In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, John McMahon, John Kaplan and Sunil Dhaliwal, founder and general partner at Amplify Partners, explore the board’s perspective on sales leadership. Sunil shares critical insights on selling in the early stages of a startup, knowing when to walk away from a deal, and the importance of transparency in sales forecasting. The conversation dives into the competencies that separate exceptional sales leaders from the rest—honesty, market assessment, and adaptability. If you’re leading sales at a high-growth company or thinking about joining a startup, this episode is packed with must-know strategies.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[00:00:47] The Pressure of Startup Sales – Why every deal feels like life or death
[00:01:27] The "Man on an Island" Feeling – The loneliness of sales leadership in startups
[00:02:29] The Risk of Overpromising – How inaccurate forecasts hurt the whole company
[00:03:16] The Cost of Poor Sales Leadership – When inaccurate reporting sets a company back quarters
[00:04:09] The Most Critical Competency – Why great sales leaders must accurately assess the battlefield
[00:05:38] Market Awareness & Adaptability – Understanding product fit vs. chasing deals
[00:06:02] The Power of Asking the Right Questions – Why startups need more than just "closing" skills
[00:08:00] Honest Forecasting – How sales leaders should communicate realistic expectations
QUOTES
[00:00:47] "A lot of people have a hard time backing away from a deal, but sometimes the right move is to walk away."
[00:01:27] "Good sales leaders in startups embrace that lonely moment and are honest about what's going on."
[00:03:16] "The worst thing you can do is overpromise. You're not just hurting yourself—you’re setting the company back quarters."
[00:04:09] "Great sales leaders must be able to accurately orient themselves on the battlefield and communicate what’s happening."
[00:05:01] "At a startup, the product won’t work the way you want it to. It’s not us vs. them—it’s about understanding what the product can and should do."
[00:06:36] "Startup sales isn’t just about closing—it’s about figuring out whether you should even be in this deal at all."
Listen to the full conversation through the link below.
https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/a-board-members-perspective-on-sales-leadership-with-sunildhaliwal
Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox:
https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0
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/
Force Management is hiring for a Sales Director. Apply here: https://hubs.li/Q02Zb8WG0
Read Force Management's eBook: https://www.forcemanagement.com/roi-of-sales-messaging
