Tech Sales Insights

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl is joined by Scott Wood, VP and GM of Compute for North America at HPE. Scott shares unique go-to-market strategies inspired by his experiences as a football official. From structured pregame preparations to rigorous post-game reviews, Scott draws fascinating parallels between sports officiating and high-performance sales teams.KEY TAKEAWAYSStructured Preparation: Learn the importance of detailed pre-meeting preparations, akin to pregame routines in football officiating.Post-Game Review: Understand the value of reviewing sales calls using technology to identify areas for improvement, similar to how officials review game footage.Ongoing Certification and Practice: Emphasize the need for continuous learning and practice in sales, paralleling the rigorous certification processes in sports officiating.Effective Communication: Explore strategies for maintaining clear and effective communication within sales teams and how it relates to the teamwork required among football officials.Handling High-Pressure Situations: Gain insights into managing high-pressure scenarios with clients, drawing from Scott's experience handling intense moments with football coaches.QUOTES"If they do that at a high school level for football, why are we not doing the same disciplined preparations for multi-million dollar deals?""You need a culture of practice, not just one-off training sessions. Practice builds confidence, and confidence attracts customers.""The technology we have now for reviewing sales calls is a game-changer. If you're not rigorously using them, you're missing opportunities to have a world-class sales team."Find out more about Scott Wood through the links below:https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-wood-9828986/This episode is sponsored by AuctusIQ, the Sales Performance Assessment sponsor of the Sales Community. AuctusIQ is a sales data and science software company, with the mission of providing the right data to solve your three biggest challenges: selecting and retaining exceptional talent, coaching to ensure readiness to meet or beat quota, and winning more deals.

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl welcomes Rich Kucharski, the Global Field CTO and Transformation Leader at Dynatrace. They discuss a range of topics centered on sales, technology, and transformation. Rich shares insights from his impressive career spanning roles at Sharp Electronics, EMC, XIV, and J.P. Morgan. Key discussions include bridging business goals with technical solutions, the importance of executive briefing centers (EBCs), effective POC processes, and the role of sales engineers in building long-term customer relationships. Rich also highlights Dynatrace's growth, their innovative approach to application performance monitoring, and the company's commitment to outserving competitors. The conversation concludes with Rich providing advice for his younger self, acknowledging key mentors, and emphasizing the critical partnership between sales and engineering teams.KEY TAKEAWAYSUnderstanding Customer Challenges: Rich emphasizes the importance of thoroughly understanding customer pain points and business objectives to tailor technical solutions that drive significant business impact.Building a Shared Vision: Establishing a clear, shared vision with customers can guide them through the transformation process, even when encountering obstacles.The Role of Data: Access to and management of data is crucial for delivering seamless customer experiences and driving organizational transformation.Innovative Customer Solutions: Real-world examples, such as the proactive door monitoring solution on a cruise line, illustrate the tangible benefits of Dynatrace's technology in enhancing customer satisfaction.Cultural Values at Dynatrace: A supportive, accountable culture with a focus on acting accountable and continuous improvement is key to the company's success and employee satisfaction.QUOTES"It's all about the data. If you can provide a platform that provides seamless access to data, it really can help transform a company.""The ultimate home run is you have a proposed sales proposal that the CFO gets really excited about because you're saying, here's how we're going to help you generate revenue, save money, get a competitive advantage, or stay out of jail.""It's important to establish what perfect could look like and then set a journey to get there, which kind of pulls in all the teams at Dynatrace serving a customer."Find out more about Rich Kucharski through the links below: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richkucharski/This episode is sponsored by The Alexander Group, our GTM & Sales Compensation Partner. Alexander Group provides revenue growth consulting services to the world’s leading sales organizations. When clients need to grow revenue, they look to Alexander Group for data-driven insights, actionable recommendations, and results.

