquiring rule of 50 companies and unlocking their potential.
The Importance of Rule of 50 [00:37:40] Having a plan to reach rule of 50 is essential for creating value and attracting investors in a company.
In this episode Andy Hershey, Chief Revenue Officer at NS1, shares his journey and drops gems of wisdom on various aspects of successful teamwork and marketing strategies. We dicuss the critical importance of alignment and collaboration within go-to-market teams, explore the power of cross-functional partnerships and the magic of shared goals, as well as why prioritizing lead quality is paramount--especially in challenging business landscapes.
To our listeners, don't forget to hit that subscribe button and leave a review if you found this episode as enlightening as we did. Your feedback is our fuel!
Andy Hersheys Linkedin Profile
Aligning Goals with Cross-Functional Teams [00:03:19] The importance of building strong partnerships and aligning goals with the CMO, CFO, and CPO for successful scaling.
Investing in Relationships and Building Trust [00:05:09] The value of investing in relationships and getting to know team members personally to foster collaboration and effective teamwork.
Focus and Alignment for Successful Execution [00:08:15] The significance of having a clear focus and aligned goals to drive execution and achieve desired outcomes.
The importance of revenue and focus on pipeline [00:08:57] The speaker discusses the common goal of revenue and the opportunity cost of investing in a new product.
Aligning go-to-market teams [00:10:49] The host asks for advice on how to achieve cross-functional alignment within go-to-market teams.
Career trajectory and steps to become a revenue leader [00:17:22] The speaker shares the steps he took to transition from an individual contributor to a revenue leader role.
The trade-off between quantity and quality of leads [00:18:41] Discussion on the importance of not solely focusing on the quantity of leads, but also considering the quality to maximize closing opportunities.
The challenge of managing leads and labeling [00:19:26] Exploration of the age-old question of how to balance the trade-off between quality and quantity when it comes to leads and developing pipeline.
Closing remarks and call for guest nominations [00:19:32] Speaker 1 wraps up the conversation, thanks the guest, and encourages listeners to subscribe, rate, review the podcast, and nominate potential guests.
Are you happy with the results?
In this episode, I spoke with Mike Conti, VP of Sales at Copado, about how to properly instrument a go-to-market org to enable it to scale. We delve into the importance of aligning sales with what buyers really want and how companies can revamp their product descriptions and marketing materials to emphasize the benefits of their products, leading to increased sales.
Mike also walks me through crafting a winning sales plan, which includes implementing a tiered pricing strategy and offering different product bundles to cater to various customers to boost revenue while improving customer satisfaction
Finally, we discuss the importance of getting everyone at the top on the same page. He shares a story about how Copado's leadership team came together to define a clear vision for the company's growth, which served as a compass for all their strategic decisions.
Mike Conti's Linkedin Profile
Finding Your Buyer [00:03:13] The importance of finding the right target audience and marketing the problem rather than the product to attract qualified leads.
Aligning Sales Process with Buyer Emotions [00:07:33] Understanding the emotional journey of the buyer and aligning sales activities with each stage of the buyer's emotions to move prospects efficiently through the buying cycle.
Instrumenting a Scalable Sales Model [00:10:00] The process of continually tweaking and optimizing the sales model to make it scalable, including lead generation, qualification, value demonstration, and post-sales activities.
Finding the Buyer [00:11:05] Discussion on the importance of understanding the organization's structure, decision-makers, and their motivations to navigate the sales process effectively.
Building a Strategy to Win [00:13:06] Exploration of the need for executive alignment, commitment, and investment from early customers, as well as the significance of their role as references in crossing the chasm.
Instrumenting a Scalable Sales Model [00:13:30] Explanation of the process of hiring and scaling a sales team, ensuring resource alignment, enablement, and the exploration of additional channels for growth.
Building teams and businesses [00:22:25] Mike discusses his motivation for building teams and businesses, and the importance of developing salespeople and seeing a business succeed.
Finding the next exciting opportunity [00:23:00] Mike shares his goal of finding a challenging new opportunity by January.
The future of AI in biotech [00:25:18] Mike discusses the potential for AI to make advancements in the biotech space, particularly in genomics and the development of cures.
In this episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing, Daniele Di Nunzio who serves as the VP of Sales at Storyly. We dive into Danieles role, their remarkable success in securing key clients, and his keys for expansion into the Latin American market. We also explore the challenges of conducting interviews with non-native English speakers, underlining the importance of evaluating soft skills. Wrapping up our discussion, we venture into the world of mobile industry opportunities and the boundless potential of AI across various fields. See timestamps below.
Building a Motion for the Americas [00:01:49] Our guest discusses his role as VP of Sales at Story League and his responsibility to build a motion for the Americas, specifically North America and Latin America.
Keys to Building a Team in Latin America [00:03:35] Daniele shares insights on building a team in Latin America, emphasizing the importance of understanding the market, localization, and leveraging the talent pool.
Financial Technologies in Brazil [00:10:40] Daniele explains that the financial technologies in Brazil are advanced, with top-notch remittance and online payment systems, surpassing those in the US.
Localization and technology [00:11:07] Discussion on the importance of investing in technology to ensure localization of websites and content for different markets.
Building a local team [00:12:22] Exploration of the preferred approach of building a local team in Latin America to ensure cultural understanding and market expertise.
Talent acquisition challenges [00:15:52] Discussion on the challenges of finding the right talent in Latin America and the importance of validating credentials and focusing on skills rather than just language proficiency.
Overcoming language challenges in interviews [00:22:31-00:23:35] Discussion on how to overcome challenges when interviewing non-native English speakers and the importance of seeking help from consultants or headhunters specialized in the market.
Importance of soft skills and cultural fit in hiring [00:24:31-00:26:18] Emphasis on the significance of soft skills and cultural fit when hiring, rather than focusing solely on language skills or technical abilities.
Motivations, goals, learning methods, and personal interests [00:26:36-00:29:05] Rapid-fire questions covering topics such as motivation, career goals, preferred learning methods, hours of sleep, and favorite activities outside of work. The discussion also highlights the connection between cooking and sales, as well as the changing landscape of jobs due to technological advancements.
The opportunity in mobile [00:32:29] Discussion about the current opportunity in mobile technology and creating the next big thing.
The future of soccer in the US [00:33:11] Exploring the growth and popularity of soccer in the US, especially with Messi joining Inter Miami.
The biggest opportunity with AI [00:33:36] The potential of AI in video editing software and its ability to make the process easier and faster.
I noticed this skills gap during a recent leadership search, which is why I made it the focus of this episode. The gap was between candidates with global GTM leadership experience and those without.
How do you go from leading a domestic GTM team to leading a global GTM team, and what skills do you need to acquire?How do you build and inspire confidence when applying for a global role if you don't have the experience? What are the first steps you should take once you've landed a new global GTM role?
All questions I asked Amy Slater, Vice President of GSI Global Sales at Genesys.
She has a wealth of experience leading global teams and was kind enough to share some of it with me, so I can now share it with you.
Amy Slaters Linkedin Profile
In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Shawn Green, a seasoned CRO and go-to-market advisor for startups. We go deep into the crucial tasks that every new Chief Revenue Officer should prioritize during their initial 90 days on the job as well as the importance of tailoring your approach to the specific stage of the startup you're joining.
Assessing the current state of the company [00:02:17] Sean discusses the importance of spending time understanding the company's current revenue generation process, strategies, and overall revenue goals.
Developing a revenue growth strategy [00:02:17] Sean emphasizes the need for a comprehensive revenue growth strategy, including setting clear revenue targets, identifying new market opportunities, and creating a roadmap to achieve company revenue goals.
Building and optimizing the sales team [00:03:40] Sean explains the importance of assessing the current sales team, identifying gaps in skills or resources, and making necessary adjustments such as restructuring, hiring new talent, and providing training and development opportunities.
The skills gap assessment [00:12:35] Discussion on how to assess the skills gap in a sales team and the importance of aligning skills with the company's go-to-market strategy.
Failing fast and constant pace [00:13:43] The significance of failing fast and maintaining a constant pace in revenue growth, and the need for internal and external validation in decision-making.
Rapid fire five [00:16:34] A quick Q&A session covering topics such as motivation, preferred learning methods, sleep habits, and favorite hobbies outside of work.
Shawn Greens Linkedin Page
I've changed the format of this podcast. This short episode will explain why and what you can expect going forward.
Please let me know what you think. Also, if you enjoy this podcast please subscribe, rate, and review. I'd appreciate the support.
In this episode, Andi Wilson, SVP of Sales at ShareThis, discusses her experience about how she successfully navigated through a major company pivot that involved changing their business model and go-to-market strategy. She highlights the significance of embracing change as an opportunity rather than a setback while emphasizing the importance of maintaining a curious mindset and actively seeking solutions to overcome challenges.
Andi's LinkedIn Profile
Episode Time Stamp
Short Podcasts and Attention Span [00:00:00]
Discussion on the idea of short podcasts and the influence of platforms like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels on content consumption.
Benefits of Short Podcasts [00:00:53]
Exploring the advantages of keeping podcasts short, including increased guest participation and audience engagement.
Navigating a Career Pivot [00:07:57]
Andy Wilson shares her experience transitioning from media to data in 2016 and discusses the challenges and opportunities that came with it.
The shift in the business [00:10:23]
Discusses the challenges faced by the company in maintaining stability while creating growth opportunities.
Staying calm during change [00:11:39]
Explores how Andy Wilson was able to stay calm during the storm of change and navigate through challenges.
Investing in education [00:14:53]
Highlights the importance of investing in education and continuous learning for personal and professional growth.
In this episode, I'm thrilled to introduce Collin Mitchell, the VP of Sales at Leadium. Colin has a remarkable background in founding and scaling startups, and today, he's here to reveal why he chose to join Leadium. We jump right into the core of our conversation – asking Colin for his top recommendations to help companies surpass the million-dollar mark. His answer is crystal clear: sales is key. He suggests prioritizing strategic hires and smart delegation to propel growth as well as stressing the significance of processes, giving your team the tools they need to succeed. So tune in for some game-changing wisdom from Colin Mitchell.
Collin Mitchell's Linkedin Profile
The Journey to Lithium [00:00:00] Colin Mitchell discusses his journey from his previous company to Lithium and how Lithium helped him scale his startups.
Key Areas of Focus for Growth [00:02:14] Colin Mitchell shares three key areas of focus for companies stuck around the million-dollar mark to grow beyond that.
Building a Foundation for Growth [00:08:11] Colin Mitchell explains the importance of building a strong foundation for the business and scaling it to reach the 1 to 2 million and 2 to 5 million revenue milestones.
The journey to revenue leadership [00:12:40] Discussion on the challenges of scaling from 1 to 5 million in revenue and building a foundation for growth.
The role of AI in organizations and personal life [00:15:24] Exploration of how AI can transform businesses and personal lives, with examples of professional and personal use cases.
How to reach out to Colin Mitchell [00:20:47] Instructions on how to connect with Colin Mitchell, including leaving a review, sharing the podcast, and checking out the Sales Transformation podcast.
Joining me in this episode is an incredible guest, Sally Cummins, the Vice President of Sales at Montrose Environmental Group.
We dive deep into Sally's experiences in selecting technology for her sales team. She brings invaluable insights into marketing strategies, lead generation tools, and cutting-edge training methods that can skyrocket your sales performance.
And that's not all, Sally emphasizes the significance of understanding buyer intent, a key element that can make or break your sales efforts. We explore the art of conducting successful product demos and the secrets to closing those elusive deals.
The episode wraps up with a fascinating discussion on Montrose Environmental Group's relentless focus on enhancing the customer experience. Sally shares her personal goals, including her journey of continuous learning as a busy VP of Sales.
This episode is a goldmine of practical advice and inspiration for anyone looking to boost their sales game.
Sally Cummins Linkedin Profile
In this podcast episode, I interview Sean Burke, the COO of Prometric, a global provider of secure test development and delivery solutions. Sean discusses the initiatives he is working on to impact the business positively, his approach to purchasing new technology, and how to increase a sales rep's likelihood of booking a meeting with him.
You can access the full transcript here.
Time Stamps
Initiatives Impacting Business [00:01:00]
Sean Burke discusses the initiatives that he is working on to positively impact Prometric's business.
Attracting New Clients with Technology [00:01:00]
J Webb asks Sean Burke about how technology is enabling Prometric's sales team to attract new clients.
Buying Process [00:01:00]
J Webb asks Sean Burke to walk him through Prometric's buying process and where potential clients begin their journey.
Efficient Sales Play [00:09:30]
Sean Burke talks about how technology is enabling the sales team to run an efficient sales play, helping clients walk through the decision-making process as efficiently as possible.
Sales Campaign [00:10:32]
Burke discusses how technology is used to run an effective sales campaign, either winning or getting a fast note.
Revenue Prediction [00:12:36]
Burke talks about the gap in technology today, specifically in the area of being able to call the shot for an entire year in advance of that year happening, and how he manually puts together formulas and spreadsheets to feed their revenue output.
Auditing Sales Technology [00:17:29]
Sean Burke explains how Prometric audits their sales technology every year to assess their spend, usage, and impact on the business. He also shares a tip for sales technology companies to not assume that their customers know where their product is today.
Making Decisions on Sales Technology [00:20:58]
J Webb asks Sean Burke about his role in making decisions on sales technology. Burke emphasizes the importance of technology delivering business value and having high usage across the team. He also shares his approach to working with vendors and building personal relationships with executives.
Executive Level Alignment [00:24:59]
In the evaluation stage of considering new vendors, Sean Burke highlights the importance of having executive level alignment with the vendor's team. He explains that having a personal relationship with an executive can help him understand how other amazing executives are deploying their technology and running their teams for the betterment of the outcome of the business.
Escalation and Sales Opportunity [00:26:18]
Sean Burke talks about how escalation is not always about complaints, but rather about knowledge sharing and best practices. He also discusses the sales opportunity that vendors miss out on by not providing dashboarding and insights to their clients.
Optimizing Investment and Facilitating Meetings [00:28:40]
Burke explains that he gets involved in meetings with vendors after the decision to go with them has been made. He also talks about the importance of understanding the nuances of the technology and how it is being used in the vendor's business.
Challenges of Sales and Getting Attention [00:31:17]
Burke discusses the challenges of getting attention as a salesperson and how most of the messages he receives go straight to his junk mail. He suggests that salespeople should gather data and insights from the buying team and deliver a powerful impact statement to get his attention.
Initiating contact [00:35:13]
Sean Burke discusses the challenges of initiating contact with executives and how to involve decision-makers in the buying process.
Crafting a compelling story [00:37:27]
J Webb and Sean Burke discuss the importance of crafting a compelling story for potential clients and how to involve the CEO or highest-ranking official in the buying process.
Standing out in outreach [00:39:47]
Sean Burke shares his thoughts on how to stand out in outreach and the importance of understanding a company's unique commercial challenges.
Sales Methodology [00:47:39]
Prometric does not subscribe to a specific sales methodology, but instead focuses on learning from win-loss analysis and talking to buyers to understand their decision-making process.
