Go to Market Mastery

Alexander Kohler
Go to Market Mastery

Welcome to the GTM Mastery Podcast, hosted by Alexander Kohler. Delve into the dynamic world of Go to Market strategies, tailor-made for Founders and Go to Market Professionals. Join insightful conversations with industry experts, uncovering successful tactics and navigating common challenges. Stay ahead of market trends, refine customer engagement, and chart your path to triumph. Tune in to amplify your strategic prowess and become a Go-to-Market Master 👑

  1. Customer Success as Growth Engine I Markus Rentsch - Founder @Remark-able

    11/28/2024

    Customer Success as Growth Engine I Markus Rentsch - Founder @Remark-able

    In this episode, Alexander and Markus dive deep into the world of Customer Success Management (CSM) and its potential as a growth engine for businesses, particularly in the SaaS sector. The discussion explores the common pitfalls organizations face when implementing CSM, emphasizing the need for a customer-centric approach. Markus, a veteran in customer success, shares his journey into the field and highlights the importance of understanding customer goals and delivering real value.--Questions?Alex:alexander@sellabl.co Alex´s LinkedIn Markus:Markus's LinkedIn --  Timestamps:00:00 - 04:30 Introduction  04:30 - 08:00 Markus introduces himself and shares his unexpected journey into Customer Success Management, emphasizing the importance of delivering on promises to customers. 08:00 - 12:00 Discussion on common mistakes organizations make in CSM, particularly the tendency to prioritize internal metrics over genuine customer value, leading to potential churn. 12:00 - 16:00 Exploration of how changing economic conditions are shifting customer expectations, necessitating a stronger focus on delivering real value in CSM. 16:00 - 20:00 Markus emphasizes the need for understanding customer goals and problems, advocating for a tailored approach to meet varying customer needs. 20:00 - 24:00 Insights into the role of technology and AI in CSM, stressing that while they can enhance processes, they cannot replace the foundational human element required for effective customer engagement. 24:00 - 28:00 Discussion on the proactive versus reactive nature of CSM, with Markus explaining how a proactive approach can drive customer success and retention. 28:00 - 32:00 The importance of demonstrating the value of CSM to organizational leadership is highlighted, with a focus on aligning CSM efforts with revenue impact. 32:00 - 36:00 Markus differentiates between the roles of Customer Success Managers and Account Managers, emphasizing the proactive, strategic nature of CSM. 36:00 - 40:00 Strategies for effectively showcasing customer value during Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) are discussed, along with methods for communicating progress to stakeholders. 40:00 - 42:54 Closing thoughts from Markus on the ideal traits of a successful Customer Success Manager and the importance of competitive compensation based on the value they create for the company. 42:54 - 44:00 Final remarks from Alexander, encouraging listeners to connect with Markus for further insights and thanking them for tuning in.

    44 min
  2. Breaking in & standing out in a competitive market I Alan Zhao - Co-Founder @Warmly

    07/31/2024

    Breaking in & standing out in a competitive market I Alan Zhao - Co-Founder @Warmly

    This GTM Mastery Episode dives into the entrepreneurial journey of Alan Zhao, co-founder of Warmly, exploring his transition from a math major to AI startup ventures. The conversation covers insights on market differentiation, strategies for entering competitive markets, and the importance of identifying bottlenecks in business growth. Alan shares valuable lessons on market saturation, copying strategies, and the significance of brand positioning in building a successful go-to-market approach. The discussion also highlights the role of inbound marketing, leveraging LinkedIn for brand visibility, and the development of a signal-based orchestration platform for future growth.--Questions?Alex:alexander@sellabl.co Alex´s LinkedIn Alan:  Alan's LinkedIn -- 00:00 - 04:43 Introduction 01:14 - 02:55 Career Journey and Entrepreneurship Insights 03:01 - 04:08 Company Acquisition and Market Differentiation 04:09 - 05:59 Identifying Bottlenecks and Market Strategies 06:04 - 07:21 Market Saturation and Copying Strategies 07:28 - 08:34 Market Differentiation and Product Development 08:52 - 10:55 Growth Strategies and Competitive Markets 11:11 - 15:21 Market Competition and Brand Positioning 15:33 - 18:19 Market Entry Strategies and Long-Term Success 18:52 - 22:26 Key Growth Engines and Customer Acquisition 22:27 - 25:36 Marketing Channel Effectiveness and Brand Differentiation 25:36 - 29:18 Inbound Marketing Insights and Market Entry 29:47 - 33:17 LinkedIn Marketing and Branding Strategies 33:28 - 35:03 Elevator Pitch of Warmly and Future Plans

