GTM 128: The Death of Demos and Selling What Customers Actually Need with Fred Viet

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Jan 7, 2025

Fred Viet, Chief Sales Officer at Aircall, has a rich background in scaling sales at AWS, Microsoft, and Lenovo. He discusses the dynamic differences in selling between APAC and North America, emphasizing market fit and structured approaches. Fred highlights the shift from demo-driven selling to value-based conversations, the role of AI in enhancing sales processes, and effective annual revenue planning strategies. He also advocates for deep skill development over job-hopping and shares insights on aligning sales and marketing teams for success.

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INSIGHT

Market Differences

The Australian and US markets share similarities in early adoption trends.
However, scale differs significantly, requiring distinct approaches to organization and reach.

ADVICE

Market Entry Strategy

Look for early signals and organic traction before investing heavily in a new market.
Let the market pull you in rather than forcing your way into it.

ADVICE

Partnership Strategy

Understand your ideal customer profile (ICP) and their behavior.
This helps identify relevant tech partners and trust advisors within their ecosystem.

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Fred Viet serves as the Chief Sales Officer at Aircall, overseeing global sales and playing a key role in scaling the company's reach over the last four years. With a background that includes leadership roles at AWS, Microsoft, and Lenovo, Fred brings a wealth of experience in building high-performing teams and driving revenue growth.

Discussed in this Episode:

The differences between selling in APAC and North America markets
The evolving role of partnerships and channels in software sales
Strategies for effective annual revenue planning
The impact of AI on sales processes and team structures
The future of SaaS pricing models and their implications for sales organizations

Highlights:
(3:29) Differences between selling in APAC and North America.
(9:10) The importance of understanding your ICP in partnerships.
(15:07) Advice on avoiding job-hopping early in your career.
(19:59) The impact of AI on sales team structures.
(24:34) The potential of AI to level the playing field for SMBs.
(30:10) Mistakes to avoid in annual revenue planning.
(35:46) The shift from demo-centric selling to value-based conversations
(41:38) Strategies for aligning sales and marketing teams.
(31:55) One thing revenue leaders believe to be true that Fred thinks is bull$***.
(43:28) One thing that is working for Fred/Aircall in go-to-market right now.

Guest Speaker Links (Fred Viet):
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredviet/

Host Speaker Links (Scott Barker):
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/
Newsletter: https://gtmnow.com/tag/newsletter/

Where to find GTMnow (GTMfund’s media brand):
Website: https://gtmnow.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gtmnow/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/GTMnow_
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GTM_now
The GTM Podcast (on all major directories): https://gtmnow.com/tag/podcast/

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