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl is joined with Lee Hacohen, Head of Sales at Red Eye, to discuss the pressing issue of pipeline problems in sales and how AI can provide a solution. Sponsored by Alexander Group, the episode dives deep into the evolving landscape of sales, the impact of AI, and practical strategies for leveraging technology to enhance sales productivity. Lee shares his journey from broadcasting to becoming a sales leader, insights on AI’s role in sales, and actionable advice for sales professionals facing pipeline challenges.KEY TAKEAWAYSAI in Sales: AI can handle repetitive tasks like identifying prospects, gathering contact information, and personalizing initial outreach, freeing up sales reps to focus on high-value activities.Human vs. Machine: AI is not replacing salespeople but augmenting their capabilities by handling tasks that machines excel at, such as data processing and initial contact personalization.Personalization at Scale: Tools like Reggie enable sales teams to send highly personalized emails and LinkedIn messages efficiently, improving engagement rates.Importance of Training: Continuous training and adaptation are crucial as the sales landscape evolves with technological advancements.Building and Growing: Identifying companies in their growth phase and leveraging AI can significantly impact sales success.QUOTES"There's certain things machines do really well and there's certain things people do really well. AI is here to augment, not replace, the salesperson.""In order to actually connect with someone and get their attention in an inbox that has 60 emails, you have to show them that you know them.""AI can personalize messages based on company performance and individual profiles within seconds, a task that would take a human significantly longer."Find out more about Lee Hacohen through the links below:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lhacohen/This episode is sponsored by The Alexander Group, our GTM & Sales Compensation Partner. Alexander Group provides revenue growth consulting services to the world’s leading sales organizations. When clients need to grow revenue, they look to Alexander Group for data-driven insights, actionable recommendations, and results.

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl features a conversation with Rachel Cossar, CEO and co-founder of Virtual Sapiens. The discussion revolves around the potential of AI to transform sales coaching by analyzing and improving sales behaviors and human interactions. Rachel, a former professional ballet dancer and now a tech entrepreneur, shares how her company uses AI to help professionals master their virtual and in-person presence, making communication more effective. The episode touches on various topics, including the importance of nonverbal communication, the genesis of Virtual Sapiens, the unique challenges of sales coaching, and how Virtual Sapiens provides individualized feedback for improvement. The conversation also delves into AI's role in behavioral change, the scalability of Virtual Sapiens' technology, and the importance of privacy in AI tools. Rachel shares personal insights, including her transition from ballet to tech entrepreneurship, and the supportive role her mentors and co-founder have played in her journey.KEY TAKEAWAYSVirtual Sapiens utilizes AI to help professionals master their presence, whether in virtual or in-person interactions.Coaching conversations empowered by AI can revolutionize sales behaviors and enhance confidence.Through partnerships with global firms like BTS, Virtual Sapiens integrates AI seamlessly into learning management systems for personalized coaching experiences.Behavioral nonverbal cues play a significant role in building trust and rapport, especially in virtual communication.Effective use of body language and framing can significantly impact how professionals are perceived in virtual meetings.QUOTES"We're at the intersection of AI and human interaction, using AI as a coach in real-time to help humans become more aware of certain blind spots and integrate feedback for behavior change.""The way you show up on video matters—it's the only digital channel where body language truly counts.""First impressions on video are powerful—your setup, background, framing, and lighting all contribute to how you're perceived as a professional.""Nonverbal cues, like hand gestures, can amplify your presence in virtual meetings, making you more engaging and trustworthy.""Mastering presence in virtual interactions requires awareness of behavioral nuances and leveraging them effectively to build connections."Find out more about Rachel Cossar through the links below:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-cossar/This episode is sponsored by Spotlight.ai, our Value Intelligence sponsor. Spotlight.ai provides a Value Intelligence AI-driven platform to transform sales discovery, auto build differentiated business cases, and optimize value positioning for field and remote teams.

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl and Michael Norton delve into the pivotal role of frontline sales managers in modern companies. From their diverse responsibilities to the challenges they face, they explore how these unsung heroes shape organizational success. With insights from industry veterans and personal experiences, they dissect the evolving dynamics of sales management and offer strategies for navigating the complex landscape of sales leadership.KEY TAKEAWAYSFrontline sales managers serve as the linchpins of cohesion within organizations, orchestrating sales strategies, managing cross-functional relationships, and driving revenue growth.Understanding and adapting to the diverse communication styles and learning preferences of sales team members, spanning different generations, is essential for effective sales management.The balance between administrative tasks, such as CRM management, and frontline engagement is crucial for sales managers to maximize their impact.While training is vital for sales team development, empowering salespeople to take ownership of their growth and success is equally important.Successful sales managers excel not only in training but also in facilitating the onboarding process to accelerate new hires' integration and performance.QUOTES"Sales managers are the unsung heroes of business today. They manage up, down, and sideways, orchestrating strategies and relationships to drive success.""Understanding the diverse learning and communication styles of sales team members is key to effective sales management in today's multigenerational workforce.""A successful sales manager strikes the balance between administrative duties and frontline engagement, maximizing their impact on revenue growth."Find out more about Michael Norton through the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msnorton/This episode is sponsored by Phone Ready Leads, the Audience Activation sponsor of the Sales Community. Sales teams using Phone Ready Leads® average a 21.3% dial to connect rate with key decision makers (A live conversation every ~5 dials), and average ~10 conversations with key decision makers for every 50 outbound dials they make.https://phonereadyleads.com/

