GTM 24: The Power of Pivoting and Verticalization with Ed Calnan

Pivoting and verticalization has the potential to be a  game-changer for many companies. A case in point is the story of Seismic.

On the podcast today is Ed Calnan,  the founder and former CRO of Seismic, a company he led through the pandemic. In this episode, you will learn how Ed, as the  company’s first BDR, grew the company to 1,500 people, 2,000 customers, and $300 million in ARR  through successful pivoting and verticalization to financial services.

What You Will Learn:

• The power of pivoting and verticalization and how to do it successfully.
• The value of vacation, rest, and relaxation.
• The importance of analyzing and sharing team successes.

Highlights:
(3:00) Ed’s reflection on founding Seismic and taking a long break after 11 years.

(9:30) The value of sales enablement.

(13:00)  How to pivot and verticalize successfully: Case study of Seismic.

(32:20) The benefits of being a specialist and an expert.

(35:50) Why you need to analyze and share team successes.

(48:42) Discussion on consistent communication, being open and authentic.

(49:42) Strategies for growing a company and harnessing customer stories.

(52:20) A strategy founders and revenue leaders should implement to move the needle.

(55:30) One common misbelief held by revenue leaders.

(57:03) The challenges of being a revenue leader: How to identify and address core issues.

Guest Speaker Link:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edcalnan/

Host Speaker Links:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/
Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/

The GTMnow Podcast
The GTMnow Podcast is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with the top 1% GTM executives, VCs, and founders. Conversations reveal the unshared details behind how they have grown companies, and the go-to-market strategies responsible for shaping that growth.

Visit gtmnow.com for more episodes and other interesting content.