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Hiring A-players is crucial for building a successful sales force. Even if everything else is done perfectly, a team of C-grade players will struggle to become the number one sales force. On the other hand, if you hire only A-players and have average processes in place, the A-players will find a way to succeed. A-players hire A-players, while B-players tend to hire C-players.
MedPIC is a qualification methodology developed to improve sales processes. It stands for Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Pain Points, Identify Pain, and Champion. This methodology ensures that sales teams understand the specific goals, decision-making processes, pain points, and buying criteria of their prospects. By effectively qualifying opportunities using MedPIC, sales teams can optimize their sales process, forecast deals accurately, and train sales reps based on identified gaps.
Recruitment is paramount for building a strong sales team. Sales leaders should take ownership of the recruitment process rather than relying on HR or other departments. By taking ownership, sales leaders can thoroughly assess candidates, understand their characteristics, skills, and potential fit within the team. It is essential to prioritize traits like intelligence, coachability, integrity, curiosity, and adaptability when hiring sales professionals.
Effective sales performance measurement involves balancing upstream KPIs with actual outcomes. While tracking activities like emails, calls, and meetings is important, it is also crucial to measure the actual accomplishment attained through those activities. Setting clear anchors in the sales process, like specific milestones or successful POVs, can provide a solid assessment of progress and ensure a focus on meaningful outcomes.
Coachability and adaptability are crucial qualities for success in leadership roles. It is important to see tangible evidence of progression in leadership abilities, people management skills, and the ability to handle complex deals and problems. The chances of succeeding in a leadership role are higher if these qualities are evident. Additionally, the ability to take coaching and implement feedback is a significant indicator of future success. Leaders who demonstrate coachability and adaptability are more likely to make measurable jumps in their skills and abilities.
Letting people go is a challenge that all companies face. It is important to ensure that leaders do not make premature judgments about employees and give them the opportunity to prove themselves. However, holding onto a struggling employee for too long can be detrimental. It is crucial to assess the characteristics and traits that are essential for success in the role. Sometimes, letting go of an employee who is not a good fit allows them to find a better-suited career path. Leaders should have open and honest conversations with employees about performance expectations, providing guidance and support. Ultimately, it is essential to balance the needs of the individual with the needs of the organization.
John McMahon has served on the board of MongoDB and Snowflake and is best known as a five-time CRO who has built the sales processes that power enterprise sales in Silicon Valley. In this episode, John talked through a ton of practical topics around sales, including the biggest sales mistakes that early-stage startups make, how to hire a sales team to supercharge your company, and more.
(0:00) Intro
(1:20) The Qualified Sales Leader
(9:57) Sales basics in building an efficient and scalable sales org
(16:53) Carlo Carelli - Greatest Salesperson in the World
(20:55) Product market fit
(26:07) The medic qualification process
(36:35) Difference between a champion and a coach
(42:51) Best interview questions when hiring
(53:49) The hardest part of transitioning to sales management
(1:03:06) On firing
(1:10:06) The process of letting someone go
(1:11:30) Accidental sales leader
(1:17:25) John McMahon as a sales rep early on
(1:21:24) Blade Logic and Opsware
(1:26:37) The most common misconception about sales
Mixed and edited: Justin Hrabovsky
Produced: Rashad Assir
Executive Producer: Josh Machiz
Music: Griff Lawson
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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/three-cartoon-avatars/id1606770839
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About the Show
Logan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, and Netflix. In each episode, Logan goes behind the scenes with world-class entrepreneurs and investors. If you're interested in the real inside baseball of tech, entrepreneurship, and start-up investing, tune in every Friday for new episodes.
Executive Producer: Rashad Assir
Producer: Leah Clapper
Mixing and editing: Sam Dewees and JR Bohannon
Check out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA
🎙 Listen to the show
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-logan-bartlett-show/id1606770839
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5WqBqDb4br3LlyVrdqOYYb?si=3076e6c1b5c94d63&nd=1
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9zb0hJZkhWbg
🎥 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugS0jD5IAdoqzjaNYzns7w?sub_confirmation=1
Follow on Socials
📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theloganbartlettshow
🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/loganbartshow
🎬 Clips on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theloganbartlettshow
About the Show
Logan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, and Netflix. In each episode, Logan goes behind the scenes with world-class entrepreneurs and investors. If you're interested in the real inside baseball of tech, entrepreneurship, and start-up investing, tune in every Friday for new episodes.
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