    36 min
  3. Building a Sales Team with Few Resources I Kevin Meyer - Enterprise Sales Director @Corsearch

    07/12/2024

    Building a Sales Team with Few Resources I Kevin Meyer - Enterprise Sales Director @Corsearch

    In this episode, Alexander Kohler and Kevin discuss the challenges of building and managing sales teams with limited resources. Kevin shares his journey from selling beer mugs to leading sales teams, emphasizing the value of hiring motivated young reps. He describes turning a minimal operation into a successful team, highlighting the importance of managing remote teams and fostering a supportive culture. Kevin also touches on people management, pressures from upper management, incentivizing quality over quantity, and the need for proper delegation. The episode offers valuable insights and practical advice for startups on creating effective and motivated sales teams with few resources.- - Questions? Alexander Kohler: alexander@sellabl.co  Alex´s LinkedIn Kevin Meyer:Kevin´s LinkedIn - -00:00 - 01:07 Introduction and technical difficulties with the podcasting tool. 01:07 - 02:36 Kevin introduces himself and his background in sales. 02:36 - 04:41 Kevin shares his early experiences in sales and how he started. 04:41 - 07:25 Kevin's first job in tech sales and how he transitioned into the role. 07:25 - 08:45 Discussion about building a sales team with limited resources. 08:45 - 11:06 Kevin's experience building sales teams in Berlin and Barcelona. 11:06 - 13:20 Challenges and successes of training and managing working students. 13:20 - 15:10 Comparison of hiring junior reps vs. working students. 15:10 - 17:22 Insights on managing a remote sales team and maintaining motivation. 17:22 - 19:10 Tools and methods Kevin used to manage and train his team. 19:10 - 21:26 Kevin's daily routine managing the sales team and generating leads. 21:26 - 23:39 Importance of call shadowing and providing feedback to junior reps. 23:39 - 25:06 Handling feedback and training junior reps effectively. 27:45 - 30:06 Kevin discusses challenges in hiring junior sales reps under time pressure. 30:44 - 33:51 Kevin shares strategies for managing pressure from senior leadership. 34:00 - 40:15 Kevin reflects on the benefits of hiring senior sales staff to support team growth and outlines effective commission models for junior sales reps based on meeting and deal outcomes. 40:23 - 44:31 Kevin concludes with insights on learning through hands-on experience and the importance of early delegation in managing workload and team dynamics effectively.

    46 min
  4. Selling Physical Products I Josephine Wichmann - Head of Sales @Foodji

