Revenue Builders Salescast

Today we bring you three segments that cover sales leadership transitions. We discuss making the jump from rep to first line manager with Tammy Sexton the Chief Revenue Officer at Skyflow, the jump to second line manager with Carl Cross - CRO at Alkami and then walking in as a new CRO with Terry Trip CRO at Tines.

Tune in and learn more about this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast.

HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT


[00:00:46] Segment 1: Transitioning from Rep to First Line Manager
[00:06:19] Segment 2: The Leap to Second Line Leadership
[00:15:16] Segment 3: Stepping into the CRO Role at a Startup
[00:21:55] Conclusion and Final Thoughts

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Learn more about aligning customer-facing teams to improve execution: https://forc.mx/48o1jyP

Connect and learn more about our guests.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/crosscarl/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammy-sexton/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrytripp/


HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:02:13 - 00:04:51] Tammy Sexton: "I think the biggest thing with that role is... And it's something that I tell my managers as I promote them. This is probably a mistake that you're going to make. So I need to print, I need to plant it in your brain right now. And then when I see that happening, I'm going to ask you to think about like how not to make that happen."

[00:07:02 - 00:08:29] Carl Cross: "What makes a great first line leader?... They represent the values of the company, better than anybody, they understand, the leading indicators of the business... And then they're great storytellers, right?"

[00:19:45 - 00:21:55] Terry Tripp: "Fundamental is you got to get everybody that's speaking the same language... I think as you get in the mode of trying to grow and scale, it becomes more important even because you've got to have that framework."

In this curated episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, John McMahon and John Kaplan dive into when to focus on product-led growth. John McMahon and John Kaplan discuss product-led growth (PLG) with Alex Bilmes, the founder and CEO of Endgame. They explore the types of products that are well-suited for PLG and those that may not be a good fit. Alex explains that products that are easy to use, provide immediate value to the user, have a short time to value, and have a low price are ideal for PLG. However, more transformative products that require organizational change and have larger deal sizes may require a sales process to facilitate adoption. Alex also shares insights on how to determine if PLG is a good fit for a product and the questions to ask before implementing a PLG strategy.


KEY TAKEAWAYS
Transformative products that require organizational change and have larger deal sizes may not be a good fit for PLG.
When considering PLG, it is important to assess the product's interface with different disciplines and other products, as well as its impact on user behavior.
Endgame focuses on the sales side of PLG and helps companies integrate sales efforts with product data to accelerate revenue growth.
Understanding the ideal customer profile (ICP) from a product-led perspective and using data to create behavioral-based ICPs are crucial for successful PLG implementation.


HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

"Humans are tricky. Anything that requires interfacing with humans or interacting with people always adds a layer of complexity." - Alex Bilmes
"If you don't know what harbor you're sailing for, no winds will get you there." - Alex Bilmes
"A product-led sales orientation lets you validate what the company is doing using empirical data, meaning you can tell how people are already using your product." - Alex Bilmes


Listen to the full episode with Alex Bilmes through these links:


Leveraging Product-Led Sales for Growth with Alex Bilmes: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/leveraging-product-led-sales-for-growth-with-alex-bilmes/id1610203369?i=1000635042791

Check out John McMahon’s book here:
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4

Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here:
https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/

In this episode, John McMahon and John Kaplan feature guest Sean Burke, a seven-time CXO.

From 1990 to 1994, Sean was a salesperson and loved every minute of it (he broke records, built amazing client relationships, and put hundreds of thousands of miles on his Honda Accord).

From 1994 to 2018, Sean co-founded and helped grow nine early-stage companies. Seven of these nine companies successfully exited for over $600M.

During these years, Sean learned about mergers & acquisitions, product-market fit, managing cash flow, evangelical sales, raising funds, making & losing millions, how to creatively accomplish much with very little $, and much more.

The discussion includes key sales lessons from Mark Cuban, emphasizing the importance of trust and helping in sales, and strategies for creating trust with clients. The hosts also delve into the intricacies of forecasting, deal qualification, and managing sales cycles, with a focus on understanding customer needs and aligning sales strategies accordingly. The conversation provides actionable advice for sales leaders on improving sales performance, structuring deals, and leveraging data for better forecasting and pipeline management.

Tune in and learn more about this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast.

HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT


[00:01:51] Sales Insights from Mark Cuban's Masterclass
[00:03:32] Building Trust and Understanding in Sales
[00:08:18] The Art of Preparation and Asking the Right Questions
[00:11:55] Navigating the Procurement Process: Insights and Strategies
[00:15:44] Simplifying Business Success: Lessons from Purdue University
[00:20:36] Identifying and Targeting the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
[00:24:17] Strategic Sales Expansion and Resource Allocation
[00:31:56] Navigating the Challenges of Meeting Sales Targets
[00:32:42] Strategies for Setting Realistic Sales Goals
[00:34:52] Building a Culture of Accountability and Trust in Sales
[00:35:41] The Importance of Ownership and Data in Revenue Operations
[00:42:39] Forecasting and the Art of Accurate Sales Predictions
[00:42:44] Understanding and Managing Deal Pushes in Sales
[00:50:33] Optimizing Sales Operations and Pipeline Management
[01:02:43] Concluding Thoughts on Sales Success and Leadership

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Learn more about aligning customer-facing teams to improve execution: https://forc.mx/48o1jyP

Connect and learn more about Sean Burke.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanhburke/

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:02:36] “They have to trust the seller first, the company second, and then the product solution, et cetera, after that.”

[00:10:28] “We would put together a team and we would have the personas that we're selling to be represented by the same personas within our team and role play those out.”