In this replay episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl is joined by Joey Gilkey, CEO of Apex Revenue, to discuss the evolution of outbound cold calling strategies in the modern sales landscape. From Joey's journey in sales to the challenges and solutions in improving cold calling pickup rates, this episode offers invaluable insights for sales professionals navigating today's competitive market.KEY TAKEAWAYSThe landscape of outbound sales is evolving rapidly, with traditional strategies becoming less effective over time.Companies must shift from a meeting-centric approach to a market analysis-centric approach, focusing on segmenting the market and curating targeted lists for more effective outreach.Turning sales development reps into market development reps and empowering account executives to self-source from curated lists can significantly improve pipeline generation and conversion rates.Sellers should prioritize selling to prospects the way they want to buy, adopting a consultative and tailored approach to address pain points and provide value.Highly targeted lists are essential for successful outbound efforts, as data saturation increases and traditional list-building methods become less reliable.QUOTES"Sell to people the way they want to buy, not the way we want to sell.""The list is the strategy. Highly targeted lists impact the top of the funnel, which then impacts the bottom of the funnel.""Turning sales development reps into market development reps is key. Identify segments, curate lists, and empower account executives for more effective outreach."Find out more about Joey Gilkey through the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeygilkey/This episode is sponsored by Phone Ready Leads, the Audience Activation sponsor of the Sales Community. Sales teams using Phone Ready Leads® average a 21.3% dial to connect rate with key decision makers (A live conversation every ~5 dials), and average ~10 conversations with key decision makers for every 50 outbound dials they make.https://phonereadyleads.com/

In this replay episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl is joined by Peter Trizzino, President of North America Sales at Dell. Together, they delve into the pivotal role of culture in driving sales success, exploring how it transcends strategy and shapes behaviors within teams and partnerships. From personal anecdotes to actionable insights, Peter shares his journey from humble beginnings in sales to leading one of the largest sales regions at Dell. Discover how fostering trust, championing collaboration, and prioritizing outcomes can empower sales professionals to thrive in today's rapidly evolving marketplace.KEY TAKEAWAYSCulture Trumps Strategy: Explore how cultivating a culture of trust, collaboration, and customer-centricity drives long-term success in sales.Earning and Giving Trust: Learn the importance of trust-building in both internal teams and external partnerships, and how reciprocity fuels growth.Embracing Change: Understand the value of adaptability and continuous learning in navigating industry shifts and technological advancements.Balancing Work and Life: Uncover strategies for achieving a harmonious work-life blend that fosters productivity, well-being, and a winning mindset.Driving Sales Excellence: Gain actionable insights for aligning sales efforts with customer needs, leveraging partnerships, and maximizing performance.QUOTES"Culture is made up of collective mindsets and behaviors, emphasizing the 'how' over the 'what' in driving success.""The easiest way to earn trust is to give it. Trust is the foundation for high-performing teams.""In today's world, outcomes and value trump product-centric sales approaches. It's about solving customer problems."Find out more about Peter Trizzino through the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-trizzino-21791a1/This episode is sponsored by AuctusIQ, the Sales Performance Assessment sponsor of the Sales Community. AuctusIQ is a sales data and science software company, with the mission of providing the right data to solve your three biggest challenges: selecting and retaining exceptional talent, coaching to ensure readiness to meet or beat quota, and winning more deals. Please visit their website at https://auctusiq.com/

