The Gartner Sales Podcast

Mike Katz, a senior director of research at Gartner with over 15 years of experience, shares insights on evolving skills in B2B sales. He highlights the necessity for sellers to adapt to technology and changing buyer expectations. Key competencies like curiosity, innovation, and agility emerge as crucial for high performance. Katz discusses the role of AI in improving seller effectiveness and recommends targeted skill development. Listeners also get book suggestions like 'Giraffes Can't Dance' for fostering confidence and expressiveness.

Despite their insights on buyers, markets and growth, CSOs rarely become CEOs. In this episode, hosts Billy Luckey and Betsy Gregory-Hosler sit down with Heather Combs, a former CSO turned CEO, to discuss her experiences and recommendations for sales leaders who aspire to do the same.Heather Combs, an accomplished leader in the technology sector, is beginning her second turn in the CEO seat, having just taken the helm at Ripple Operations, a newly formed provider of maritime logistics solutions. Previously, Heather served as CEO of StraighterLine, where her visionary leadership transformed the company into a premier provider of online courses. Under her guidance, StraighterLine pioneered innovative partnerships and streamlined operations, resulting in significant growth and enhanced student success. With a proven track record of scaling high-growth companies, Heather’s strategic acumen and dedication to innovation continue to make a positive impact in the tech industry and beyond. Recognized as a Power Woman of DC Tech and a champion for women in leadership, Heather’s influence extends to empowering girls in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields through the STEM for Her Advisory Council and to supporting entrepreneurs through the Mindshare board and Techstars Mentor Program.

Sales expert Lori Richardson joins Betsy and Billy to discuss the state of women in B2B sales, including the opportunities a sales career offers, the barriers women face and the actions you can take to attract and retain top women in the field.Lori Richardson is a top B2B sales influencer and a champion for getting more women into sales and sales leadership in B2B roles. In addition, she has run the data-backed sales strategy firm Score More Sales since 2002, after a career in sales and leadership. Lori is the author of “She Sells” — a book to help company leaders and sales leaders find, recruit, retain and promote more women into sales and leadership roles. She also hosts the award-winning podcast “Conversations with Women in Sales” and is a sales coach for Harvard Business School’s MBA program.

As your organization’s growth strategy evolves, is your go-to-market strategy keeping up? In this episode of the Gartner Sales Podcast, co-hosts Betsy Gregory-Hosler and Billy Luckey speak with Gartner expert Rachael Buchler to discuss the four types of go-to-market strategies, the symptoms of misalignment, and how sales leaders should approach the challenge. Rachael Buchler is a senior director analyst in Gartner's Sales practice. Rachael has more than 25 years experience in B2B retail energy sales where she led strategic initiatives and operational teams to drive customer growth and deliver cross-functional efficiencies. She has developed and executed go-to-market sales strategies for both existing and emerging markets and integrated B2B sales teams as part of merger and acquisition activities. She is a qualified coach and a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Adnan Zijadic, Gartner director analyst, discusses the state of Generative AI in B2B sales with highlights on use cases, C-suite engagement, and missed opportunities. Topics include challenges in AI adoption, pivotal role of C-suite, potential and concerns of Generative AI, and expectations for sales leaders.

In 2024, the most successful CSOs will exert as much influence internally as they do externally, aligning closely with executive peers and championing the commercial organization’s needs. In this episode of the Gartner Sales Podcast, co-hosts Betsy Gregory-Hosler and Billy Luckey speak with Dave Egloff, Gartner Vice President Analyst, to explore how CSOs can build C-suite collaboration and trust.Dave Egloff is a VP Analyst in Gartner’s sales practice. He actively advises and produces research for sales and commercial executives to boost their teams effectiveness and optimize their go-to-market strategies. With more than 20 years of global experience, Dave’s holistic approach combines qualitative assessments with quantitative insights. His areas of expertise include sales design and optimization, go-to-market strategy, sales transformation, sales operations and sales compensation.

In this episode of the Gartner Sales Podcast, Betsy and Billy sit down with Gartner Chief of Research Robert Blaisdell to discuss our recently published 2024 CSO Leadership Vision. Robert explains the Leadership Vision results, including key trends and recommendations that will help CSOs anticipate and respond to market changes across the coming year.Robert Blaisdell is the Chief of Research for the Gartner Sales Practice. Robert has 20 years of experience in strategic account management, account planning, sales enablement, strategic planning and marketing.

Discussing the challenges and strategies for successful key account management, including key account selection and resource optimization. Exploring the role of technology, such as AI, in streamlining processes and enhancing outcomes. Recommendations on key account success strategies and book recommendations for enriched perspectives.

Exploring challenges in driving seller behavior change, Delainey Kirkwood discusses the impact of behavior nudges on sales transformation and the importance of aligning goals for accountability. The podcast also includes a discussion on the book 'Queen Victoria's Matchmaking'.

Alice Walmesley, Gartner expert, discusses reimagining the seller role for the future. They explore challenges faced by sellers, replicating successful practices, and technology as a teammate in sales. They also discuss incorporating technology into the seller role and express gratitude at the end.