Learning from Lost Deals [00:48:46]
Prometric conducts win-loss analysis on all sales and uses feedback from lost deals to inform their sales process and improve their approach.
Past Buyers Helping Future Buyers [00:50:35]
Prometric gets past buyers to work with future buyers to help them avoid pitfalls in the sales process and improve their experience.
Procurement Process [00:51:11]
Sean Burke explains the procurement process at Prometric, involving financial and procurement teams, sales leadership, revenue ops team, and users of the product.
Finding New Technology [00:54:35]
Burke shares his approach to finding new technology, including reading, going to G2 Crowd, and googling to solve problems.
Importance of Calendar [00:55:21]
Burke emphasizes the importance of his calendar and how it is the most important tool in his tech stack, as it is where he makes investments in the business. He also highlights the importance of reps being on their sales leader's calendar.
In this episode of "Customer Conversations, you'll hear Pattie Grimm, former Senior Director of Sales Enablement Center of Excellence at VMware.
You'll hear how Pattie solved a business challenge at VMware through technology, her process for evaluating and selecting sales enablement tools, and the importance of co-creating solutions with customers. Pattie emphasizes the need for salespeople to understand the customer's needs and make them the hero of the story. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding the customer's needs and co-creating solutions with them, as well as the need for salespeople to have a personal touch.
Time stamps below along with the full transcript here.
Business Challenge and Technology Solution [00:02:32]
Patty shares how she solved a business challenge of reinventing sales methodology and process at VMware through technology.
Eliminating Non-Working Tools [00:04:19]
Patty talks about how they eliminated a ton of non-working tools used by the sales team at VMware.
Mapping Customer Buying Cycle [00:06:50]
Patty explains how they mapped their sales process to the customer's buying cycle and used technology to make it easy for sellers to find what they needed.
Starting with the Business Problem [00:08:34]
Patty explains how she starts with the business problem she is trying to solve by going out to the field and asking the salespeople and sales teams what challenges they have and what they need.
Referrals and Research [00:09:34]
Patty talks about how she goes a lot on referrals and people she knows and trusts when evaluating different tools and technologies. She also mentions doing her own research by going to their website and looking up their customers and value proposition.
Breaking Through to Buyers [00:14:53]
Patty shares what really works and resonates with her when a sales rep breaks through to her, including bringing new customer intelligence or insights, building a relationship first, and asking insightful questions.
Co-creating a Sales Methodology [00:15:43]
Patty discusses the process of co-creating a new sales methodology with her team and stakeholders, including socializing and vetting it with RVPS, key leaders, and sales operations.
Blending Sales Frameworks [00:20:02]
Patty talks about blending her sales leadership framework with the company's model, incorporating their thinking into the existing model, and socializing it with key stakeholders.
Championing the Project [00:23:30]
Patty was the champion of the project, with an executive sponsor and buy-in from the executive leadership team. Barbara was her wise advisor, providing feedback and coaching her gently.
Coaching and Sales Methodology [00:24:23]
Patty discusses the importance of coaching and sales methodology in enabling sales teams to be more effective.
Selling in a SaaS World [00:25:14]
Patty talks about the challenges of selling in a SaaS world and the importance of ensuring customers consume what they buy.
Making Customers the Hero [00:28:13]
Patty explains why she wants her sales teams to be the heroes of the story and how it benefits her in the long run.
The Decision Making Process [00:33:33]
Patty discusses the decision-making process for choosing technology partners and shares an example of a successful program at Microsoft.
Co-Creating Solutions with Customers [00:35:45]
Patty talks about the benefits of co-creating solutions with customers and how it builds buy-in and ownership.
Challenges with IP and Subscription Models [00:38:37]
Patty explains the challenges with intellectual property and subscription models when evaluating vendors and how it was a deciding factor in choosing Barbara's solution.
Business Challenges vs Pain Points [00:42:26]
Patty and J discuss the importance of focusing on business challenges instead of pain points during the sales process.
Importance of Articulating Future State [00:43:26]
J and Patty talk about the significance of sales reps being able to articulate the future state of a product or service during the sales process.
Full Life Cycle Customer Engagement [00:47:51]
Patty shares her experience of managing the full life cycle of customer engagement, from awareness to consideration to post-sale, and the importance of a smooth handoff between teams.
Three Sales Principles [00:51:20]
Patty shares three sales principles that she has built into every program she has ever run or every methodology she has ever put in place or system or tools.
Co-create with the Customer [00:52:08]
Patty talks about the importance of making the customer the hero of the story and solving their business problem, not yours.
Rapid Fire Five [00:54:35]
J Webb asks Patty five quick questions, including what motivates her, her most preferred way to learn new information, and her favorite thing to do when she isn't working.
Goodbye [00:58:11]
J Webb thanks the audience for listening and asks Patty how people can get in touch with her.
Contact information [00:58:21]
Patty shares her contact information and invites people to reach out to her through LinkedIn or email.
Closing remarks [00:58:53]
J Webb and Patty say their final goodbyes and the podcast episode ends.
In this episode, you'll hear Jeff Jaworski talk about his buying process when he was with Google and what mattered to him most when someone targeted him as a prospect and wanted to earn his business.
Here is the full transcript, followed by the time stamps of key moments from our conversation.
Role of Enablement Director [00:02:44]
Jeff Jaworski explains his role as an enablement director at Google, including his team's focus on equipping large customer sales teams and internal go-to-market strategy with the knowledge and capabilities they need to be successful.
Teams Enabled by Enablement Director [00:05:19]
Jaworski discusses the primary teams he focuses on enabling, including large customer sales teams and internal go-to-market strategy, as well as his global coaching program.
Tools for Coaching and Practicing Sales Skills [00:06:20]
Jaworski explains the different tools and techniques used for coaching and practicing sales skills within the organization, including peer-to-peer practice, simulations, and live coaching.
Building a Culture of Coaching [00:07:23]
Jeff discusses the importance of coaching and how Google has built a culture of coaching and practice inside the organization. He also talks about the challenges of managers not being properly trained to be coaches.
Challenges with Technology in Coaching [00:08:57]
Jeff talks about the challenges of using technology to enable live coaching and how Google is trying to identify ways to be more in the flow. He also discusses the process of choosing a coach and the need for stronger technology to make the process more seamless.
Matching Coaches and Coachees [00:12:23]
Jeff talks about how Google matches coaches and coachees using internal tools and profiles. He also discusses the benefits of coaches coaching others and how it helps them become more effective as coaches.
Baseline Training and Certification [00:14:14]
Jeff discusses the importance of baseline training and certification for sales enablement and how it helps customers feel more confident in their engagements.
Challenges in Buying Process [00:15:10]
Jeff talks about the challenges in the buying process, including the need for a mutual understanding of goals and how technology can address them.
Importance of Discovery in Sales [00:17:09]
Jeff emphasizes the importance of discovery in sales and how it can lead to a more meaningful output in terms of effectively solving customer challenges.
Importance of Preparation [00:21:20]
Jeff emphasizes the importance of doing research before a conversation and how it can make a difference in building connections.
Follow-up Matters [00:22:01]
Jeff stresses the significance of meaningful follow-up after a meeting and how it can impact the decision-making process.
Asking the Right Questions [00:26:08]
Jeff talks about the importance of asking the right questions during a sales conversation and how it can help in understanding the customer's needs and expectations.
Practicing and Reinforcement [00:30:45]
Importance of practicing and reinforcing sales skills to improve customer interactions and increase productivity.
Stakeholder Management [00:32:11]
How to manage multiple decision-makers in a committee deal and involve the right stakeholders to move the deal forward.
Effective Follow-up [00:33:23]
The importance of high-quality follow-up and how it impacts the decision-making process of customers.
Advocating for the Sale [00:35:03]
Jeff and J discuss how Jeff's role as an advocate can help coach sales teams and move the sales process forward.
Competitor Analysis [00:37:07]
Jeff and J talk about how sales teams should prepare for competitors and how to differentiate themselves in the market.
Moving Forward in the Sales Process [00:39:05]
Jeff explains how sales teams should approach the sales process when a competitor is already in the picture and how to avoid losing a deal prematurely.
Importance of Discovery Call [00:41:49]
Discussion on how a discovery call can accelerate the sales process and shorten the sales cycle.
Factors in Making a Final Determination [00:43:58]
Exploration of the factors that can help make a final decision when choosing between two vendors.
Asking About Decision Criteria [00:46:18]
The importance of asking about decision criteria and when it should be asked during the customer conversation.
Value of Real Talk Conversations [00:48:31]
Jeff discusses the value of having real talk conversations to prepare for sales moments and improve sales skills.
Subscription Value [00:49:20]
Jeff talks about how people place value on their time and the perceived return on investment when subscribing to a podcast.
Successful Outcome and Target Audience [00:53:30]
Jeff suggests considering the successful outcome for the audience and the purpose of the podcast when deciding on the target audience for messaging.
What motivates you? [00:55:53]
Jeff Jaworski talks about what motivates him, which is being helpful to others.
Preferred way to learn new information? [00:56:25]
Jeff Jaworski shares that he likes to learn through audio while walking his dog and is big on coaching.
How can folks reach out to you? [00:58:11]
Jeff Jaworski shares that the easiest way to reach out to him is through LinkedIn, where his name is Jeff Jaworski.
This episode, with Jeff Oh, VP of Sales at DMI, is part of a series of interviews I called "Customer Conversations", where I explore the buying process of revenue leaders. Jeff explains the meticulous decision-making process they employ when selecting software vendors to integrate into their tech stack. He also emphasizes the significance of knowing the long-term strategy of your prospects when trying to win their business.
Time stamp below:
DMI's Value Proposition [00:00:18]
Jeff explains DMI's two-sided value proposition of digital and project excellence, and the company's global team of consultants.
DMI's Tech Stack [00:02:01]
Jeff discusses DMI's tech stack, including Salesforce, SalesLoft, HubSpot, Bombora, and Guru, and the recent rip and replace of their old Microsoft Dynamics system.
Choosing Vendors [00:07:40]
Jeff talks about DMI's decision criteria for choosing vendors, including relationships, vendor reviews, and pricing, and the importance of not letting architecture decide strategy.
Long-term strategy [00:10:18]
Jeff O discusses the importance of building a long-term strategy for a company's growth and aligning solutions with that path.
Sales approach for startups [00:16:58]
Jeff O shares two successful methods for startups to approach sales: having a razor-sharp spin and challenger approach, or finding gaps in existing products and building into them.
Product leaching [00:17:59]
Jeff O explains how startups can find success by offering a module or solution that can sit next to a big solution and demonstrate its effectiveness.
Product Leaching [00:19:05]
Jeff O explains the concept of product leaching, a strategy to gain credibility within a product set by building a product that performs well against existing KPIs.
Buying Process [00:21:14]
Jeff O discusses the buying process for sales tools, including the use of email blasting and name aggregation, and how he reached out to his network to work things out.
Effective Email Strategies [00:23:49]
Jeff O shares his insights on how to stand out in the inbox, including the importance of subject lines, personalization, and humor in emails.
First Call [00:27:38]
Jeff O talks about the importance of making a call to engage with potential clients and how it helps him assess their subject matter expertise.
Making the Case [00:30:01]
Jeff O explains the process of making a case to the committee of economic buyers and how they align it with their strategic vision.
Decision Criteria [00:34:47]
Jeff O advises account executives to wait until they are one of the finalists before asking about the decision criteria and not to be too assumptive.
Navigating the Decision Process [00:35:47]
Jeff O discusses the importance of understanding the decision process and criteria, and how to navigate it effectively.
Subject Line Optimization [00:38:22]
Jeff O recommends using subject line optimization tools to improve open rates and avoid spam filters.
Learning about New Technology [00:42:00]
Jeff O shares that he learns about new technology through podcasts and YouTube, and finds them to be valuable resources.
Email response rates and intent [00:43:33]
The speakers discuss how email response rates drop with spam and how intent matters when reaching out to potential buyers.
Personalization and measuring intent [00:44:26]
The speakers talk about how they use personalization and long-term education campaigns to measure intent and engagement.
Wolverine and reaching out to Jeff O [00:46:16]
Jeff O talks about how the wolverine is the perfect animal to represent new business buyers and gives out his phone number for people to reach out to him.
In this episode of The GOATS of Growth, I sit down with Mark Nussbaum, the Chief Administrative Officer of Dexian, to discuss building his experiences helping to build a billion dollar business.
Mark shares his profound belief that true success stems from harnessing something unique within ourselves that the world has yet to uncover. But how do we make that inner spark ignite and materialize into reality? Mark sheds light on the dedication, hard work, and unwavering determination required to transform our dreams into tangible achievements.
Ultimately, this episode of The GOATS of Growth serves as a powerful reminder that the path to success demands continuous growth, relentless self-awareness, and an unwavering thirst for knowledge. Tune in and be inspired to challenge your limits and embrace the infinite possibilities that await you when you confront your fears.
Mark Nussbaums Linkedin Profile
Introduction and Jay-Z Appreciation [00:00:00 - 00:05:29]
The host introduces the podcast and talks about his premium version called "Customer Conversations". The speakers discuss their mutual appreciation for Jay-Z and live performances.
Mark Nussbaum's Background and Growth of Signature Consultants [00:07:33 - 00:09:47]
Mark Nussbaum, the Chief Administrative Officer of Daxia, talks about his background and how he grew Signature Consultants from 0 to $13 billion. He emphasizes that it was a group effort and talks about the challenges and setbacks they faced during the growth process.
Destiny and Vision [00:10:51]
Mark Nussbaum talks about his belief in destiny and how he always knew he wanted to be a successful businessman.
Defining Greatness [00:13:21]
Nussbaum defines greatness as being a dignified and caring business person who does right by employees, clients, and customers.
Overcoming Failure [00:16:53]
Nussbaum shares how he coped with failures and setbacks, including a personal example of a massive failure that taught him the importance of recognizing his weaknesses and learning from them.
Finding Your Unique Ability [00:20:24]
Mark Nussbaum talks about how he realized his strengths and weaknesses and how he used that knowledge to find his unique ability.
Leadership Style [00:24:32]
Mark Nussbaum discusses how his parenting style influenced his leadership style and how he acts as a helipad for his team.
Pushing People to Their Limits [00:26:54]
Mark Nussbaum talks about how he pushes people to find their limits and how failure is a necessary part of growth.
Delegating roles and responsibilities [00:31:43]
Mark Nussbaum talks about his leadership style and how he guides his team by focusing on a few simple things to improve the experience for customers, consultants, employees, vendors, and landlords. He emphasizes the importance of delegating tasks to empower others to advance their careers.
Building a team for growth [00:34:33]
The host and Mark Nussbaum discuss the importance of building a team that can generate $1 million instead of focusing on generating the revenue themselves. They talk about how delegation and developing people's skills are essential for business growth.
Overcoming self-limiting beliefs [00:39:47]
Mark Nussbaum talks about his self-limiting beliefs, including the belief that others were better than him and that he lacked creativity. He discusses how he overcame these beliefs through coaching, internal feedback, and reading books, including "Mindset" by Carol Dweck.