[00:59:23] “So it's all this rhythm of the business that you got to be really aware of as a CRO because you can start a year and end a year dead Or you could start a year and end of the year on the path to success”

In this curated episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, John McMahon and John Kaplan dive into the crucial aspect of emotionally connecting with buyers. Joined by veteran sales leader and author Richard Rivera, they explore the science behind buyer decision-making and the importance of understanding the emotional journey buyers go through. Rivera introduces the concept of the buyer decision path, emphasizing the need to disarm the survival instincts of buyers before engaging their thrive state and intellectual brain. Through insightful discussions and practical examples, listeners gain valuable insights into reshaping their sales approach to prioritize emotional connection and drive successful outcomes.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:00:26] Understanding the science behind emotionally connecting with buyers is crucial for sales success.

[00:01:36] The buyer decision path consists of survival, thrive, and think stages, reflecting the evolution of the human brain.

[00:04:05] Disarming the survival brain by addressing the buyer's problems is essential to establishing emotional connection.

[00:06:20] Prioritizing emotional connection before intellectual engagement is key to effective sales strategies.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:02:40] "The natural human response is to push back and protect itself... When anyone or anything presents a threat or even a new opportunity to us, it comes across as a threat and they have to protect themselves against it."

[00:04:52] "Here's the problems that I saw for help me understand how you might relate to any of these. And it frames up the discussion in a very disarming way."

[00:06:01] "Before this buyer is going to spend energy and invest in really understanding the intellectual parts of my value proposition, I've got to disarm their survival brain by attaching to the problems they care about."

Listen to the full episode with Richard Rivera through these links:


Developing Buyer Champions with Richard Rivera Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revenue-builders/id1610203369?i=1000610878740
Developing Buyer Champions with Richard Rivera Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revenue-builders/id1610203369?i=1000611697594

Check out John McMahon’s book here:
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4

Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here:
https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/

This episode features an insightful conversation on selling to the economic buyer with guests Carl Froggett, CIO at Deep Instinct, and Joe Lynch, Sales Director for the East at Deep Instinct. Before they were colleagues, Joe sold to Carl. Carl shares his extensive experience as an economic buyer in tech deals, highlighting the importance of account executives not wasting his time with generic pitches or vendor bashing, and instead focusing on understanding his business needs. Joe discusses his approach to selling to Carl at Citi, emphasizing the value of doing thorough research, building trust, and creating a tailored value proposition. The discussion also covers strategies for forming genuine partnerships with clients, the challenges of navigating sales processes within large global banks, and the innovative threat prevention technology offered by Deep Instinct. The conversation provides valuable insights for B2B sales professionals on effectively engaging with economic buyers and fostering long-term partnerships.

Tune in and learn more about this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast.

HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT

[00:00:45] Diving Deep: Selling to the Economic Buyer
[00:01:43] Insider's Take: Carl Froggett on Vendor Engagement
[00:07:20] Joe's Approach: Research and Value-Based Selling
[00:14:40] Building Trust and Partnership in Sales
[00:26:28] The Art of Prioritization and Flexibility in Tech Solutions
[00:33:44] Building Trust and Overcoming Challenges in Sales
[00:34:13] Innovative Solutions to Business Disruption
[00:35:51] Strategic Partnerships and Economic Decisions
[00:37:55] Navigating Internal Company Dynamics for Sales Success
[00:57:20] Deep Instinct: A New Frontier in Cybersecurity

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Learn more about aligning customer-facing teams to improve execution: https://forc.mx/48o1jyP

Connect and learn more about Carl Froggett.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlfroggett/
https://www.deepinstinct.com/

Connect and learn more about Joe Lynch.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-lynch-6613745a/


HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:38:48] “There needs to be transparency internally at a company about how a large global bank operates. Our product is fantastic, but they do have their procedures and their policies for how they evaluate new tech and onboard new tech and understanding what those timelines realistically look like.”

[00:54:05] “I will always pivot back to where's the value prop for my business and my company ultimately. And like I say, timing is part of it.”

In this curated episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, John McMahon and John Kaplan, sponsored by Force Management, delve into the crucial aspect of decision criteria in sales. Joined by Anne Gary, the team dissects the intricacies of aligning decision criteria with product differentiation to secure sales success. From handling competition to managing scope creep, they provide invaluable insights into navigating the sales landscape with precision.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:00:35] Understanding how competitors may adopt your terminology highlights the importance of clarifying distinctions in customer conversations.

[00:01:26] Identifying who within the company influences decision criteria sheds light on the political dynamics of the sales process.

[00:02:03] Aligning product differentiators with decision criteria ensures that customers are truly buying what you're selling.

[00:03:04] Formalizing and quantifying decision criteria is essential to avoid ambiguity and ensure accountability.

[00:04:38] Scope creep occurs when additional criteria are introduced, increasing the risk of losing the deal.

[00:06:43] Failing to define criteria rigorously can lead to irreversible setbacks, especially evident in failed Proof of Value (POV) scenarios.

[00:07:48] After a failed POV, complaining appears futile as it disregards agreed-upon rules and may damage credibility with the evaluation team and economic buyer.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:02:21] "If you're outside of the bullseye, they're not buying what you're selling."

[00:04:58] "It's a seller's job to get the criteria to be... in their bullseye."

[00:06:43] "If you execute the POV and you haven't locked all this down... it's nearly impossible to recover from a failed POV."

[00:07:48] "Even if you did it again... you'd wind up losing again."

Listen to the full episode with Anne Gary through this link:
https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/decoding-decision-criteria-mastering-champions-blueprint-for-sales-success-with-anne-gary/

Check out John McMahon’s book here:
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4

Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here:
https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/