    06/28/2024

    Selling Physical Products I Josephine Wichmann - Head of Sales @Foodji

    In this podcast episode, Alexander interviews Josephine Wichmann about her career transition from chef to corporate roles, now leading sales at Fuji, a food startup in Munich. Josephine discusses Fuji's mission to offer fresh, nutritious food via advanced vending machines, particularly for SMEs. She highlights the challenges of selling a physical product and the importance of building client trust. The discussion also covers the sales process, expectation management, and using machine learning for food customization. Josephine stresses the importance of aligning with operational teams to ensure customer satisfaction and reduce churn during trials. - - Questions? Alexander Kohler: alexander@sellabl.co  Alex´s LinkedIn Josephine Wichmann: Josie´s LinkedIn 00:00 - 00:28 Introduction and weather chat 00:28 - 02:30 Josephine's background in the food industry, her transition to Fuji, and leading a sales team 02:30 - 03:36 Challenges of being the first sales hire at a startup and Josephine's learning curve 03:36 - 05:32 Hiring insights and the founders' decision to bring Josephine on board 05:32 - 07:10 Introduction to Fuji, its mission, and product offering 07:10 - 09:51 Discussion on Fuji's typical customers, sales process, and demo methods 09:51 - 12:34 Target market focus on SMBs, handling objections, and the significance of subsidizing food costs 12:34 - 15:38 Challenges of selling a physical product and educating customers about Fuji's vending machines 15:38 - 17:16 Managing expectations within the sales process and alignment with operations and food teams 17:16 - 19:35 The importance of B2C satisfaction for B2B sales success and handling food subsidies 19:35 - 22:16 Selecting cuisines and using algorithms for optimal food assortment 22:16 - 23:21 Overview of contract terms and managing customer trials 23:21 - 24:01 Handling issues during trials, customer success involvement, and churn rate 24:01 - 25:00 Proactive communication to mitigate operational hiccups 30:12 - 31:57 Discussion on the main revenue drivers for the business, focusing on selling food over leasing contracts. 31:57 - 32:33 Exploring the importance of qualifying customers to ensure profitability, especially in terms of employee numbers and company subsidies. 32:33 - 34:54 Detailing the process of qualifying potential customers and the impact of employee subsidies on profitability, along with regional expansion plans. 34:54 - 36:00 Addressing the go-to-market strategy and the need for alignment between customer support, marketing, and sales teams. 36:00 - 38:23 Describing the alignment processes within the company, including weekly meetings and monthly business reviews, and discussing the transition to a new CRM system to better scale the business. 38:23 - 38:48 Emphasizing the importance of understanding and meeting customer expectations through feedback and tailored solutions. 38:48 - 39:18 Closing remarks and invitation to the audience to connect with Josie on LinkedIn and learn more about Fuji.

    40 min
  5. First Time Front Line Sales Manager I Alex King - VP of Sales/Revenue @Figures

    06/14/2024

    First Time Front Line Sales Manager I Alex King - VP of Sales/Revenue @Figures

    In this episode, hosts Alex King and Alexander discuss the challenges of first-time sales managers. Alex shares his career journey, highlighting the distinct skills needed for sales versus management. They cover hiring, managing talent, and Jeremy Duggan's "three Rs" framework: Recruiting, Retention, and Revenue. Emphasizing growth and independence, they stress the importance of allowing team members to learn from mistakes and develop problem-solving skills. Alex also discusses the transition from player-coach to manager and the need to balance support with autonomy to foster a culture of trust and development. - - Questions? Alexander Kohler: alexander@sellabl.co  Alex´s LinkedIn Alex King: Alex´s LinkedIn 00:00 - 01:28 Introduction Alexander and Alex King introduce the topic and share a light-hearted moment about Alex’s last name. 01:28 - 04:09 Alex King’s Career Journey   Alex King discusses his career path from media sales to running his own business, and eventually moving into SaaS and revenue leadership roles. 04:09 - 05:51 Challenges of First-Time Sales Managers**   Alex King reflects on the difficulties he faced as a first-time sales manager and CEO, emphasizing the lack of guidance and resources available at the start of his career. 05:51 - 08:36 Role of a Sales Manager  Alex King explains the critical responsibilities of a sales manager, including recruiting, retention, and revenue, and introduces the “Three Rs” framework by Jeremy Duggan. 08:36 - 10:33 Player-Coach Dynamics   Discussion on the dual role of player-coach in startups, its challenges, and the misalignment of incentives when a manager also has a sales quota. 10:33 - 11:54 Founders and Sales Leadership Transition   Exploration of the transition phase from founder-led sales to establishing a structured sales organization, and the importance of leaders being involved in the sales process. 11:54 - 14:40 Recruiting the Right Salespeople  The significance of hiring the right caliber of individuals at different stages of a company's growth and the impact of having a competent sales leader on securing investments. 14:40 - 17:58 Promoting Salespeople to Managers   Alex King discusses the common pitfalls of promoting top salespeople to management roles and the differing skill sets required for successful sales management. 17:58 - 20:40 Characteristics of Successful Sales Managers   The necessary attributes and mindset shifts needed for salespeople transitioning into management roles, emphasizing selflessness and team-focused leadership. 20:40 - 24:38 Real-Life Scenario: Promoting the Right Person  A deep dive into a scenario where a VP must decide between promoting a top-performing salesperson or another team member, weighing the impact on team dynamics and respect. 24:38 - 26:20 Supporting Without Selling for AEs   The importance of a VP supporting their team without taking over their sales efforts, ensuring account executives grow and succeed independently. 28:11 - 32:44: Encouraging independent thinking and fostering a culture where team members are allowed to fail in a controlled environment are crucial for team development and scalability. 32:44 - 37:19: Hiring people better than oneself is essential for growth and scalability in a sales team, as it fosters a culture of excellence and self-sufficiency among team members. 37:19 - 42:17: Adapting leadership styles based on individual team members' needs is crucial for effective management and team performance, facilitating the transition from forming to performing stages. 42:17 - 47:08: Managing by numbers involves creating transparency and accountability by outlining clear expectations and performance metrics for team members, supported by coaching and feedback tailored to individual needs. 47:08 - 50:22: Providing feedback effectively requires understanding individual preferences and delivering it with pure intent, while handling difficult situations like termination with transparency, compassion, and support for the individual's next steps.