In this replay episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl interviews Jennifer Quinlan, the Global Managing Partner at IBM Consulting, discussing the transformative power of Gen AI on customer experience. From IBM's own journey as client zero to real-world success stories, they explore how AI-driven solutions are streamlining processes, improving employee and customer satisfaction, and accelerating business outcomes across sales, service, and marketing.KEY TAKEAWAYSGen AI Impact: Gen AI revolutionizes customer experience by enhancing efficiency, improving response times, and driving better outcomes across various business functions.IBM's Client Zero Journey: IBM's internal transformation journey serves as a blueprint for leveraging AI to optimize workflows, unify processes, and enhance customer engagement.Real-world Success Stories: Examples from industries like agriculture and retail showcase the tangible benefits of AI-driven solutions, including significant reductions in response times, increased throughput, and improved customer satisfaction metrics.Speed to Market: Gen AI accelerates campaign conception, content testing, and deployment, leading to faster time-to-market and remarkable performance gains, as demonstrated by a 26X increase in social performance in a recent campaign.QUOTES"We're able to create a better experience across our sales communities, enabling faster decision-making and deeper customer engagement.""Gen AI transforms low-fidelity tasks into high-impact opportunities, revolutionizing lead generation and pipeline growth."Find out more about Jennifer Quinlan through the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferquinlan/This episode is sponsored by TechTarget, the global leader in purchase intent-driven marketing and sales services that deliver business impact for enterprise technology companies. By creating abundant, high-quality editorial content across more than 150 highly targeted technology-specific websites and 1,125 channels, TechTarget attracts and nurtures communities of technology buyers researching their companies’ information technology needs.Please visit their website at https://www.techtarget.com/

In this replay episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl is joined by Lisa Pope, President at Epicor, shares her journey through the world of ERP, from its traditional roots to its modern-day relevance. Randy delves into Lisa's extensive experience, exploring the evolving role of ERP in today's dynamic business environment. From navigating supply chain disruptions to harnessing the power of data as a service, Lisa offers valuable insights and strategies for driving business growth and innovation.KEY TAKEAWAYSThe enduring relevance of ERP in driving digital transformation and business resilience.Leveraging ecosystem partnerships and mindshare growth for enhanced market presence.The pivotal role of data as a service in driving intelligent decision-making and operational efficiency.Adapting sales strategies to meet the evolving needs of diverse customer segments, from SMBs to enterprise-level organizations.Embracing diversity and inclusion practices to foster a thriving and inclusive workplace culture.QUOTES"ERP isn't dead; it's thriving and evolving to meet the demands of the modern business landscape.""Growing mindshare is crucial; it's about building brand visibility and expanding your ecosystem to drive market engagement.""Data is the new currency of business; leveraging insights from ERP systems empowers intelligent decision-making.""Adaptability is key in sales; understanding diverse customer needs and market trends drives long-term success.""Diversity isn't just a buzzword; it's a cornerstone of innovation and success in today's global marketplace."Find out more about Lisa Pope through the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisapopeepicor/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.

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl and Peter Bell, General Partner and Chairman of Amity Ventures, dive into the realm of sales and startups. From Peter's extensive experience as both a sales leader and a venture capitalist, they explore best practices, pitfalls, and strategies for achieving success in sales-driven organizations.KEY TAKEAWAYSFounder-Led Sales: Understand the pivotal role founders play in early sales efforts and the importance of authenticity in customer interactions.Product-Market Fit: Delve into the challenges of finding and validating product-market fit, crucial for sustainable growth and investor confidence.Scaling Sales Teams: Navigate the delicate balance between founder-led sales and hiring experienced sales managers to drive team growth and efficiency.Remote Work Dynamics: Explore the evolving landscape of remote work and its impact on sales team dynamics, collaboration, and productivity.Customer-Centricity: Emphasize the significance of customer relationships and the role they play in product development, sales strategy, and business success.QUOTES"If the founder can't sell the product, it's extremely difficult for anyone else to sell it because the founder has the authenticity that really only the founder can have in an early-stage company.""Finding product-market fit is extremely difficult. Sometimes you don't actually know when you've found it. Many companies feel they've found it before they've actually really found it.""It's not just about making quota and delighting customers; it's about enjoying the journey together."Find out more about Peter Bell through the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterwbell/This episode is sponsored by Phone Ready Leads, the Audience Activation sponsor of the Sales Community. Sales teams using Phone Ready Leads average a 21.3% dial to connect rate with key decision makers (A live conversation every ~5 dials), and average ~10 conversations with key decision makers for every 50 outbound dials they make. Visit their website at: https://phonereadyleads.com/