Revenue Builders

In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, John Kaplan and John McMahon talk to author, entrepreneur, public speaker, and sales leader Maury Rogow. Maury talks about using powerful storytelling techniques in the context of sales, and how marketing and sales teams should be working together seamlessly to attract and convert customers. Maury also takes us into the story of how he got into Hollywood and how he transformed himself from the kid who couldn’t raise his hands in school to a capable public speaker, and that one time he opened for comedian Joe Rogan. Additional Resources:Key Characteristics for CROs to Hone in Each Stage of Growth | https://forc.mx/3uUCM3ZTaking on a New VP of Sales Role? Key Resources: | https://forc.mx/3KTEismDonate to breast cancer research: https://drsusanloveresearch.org/Check out Maury's book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TB1FKLX/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0Connect with Maury on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauryrogow/More about Force Management | https://forc.mx/3waMDDSHIGHLIGHTSMany salespeople fail because they lack this basic skillYour customer is the hero of the story Always know where you are in the buyer's journeyGet the S-T-U-F-F in your stories to make them effective Know your customer's learning styleThe messaging must be seamless from marketing to salesThe shy kid who couldn't raise his hand in schoolIntroducing the E-P-I-C story structureHow Maury got into Hollywood and the lessons learned Advice for connecting to people remotelyQUOTESMaury: "Your brand will thrive or die based on the story you tell. That's for the sales people and it's for executives too. The reason I say that is it's all based on fact but I got to get it across fast. Salespeople are failing out there because they don't have the basic skills to grab attention and then be memorable." Maury: "Sure, you get plenty of sales without your story in there. They're probably low value, they're probably the cheap shots, you're probably making quota or getting to your quota. But the folks that are really good at this, the folks that really can tell a great story, can get somebody else to share, they're the ones bringing in the six, the seven, even eight-figure deals because they're building a relationship." Maury: "The hero of the story is them. You're not the hero. Don't tell me you're here to make a bunch of money. Don't tell me your IPO is gonna put 10 million in your pot. Nobody wants to hear that. They want to hear how it helps them. And if you get served because of it, fantastic. But they're the hero of the story." Maury: "If you confuse, you will lose. Gotta keep it simple." Check out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, John Kaplan and John McMahon talk through their experiences with recruiting talent, and why many companies often stumble in this fundamental step. Your employees are the lifeblood of your business, and to be successful, you need to hire the right people. In this era of mass resignations and global hiring, business leaders and interviewers need to hone in on the characteristics, skill sets and knowledge of what will make sales talent successful in your company.Additional Resources:Hiring Great Sales Talent: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/revenue-builders/id1610203369HIGHLIGHTSStop relying solely on the resume or LinkedIn profiles Sales people are not created equal Interviewers need to both qualify the candidate and sell the opportunityLook for qualified candidates, not friendsCompanies should equip their employees with skills and knowledgeDon't sleep on the references How candidates can prepare for the interview QUOTESJohn MacMahon: "If I'm gonna be in a fast growing company, two of the most essential characteristics I have to have in a person is intelligence and drive. Because skills take a lot of time to develop. If somebody's really smart in a classroom, I can teach them stuff. On the job, I can teach them stuff pretty quickly. But it's the skillset that takes a really long time to develop." John Kaplan: "I found that some of the best interviewers have emotionally connected to what they do matters and why it matters and therefore, it comes across the interview process. I find people woefully prepared to really talk about why what they do matters." John MacMahon: "The mistake that a lot of first time leaders make is they are almost looking more for a friend than they are for a candidate that can really be successful int he role. Because of that they do some people a disservice because they truly don't have the knowledge or the skillset to be successful. But they like the person."John Kaplan: "The knowledge and skills are the responsibility of the company to bring them the knowledge that they're going to need and to give them  the opportunity to enhance their skills, to develop the skills, to position that knowledge effectively. The responsibility of the individual is to bring their character to that equation."  Learn More about Force Management here: www.forcemanagement.comCheck out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, John Kaplan and John McMahon talk to veteran recruiter, Chad Peets. As a Managing Director of Sutter Hill Ventures, Chad is responsible for  building the go-to-market teams globally for their portfolio companies. Chad talks about his process for recruiting, particularly for the CEO and CRO roles. Having been in the recruitment industry for more than two decades, Chad shares his expertise on which qualities to look out for in candidates in order to ensure success for your organization. HIGHLIGHTSBuilding a world-class sales organization goes beyond recruitment Managing expectations is a balancing actExperience will bring you successQuestions that CRO candidates should ask when looking for new opportunitiesThe War on Talent and The Great ResignationWhy CROs have the hardest job in software sales Traits of a candidate that's going to be hired QUOTESChad: "You bring the fundamentals of the playbook. But every time you go into a situation, it's a unique situation so you're gonna have to tweak and make changes to that playbook to adjust, if you will, for the company that you're in, the market that you're in, the product that you're selling, etc.”Chad: "You have to be focused on the long-term and building out world class sales organizations. This recruiter has to be focused on exactly that. If they're focused on transactions, if they're focused on fees and you and you can figure this out really quickly, what their objectives are, their objective has to be your objective."Check out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064Additional Resources:Key Characteristics for CROs to Hone in Each Stage of Growth | https://forc.mx/3uUCM3ZTaking on a New VP of Sales Role? Key Resources: | https://forc.mx/3KTEismMore about Force Management | https://forc.mx/3waMDDSConnect with Chad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadpeets/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to veteran football coach JD Brookhart. JD has led an interesting life, working as a coach for the Denver Broncos and several college football teams. He coached the Akron Zips to their first MAC Championship Title in 2005 and brought the team to their first collegiate bowl as a Division One program. Beyond his life in football, JD also earned accolades as a salesperson during