Fear and Belief [00:41:25]
Speaker 2 talks about how he overcame his fear of failure by crushing it with the fear of not trying. He also discusses how he changed his beliefs through conversations with his coaches.
Life Plan [00:45:05]
Speaker 2 talks about how he wrote his first life plan at 25 after getting married and realizing that he had no plan for his life. He breaks down the five things he included in his plan: fitness, finances, family, friendship, and faith.
Reviewing the Life Plan [00:51:26]
Speaker 2 talks about how he reviews his life plan every Sunday morning and how it has evolved over the years to include more detailed visions and goals for different aspects of his life. He also discusses how he uses makers and breakers to track his progress towards his goals.
Weekly Planning Process [00:51:34]
Mark Nussbaum discusses his weekly planning process, which involves waking up early on Sunday mornings, exercising, having breakfast, and spending 12 minutes planning his week.
Taking Care of Yourself as a Leader [00:55:17]
Mark Nussbaum emphasizes the importance of taking care of oneself as a leader in order to better take care of others. He compares himself to a helipad and says that if he is not spiritually, mentally, and physically fit, his capacity to help others is limited.
Rapid Fire Five [00:58:50]
Speaker 1 asks Mark Nussbaum five rapid-fire questions, including what motivates him, his most preferred way to learn new information, and his favorite thing to do when he isn't working.
Introduction and Call to Action [01:01:57]
The host thanks the listeners and reminds them to check out his other podcast, Customer Conversations, which features interviews with buyers of technology.
No other timestamps are present in this transcription segment.
Embark on an extraordinary journey of personal transformation and professional growth as we dive into this episode with my guest, Pattie Grimm.
Join me as Pattie shares her powerful journey as she describes how she went from rock star to rock bottom--due to overworking--then embracing a profound shift towards self-care and self-awareness which enchanced not only her performence, but those around her. What lessons can leaders learn from Pattie's experience? How can reshaping leadership foster purpose-driven leaders who can effectively navigate today's diverse workforce? Get ready to explore the limitless possibilities of reimagining the customer experience, re-energizing your workforce, and reinventing work processes to drive extraordinary results.
Discover the profound impact of prioritizing self-care on leadership effectiveness. How does taking care of oneself unleash creativity, innovation, and an empowered approach to leadership and business? Find out in todays episode!
Pattie Grimms Linkedin Profile
No guest in this episode in this special edition of The GOATS of Growth where I talk about regret, building in public, and failure.
In this episode of The Goats of Growth, I speak with Tom Salah, Senior Vice President of Global Sales at SmartBear, who uncovers the secrets of his daily habits and their impact on his remarkable success.
Discover the importance of establishing early morning routines to eliminate distractions, prioritize tasks, and achieve laser-focused productivity. Learn the benefits of consistent habits for long-term career growth and adaptability in a rapidly changing business landscape. Gain valuable insights on self-assessment, performance evaluation, and finding the balance between professional success and personal well-being.
Tune in for actionable advice and strategies to unlock your own path to success.
Tom Salahs Linkedin Profile
Access Customer Conversations Here
In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing David Rush, the CEO & Founder of SmallWorld.
Are you struggling to leverage introductions and referrals effectively for your business? How can you ensure common language and user experience enhance these connections? David shares his personal journey as a sales leader and how it led him to create SmallWorld. Discover how David helps sales reps identify influencers and decision-makers within target accounts.
Plus, learn about SmallWorlds visionary approach called "relationship activation," Join us as we unravel the secrets to driving better business results through introductions and referrals.
David Rushs Linkedin Profile
Access Customer Conversations Here
In this podcast episode, I interview Brett Cavanagh, the President of TempWorks Software, to talk about how he went from selling recruiting services to selling recruiting software while also positioning himself to move from Sales Manager to President in just 4 years, and the strategic decisions he has made along the way to exectute at a high level.
Brett's LinkedIn Profile
Access Customer Conversations Here
Click this link for a 7 Day Free Trial of Customer Conversations.
In this "building in public" episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jeremy Roberts, Account Executive, at Mindtickle, a sales readiness platform.
I invited Jeremy on after he offered to help me validate Customer Conversations, the new premium version of this podcast. I wanted to record our discussion and workshop a couple of ideas with him. By the end, I came away with 3 major takeways that I will incorporate into the overall offering.
I hope you enjoy this kind of episode.
Get ready to revolutionize your sales enablement strategy with an expert who knows the secret to unlocking unprecedented growth. In this episode, I sit down with Roderick Jefferson, renowned CEO of Roderick Jefferson and Associates, to delve into the world of sales enablement.
Are you struggling to align your sales enablement efforts with the hiring process? Feeling stuck in a constant cycle of trial and error? Well, Roderick is here to show you the way out. He unveils the game-changing approach of creating the ideal candidate profile and demonstrates how it can supercharge your sales enablement initiatives. But that's not all – we explore the true nature of sales enablement as an ongoing journey of improvement and growth. Roderick shares his groundbreaking Sales Enablement System, a powerful tool that tracks and reports on your sales team's progress.
Discover the critical importance of ongoing communication, iterative processes, and change management to ensure your sales enablement efforts achieve remarkable results.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your sales enablement strategy to new heights. Join us as we unlock the secrets of aligning, improving, and succeeding in the dynamic world of sales enablement. Click this link for a 7 Day Free Trial of Customer Conversations.
Find out more about Roderick and get in touch
No guest on this epispode. You'll hear me talk about getting out of my comfort zone as I try to find product, market, fit for Customer Conversations
Click this link to become a member.
In this episode, Tom Click, Senior Vice President of Sales at Integrate, discusses his journey at the marketing technology platform and the challenges they faced in finding product-market fit. He emphasizes the importance of synthesizing information across various channels to ensure compliance and better buyer experiences as well as reflecting on his personal growth as a leader.
Cllick here to learn more about Customer Conversation and how Revenue Leaders buy technology to enable their teams' success.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-click-362231/
This is a solo episode as I give you a peak behind the curtains into my level of conviction for a premium version of this podcast called, Customer Conversations.
Cllick here to learn more about Customer Conversation and how Revenue Leaders buy technology to enable their teams' success.
Chris Smith is the Chief Revenue Officer of Aqua Security, the largest pure play cloud-native security company.
In this episode we discuss Aqua Security's role in the cloud security market, their strategy for becoming the category leader, and the importance of having a strong playbook for sales and marketing. Chris emphasizes the importance of understanding customers' needs and conducting user interviews to inform marketing, messaging, sales playbook, competitive landscape, and product direction. He also shares his approach to conducting interviews and managing employees.
Cllick here to learn more about Customer Conversation and how Revenue Leaders buy technology to enable their teams' success.
This is preview of Jeff Oh's episode, part of the 'Customer Conversation' premium subscription.
In this episode, Jeff Oh, the VP of Sales at DMI, a global leader in digital innovation and transformation, discusses DMI's tech stack and the decision criteria they used to choose these vendors over others. Jeff emphasizes the importance of having a long-term strategy when choosing a software solution.
https://glow.fm/thegoatsofgrowth-customerconversations/
Today we have on Enfusions CRO, Steven Bachert. Enfusion is the flexible, modern framework for investment management operations that gives fund managers the freedom to perform.
Link to Customer Conversations
In this episode Steven and myself discuss:
- How to overcome the challenges in software adoption and IPO.
- The importance of adapting your playbook for each new opportunity.
- The significance of storytelling and data-driven forecasting in preparing for an IPO.
- The complexities of market analysis and how to navigate them.
- How confidence and crafting the right story will help you when taking your company public.
All that and more in this episode.
My guest today is CRO, Rachel Bates.
Customer Conversations Link
In todays episode we discuss -
- The power of customer focus and strong employer branding.
- Lessons on building and managing international sales teams from industry experts
- How to balance enterprise Sales and product led growth.
- How to execute innovative approaches to employee retention.
- Sharpening the company's narrative and vision through the process of presenting to investors.
All that and more on today's episode.
Show link to 'Customer Conversations'. https://glow.fm/thegoatsofgrowth-customerconversations/.
My guest today is Kevin Warner who is the CEO and founder of Leadium, which is a agency to help you find prospects, automate outbound, and grow your pipeline.
Today we discuss: -
- How an outbound agency can stand out in a crowded market.
- Developing the right skill set for providing a great service in a people driven sales business.
- Why it's crucial to understand the mechanics and analytics behind email, phone, and linkedIn campaigns.
- The importance of building an effective enterprise-grade sales strategy.
- How to successfully optimize outbound sales tools.
- Why its important to recognize the value of non-tech businesses in B2B sales.
Tyler Barron, Chief Revenue Officer at Encapture, joined me for this weeks episode to discuss the importance of listneing to your customer. Encapture is the intelligent document automation platform that helps companies be more efficient and customer-centric.
In this weeks episode we discuss and cover:
- How to successfully pivot sales strategy and still increase revenue amidst market uncertainty.
- How to build trust and credibility with your CEO and Board
- Why empowering sales team and focusing on customer language leads to success.
- When and how to identify and harness individual motivation for optimal performance.
- The link between balancing people, customers, and market trends.
- Creating innovative solutions and seeing the positive impact they have on people and businesses.
All that and more in this episode.
My guest today is Sarah Milby, CEO and Founder of Valor Performance, a leadership and performance mindset coaching platform that helps empower executives, managers and teams with data-driven, high performance coaching.
In todays packed episode we discuss various topics such as:
- The importance of adaptive leadership for navigating change and stress in the modern workforce.
- How a gap in sales leadership inspired Sarah's performance mindset coaching.
- Overcoming entrepreneurial insecurities and having the self confidence to move forward despite criticism from others.
- Leveraging scenario planning to drive business Objectives and decision making.
- How overcommunication and transparency can be the key to building trust during times of crisis.
All that and more in this episode.
In todays episode you'll hear my interview with William Crowder, Managing Partner of Aperture Venture Capital, which is a VC for the multicultural mainstream that backs founders that leverage financial innovation to help individuals and businesses thrive.
In todays episode we discuss:
- How Aperture's engagement model is driving startup success with strategic and operational support
- The missed opportunities due to the lack of diversity in the investment industry
- Securing investments through strategic connections and engagement
- The importance of venture capital firms as a source of knowledge and connection for startups to thrive.
- Why founders need to make investors aware of the problem their company is solving and how it plans to do so.
- What he calls the "magic email"
All that and more on in this episode.
In todays episode we have back on the show, for a second time, Stephen Messer, serial entrepreneur and the Cofounder of Collective[i]. To find out all about that company, go back and listen to episode # 107.
In today's episode, however, we will be discussing his previous company, LinkShares, an affiliate marketing service provider that got acquired by Rakuten for a cool $425M
What to listen for:
- The opportunity he saw to build a network-based approach to winning a new kind of market
- How to convince big brands to do something they've never done before
- The role "first principles" played in their strategic thinking and what "first principles" is
- The technology they pattented that was vastly different than anything that had been developed at the time to track who was affiliated with which sales
- What he calls "insane" as it pertains to the way VC's look at AI model metrics
- The 2 things he said you must possess if you're going to be a disruptive company
- The struggle they had to endure to keep going and where they found the strength
- The moment that turned everything in their favor
- Where he was when the money hit the bank
All that and more on this episode.
Stephen was also kind enough to give me a private on AI training to break down what goes into business intelligence, machine learning and deep learning.
To access the training click on this link. https://youtu.be/aiKrAENS22c
My guest today is Ethan Schechter, VP of Sales of Snyk, which empowers the world’s developers to build secure applications
In todays packed episode we discuss
- Convincing Organizations to Prioritize and Invest in New Solutions. - Why Winning Ugly is Sometimes the Key to Success in Early Stage Startups. - Hiring Key Players for a Strong Foundation. - Balancing Priorities of Sales Training and Enablement with Rapid Expansion. - Transparency and Confidence in Upselling Your Product. - The Importance of Honest Communication in Third and Fourth Line Leadership.
All that and more in this episode!
In this episode you'll hear my interview with Jeff Kushmerek, the CEO and Founder of Infinite Renewals, which helps SaaS and B2B emerging tech companies reduce churn and significantly increase recurring revenue. I wanted to interview him to help us understand more about the importance NRR and GRR plays in growing and scaling revenue, and how Customer Success is at the heart of it.
In this episode we'll cover:
- The most important metric to focus on this year given the ecomonic headwinds
- What companies get wrong when it comes to increasing value and reducing churn
- How new logo sales teams can play a crucial role in increasing retention and mitigating problems during implementation
- Why it's critical to involve CS in the sales prcoess and at which point should they be introduced
- How to avoid difficult customer conversations
- What sales reps should avoid doing to increase retention and NRR
All that and more on this episode.
My guest today is David Fattal, Founder and Chief Technial Officier at Leia Inc. Leia combines nanotechnology and AI to build the future of 3D experiences. Just afew topics we cover today are: -
- David announces a game changing strategic partnership
- Reaching the maximum users in the shortest time possible.
- What it takes to of raise $350 million.
- The challenge of manufacturing nanostructures.
- The costs involved from prototyping to manufacturing
- Why it's important for a tech founder to hire a CEO as they scale up
All that and more in this episode.
My guest today is Mark Haas, the VP of Sales at Incorta, which provides a unified data and analytics platform that makes it quick and easy to unlock the full potential of data from multiple complex source systems.
In todays episode we cover: - How being creative in your pipeline generation will pay off. - Why research and effort will always trumph generic outreach. - How crafting compelling stories helps with overall success - The importance of individualized leadership coaching
All that and more in this episode.
My guest today is Tony Craythorne, a Revenue Leader and CEO, who specializes in fast revenue growth for start-ups and growth stage companies.
In todays episode we cover: - Why asking the right financial questions will protect you and dictate the problems that need solving. - Diversifying your revenue stream to prepare for unforeseeable obstacles. - The importance of having working synergy and chemistry. - Connecting the data from marketing to pivot from what isn’t working. - Using circumstances outside of your control to become your best moving forward. - How to leverage your channel to scale revenue before scaling your sales team.
All that and more in this episode.
My guest today is Deidre Hudson, a customer focused and data driven senior marketing leader with strong demand generation and customer aquisation skills.
In todays episode we cover:
- How the right data can be used to inspire your sales strategies and campaigns
- The tools used to determine your right target audience based on all your data
- The key differences between demand generation and lead generation
- 5 Pillars of demand generation - People, Programs, Processes, Performance, and Product
- Using actionable data to test impact on different channels
- The power of having the right people in the right roles for the right reasons
All that and more in this episode.
My guest today is Greg Reffner, CEO and Founder of Abstrakt, a real-time call coaching software that is transforming sales teams around the globe. In todays episode we talk about:
- The variety of challenges that are presented when picking your consumer market - How customer success plays a huge factor in your product price point - Why creating your own outbound playbook might be your best play - Owning your mistakes and using them to elevate yourself and the team - His tough interviewing screening and coaching approach - Three things he looks for when hiring sales reps
Tune in for all that and more in this great episode.
