E171 - Tips to be a Better X-Functional and Strategic Thinking CRO featuring Rick Scurfield

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Rick Scurfield, CRO of Vast Data, shares valuable insights on becoming a better cross-functional and strategic thinking CRO. Rick, with a rich background in the tech industry, including his tenure at NetApp, discusses the importance of leveraging ecosystems, building robust partnerships, and the evolving role of RevOps in aligning with company strategies. He emphasizes the necessity of face-to-face interactions in sales, the importance of staying focused amidst noise, and the value of sales fundamentals in today’s competitive landscape. Rick also highlights the need for continuous learning and adaptability in the fast-paced technology sales environment.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Emphasizing the importance of working closely with product teams, engineers, finance, and alliance partners to drive large-scale deals and achieve business outcomes.
• Ecosystem Leverage: Utilizing an extensive partner and alliance network to augment the sales process and expand market reach.
• Strategic Thinking: Understanding the full data pipeline and positioning products as solutions to complex business problems, rather than just selling features.
• Learning and Unlearning: The necessity of unlearning traditional sales tactics and embracing innovative approaches tailored to modern market demands.
• Adaptability in Sales: The need for sales teams to be agile, adopt new strategies quickly, and focus on continuous improvement.

QUOTES

• "In the fast-paced and competitive world of technology sales, Rick's leadership serves as a shining example, inspiring others to emulate his approach and values."
• "Our mission right now is to sell more, faster. Everyone wants to sell more and sell faster, but it really creates an energy around the company that's fantastic."
• "Don't tell me why you're going to win. Tell me why you're going to lose. Focusing on potential gaps can reveal missing information and overlooked influencers."
• "It's not just about storing data; it's about managing the entire data pipeline and delivering business outcomes."
• "We're in the unlearning mode. It’s about understanding how Vast Data does things differently to sell to our customers effectively."

Find out more about Rick Scurfield through the links below: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-scurfield/

This episode is sponsored by Sandler. Sandler is a world leader in innovative sales, leadership, and management training. For more than 50 years, Sandler has taught its distinctive, non-traditional selling system and highly effective sales training methodology, which has helped salespeople and sales managers take charge of the process.