Revenue Builders

Former world-class Sales Engineering leader and published author, John Care, joins hosts to discuss the role of technical sales, importance of relationships and storytelling, partnership between SEs and AEs, and value of qualification and preparation before demos and POCs.

Navy SEAL veteran Brent Gleeson discusses growth vs. fixed mindsets, sharing how to spot disengaged individuals and lead teams effectively. Learn the importance of continuous improvement, embracing challenges, and fostering a shared purpose for success.

Tammy Sexton, Chief Revenue Officer at Skyflow, discusses the importance of data privacy and Skyflow's data vault as a service. She shares insights on the impact of data breaches on brand reputation and revenue, as well as the role of data privacy in building customer trust. Tammy also reflects on her journey as a sales leader and provides valuable lessons on transitioning to a manager, managing managers, and becoming a CRO.

In this curated episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we delve into the intricate world of sales negotiation with expert Tim Caito from Force Management. We explore the crucial aspects of negotiation, from preparing champions to dealing with procurement and the power of starting early in the sales process. Tim shares valuable insights and strategies to help organizations preserve value in the final deal and achieve successful negotiations.KEY TAKEAWAYS[00:01:07] Starting early in the sales process is crucial for successful negotiation.[00:02:09] Begin the negotiation process before the other side believes you're negotiating.[00:02:58] Having a better alternative gives leverage in negotiations.[00:04:00] Making negotiations about the client's alternative rather than yours is a powerful tactic.[00:05:51] Procurement's role and the importance of preparing champions for the negotiation process.[00:08:23] The significance of creating a powerful cost justification to resist procurement pressure.[00:10:46] The role of champions as the great equalizer in the negotiation process.[00:12:17] Anticipating competitive tactics and preparing champions to handle external pressure.HIGHLIGHT QUOTES[00:01:26] "Start the negotiation process before the other side believes we're negotiating."[00:03:18] "If the rep doesn't have a solid alternative, it gives the power back to procurement."[00:08:48] "You have to have done such a good cost justification that they feel like they're losing every day that goes by."[00:10:27] "Champions are the great equalizer in a negotiation process."[00:13:52] "We have to prep them because it is going to happen, and we have to role play and ask specifically, what are you going to say when they ask this question."Listen to the full episode with Tim Caito through this link:https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/the-secrets-of-sales-negotiation-with-tim-caitoCheck out John McMahon’s book here:Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Carl Cross has an established career transforming and leading superior teams resulting in high performance and vibrant revenue growth. Carl has advanced through multiple leadership roles and has consistently been asked to lead key projects that drive corporate strategy. Currently, Carl is the Chief Revenue Officer of Alkami, a SaaS based digital banking platform. He started his career at Peoplesoft where he climbed into the sales leadership ranks before moving to SAP. After SAP he moved to BMC where he was responsible for the company's global outsourcing business and after a two year stint with HP, Carl headed up worldwide sales at AppSense and helped lead the company through its acquisition by ThomaBravo. He then held the position of Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales at Workfront and remained in that role leading the go to market integration after the acquisition by Adobe.In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, Carl Cross, the Chief Revenue Officer at Alkami, shares his insights on sales leadership and scaling a sales organization. He emphasizes the importance of effective leadership, creating a strong sales culture, and aligning sales and marketing efforts. Carl also highlights the significance of understanding the buyer's journey and conducting thorough discovery in the sales process. When it comes to scaling a sales force, Carl discusses the need for a sales capacity plan and the importance of staying ahead in recruiting to avoid falling behind in sales goals.Tune in to this conversation with John McMahon and John Kaplan on the Revenue Builders podcast.HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT[00:05:20] Lesson learned as a first line manager: it's not about you[00:09:59] Challenges of transitioning to a second line manager[00:12:24] Transition from tactical to strategic thinking[00:17:16] Importance of skills and pipeline in sales[00:19:27] Accountability for recruitment and development of reps[00:23:11] Importance of understanding and motivating individual team members[00:27:08] Living by the culture and taking responsibility for it as a leader[00:32:08] Challenges of being a CRO and the need for alignment[00:41:27] Motivation and individual differences in sales[00:51:14] Lessons on scaling a sales forceADDITIONAL RESOURCESLearn more about Carl Cross and about their company:https://www.linkedin.com/in/crosscarl/https://www.linkedin.com/company/alkamitech/Download our Sales Transformation Guide for Leaders:https://forc.mx/3sdtEZJHIGHLIGHT QUOTES[00:52:48] "But for me, scaling is really it's, you know, do you have a sales capacity plan? Right? And I'm not talking about like we're getting ready to come into a new year. We already know the sales capacity plan. We know what we're hiring to, but the most effective CROs, most every SAS company is going to have a 3, 4, 5 year plan, right?"[00:53:28] "But have the plan higher to it, hold the leadership accountable to it and that's how I think about scaling it. There's a lot of things in it, but your sales capacity plan and your average productivity per head is probably the biggest driver in that well." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Find out how to improve revenue teams by treating accounts as franchises and owning numbers. John Kaplan shares strategies for effective account planning and building a successful operating rhythm.