My guest today is Phil Lee, CRO of Foxit Sotware, the leading software provider of fast, affordable and secure PDF solutions, serving over 650 million users worldwide.
In todays episode we discuss:
-
The paradigm shift he's making to go from $100M to $500M
-
Developing the right relationships to rip and replace market leaders
-
Why investing in customer success is a competitive advantage
-
The role digital marketing and the use of customer data will play in reaching the next phaese of growth
-
The 3 pillars of leadership he focuses on to maintain a successful orgainization and team
All that and more in this episode.
My guest today is Casey Jacox, a sales & leadership coach who helps companies realize the power and impact that humility, vulnerability, and curiosity have on internal and external relationship building. Casey also wrote a book about relationship building called "Win The Relationship; Not the Deal" where he shares six principles to win new and existing relationships.
He is also a proud father and husband and has his own podcast called The Quarterback Dad Cast, where he interviews guests to discuss topics at the intersection of what it means to be a dad at home and a leader at work. Casey is one of the most genuine, authentic, down to earth people you'll ever hear on this podcast, and I know you'll be inspired by his backstory.
In todays episode we discuss: - Life long habits, confidence building, and the early setback that has been the Rocket Fuel for his success in life - How accountibility can be the driving force for new opportunities - How curiousity can allow you to find and unlock your 'why'. - The importance of a morning routine - The power of owning your failures and fears - How tonality can be the deciding factor in closing a deal
All that and more on this episode.
My guest today is Mike Restivo, the Chief Revenue Officer for Bullhorn, the global leaders in software for the staffing industry.
In this episode we cover a varety of topics ranging from :
-The business plan he wrote in college that started it all -What it was like to be one of the first employees and why he almost quit -How is inflated ego prevented him from getting promoted sooner -Stragetic decisions he made to drive gowth and expansion -Transtioning from VP to CRO
All that and more in this episode.
My guest today is the Andre Riley, the CRO of iHire, a platform that uses innovative technology to connect industry-focused and career-minded candidates with employers across 57 talent communities.
Andre is a top-performing SaaS Revenue & Growth Leader with a proven track record of achieving hypergrowth revenue targets through aggressive sales and marketing initiatives that deliver market share and market penetration.
In todays episode we cover topics ranging from:
- Increasing brand recognition
-Making chages to the go-to-market motion
-
How different channels can attract new prospects
-
Executing assessment plans to have foresight into future decisions
-
Organizational alignment in data, KPI’s, and executing targets
-
How to determine price point for the market and the framework behind it
-
How the right data will allow you to measure growth so you can plan accordingly
-
Why key attributes of growth minded salespeople leads to successful sales teams
-
Creating expansion opportunities within your customer base.
My guest today is the Brendon Bornancin, the CEO and inventor of Seamless AI, which delivers the worlds best sales leads using AI. He is also a motivtional speaker and the author of 4 best selling books, including "Whatever It Takes".
In todays episode we cover:
-
How being put on a performance plan was the catalyst to everything
-
The orgins of Seamless A.I. and the moment he broke down and cried as he was trying to get it built
-
Why email lists are so effective
-
The data needed to scale revenue
-
Maximizing customer retention and why that's so important
-
The strategic decision behind pricing so he could get as many people paying for it as possible
All that and more on this epsidode, which is a story about grit, resliency, and growth.
My guest today is Steven Messer, who is a serial entrepreneur and the Co-Founder of Collective[i], which provides the most comprehensive solution on the market for companies seeking to optimize revenue using AI, connections, and collaboration. Prior to Collective [i], he co-founded Linkshare, an affiliate marketing service provider, which eventually sold to Rakuten for a $425 million.
In todays episode we cover:
-How Collective[i] is like Waze for sales
-Why companies that just use their own data are missing a big piece of the puzzle
-How AI and data can be used to exponentially increase the odds of winning a deal
-The power of reference, referrals, and warm introductions
-The difference between digital sellers and traditional sellers and why 74% of buyers don't want to deal with sellers at all
If you want to know what the future of b2b/enterprise sales looks like, you've got to listen to this entire interview.
My guest today is Ken Ferguson, the CRO of Virtualitics, which offers innovative next generation enterprise AI, machine learning, and 3D data visualization solutions. Ken has a proven track record of success as a revenue leader and enjoys building teams and solving complex problems.
In todays episode we discuss how differentiantion can and should be used as a go-to-market strategy, along with other topics such as:
- Surrounding yourself with others that are better than you
- Understanding the problem you're trying to solve as a company and your unique capabilitities
- The importance of building resilence and a strong belief system in your product and the process
- Why creating your own catorgory matters
- How being different can create the ability to connect with customers
- Why curiosity wins every time
All that and more in this episode.
My guest today is Dustin Gransberry, Vice President of Sales for Pico Mes, which is a factory operations platform built for small and medium size factories.
In todays episode we discuss,
-
Onboarding and developing yourself and your team
-
Assesing the right candidates.
-
Micro habits that elevate your skillset in sales
-
The link between personal growth and sales success
-
Always remaning curious and finding new ways to do things.
Another packed episode full of key points to elevate your game and sharpen your skillset.
My guest today is Denice Sakakeeny, a Corporate Finance Consultant and outsourced CFO that helps executives and investors remove impediments to organizational growth.
In todays episode we talk about,
- Signals of organizational distress indicating layoffs might be coming
- Highest and best use of company assets
- Operational excellence as a strategic advantage
- Economics of a organization
- Strategic alignment and company direction
- Micro economic decision making by the leadership teams
From finance, to layouts and return on interests, this episode shows a different side of the business and is full of knowledge and value.
My guest, Steven Hoffmen, also known as Captain Hoff, is the CEO and chairman of Founders Space, a global innovation hub for entrepreneurs, corporations and investors with over 50 partners in 22 countries. Captain Hoff is also a venture investor, founder of three venture backed and a bootstrap startups as well as the author of several award winning books.
In todays episode you will here how Capt. Hoff and his team brought the the world's first-massively multi-user gaming platform to market despite many setbacks, including almost running out of money.
- The power of asking the right questions
- Foundational steps in a startup
- Tactically refining your pitch as you get rejected by investor after investor
- Learning to pivot business
- Importance of leveraging multiple opportunities
If you like stories full of setbacks that lead to an ultiimate triumph, you're going to love this episode.
My guest, Dale Brown, is the Chief Revenue Officer at PachyDerm. Pachyderm is the leader in data versioning and pipelines for MLOps and they provide the data foundation that allows science teams to automate and scale their machine learning lifecycle. Dale's vast career has consistently put him at the intersection of sales execution, revenue, product development, and go-to-market results.
In todays episode we discuss,
- Coaching and selling with confidence.
- Preparation for positive performance.
- Developing trust within your teams.
- How to shorten a sales process.
- The timing in adopting and engaging in new ways.
- Identifying friction points in a sales process.
- Outlining deliverables and validating outcomes.
Sales, hiring, coaching, data driven performance, outlining outcomes - This episode is full of key insights and value. Let us know your key takeaway from this episode.
Don Hammond, COO at Lightning Fit, the undisputed industry leader in EMS fitness technology, has scaled start-ups from 0 to 8 figures, and from 8 to 9 figures. In this episode we unpack some of the keys to his success.
Including:
- The 3 legs of the stool needed for a start-up to scale.
- How to build a scalable and repeatable process.
- The importance of teaching the basics.
- How VPs can grow into CROs.
- Hiring good people and setting expectations.
- Building a winning formula.
This episode is PACKED with so much information and can definitely add value to your toolbox whether you’re new to the game or already operating at the executive level.
I'm celebrating episode 100 with David Barron, Global Director of Sales, leading teams in North America for HubSpot, the unquestionable pioneers of inbound marketing software and a leading marketing automation. Since it's early days, HubSpot has evolved into much more, including the products that David’s team sells, which are HubSpot CMS, Service Hub and Operations Hub. In todays episode we discuss * Creating a compensation and incentive based structure. * Setting clear expectations for the sales teams. * Implementing a hiring philosophy. * What to look for when scaling and building a team. * The importance of a diverse high performing team. * Restructuring onboarding to maximize training.
All of that and more! If you’re looking to scale and build a diverse, high performing team, this episode is a must listen.
I just finished reading "The Qualified Sales Leader" by John McMahon, 5X CRO at start-ups that IPO'd, and a Board member and Advisor to a number of other notable companies--- which make him the G.O.A.T.
If you're a Founder, CEO, Sales Leader, or anyone else in the sales ecosystem, especially if you want to know how the GOATS of Growth lead and scale world-class sales teams, this is a must read.
To that end, as an experienced recruiter and interviewer, I've learned to read between the lines and l obsess about what's NOT being said. It helps me recognize patterns of behavior that typically lead to success--or failure.
When I read John's book, I took the same approach. It's not a review of the book, or even a summary of the book, but it's focused on the major takeaways I got from the book that weren't always said, but what I understood certain things to mean--especially when identify and recruiting talent.
In fact, most people will find my takeaways bland and nothing spectacular--or even new.
But that's the point.
It shines a big, glaring light on basic, practical, fundamental leadership and management principles that, frankly, a lot of people know, but just don't commit to.
There is a tale John tells in the book called "The Fox and the Hedgehog", that illustrates this well.
This book starts with the basics, which are a great reminder for all of us.
My guest, John Sheffield, is the ‘Vice President of Sales’ at Yottaa, which the the leading cloud platform for eCommerce acceleration.
In this episode we discuss:
- Developing sales methodology
- Behavior traits and successful sales habits
- Building confidence in your sales team.
- Sustaining low a attrition rate
- Evaluating and hiring new team members
- Overcoming setbacks and encouraging your team
- The value of intellectual curiosity
All of that and more. If you’re a sales leader or aspiring to lead a team to success, this episode is for you.
Joe Breen, a senior sales leader who has led start-ups through hyper-growth, including SecureWorks, which grew from $1M to $300M---leading to an eventual acquisition by Dell. Most recently, he led Nuspire, an MSSP, to a 5 year revenue goal in just under 3.5 years, while scaling the sales team from 14 people to 40.
In this episode we discuss the strategic decisions he made that had the biggest impact including:
- The steps he took to simplify the GTM messaging
- How Nuspire went up market by asking a prospect how to sell to them
- Repositioning and then rebuilding the sales team
- His overall approach to leading and managing people
- Why some sales people struggled and the skills really needed to succeed
- How to handle the "maverick" on the team
- How often to evaluate strengths and weaknesses
All of that and more in this episode.
My guest, Rouzbeh Rotabi, is the Chief Revenue Officer at Orum, which is a platform for frictionless money movement. He’s also a Limited Partner at Stage 2 Capital, a venture capital fund led and backed by elite go-to-market professionals.
In the is episode we discuss:
- The importance of maintaining discipline
- The big strategic decisions he made shortly after at Orum which took a great deal of discipline
- How to communicate potentially unpopular disciplined-based decisions
- How to make discipline part of your culture and operating system
- How and when he developed self-discipline
All that and more in this episode.
My guest, Brent Keltner, is making his second appearance on Over Quota. After this episode, go back and listen to episode 73 where he talks about the 3 pillars of growth acceleration.
Brent is the Founder and President of Winalytics, which helps clients reach their top growth potential by shifting from product-driven conversations to authentic conversations that anchor on buyer-defined value. Prior to Winalytics he spent 10 years as a revenue leader in early-stage and enterprise companies and 10 years as a PhD Social Scientist at Stanford and the Rand Corporation. He’s also the author of “The Revenue Acceleration Playbook: Creating An Authentic Buyer Journey Across Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success”
In this episode we discuss what he learned from promoting his book, the impact writing a book had on his business, and the major takeaways that readers of the book have gotten.
My guest,Manuel Rivera, has held leadership roles with global technology and pre-IPO companies managing domestic and international partner programs, alliances, and channel sales. He’s currently the Vice President of Global Channel Sales for Constella Intelligence, which provides Digital Risk Protection for some of the world’s largest organizations.
In the episode we discuss the mechanics of how to build a world-class partner program.
My guest,Manuel Rivera, has held leadership roles with global technology and pre-IPO companies managing domestic and international partner programs, alliances, and channel sales. He’s currently the Vice President of Global Channel Sales for Constella Intelligence, which provides Digital Risk Protection for some of the world’s largest organizations.
In the episode we discuss the mechanics of how to build a world-class partner program.
I didn't interview a guest for this episode. Instead, I give a summary of my recent trip to San Francisco at the SaaStr event where 10,000 people got together to network, learn and have fun.
It was worth all the time and eevry day.
I also give a quick update on The GOATS of Growth, which is a book I'm working. on.
I didn't interview a guest for this episode. Instead, I give a summary of my recent trip to San Francisco at the SaaStr event where 10,000 people got together to network, learn and have fun.
It was worth all the time and eevry day.
I also give a quick update on The GOATS of Growth, which is a book I'm working. on.
Rob Stevens is one of the people that I consider to be on my personal Board of Directors, who’s made some fantastic introductions and opened up others doors along the way–including helping me with getting guests for this podcast.
We met on the heels of his successful 7 year run at Kiva Systems, which culminated in a $775M acquisition by Amazon Robotics back in 2012. He then led sales, marketing and business development at 2 more successful start-ups (both acquired) and is now advising other early-stage Founders on their go-to-market strategies.
Something I found particularly interesting is how he navigated his way to leading 4 major functions within 5 start-ups, including sales, marketing, product, and professional services. In this episode, we cover how he developed that breadth of skill and what he learned along the way that he is now sharing with his clients.
Rob Stevens is one of the people that I consider to be on my personal Board of Directors, who’s made some fantastic introductions and opened up others doors along the way–including helping me with getting guests for this podcast.
We met on the heels of his successful 7 year run at Kiva Systems, which culminated in a $775M acquisition by Amazon Robotics back in 2012. He then led sales, marketing and business development at 2 more successful start-ups (both acquired) and is now advising other early-stage Founders on their go-to-market strategies.
Something I found particularly interesting is how he navigated his way to leading 4 major functions within 5 start-ups, including sales, marketing, product, and professional services. In this episode, we cover how he developed that breadth of skill and what he learned along the way that he is now sharing with his clients.
In this episode you will hear me highlight the 10 most cited traits, mentioned by my guests this year, that are present in top salespeople they've managed. I was reluctant to do it in order of most cited to least cited, because they are all paramount to the success of top sales reps, but I did it anyways to make it more interesting.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a retained sales search firm for lean start-ups. If you're looking to hire a sales leader for your next stage of growth, please visit thejdavidgroup.com.
If you’re a Founder or an early-stage Sales Leader, you’ll appreciate and recognize many of the topics covered in my latest podcast interview with Brian Benedict, Global Vice President of Sales at Narrator.
If you aspire to be, on the precipice of, or have just started your journey as an expeditionary sales leader, you’ll appreciate learning about the mechanics of what it takes to get the flywheel moving.
And, if you’re an individual contributor aspiring to, or are currently working for an early-stage start-up, you’ll get a sense of what it takes to succeed and the expectations of you in such an environment.