    51 min
  6. Post Discovery Qualification I Florian Godefroy - Head of DACH @enmacc

    05/31/2024

    Post Discovery Qualification I Florian Godefroy - Head of DACH @enmacc

    In this podcast episode, Alexander and Florian discuss the importance of post-qualification in sales discovery calls. Florian, with his background in consulting and aerospace, explains how it ensures alignment and clarity after initial client discussions. They also address handling unresponsive clients, with Florian recommending honest, direct communication and sharing his success with handwritten letters to capture client interest.- -Post Discovery Qualification Template:Template  Questions? Alexander Kohler: alexander@sellabl.co  Alex´s LinkedIn Florian Godefroy: Florian´s Linkedin  --  00:00 - 03:41 Introduction and background of Florian's experience in sales, including his work in consulting, particularly in the aerospace sector. 03:41 - 06:41 Florian discusses how he unexpectedly transitioned into sales from a background in political science and history, emphasizing his affinity for problem-solving and building relationships. 06:41 - 09:17 Florian explains the concept of post-qualification in the sales process, focusing on understanding customer needs, defining criteria for success, and gaining agreement on proposed solutions. 09:17 - 10:53 Florian discusses the importance of aligning expectations and actions in post-qualification, emphasizing the need for simplicity and prompt follow-up to ensure effective communication and progress. 10:53 - 14:15 Florian elaborates on tools and strategies for building post-qualification frameworks, including mutual action plans and effective communication methods such as emails and follow-up calls. 14:15 - 18:54 Florian addresses challenges in dealing with different types of buyers, including "poker players," and emphasizes the importance of reading people's actions and commitments to gauge genuine interest and progress in the sales process. 18:54 - 24:27 Florian shares strategies for navigating interactions with challenging buyers, including maintaining open communication, setting realistic expectations, and creatively engaging prospects, such as sending handwritten letters to prompt responses. 25:00 - 28:20: Florian emphasizes the importance of closing deals promptly after a prolonged sales process and suggests strategies for determining whether to pursue further or move on to other prospects. 28:20 - 33:23: Florian and Alexander discuss the significance of post-qualification presentations, highlighting the differences in sales approaches between North America and Germany and the importance of tailoring presentations to meet the prospect's needs. 33:23 - 40:12: The conversation shifts to presenting price effectively and addressing objections, including tips for equipping champions to advocate for the product and strategies for convincing stakeholders, such as arranging meetings with advocates and emphasizing ROI. 40:12 - 47:09: The focus turns to handling objections from CFOs and other stakeholders, with Florian suggesting strategies such as engaging in lunch meetings with advocates and exploring alternative pricing models. They conclude by summarizing the key elements of post-qualification presentations and invite listeners to reach out for further discussion and access to templates provided in the show notes.

    48 min

Trailer

About

Welcome to the GTM Mastery Podcast, hosted by Alexander Kohler. Delve into the dynamic world of Go to Market strategies, tailor-made for Founders and Go to Market Professionals. Join insightful conversations with industry experts, uncovering successful tactics and navigating common challenges. Stay ahead of market trends, refine customer engagement, and chart your path to triumph. Tune in to amplify your strategic prowess and become a Go-to-Market Master 👑

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