VP and GM at Shopify, Loren Padelford: Breaking the Rules in Sales

Sales is full of doctrines, or commonly shared beliefs, that are repeated over and over again, often without question — from hiring to business development. And blindly following can inhibit growth and lead to missed opportunities.

In this episode of Go to Market Grit, Shopify VP and GM Loren Padelford points out some of these doctrines and explains why he recommends avoiding them. Loren also sheds some light on Shopify’s unique approach to sourcing talent and driving sales. 

In this episode of Go to Market Grit, we cover: 

• Shopify’s rapid ascent to a $120 billion organization. Loren also provides an overview of Shopify.
• What contributed to Shopify’s growth.
• Why sales is science, not magic — and why the best salespeople are always math junkies and hard workers. 
• The idea that someone’s past sales performance may not guarantee future success, or justify their hiring. Joubin and Loren debate the idea. 
• Why companies shouldn’t necessarily go where there are a lot of salespeople. Loren also explains the belief that it doesn’t make sense to hire salespeople. 
• The five behaviors that determine whether someone will be successful, and why companies should look for these traits when filling sales positions.
• Common doctrines that exist in sales. For example, Loren explains the doctrine of getting customers to say yes — and why he disagrees with that approach.

Links

• Follow Loren on Twitter 
• Connect with Loren on LinkedIn
• Shopify
• Connect with Joubin
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email: gtmg@kleinerperkins.com 
• Learn more about Kleiner Perkins