Some of the topics we discussed include:
GTM Strategy
Should you go up market or down market and why?
Pricing structure
What should you be focused on from day one
Securing the right meeting with the right people
How he had 5 meeting set before his first day at one company
What should your tech stack include?
Creating processes and systems
What goes in the playbook?
When to iterate or not
Who to hire first and why?
The challenges founders could experience if they hire for the wrong position first
What kind of experience should the first members of the sales team have?Which traits and core competencies should you screen for?
How do you assign quota (or not) in the absence of precedent and much data?
How to build a repeatable motion
When should you scale and how
Enjoy the episode.
Teaching and coaching enterprise sales reps to become HIGH-PERFORMING enterprise sales reps is difficult–to say the least. There are many variables to reaching greatness that sales leaders and coaches need to navigate.
Is a rep struggling because she doesn’t understand the value proposition well enough? Is a rep struggling because he’s in a new territory and simply hasn’t generated enough activity? Is your go-to-market strategy flawed? The potential roadblocks that can prevent success are overwhelming and endless.
With all the various reasons and possible impediments to success, wouldn’t it be nice if someone were to distill the complexity of true enterprise sales down to just a few pillars that can be coached and repeated—regardless of which sales methodology you’re using? Well, that’s what my latest podcast guest, Douglas Cole, Enterprise Sales Leader at LinkedIn, achieved in his new book, The Sales MBA–How to Influence Corporate Buyers.
In this episode you’ll not only hear when and how to incorporate these core pillars of successful enterprise sales, but you’ll also hear him talk about the mental shift CRUCIAL to mastering it all.
Here is the link to buy the book on Amazon
(Republished from June 2020.)
I recently interviewed Samuel Clemens, Partner at Accomplice VC & Founder of Reprise, which helps customer facing teams capture, edit, and assemble the perfect demo every time.
We discussed the 3 types of sales leaders critical to early stage start-up success. The first type is simply founder-led sales because they know the product best and should be able to close the first handful of sales on passion--as long as their is market fit. The second type of sales leader is what he calls the expeditionary sales leader who can help create and define a repeatable playbook. The third type of sales leader is someone that is process based and can take that playbook, refine it, and then scale the sales team.
Additionally, he shared the critical attributes needed in each sales leader, the one thing that he thinks really defines an organization's culture, the 3 big mistakes he's made in the past when scaling a sales organization, what sales leaders should NOT do during their Board meetings, and much more.
Whether I’m interviewing a GTM leader on my podcast or confidentially for a retained search, I tend to geek out over the “how” of how success was achieved by my guest.
It’s like when we first learned long division. It wasn’t enough to give the right answer, we had to show the teacher “our work”. How we got there, so they know it wasn’t simply luck, memory, or a hidden calculator.
From onboarding to strategic planning, to compensation models, to playbooks, I could do on and on but how success was achieved—or not, if I’m screening for a client.
But sometimes, what we’re capable of accomplishing simply comes down to "why" and the traits we have or the traits you don’t have. In the case of my most recent guest on Over Quota, Ramsey Al Ramahi, 3 traits that came to my mind as I was analyzing the why behind his accomplishments were, curiosity, desire, and a bias towards action.
In this episode, you’ll hear how he went from selling Bakluvit (a family recipe) to a tech sales leader in less than 5 years.
Yes, we dug into strategy and execution, but those 3 traits, curiosity, desire and a bias for action were the hallmarks, from my assessment, as to why he just accepted a CRO role--achieving yet another professional goal.
Graham Collins has given more than 400 compensation consultations over last 2 years, so I couldn’t think of a better guest to have on to learn all the ins and outs of how comp plans and quotas are established.
Whether you're a Founder trying to get your arms around hiring your first sales rep, an established sales leader, or a quota carrying AE, you’ll learn something from this episode, including:
- The right ways and wrong ways to structure comp plans
- Why 50/50 comp plans exist and the underlying math
- The right and wrong ways to establish quota
- How to deliver new comp plans and keep your best reps
- The most common mistake leaders make when building comp plans
- Why companies don't want all their reps to be at 100% of quota
And more!
In this episode you’ll hear Brian Kirk's journey from Submarine Warfare Officer, where he was leading as many as 70 Sailors, to MIT, where he got his MBA, to entrepreneur–and all that he learned from that experience–and then into technology sales where he went from BDR to sales leadership in just 6 months! That’s the journey.
Tactically, you’ll hear him discuss why he’s made the choices he’s made, his new way of communicating since moving into civilian leadership, how he went from BDR to sales leadership so quickly, and the strategies and processes he implements to inspire his teams to achieve more together.
To say Jill Rowley has vision, which, by one definition, is the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom, is an understatement.First, early on her career, she saw sales as an avenue to control her own income and destiny. Second, she saw that Salesforce.com would be a great place to launch her sales career when it was just a little-known start-up. Third, she chose to join Eloqua in its infancy (Jill was employee #13) because she saw the power of marketing automation before most did. Then, she saw “social selling” as a powerful go-to-market strategy well before social selling was part of the lexicon. That’s vision.
So, what does she see next? Ecosystems. She sees ecosystems as the next big shift in the way SaaS companies will win, and playbooks should start to include them--immediately. True, many companies use partnerships as part of their go-to-market strategy, but few look at prospective partnerships as part of an ecosystem to authentically delight and over deliver value for their customers.
Patrick Lynch, a technology sales leader with experience building high-performing teams, says that we have a tendency, as an industry, to overcomplicate things. At the end of the day, it's about discipline, rigor, grit, and focus. As a leader, do you have the team that can help you get the customers you don't have. Simply put, "hire good people and get the hell out of the way".
This episode features Paul Fifield, CEO and Co-Founder of Sales Impact Academy. You'll hear Paul talk about his own journey and the, somewhat painful, experience he had as a revenue leader scaling two previous companies that lead to SIA. You'll also hear why most companies don't make it, and how to properly instrument an organization from the beginning which includes one key hire needed IF you want to scale.
I spoke with the Area VP of Sales at Sky Hive, Janet Rosenthal. After taking a decade off to take care of her family, she struggled to find the perfect fit professionally until she found SkyHive where she leads a team of Enterprise Sales Reps. SkyHive’s mission of upskilling talent aligns with Janet personally. Janet also discusses what to look for in hiring the right person, being coachable, and general goal setting to be successful in sales.
In this episode I speak with the VP of Business Development at Video Elephant, K.C. McLeod. K.C. discusses Vyer Films, a company he once founded, what encouraged him to launch it, and the go-to-market strategy used to bring it to life. At Video Elephant, he started with a small team and faced high uncertainty as he took on the 1st business development position. KC discusses learning and developing his personal leadership skills to help build the perfect team through data and research.
Today’s episode was sponsored by Allego. Allego allows you to record your best sales content for practice, collaboration, and feedback. Allego gives you a way to organize your best content into one place, making it easily accessible to help improve sales performance.
Marci DiGaetano, Head of Global Sales Development at Cyberpion, has a unique and special way she onboards, coaches, and develops her SDR teams. Listen to the holistic approach she takes to onboarding reps, how she builds confidence in her teams, the practical approach every SDR should take if they want to get promoted, and how leading and coaching isn't just a job, but an obligation for her.
In this episode Cherilynn Castleman talks about the painful experiences she had as a business leader that inspired her to start CGI Executive Coaching, how to build high performing teams that are united around one vision, a framework for post-pandemic selling, and how a little inspiration can get people to do extraordinary things.
Brian Cotter, SVP of Global Sales Engineering at Seismic, spoke to me about the critical role Sales Engineers play in the enterprise sales process. An Engineer, by definition, is someone who designs and builds. Brian and his team design and build but not in the way one might assume. In this episode you’ll be captivated by what he says are the most critical elements to sell more, more quickly, and with less friction
This week, I was delighted to have Dwight Lawson on Over Quota to discuss some of his daily practices and his position as Head of Sales at Ethena, a startup providing compliance training for modern teams. Dwight’s career journey features him within the first 100 people of most of the companies he’s worked for. He goes into detail about the impact that can be made in the beginning hiring rounds of a startup and what to expect being in those roles. He also talks about how the importance of authenticity in the workplace and how it’s led to success. Play close attention to his time analysis method and the simple way to examine where you are mismanaging your time.
A big thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode! Does improving your overall sales performance for everyone, new hires and leaders alike, sound appealing? Not only does Allego allow you to record your best sales content for practice, collaboration, and feedback, but it gives you a way to organize your best content into one place, making it easily accessible. Click here to find out more about Allego
In this week's episode, I brought on a dynamic sales leader with an engineering past, Bershu Nkwawir. We talk about Bershu’s journey from being a technical Engineer to VP of Sales and why he switched. He details the parallels that made it a natural switch while also shedding light on the difficulties he faced approaching sales like an engineer. Since he had a nontraditional path to Sales, he talks about what he learned to onboard other engineers in the Sales space. We also talk about general hiring practices and team-building lessons he learned over time. Bershu expands on the four characteristics he looks for in a sales candidate he believes can't be taught. He then explains the two things managers should do to not own every problem the team has and help grow their team's abilities.
A big thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode! Does improving your overall sales performance for everyone, new hires and leaders alike, sound appealing? Not only does Allego allow you to record your best sales content for practice, collaboration, and feedback, but it gives you a way to organize your best content into one place, making it easily accessible. Click here to find out more about Allego
Today I had the opportunity to talk to Marcus Knight, a seasoned Go-to-Market Strategist and Founder of Cultured Perspective, a black-owned revenue growth consultancy. We deep dive into the reasoning why nontraditional sales candidates are being overlooked, addressing the companies' and candidates' fears. Marcus talks about his growth revenue consultancy and how they use equity strategies and a diverse talent pool to set themselves and their clients apart from the crowd. He gives tactical strategies to manage big initiatives and expectations with a client, and describes what types of problems his consultancy helps resolve for businesses. Marcus also discusses strategies for creating a healthy workplace within his own life, his company, and his client’s companies. In addition to giving back to overlooked candidates, he and his son are Co-Founders of a clothing company, Kid Kulture, where he nurtures his son’s creativity while educating him on the business side too.
In this episode I interviewed Brent Keltner, Founder and President of Winalytics, a consultancy which helps clients achieve top growth potential by consistently positioning and qualifying buyers at each phase of their journey.
Brent emphasizes the importance of playbooks, practice, and team-based learning, which, he says, are the 3 pillars needed for growth acceleration. Listen to the full episode to hear which playbooks growth minded teams should be using, the plays they should be running within each playbook, and the one play that everyone should master to accelerate deal velocity and expand deeper into existing accounts.
To go much deeper into this subject and to learn more from Brent, his new book "Revenue Acceleration Playbook" is now available on Amazon. Click here to learn more.
You can also reach him directly at bkeltner@winalytics.com or here on LinkedIn.
Thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode! Does improving your overall sales performance for everyone, new hires and leaders alike, sound appealing? Not only does Allego allow you to record your best sales content for practice, collaboration, and feedback, but it gives you a way to organize your best content into one place, making it easily accessible. Click here to find out more about Allego
In this episode, Jon Hawkins, CRO of Augmedix, shares the lessons he learned from a company he once Co-Founded, and then eventually sold, how he takes a data-driven approach to sales, how data can help build certainty and confidence throughout his team, and why he doesn’t think hiring salespeople with industry expertise is the best approach.
To connect with Jon, you can email him at jon@augmedix.com
Thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode! Does improving your overall sales performance for everyone, new hires and leaders alike, sound appealing? Not only does Allego allow you to record your best sales content for practice, collaboration, and feedback, but it gives you a way to organize your best content into one place, making it easily accessible. Click here to find out more about Allego
Today, I had the pleasure of speaking with Scott Sambucci to discover the key components of his success as a sales coach, public speaker, best-selling author, and endurance athlete. Having raced in three Ironman Marathons among other events, Scott has adopted a disciplined and regimented lifestyle that he applies to his work mindset, enabling everyday to be well structured with “no wasted miles”. With 25 years of enterprise sales experience and assisting startups, Scott has incredible insight into the problems and solutions for individual and company-wide growth, rooted in an attitude of dedication and perseverance. With every question I pose, from hiring strategies to professional roadblocks, Scott has answers and advice that not only benefits your workplace productivity but your approach to accomplishing simple everyday tasks.
Want to hear more from Scott Sambucci? Read his book “Stop Hustling, Start Scaling” on salesqualia.com, or reach out to him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottsambucci/.
A big thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode! Does improving your overall sales performance for everyone, new hires and leaders alike, sound appealing? Not only does Allego allow you to record your best sales content for practice, collaboration, and feedback, but it gives you a way to organize your best content into one place, making it easily accessible. Click here to find out more about Allego
For today’s episode I invited Deric Peterson, Vice President of Commercial Line Sales at Verisk, whose strong character and willingness to learn helped build a foundation for success, personally and as a sales leader. His advice begins with a look inward, as he promotes what he learned from a mentor who said the best way to reach your full potential is by betting on yourself. Not only does this support self-advocating, but the idea of living presently, to earn your current role rather than worry prematurely about the next steps or the higher position. By instilling this mindset throughout an entire team, you enable a group of sales athletes who play the game without fear of losing and celebrate victories no matter how small. In addition to this already powerful dynamic, incorporate a data-driven core and you have the recipe for an unbeatable company culture ready for anything.
Verisk is hiring! Reach out to Deric through LinkedIn, at https://www.linkedin.com/in/deric-peterson/.
A big thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode! Does improving your overall sales performance for everyone, new hires and leaders alike, sound appealing? Not only does Allego allow you to record your best sales content for practice, collaboration, and feedback, but it gives you a way to organize your best content into one place, making it easily accessible. Click here to find out more
Culture is a major component in differentiating your company -- what better way to support culture than employee perks? My guest today, Amy Spurling, talks with me about the challenges companies face trying to satisfy employees with unpersonalized benefits and offers a solution for HR and sales teams alike. As Co-Founder and CEO of Compt, Amy is determined to alleviate the pain HR experiences and restructure company compensation for fairness and sensibility's sake. Charismatic and thoughtful, Amy Spurling empowers businesses to craft a culture that cherishes their diversity and rewards the uniqueness of each employee.
Have any questions for Amy Spurling? Visit her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyspurling.
A big thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode! Does improving your overall sales performance for everyone, new hires and leaders alike, sound appealing? Not only does Allego allow you to record your best sales content for practice, collaboration, and feedback, but it gives you a way to organize your best content into one place, making it easily accessible. Email me, webb@thejaydavidgroup.com, so I can personally introduce you to someone on Allego’s team who will take great care of you.
My guest for today’s episode, Mandy Cole, Founder of Rise Accelerator, answers the valuable questions about evolving companies and constructing the right teams for every step. When to hire is as vital as who to hire for start-ups working to actively avoid risks and bring in the team members with skill sets and experiences that best align with the company’s needs. Is there enough market opportunity, consistent revenue production, and customer retention to start hiring? Does your company need to hire flexible leaders or structured workers? There isn’t a stage in a company's growth that Mandy doesn’t have the key to, and with her expertise, she sure makes scaling seem simple.