In this curated episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we engage in a riveting conversation with Alan Chhabra, the Executive Vice President of Worldwide Partners at MongoDB. Alan delves into the intricacies of establishing, nurturing, and enhancing partnerships within the realm of sales and channel organizations. Alan shares insights into prioritizing partnerships, aligning them with customer needs, enhancing sales productivity, and turbocharging relationships with various types of partners.KEY TAKEAWAYS[00:01:12] Importance of partnering strategy for selling software at scale.[00:02:15] Assessing partnerships through a customer-centric lens: relevance, ecosystem enhancement, and simplifying procurement.[00:03:55] Focusing on crucial partners: cloud providers, system integrators, ISVs, and resellers.[00:08:49] Convincing partners by highlighting the additional value MongoDB brings to drive their sales.[00:10:40] Establishing trust and momentum through successful mutual deals, leading to a long-term relationship.[00:11:57] Factors that can potentially disrupt partnerships: compensation model changes, competitive products, lack of focus, or overextension.[00:13:44] Turbocharging partnerships with system integrators by offering certification programs aligned with high-margin, strategic projects like cloud migration.HIGHLIGHT QUOTES[00:01:33] "You really need people around the product set to be able to sell at scale."[00:05:37] "It was a nice agreement at the top, but there's no underlying relationship at let's call it the street level."[00:09:44] "That's when trust is established, and then you can build and maintain a long-term relationship."[00:11:06] "Partnerships at the central level, they can be struck quickly, but they also can be destroyed quickly."[00:14:26] "There's ways that companies like MongoDB can get big with SIs if we help them with the cloud migration journey."Listen to the full episode with Alan Chhabra through this link:https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/the-ideal-partnership-with-alan-chhabraCheck out John McMahon’s book here:Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeremy Burton is the CEO of Observe and a board member of Snowflake. He has a background in product management and marketing, with experience at companies like Oracle, Symantec, and Dell.In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast hosted by John McMahon and John Kaplan, Jeremy Burton, CEO of Observe, shares insights from his transition from working at large companies to leading a startup. He emphasizes the importance of introspection and humility, building a culture of open feedback and discussion, and understanding the continuous process of product-market fit. He also discusses the potential of AI to transform industries and increase productivity, while acknowledging its limitations.Tune in to this conversation with John McMahon and John Kaplan on the Revenue Builders podcast.HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT[00:09:01] Importance of optimism and comfort with the unknown in a startup[00:10:53] Importance of being prepared to make mistakes and learn[00:13:11] Pride is detrimental, need to readjust and reassess decisions[00:19:42] Look for a startup that could become a big company[00:21:50] Importance of humility and listening to customer feedback[00:26:01] Building for larger enterprises can have a stronger value proposition[00:29:30] Focusing on solving customer problems rather than cool features[00:40:31] Skill sets of sellers and understanding users and enterprise[00:47:38] Generative AI can automate troubleshooting tasks and improve efficiency[01:00:00] Marketing's role in making sales successfulADDITIONAL RESOURCESLearn more about Jeremy Burton and about their company:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jburton0/https://www.linkedin.com/company/observe-inc/Download our Sales Transformation Guide for Leaders:https://forc.mx/3sdtEZJHIGHLIGHT QUOTES[00:54:33] "And I think all of those kinds of industries where a domain expert is required to explain, they're sort of the gatekeeper and you've got to pay them a lot of money. I think that interface is changing. It's going to be blown wide open. And so, if your value is in doing this translation from complicated domain specific language to layman's, you find somewhere else to add value because that's not going to be it."[00:55:52] "But the number of people that can then interact with that is going to be an order of magnitude greater. And so you better make sure your system can scale because more people are probably going to engage. There's a whole bunch of sort of caveats that I think almost every software company is going to have to think through, which is why, if you don't have someone really important in your company working on this, then you're making a mistake." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this curated episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we engage in an insightful conversation with Hollie Castro, a seasoned Chief People Officer and business transformation leader. Hollie delves into the evolving landscape of loyalty in the workforce, dissecting changing career expectations, motivations behind career transitions, and the shifting definitions of loyalty across different life stages. Holly shares invaluable insights on redefining loyalty in the modern workplace, emphasizing the importance of mindset shifts and transparent conversations between leaders and their teams.KEY TAKEAWAYS[00:00:52] Traditional career longevity is evolving; individuals are more inclined to pursue diverse career paths, influenced by factors like peer comparison, financial gains, and personal growth.[00:01:44] Different life stages dictate varied motivations for career changes. Social media plays a pivotal role in shaping individuals' perceptions of success.[00:03:01] Loyalty remains a fundamental concept, but the expression and expectations surrounding loyalty have transformed over time. Leaders must adapt to the changing dynamics of employee loyalty.[00:04:49] A shift in mindset is crucial. Loyalty doesn't necessarily equate to lifelong commitment; it involves honest conversations and continuous re-recruitment efforts.[00:06:28] How employees exit a company is as vital as their contributions while working there. Leaving transparently and with a positive plan benefits both the departing individual and the organization.[00:08:25] The world is smaller than perceived; leaving a positive legacy matters, as personal reputations endure through professional connections and references.HIGHLIGHT QUOTES[00:01:18] "Social media is a powerful force. So when they perceive their peer group to be, you know, making more money or having a bigger title, that has a huge influence on how they think about themselves."[00:04:49] "Loyalty means something different... It's more about having an honest conversation. Somebody's going to leave. Who's going to leave? What do we need to do to re-recruit them?"[00:06:54] "How you leave is more important than actually everything you did because it's the only thing people will remember about you."[00:07:42] "At some point, you're going to quit a job. And when you do that, how you do it... are you going to be a pro or are you going to be a loser?"Listen to the full episode with Hollie Castro through this link:https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/hiring-in-the-post-covid-19-era-with-hollie-castroCheck out John McMahon’s book here:Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Doug May, Chief of Staff to the CRO at Datadog, discusses the importance of quantifying value in the sales process. Discovery, building trust, and presenting business value assessment results are key. They also highlight the significance of aligning solutions and understanding customer challenges, as well as the value of creating a customer version of the sales process and utilizing a message framework in sales.