Have any questions for Mandy Cole? Reach out to her on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandyhcole/ or through email, at mandy@riseaccelerator.com. You can also hear more of her at Sales Impact Academy, salesimpact.io.
A big thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode! Does improving your overall sales performance for everyone, new hires and leaders alike, sound appealing? Not only does Allego allow you to record your best sales content for practice, collaboration, and feedback, but it gives you a way to organize your best content into one place, making it easily accessible. Email me, webb@thejdavidgroup.com, so I can personally introduce you to someone on Allego’s team who will take great care of you.
My guest today is Meghann Misiak, founder of The Path to President’s Club, a company built for people like herself who constantly seek the best approach to sales. With an emphasis on mindset, Meghann shares her experience through the difficulties and achievements that lead her to found her company and embrace mindfulness. Whether it be strengthening self-awareness, overcoming insecurities, or pursuing mental clarity, Meghann has all the tricks to avoiding burnout and balancing your cup.
Interested in reaching out to Meghann Misiak? Find her on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghannmisiak/ or book a free geek out session with her through her website pathtopresidentsclub.com.
A big thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode! Does improving your overall sales performance for everyone, new hires and leaders alike, sound appealing? Not only does Allego allow you to record your best sales content for practice, collaboration, and feedback, but it gives you a way to organize your best content into one place, making it easily accessible. Email me, webb@thejaydavidgroup.com, so I can personally introduce you to someone on Allego’s team who will take great care of you.
In the words of my guest today, longevity and success in sales is rooted in your passion for the product, the issues it resolves, and the group it helps. Trina Hymes, Global Vice President of Sales at Talenya, embodies what it means to be a successful sales professional, rooting for her company and believing in its solutions. Profoundly organized and motivated by relationships with people, Trina excels at building teams and challenging recruiters to diversify their team. With her playbook at her side, she is able to document, adjust, and share the methods of effective leadership and scaling a company.
Talenya is hiring! Reach out to Trina Hymes for questions about the job or to thank her for joining me today at trina.hymes@talenya.com or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/trinahymes/.
A big thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode! Does improving your overall sales performance for everyone, new hires and leaders alike, sound appealing? Not only does Allego allow you to record your best sales content for practice, collaboration, and feedback, but it gives you a way to organize your best content into one place, making it easily accessible. Email me, webb@thejaydavidgroup.com, so I can personally introduce you to someone on Allego’s team who will take great care of you.
My guest for today’s episode, Simon Tecle, has an insight into sales at companies both small and large, with experience ranging from Telemarketer to VP of Sales and all the roles in between. In any position he’s holding, one priority remains the same for Simon: company culture. Whether you're looking for a job or hiring new members for your team, compatibility and strong work relationships are vital factors to achieve company and personal success. At his current role as Vice President of Sales for SyncroMSP, Simon invests his leadership towards establishing and elevating company culture, and shares with me other keys to growth like data driven decisions and the inexhaustible rewards to asking “why”.
And YES! They are hiring. Contact Simon Tecle at simon@syncromsp.com or link with him through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/teclesimon.
A big thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode! Does improving your overall sales performance for everyone, new hires and leaders alike, sound appealing? Not only does Allego allow you to record your best sales content for practice, collaboration, and feedback, but it gives you a way to organize your best content into one place, making it easily accessible. Email me, webb@thejaydavidgroup.com, so I can personally introduce you to someone on Allego’s team who will take great care of you.
I estimate that I've conducted 12,000 to 13,000 candidate interviews in my career, and I have a very strong opinion as to why so many people struggle with basic first round interviews. That's what this episode is about. No guest. Just me and my thoughts.
And I’d like to give a big thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode. Interested in recording your best content and organizing it in one place to help improve sales performance for everyone? Allego can do this and much more. Email me at webb@thejaydavidgroup.com, so I can personally introduce you to someone at Allego who will take great care of you.
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
Occasionally, I'll interview someone and I'll feel like I didn't quite do as full of an interview as I could have. That's how I felt after my first interview with DeJuan Brown. (EP: 62). As luck would have it, DeJuan felt the same way, so we agreed to do a second interview.
This episode is less about sales tactics, strategy, and execution much more about DeJuan's life experiences and what our shared perspectives and pressures we sometimes feel as black men.
Want to connect with him? Find him on LinkedIn here.
And I’d like to give a big thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode. Interested in recording your best content and organizing it in one place to help improve sales performance for everyone? Allego can do this and much more. Email me at webb@thejaydavidgroup.com, so I can personally introduce you to someone at Allego who will take great care of you.
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
His mom once told him, “you can say anything in the world to me as long as you frame it properly”. Since then, DeJuan Brown has crafted that wisdom into his greatest tool in navigating challenge, community, and leadership. Now, as the Senior Director of Global Sales at Seismic and an active member of Sales for the Culture, DeJuan strives to empower others with the skills to communicate the attributes from life experiences on a resume and utilize storytelling to convey a message effectively. The clarity and emotional influence following a good story is powerful in any room.
Want to link with DeJuan Brown? Find him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dejuanbrown, and don't forget to revisit episode one to hear from Ed Calnan, Seismic's Co-Founder and CRO.
And I’d like to give a big thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode. Interested in recording your best content and organizing it in one place to help improve sales performance for everyone? Allego can do this and much more. Email me at webb@thejaydavidgroup.com, so I can personally introduce you to someone at Allego who will take great care of you.
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
CEO, sales expert, and LinkedIn thought leader, Jake Dunlap, Founder & CEO of Skaled Consulting joins me for today’s episode to talk about a wide range of topics, including how sales leaders and reps can reduce stress. His advice is to "eat the frog", which means to tackle the biggest and toughest challenges in chunks. Seeing that his stress used to come from chaos, Jake became a master of planning and started adhering to an 80/15/5 rule for optimizing productivity. He also highlights that part of a sales leader's job is to minimize the stress for their team as well. All that and more in this episode.
Join his many followers and connect with Jacob Dunlap on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakedunlap/. You can also find him on YouTube at Jake Dunlap and Instagram at @jake_dunlap_.
And I’d like to give a big thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode. Interested in recording your best content and organizing it in one place to help improve sales performance for everyone? Allego can do this and much more. Email me at webb@thejaydavidgroup.com, so I can personally introduce you to someone at Allego who will take great care of you.
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
This episode, I welcome back a guest who knows how to lead a start-up to unicorn, Ryan Burke. As my guest in episode 19, we scratched the surface of his experience scaling early-stage companies, and today we dive back into the discussion, revisiting his time at InVisionApp and how he's using the same playbook as CRO of Qatalog. Ryan has constructed a framework that relies on three “F”’s to guide the early stages: the “first five”, the "foundation", and the "future". In the process of exploring each of Ryan’s F”’s, we uncover the key elements of structured feedback, effective strategies for managing fully distributed teams, and the ingenious move of hiring your company’s target persona. And if you haven’t already, check out his first appearance in episode 19 to hear more from Ryan Burke!
Impressed with Qatalog and Ryan Burke? You're in luck -- they are hiring! Contact Ryan Burke through email at ryan@qatalog.com, on twitter at @ryansburke, or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryansburke/ to get involved.
And I’d like to give a big thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode. Interested in recording your best content and organizing it in one place to help improve sales performance for everyone? Allego can do this and much more. Email me at webb@thejdavidgroup.com, so I can personally introduce you to someone at Allego who will take great care of you.
And, like always, Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a retained sales search firm for lean start-ups. If you're looking to hire a sales leader for your next stage of growth, please visit thejdavidgroup.com.
Today’s episode, I welcome one of my best candidates from 9 years ago, Zachary Rego, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Unstack and host of the podcast “Zero to a Million”. Supported by stories of remarkable victories and impactful learning experiences, Zach walks me through the path of his career leading to his work at Unstack. Here, Zach’s talent is put to work building teams, expanding the company’s visibility through creative platforms like blogs, and finding unique ways to engage with prospects in ways that are mutually beneficial. By the end of the interview, we discuss the common challenges start-ups face, ways of assessing your business’s stage of growth for hiring, and the exciting business plans Zach has in store.
Find Zach on Linked in at https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachrego/ and check out his podcast “Zero to a Million”!
And a big thanks to Allego for sponsoring this episode. Have you or one of you sales reps nailed a presentation that you wish was recorded to show team-members and new-hires? With Allego, not only can you record your content but you can organize all your best content in one place that’s easily accessible. Email me at webb@thejaydavidgroup.com, so I can personally introduce you to someone there who will take great care of you.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a retained sales search firm for lean start-ups. If you're looking to hire a sales leader for your next stage of growth, please visit thejdavidgroup.com.
My guest this episode is Josh Allen, well established business leader and CRO of Owl Labs. Having held many sales leadership positions throughout his career, Josh knows how to read the signs and pave a path towards scaling a company by hiring the right people and navigating the growth with a keen eye. Josh emphasizes the importance of refining your job description when scouting for team members and the responsibilities of coaching them with the attention of a caring leader over a transactional manager. As any company expands, they learn that the devil is in the detail, but a team crafted with Josh's passion and skill is any company’s best counter to error.
Like what you heard of Owl Labs and interested in joining the team? Reach out to Josh Allen on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-a/.
And as always, thank you to Allego for sponsoring this episode. With Allego, you can record your best content for practice, collaboration, and feedback, all while organizing it neatly in one place to improve sales performance. Email me at webb@thejaydavidgroup.com, so I can personally introduce you to someone who will take great care of you.
And, like always, Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a retained sales search firm for lean start-ups. If you're looking to hire a sales leader for your next stage of growth, please visit thejdavidgroup.com.
You’ve heard me talk about the visual-learning powerhouse that is Allego, but today we get to hear from the man himself, Allego’s President and Cofounder, Mark Magnacca. On a mission to help sales leader’s refine their skills and achieve excellence, Mark utilizes visual aid and virtual access to engage with the world of sales. Through his public speaking and a New York Times best selling book ("So What"?) he promotes a form of coaching that values clear and concise feedback and prefers orchestration over “winging it”.
Want to know more? Find Mark Magnacca on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmagnacca/ and visit Allego’s webpage at Allego.com.
This episode, especially, I’d like to thank Allego for being a sponsor. Interested in organizing all your best virtual content for practice, collaboration, and feedback? Email me at webb@thejaydavidgroup.com, and I will personally introduce you to someone from Allego who will take great care of you.
And, like always, Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a retained sales search firm for start-ups. If you're looking to hire a sales leader for your next stage of growth, please visit thejdavidgroup.com.
This episode, I welcome the embodiment of positive energy and Director of Collegiate Sales at Teamworks, Larry Long Jr. Truly a pleasure to talk with, Larry embraces life as with two feet on the ground, an unbreakable optimism, and a readiness to choose happiness with every stride. As a sales director for athletes, he offers a wealth of advice to lead with a bright and active energy, to build a sales team of match-makers not “me-monsters”. What motivates Larry the most is his impact on others, making his schedule piled high of positive engagement with those around him, whether it be regular acts of kindness towards his social sphere, or on larger platforms like his YouTube channel, podcasts, or public speaking. It’s hard not to smile when hearing from Larry Long Jr., and even harder to leave feeling anything less than empowered to follow his lead and choose happiness.
Want a weekly dose of Larry Long Jr’s positivity? Find him on YouTube at Larry Long Jr. He can also be found on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/longjr7/ or Twitter @LarryLongJr.
And a big thanks to our sponsor, Allego. Want to know how to onboard, coach, and arm your sales team with the right information at the right time? Check out Allego, the market leader for virtual learning and enablement solutions. Email me at webb@thejaydavidgroup.com, so I can personally introduce you to someone who will take great care of you at Allego.
And, like always, Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a retained sales search firm for lean start-ups. If you're looking to hire a sales leader for your next stage of growth, please visit thejdavidgroup.com.
My guest for today’s episode is Rob Brewster, the CEO of GoFormz. His introduction into the world of sales is an incredible story, beginning as he waited tables and ending when his regular customer, a VP of Sales, asked Rob to join his team. Talking with him now, after years of experience in various companies beyond the restaurant scene, Rob applies all he’s learned to propel the success of GoFormz. Rob focuses on the company’s culture, it’s close-knit people and their overall impact, considering transparency, integrity, and frugality as foundational components of their success. As he hires new people, he looks for smart and motivated, saying these qualities, and his ability to place them in a position to succeed, is the winning move.
Looking to reach out to Rob Brewster? Find him on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertvbrewster.
Wanting to onboard, coach, and arm your sales team with the right information at the right time? Do it with Allego, the sponsor of this episode. Email me at web@thejaydavidgroup.com so I can personally introduce you to someone who will take great care of you. And of course, a big thanks to Allego, for being a sponsor.
And, like always, Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a retained sales search firm for lean start-ups. If you're looking to hire a sales leader for your next stage of growth, please visit thejdavidgroup.com.
Joining me for today’s episode is Devin Golden, an experienced sales leader and generous friend of mine. Devin spent over 6 years as the Senior Vice President of Sales at Dun & Bradstreet and has recently joined Motus as a Sales Leader to build and develop top sales teams. Excelling at the task of spear-heading the growth of a new business, Devin discussed with me his methods of leadership that involve investing in your team and building relationships on transparency and respect. He’s the guy when told “we’ve tried that” to dive deeper, asking what worked through the attempt and what didn’t, to find areas of growth in every nook and cranny. With a restless curiosity and an eye for strategy, Devin reveals his means of success and habits for constant improvement that could help any salesperson achieve greatness.
A big thanks to Allego, the market leader for virtual learning and enablement solutions, for sponsoring this episode. Email me at webb@thejdavidgroup to learn more about how you can transform your organization with the mobile platform built for today’s distributed teams. I will make sure you get special attention from their team.
And, like always, Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a retained sales search firm for lean start-ups. If you're looking to hire a sales leader for your next stage of growth, please visit thejdavidgroup.com.
Sales leader Doug Bleszinski joins me for today’s episode to talk about his company, the pioneer for livestream ecommerce, Bambuser. As the Vice President of North American Sales, Doug enthuses over the company’s explosive and continuous growth, while sharing his passion for innovative work and the tools he relies on for success. He advises the use of honest and authentic networking, encouraging inward and outward vulnerability, and promotes the qualities of diversity and momentum that Bambuser exhibits. As Doug continues to build his team, he looks for members who are comfortable being uncomfortable, evaluating their emotional quotient, industry knowledge, and ability to drive revenue -- and above all, he hopes to find people who truly understand the company and are equally as thrilled to see it grow.
Interested in applying to be a member of Doug’s team at Bambuser? Get in touch with Doug Bleszinski through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougbleszinski/, Twitter at Doug Bleszinski, or email using dbleszinksi@gmail.com
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a retained sales search firm for lean start-ups. If you're looking to hire a sales leader for your next stage of growth, please visit thejdavidgroup.com.
In this episode you will hear me highlight the 10 most cited traits, mentioned by my guests this year, that are present in top salespeople they've managed. I was reluctant to do it in order of most cited to least cited, because they are all paramount to the success of top sales reps, but I did it anyways to make it more interesting.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a retained sales search firm for lean start-ups. If you're looking to hire a sales leader for your next stage of growth, please visit thejdavidgroup.com.
For today’s episode, I interviewed Karen Weeks, Senior Vice President of People at Ordergroove. As a testament to her many accomplishments, Karen was recognized this year as one of the 2020 most Notable Women in Talent by Crain’s New York Business, who call her a maestro of human resources. Truly a master of her craft, Karen shares with me her strategies in leadership at Ordergroove by giving insight into the company’s adjustment to COVID-19, the benefits of managing through communication, and the structure of their hiring process. From her clever team building approach -- like book clubs, trivia nights, cooking classes, or even contests for the most unique at-home work space -- to a detailed look at her favorite interview questions, Karen demonstrates all the impressive qualities of her new and well-earned title as a Notable Woman.
Yes, Ordergroove is hiring! Check out their career page at Ordergroove.com/careers, or reach out to Karen Weeks on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-d-weeks-sphr-ms-5965775/ and tell her you heard her on Over Quota. Also, check out Karen’s Podcast “Getting off the Hamster Wheel” to hear more about people shifting in their career journeys.
One of the byproducts of having a podcast is that people with their own podcasts invite you to appear on theirs.
Mark Magnacca, Co-Founder and President of Allego, which is a virtual learning and enablement platform for distributed teams asked me to be his guest. So in this episode, recorded a month or so before this publishing date, you will hear me give my perspective as a sales recruiter and what I think some of the best attributes are in candidates.
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
My guest for today’s episode is my friend of 10 years, Sean Mulvey, the Regional Vice President of Sales at Dun and Bradstreet. Sean leads with the mantra that a good sales leader is a good coach. With this mentality, he believes that leaders must be reliable, dependable, and an excellent communicators -- especially with the shift to online work for COVID. Sean defines sales as a process, one that requires discovery and a sincere assessment of its potential, and describes to me his approach in evaluating his team and their contributions to the team. From a green college graduate to the VP of sales, Sean walks me through his experiences building to the position and the mindset he has mastered through his 26 years of sales, and hopes that through his growth, he can help others succeed.
Have any follow up questions for Sean Mulvey? You can reach out to him through email at scmulvey@gmail.com or find him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmulvey/.
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
Today, I invited Matt Davis, VP of Sales at Feedback Loop, to talk about the evolution of his company and his transition into a management role. Matt half-jokes that there should be a seller-to-manager detox period since great salespeople are driven by the control, money, flexibility, and freedom offered by the job, but as a manager, it is no longer about you but the members of your team. Once in the leadership role, Matt learned that an important step in becoming a good leader is gaining the trust of your team by being vulnerable and sharing your failures. Using experiences of his own, Matt walks me through what that looks like, where to find growth in mistakes and how he applied these lessons to his managing style. We also talk about his company trailblazing into what is now called agile research, and it’s response to COVID, taking the time to be introspective and prepare for the upcoming years. By the end of the interview, Matt reveals his best management methods, what he looks for when hiring, and even shares his favorite mobile app to help keep him organized.
Interest in working for Feedback Loop or chatting with Matt Davis?Check out the career page of feedbackloop.com for information on their available positions, and connect with Matt Davis by email, matt.davis@feebackloop.com, or LinkedIn, http://www.linkedin.com/in/mattdavis0503/.
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
For this episode, I invited my friend Anthony Buono, Strategic Partnerships Executive at ADP. Stepping away from his familiar role as a sales leader and into his current position at ADP was a welcomed challenge for Anthony who has an eye for opportunity and growth. From a young age, Anthony has fought through many major health battles, but the challenges he faced -- and continues to face -- help him build an unbeatable mindset and an inspiring work ethic. During the episode, Anthony and I discuss the different methods of overcoming adversity inside and outside the workplace, the importance of a well organized agenda, and what motivates his ability to capitalize on every day.
Looking to link with Anthony Buono? Find him on LinkedIn, at https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-buono-sales-executive/.
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
For this episode, I invited Mike DiNucci back for another must-hear interview. Before he became Chief Revenue Officer at Netradyne, Mike dealt with his fair share of adversity, so in the spirit of Halloween, I challenged Mike to share several of his own sales horror stories. Along with being an impressive salesperson, Mike is a wonderful storyteller with jaw dropping experiences and powerful messages. With Mike, every loss has a lesson, so each story offers the opportunity for reflection and growth. Whether it was handling complicated businesspeople, conflicts with coworkers, or a shocking sales failure, Mike faced these trials head on, and came out on top with a new perspective, and of course, a wonderful story to share. If you haven’t yet listened to our first interview, you can hear more from Mike in Episode 43, where we discuss his unstoppable drive, effective leadership tools, and much more.
Don’t forget to check out our first interview! If you want to reach out to Mike DiNucci himself, you can find him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedinucci/ or on Facebook or Instagram.
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, which is a retained search firm for lean-start-ups.
For my guest today, the key quality in a successful sales person is resilience. Bradley Paster, Vice President of North American Sales at Riskmethods, challenges the idea of a squeaky-clean resume and instead looks for adversity, proof that you’ve faced hardship and moved forward from it. Bradley shares his own experiences and the growth that followed, comparing it to a scar on a tree: the scar is always the same size, but the tree continues to grow, only to make the scar appear smaller. Along with adversity, Bradley talks with me about the importance of certain leadership qualities, methods to offer and receive feedback, and the value of surrounding yourself with good people. Through each topic we cover, Bradley is ready with a story to share or advice to give that would help make any workplace a more fulfilling one. Wanting to get in contact with Bradley Paster? Find him on LinkedIn, at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleypaster/, or email him at bradley.paster@riskmethods.net.
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
For this episode, I invited Gregg Carman, Chief Revenue Officer at Humanyze. When he first joined this group of MIT scientists, Gregg was tasked with building a customer-facing team from the ground up. He shares with me his method of leadership, emphasizing the importance of balance and sincerity in the workplace, how to find the right team members to hire, and how to coach them with an equal pairing of criticism and opportunity. To help build and manage his team, Gregg uses the metaphor that everyone is playing a part in a movie -- even with individual roles, everyone is reading from the same script. With this style of teamwork and a leader who is present in the coaching box, there is little that can go wrong.
If you’re wanting to reach out to Gregg Carman, or join his team as VP of Sales or VP of Product, you can reach him at gregg@humanyze.com or jobs@humanyze.com.
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
My guest for this episode is Mike DiNucci, Chief Revenue Officer at Netradyne. Mike is a big believer in planning your career and taking ownership of it -- don’t wait for that tap on the shoulder, take the active role instead. Through various anecdotes, Mike reveals how this motivated mindset and his unstoppable drive help him reach his career goals. The key is to not only plan ahead but to make sure your intentions are known by your superiors. After elaborating on this method of "planning your promotion", Mike explains how he measures candidates by their energy, intellect, and the extent of their curiosity and empathy. Together, we explore each of these traits in depth, finding examples in Mike’s own experiences and further attributing these qualities to successful salespeople. Mike and I reluctantly wrap up this episode, having so much more to discuss, so keep an eye out for a part two with Mike DiNucci.
Want to reach out to Mike? Find him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedinucci/ or on Facebook or Instagram.
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
This episode, I invited Stephanie Cox, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Lumavate. With vast experience in leading, launching, and expanding companies, she actively alleviates the tension between marketing and sales teams, specifically with her modernized stance on leads. If it were her choice, marketing teams would disown the concept of leads altogether and instead prioritize people who are ready to buy. By monitoring the market, watching for company surges, and by researching and interacting with clients, marketing teams can effectively tunnel a narrowed list of engaged prospects to sales representatives. Stephanie encourages marketing teams to relentlessly seek opportunities, be part of the conversation, and know what channels make sense. Similarly, she challenges sales teams to involve marketing throughout the sales process, offer feedback, and take full advantage of what marketing has to offer.
Want to get in contact with Stephanie Cox? Find her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniecox/ or on Twitter @Stephaniecox04.
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
My guest this episode is Chip Scully, Chief Revenue Officer at Vault. When evaluating his career options, Chip decided the best direction was with a company foundationally innovative. This led him to Vault where he strives to make an impact, as a company and for the company. During my interview, he shares the importance of that decision and what his current role as CRO looks like, including his leadership style and professional growth. Chip offers personal anecdotes to speak for his experience, giving a wonderful insight into the skills and tools he uses when leading and developing a strong team.
Looking for a way to get in touch with Chip Scully? Find him on LinkedIn
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
This episode, I welcome my good friend Carl Oliveri, Chief Revenue Officer at Robin. Carl’s professional journey is a remarkable one, having worked for UPS as a sales representative in the wake of 9/11, and currently, as a leader within his company through COVID-19. Breaking down his position as CRO, he shares with me the satisfaction of managing other managers, the common obstacles of management, and the skills of effective leadership. A method of building his own managing style involves adopting the admirable qualities in other managers and refining within himself the parts he sees working less effectively. But in the end, he relies on a few basic qualities: to lead with empathy and a limitless willingness to listen and learn.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
For this episode, I talked with Gabe Perez about his journey with Coupa Software. As the company’s Vice President of Enterprise Sales for the West Region, Gabe walks me through his many years with Coupa, the numerous positions he's held, and what he learned about leading sales outside of the U.S. He defines the key quality in successful salespeople and offers advice on how to be a supportive and effective sales leader. I even got the chance to hear about what motivates him daily, the challenges of COVID-19, and his tools to staying productive.
Want to hear more from Gabe Perez? Email him at gabe@coupa.com or find him on LinkedIn at Linkedin.com/gabeperez.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
This episode, I talked with Liam Purcell, the Capital Acquisition Manager at Odoo, about the company’s impressive growth globally and its available job opportunities. Liam shares details of the interviewing and onboarding process, while offering preparation tips and a list of the top qualities most valued by the company. The emphasis is on a salespersons’ coachability: there is always something new to learn, whether you are fresh from college or have years of sales experience under your belt. Pair this humility with the readiness to help others and work within a strong team, and you have yourself the successful Odoo mentality. We also discussed the company’s future goals, and how COVID-19 has affected their business -- with an encouraging twist.
Looking to apply? Check out Odoo.com/jobs.
For this episode, I invited Sarah Doughty, Customer Success expert and Founder of Crescendo Labs, to talk with me about the function of Customer Success. With an admirable attention to the individual customer, Sarah describes the benefits of delivering value through insight and a growth mindset. We explore the ideal skills to look for when building a team from the ground up and discuss strategies to establish and maintain the customer relationship by evaluating their health and satisfaction. Along the way, we cover the best approaches to the difficult ROI conversation, team member compensation, and many other must-knows of Customer Success.
And a big thanks to this episode’s sponsor, 180 Degree Selling. Visit their website at 180degreeselling.com.
Also, Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
In this episode, you'll hear my interview with Cliff Ryan, VP of Business Development for Yaymaker. Yaymaker started off hosting one-of-a-kind locally crafted events such as paint night at local bars that brought people together. Now, as a result of the pandemic they needed to pivot to a virtual model, much like the rest of the world. Cliff tells how they've been able to make the pivot successfully, how they've been able to land large clients like Google, and what he looks for when hiring sales people. And yes, Yaymaker is hiring!
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
This is the introduction of a new format designed to highlight companies that are actively hiring, and to give my listeners an exclusive way to apply.
In this episode you'll hear how passionate and vested Tammi Pirri, Vice President of People Operations at Arcadia, is about building a culture that focuses on the happiness, inclusion, and overall well-being of their people. Based on my experience, most companies use the phrase "great culture" as bait to simply attract talent—with no foundation for what that really means. At Arcardia, its more than just recruiting bait, it’s a lifestyle. For instance, they have a talent show called "Arcadia's Got Talent", where people are encouraged to showcase their talents and win up to $1000! They offer "Arcadia Cinema" twice a week, which features a family feature film and either a film that focuses on social injustice or an adult comedy film. They have remote fitness sessions twice a week, coffee hour, happy hour, wellness activities, activities around how to solve social injustice issues, and much much, more. Listen to this episode to learn about all that, which positions they need to fill, and how to apply.
This episode is sponsored by 180DegreeSelling. Bigger quotas, larger sales & longer sales cycles require selling differently to get different results... Do a 180! Go to180degreeselling.com to download your free Playbook.
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
In this episode, I interviewed Kelly Mark, a sales leadership expert and strategist with over 25 years of experience selling and managing successful sales teams focusing on the pain points organizations face as the pace of technology continues to grow and change rapidly. We dove deep into the habits that are consistent in some of the core competencies found in successful strategic sellers.
This episode is sponsored by 180DegreeSelling. Bigger quotas, larger sales & longer sales cycles require selling differently to get different results... Do a 180! Go to180degreeselling.com to download your free Playbook.
Over Quota is also sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
In this episode you'll hear my discussion with Eric Sherman, Northeast RVP of Sales for Dynatrace, about the overall approach he takes to leading, coaching, and managing to drive results. Throughout our conversation he stressed the importance of having the right people, taking a pragmatic approach to assessing the business as a new leader, enabling his sales managers to run their businesses effectively, and creating a culture of communication and collaboration.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
Brent Taylor, RVP of Sales for MuleSoft--Canada, recently joined me to discuss the importance of getting it done and doing it right as it pertains to sales performance. Whether he is sitting down with a member of his current team or interviewing someone for an open position, he wants to know that people are achieving success in a way that is verifiable and can be sustained over time?
Additionally, we spoke about the two critical questions every sales rep must answer about their sales process, why your "hero story" won't help you, what not to say if you feel there isn't enough opportunity in your territory, and much, much, more.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
In this episode you will hear me without a guest simply talking about the state of enterprise sales people as it pertains to unemployment.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
Mackey Craven is a Partner at OpenView Ventures, whose investments have included Zapier, Calendly, Datadog, Twillio and Cogito—to name a few. As a headhunter, I wanted to know how he assesses existing leadership teams when he decides to invest in a start-up. In this episode you’ll hear Mackey share the core competencies he looks for in members of the executive team, how the role of the sales leader must change with each stage of growth, the technology that he’s most excited about right now, and much more.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you
Looking for a job can be stressful. In this episode, I interviewed Zoe Silverman, Director of Talent & HR at Yesware, to help de-stress the entire process from start to finish. We covered a lot of ground, including what will likely hurt you on your initial phone/video screen, how to demonstrate that you're thoughtful and self-aware upon your initial meeting, particularly if it's virtual, what you must do as a sales candidate if you want to work for Yesware, and much, much, more.
Also, Zoe let me know that, in an effort to increase anti-racism programming and support the Black community, Yesware is offering 10 free seats of their Enterprise product for US-based Black-owned businesses under 50 employees. To find out more please email Yesware at specialoffers@yesware.com.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
In this episode you will hear my conversation with Sandler Training franchise owner, Peter Oliver. I've known Pete for many years now and had the fortune of attending his President's Club sales training multiple times. What you'll hear in this episode is the practical and actionable approach he takes to advising sales leaders and individual contributors. There are 3 critical elements at the core of what he teaches; Mindset, Behavior, and Technique. Master all 3 at the same time and you'll achieve your goals. It may sound simple, but not always easy.
You can find Pete on LinkedIn and also search for his podcast called "Emerge on Purpose".
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
You can't get to where you want to get quickly, "without looking at the data". That sentiment was expressed by my guest, Colleen Manning, VP of Sales at Clora, during the discussion we had about the importance of using data, sharing (and receiving) feedback, and communicating effectively as a leader. Careful scrutiny of data is paramount, especially in the early days, like when she scaled her former employer, ezCater, from less than 10 sales reps to over 120 reps in just a few years.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kenneth Merritt, Partner at DayBlink, a top 50 boutique consulting firm, about how leadership teams should navigate their companies through this difficult time and how digitally transforming their operations is at the heart of it. Listen carefully to the shockingly high percentage of companies that had not adopted a digital strategy before the pandemic and what they need to do differently going forward. You'll also hear how leadership teams make decisions about headcount when they need to cut costs, and which employees are going to be seen as most valuable as those decisions are being made in the near future.
You can find out more about Kenneth at DayBlink or reach him on LinkedIn. His email address is Kenneth.Merritt@dayblink.com
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
In this episode you'll hear me speak to James Mulvany, a serial entrepreneur and Founder & CEO of Radio.co, Podcast.co, and MatchMaker.fm. I invited him on to Over Quota, somewhat selfishly, because I wanted to get some of my questions answered about how to successfully grow and, perhaps, monetize my podcast. So if you've ever had a thought about starting and growing your own podcast, this episode is for you.
You can find out more about James and how you can get started with podcasting at Podcast.co, and MatchMaker.fm--to find guests and to get booked on other shows.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
I recently interviewed Samuel Clemens, Partner at Accomplice VC & Founder of Reprise, which helps customer facing teams capture, edit, and assemble the perfect demo every time.
We discussed the 3 types of sales leaders critical to early stage start-up success. The first type is simply founder-led sales because they know the product best and should be able to close the first handful of sales on passion--as long as their is market fit. The second type of sales leader is what he calls the expeditionary sales leader who can help create and define a repeatable playbook. The third type of sales leader is someone that is process based and can take that playbook, refine it, and then scale the sales team.
Additionally, he shared the critical attributes needed in each sales leader, the one thing that he thinks really defines an organization's culture, the 3 big mistakes he's made in the past when scaling a sales organization, what sales leaders should NOT do during their Board meetings, and much more.
To find out more about Samuel's newest venture, Reprise click here to check it out.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
This special episode was recorded on Juneteeth (June 19th), a virtually unknown holiday, until recently, which celebrates the day back in 1865 on which Major General Gordon Granger of the Union Soldiers brought news to Galveston Texas that the slaves were free. News traveled much slower then and came almost 2.5 years after Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
I spoke with Shawn Reigsecker, CEO of Centro and Cofounder of Unite America, in the wake of the brutal killing of George Floyd, about the role business leaders can, and should, play in social mobility and the American Dream.
Cultivating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment will not only serve as a way for people of color, in particular, to move up the socioeconomic ladder, but it's also good business. You'll hear Shawn discuss the ways in which he is using his role as CEO to help clear the way up that ladder. You will also hear me tell my personal story as I've grappled with my unique role in society and business my entire life.
Learn more about Shawn by visiting his personal website/blog here.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
I recently spoke with Natasha Farooq, Global Talent Acquisition Lead at AxiomSL.
She went deep into how talent acquisition professionals and recruiters find the most relevant applicants, (including a brief screen sharing session of her LinkedIn Recruiter account), how to optimize your resume and LinkedIn profile, when she typically screens for hard skills versus soft skills, and what question candidates SHOULD NOT ask unless there is a specific reason for asking it. All that and more on in this episode.
You can connect with Natasha here on LinkedIn to follow up her.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
I recently spoke with Don Thorvund, Director of Talent Acquisition at Gainsight, about how job applicants and candidates can de-stress the search process and increase their likelihood of finding their next job. We discussed best practices for how to structure your resume, strategic approaches to applying for jobs, the biggest mistake candidates make during an interview, the one thing that all hiring managers at Gainsight really love, and much, much more.
You can find out more about Don on LinkedIn or reach out to him directly via email to follow up with him about anything you hear in this interview.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
In this episode Jeff Hoffman, of Rapid Sales Revenue, talks about the sales process that he codified that helps software sales teams achieve rapid results. It begins with a definitive growth strategy, followed by a repeatable sales process, and ends with the right execution. Additionally, he discusses the importance of having the right people for the process and how "cowboys" have no place on his teams.
You can find more about Jeff at Rapid Sales Revenue LLC (RSR) which is a Sales Advisory Firm working with CEO’s, their Executive Leaders and Sales Teams to generate top-line revenue.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
Can a venture-backed start-up scale to become a unicorn in a world where they might be forced into a hiring a fully distributed team?
The answer is yes. In this episode, you'll hear Ryan Burke, former Head of Sales at InvisionApp, discuss how they had 35 remote employees when he arrived and how they had over 850 people (fully distributed) around the globe , and over $100M in ARR.
You'll hear Ryan talk about the 3 C's that were integral to making it all happen.
Ryan is currently open to other opportunities where there is clear product-market-fit, but still in the building phase where they haven't quite figured everything out. He's also offering workshops on building a remote culture for senior management, front-line managers, and individual contributors. You find out more about it all here at RyanBurkeRemote.com
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
In my opinion, it's always better to work smarter rather than harder. In this episode, you'll hear Kate Weir, GM & SVP of Sales for iMotions, talk about how she likes to find bottlenecks in the sales process, remove them, and find new opportunities to increase sales. You'll also hear how she used that same approach to literally create her first sales leadership role, and how improving operational inefficiencies has served her well throughout her career as she has led and scaled start-up sales teams.
You can find Kate here on LinkedIn.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
So, what't the difference between top salespeople and everyone else? In this episode with Matthew Leaney, CRO of Silent Eight, I learned that small nuances in the way salespeople interact with their customers and prospects can have a major impact on sales.
You will hear what the best salespeople do less of than those that typically struggle, and the simple approach to answering stakeholder questions that is often mishandled by most.
You'll also learn why culture matters more than skill, why pure hunters aren't always the best people to hire for closing new logos, and what new sales leaders should do first, before they do anything else. Plus much more.
You can connect with Matthew on LinkedIn and learn more about Silent Eight here.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
Now that the unemployment rate has sky-rocketed to over 14% I wanted to start interviewing HR and Talent leaders to help my listeners better navigate through their job search.
In this episode I speak with Amy Suchanek, Chief People Officer of Noble, which is like Amazon to the U.S. Military. We covered everything from what to do the moment you start looking for a job all the way through how to handle the thank you note and follow-up.
You can connect with Amy on LinkedIn here
You will hear:
- What you should do first before anything else
- How to apply for a job to improve your chances of getting called for an interview
- Resume and LinkedIn do's and don'ts
- How to handle the phone screen
- Questions you shouldn't ask
- If Noble is hiring and what the are looking for
- And much, much more.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
In this episode you'll hear the story of how a childhood actor, who earned as much as $2700 in two days, went on to become a Fulbright Scholar, an overachieving sales rep, an overachieving sales manager, and then went on to co-found a financial technology company.
His story is fascinating, but certainly pay close attention to what he says were the keys to his success as a sales rep.
William Glass is a FinTech entrepreneur whose mission is improving financial well-being globally. As founder & CEO of his company, Ostrich, William’s mobile app addresses financial literacy deficits by creating social community and accountability around money - think saving & investing with friends.
In addition, William hosts the Silicon Alley Podcast providing a platform for entrepreneurs from all industries and backgrounds to tell their stories. William owns rental property and was a successful tech sales rep before starting his own business. He was also a Fulbright Scholar in Thailand. William is originally from Alabama and now resides in New York City.
Connect with William on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/williampglass3
Learn more about Ostrich at www.getostrich.comand follow on social media @TheOstrichApp
If you are interested in entrepreneurship, check out the Silicon Alley Podcast www.siliconalleypodcast.com
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
I came away with 3 big takeaways from my recent interview with Brooke Freedman, Senior Director of Sales at Litmus.
From onboarding new team members to building a sales process, you'll here that the focal point of her leadership and management style has been centered around process, preparation, and ownership.
More specifically, you'll hear her talk about how she coaches people who are struggling, the 3 things she suggests sales people focus on if they have an undesirable territory, what she looks for during the interview process, if she's hiring, and much more.
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing John Davagian, a transformational sales leader that I've known for close to 15 years. The reason I wanted to have him on my podcast was so that I could learn about how he's been able to consistently make an impact and drive results over sustained period of time. Think about this: He's held leadership roles in only 4 companies over the last 20 years! Sure, that track record of success might be more attainable if he was working for 800lb gorillas, but he's sustained that level of consistent success with start-ups.
How did he do it? It all comes down to just one word. Listen to this episode to learn what it is.
Connect with John on LinkedIn
You can also reach him by email at jdavagian3@gmail.com
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
I recently interviewed Erika Bzdel, VP of North American Sales for Allego--a sales learning and readiness platform serving over 200,000 sales professionals.
We spoke about a wide range of topics, but one particular element critical to the success of her high performing teams over the years was her emphasis on practice, collaboration and feedback. Listen to why she puts so much emphasis on that aspect of leading her teams-- along with ways to increase your likelihood of advancing in the interview process with her.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
I interviewed Jerry Kelly, VP of Enterprise Sales at Brainshark. Among other topics we cover, he tells me why how won't extend a job offer to someone, even if they check off all of the boxes--well all but one. Find out what that one, very important box is.
Also, find out how he expects rep to hold themselves accountable, which question they must, always be asking, what he says about turning C-players into A-Players, and much more.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
In this episode, you'll hear top Enterprise Account Executive, Anthony Romano, talk about how and why he practices his sales pitches and presentations to stay on top of his game.
Additionally, you will hear why he thinks he's a much better sales rep than he was 10 years ago, how he holds himself accountable, and what he would need to do to get 2X's the results he's been getting.
All that and more on this episode.
Here is a link to his LinkedIn profile.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
I broke the traditional format of the show in this episode to focus on what's been on everybody's mind ; Covid-19 and how it will impact jobs.
So, I interviewed Jonathan Maietta, Founder of CEORater which is a crowd-sourced platform where customers, employees and investors may anonymously rate and review CEOs and companies. He also publishes Tek2day which covers trends around capital markets, corporate governance, and technology trends.
In his previous life, he was an equity research analyst covering the software industry and then went on to lead a global M&A for a mid-cap company.
Jonathan mentioned an article he published on Tek2day entitled
COVID-19: $60-100 Billion In Lost Wages. Click here to read it.
I broke the standard format of the show for these episode based on what's happening right now with Covid-19. I brought back a recent guest to discuss how he his managing his team through this new world of social separation--and what he has been doing to be productive.
David Gerry is the CRO of WhiteHat Security, a leading application security provider committed to securing digital businesses.
If you're a sales leader who has ever been tasked with turning around a struggling sales organization you'll want to listen to this episode. Furthermore, if your turnaround leads to a successful exit, like a strategic acquisition, then you'll want to hear how David did it in a way that was not only good for the company, but also his sales team as well. Finally, if you've ever wondered what it would be like to part of a team lead by someone knows how to put the people on his team in a position to win, and win big, then you'll want to listen to this episode.
All that and, of course, find how what he says differentiates the top sales people he’s managed from everyone else.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, click here. to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
My guest today is Patrick Gardner, Director of Inside Sales at Exit Grid Systems.
In this episode we talk about why it's good to act like a toddler, the importance of having a system, what turns-off most customers, and much more.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, please visit https://thejdavidgroup.com/hiring to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, please visit https://thejdavidgroup.com/looking to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
Top sales rep, turned sales performance and leadership expert, David Suson, went Over Quota with me recently.
In this episode you'll learn what he says, after working with thousands of enterprise sales people, are the 3 "balls of performance" that are consistent in all top performers. He will also talk about the biggest mistake most consultative sales people make during the sales process and the simple way to fix it.
Want to know the #1 problem most sales leader struggle with? Want to know what struggling sales people lie about most? Get the the answers to these questions, and many more, in this episode.
How to contact David
www.180degreeselling.com
david@davidsuson.com
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, please click here to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, please click here to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
In this episode I talk to Stephen Antuna, VP of Sales for the Customer Engagement Services group at LogMeIn, about what he thinks separates the best sales people he's managed over the years from the rest. He also shares how salespeople should handle an interview when they just finished a year, or quarter, during which they under-performed. There is a way to turn it around and make it a strength during your interviews. Find out how, along with much more, in this episode.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, please visit https://thejdavidgroup.com/hiring to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, please visit https://thejdavidgroup.com/looking to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
In this episode Clayton LiaBraaten, the CRO of Pure Integration, talks about what he has observed that consistently separates the best sales people he's managed from the others. One of the insights he shares is not trait or behavior, but more of an approach to sales that he says is present in all "winners". We will also talk about how sales candidates who are coming off a bad quarter or bad year should address it during an interview.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, please visit https://thejdavidgroup.com/hiring to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, please visit https://thejdavidgroup.com/looking to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
In this episode, you will hear what Marty Petraitis, VP of Worldwide Sales at Heartland Automation, says about what sales reps should do when their territory shrinks but their quota goes up. It's an age old challenge that has caused many people to seek new opportunities. You'll also hear what he says management's responsibility is when reassigning territories and how to do it the right way.
Marty also shares what he believes are the core 3 activity areas that the best reps focus on consistently, and whether or not those that don't have the same focus can be coached.
Can C-Players be coached if they lack sales DNA? What is sales DNA? Find out the answers to these questions, and many more, as Marty goes Over Quota.
Ed Calnan is the Co-Founder & CRO of Seismic-- a sales enablement company whose software arms sales people with the right information at the right time to help them close more deals in a shorter period of time.
Ed's sales organization consists of more than 220 people who generate over $100M in ARR.
In this interview you'll hear him share, based on his experience, what has consistently separated the top software sales people he's managed from everyone else. He mentions 3 specific things every sales person must prove to their prospect or customer if they want to win their business.
You will hear what those 3 things are, if Seismic has open sales positions, how to get in touch with him, and much more in this episode.
Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a software sales recruiting firm. If you're looking to hire a sales leader or individual contributor, please visit https://thejdavidgroup.com/hiring to schedule a call. On the other hand, if you're an overachieving sales leader or sales rep, please visit https://thejdavidgroup.com/looking to discuss potential opportunities that would be a good fit for you.
This Over Quota trailer is designed to give you a sense, in under 3 minutes, of what to expect in the upcoming interviews with the sales leaders I've interviewed so far.
If you've ever wanted to be like a fly on the wall and listen in on the conversations good headhunters really have with our clients, then make sure you subscribe to this podcast.
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Want to prepare to interview with one of the CEO or Sales Leaders that appear on this podcast, then listen and subscribe to this podcast.
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