his time with Xerox and is now a managing partner at CJ&M Holdings. JD talks about the parallels between coaching football and managing sales teams, particularly in building a team, motivating them, and knowing how to lead them to success. HIGHLIGHTSParallels between sports coaching and sales work You need to know what motivates you and what motivates your teamNobody cares about what you know until they know you care  Team chemistry can be just as important as individual talentAlways work just a little bit harder to find success Leverage your network and believe in the power of who Accountability, Productivity, and Persistence QUOTESJD: "You got to have three rules to hiring. Number one, you got to know how to hire, two, you got to know how to fire, and number three, you got to do number one so you don't have to do number two." JD: "The guys that I've seen that are really good coaches, many times have been walk-arounds trying to prove themselves. Guys that worked up the ranks, that came from smaller schools. Sometimes those guys that have been there, they understand what it takes to be good and the time that we have to put in to be great." JD: "It’s always great to be on a winning team, but we’ve all been in a situation when things aren’t going so well. Whether it be the revenue numbers or the Games in the win column – that’s when real leaders differentiate themselves."JD: "I look back on it, and I don't know of a job that I got by myself. I had somebody helping me or somebody I met along the way, which just changed the course of my life. I've just been fortunate to be around the people I've met through the course of my career." Connect with JD via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jd-brookhart-ba647977/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Few can understand what happens in a war unless you’ve been in the middle of one. Often the lessons that come after the homecoming are some of the toughest to learn. The moral injuries that our veterans face often go unnoticed and untreated. That’s what sparked Sgt. Anthony Anderson’s walk from Wisconsin to California featured in the Almost Sunrise Documentary.  In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, Anthony talks about his own lessons learned and how those leading companies can support veterans re-entering civilian life. Anthony’s experience is also a great testament to what it takes to be a great leader.  HIGHLIGHTSWhy Anthony joined the militaryLessons learned while volunteering to serve in Iraq twiceWar has no peerCombat and survival instincts change youReintegration after service comes with its own issuesPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder vs Moral InjuryWalking from Milwaukee to California to raise awarenessThe families of veterans need help tooDonate your time, not just your moneyQUOTESAnthony: "Some of the things that I took away, certainly in the first time, much earlier in the war with different kind of mission, how much chaos is surrounding you and how little control you have over these things, but how ultimately you have to make decision."Anthony: "I learned very early that people want to be understood in one way and seen in one light, but they also don't want to let on what actually allows people to get to know them." Anthony: "Some of the chaos in war is not just what's happening outside, it's what's happening in your heart and in your mind." Anthony: "Wars may end when peace treaties are signed. But wars don't end in you."  Anthony: "When the drumbeat for war is beating louder, and everybody starts to put into to context the need to go to war, and how much it's gonna cost, and how quickly we'll do it, etc…. We need to put decision makers accountable for things like, how many doctors, how many nurses, how many psychiatrists psychologists, peer mentors etcetera do we need to have in place, and will they be in place before the first shot is fired, and if not, when will they be there." Additional Resources:Almost Sunrise: http://sunrisedocumentary.com/LiT Beard CO: https://litbeardco.com/Project Welcome Home Troops: https://projectwelcomehometroops.org/American Corporate Partners: https://www.acp-usa.org/OJAI Earth Yoga: https://www.ojai.earth/missionMore About the Episode: https://forc.mx/3Ks0vOjConnect with Anthony via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-anderson-441177129/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

HIGHLIGHTSHow a business travel company survived COVID-19 lockdowns Achieving growth and pivoting in a time of crisis Using content to drive brand recognition and revenue on a budgetDiscussions about Product-Led GrowthAlways try to find out how and why your customers are buyingBiggest challenges over the last two years for a CMOWe need to create second-line leaders Look for problem solvers, not victimsDonate to UkraineQUOTESKaplan: "Everybody's boat went down at the same time. Around the world, it's one of those rare times where everybody's boat in the harbor goes down, but not everybody's boat rose at the same time. And I was just really really impressed that the way your answer was, it's now time to get close to our customers." Meagen: "When there's no wind, you row." Meagen: "Back then, we were focused. We knew what we had to do. We had to create a sense of urgency. As I said, inbound dried up. Nobody was looking for travel solutions. In fact, the first thing was, are you kidding me we're in a pandemic why are you trying to sell this?" Meagen: "Originally we were targeting the travel manager, but they all got furloughed. So now we need to switch and which was the smarter thing to do, is target the CFO who manages travel under procurement typically, and finance and accounting." Meagen: "We need to switch, we need to redefine our ICP, the right customer profile to go after, and I needed product marketers. And I just thought I'm gonna go heavy on product marketer's content, we're gonna build academies. So when the travel manager gets their job back, there's gonna be a new world." Meagen: "You want the ability to self-serve and get the low end of the market, but you get big money in the mid-market and upper side of it. So don't leave that on the table. Either develop both, and it's going to be a lot easier to sell if it's an amazing product and has product market fit, and you're not going to get product led growth without product market fit."McMahon: You can't be all things to all people, especially as we talked about how marketing has expanded so much in the last 10 years. You can't be an expert in every different disciplines. You need to hire great leaders underneath you. And that should be a lesson for any leader that's listening on the phone.” Connect with Meagen and her work with the links below: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meageneisenberg/Website: https://tripactions.com/ Additional Resources:Donate to Ukraine: https://tripactions.com/ukraineMaking the Most of Every Lead: Key Questions to Help Sales and Marketing Alignment | https://forc.mx/3uPZSHFWhat CROs prioritize to drive PLG success | https://forc.mx/3K0HqCBConnect with Mike with on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemcsally/Check out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, Kaplan and McMahon talk to Mike McSally, a recognized and accomplished business leader with deep expertise in aligning people, operations and technology. Mike, who spent more than 30 years with Allegis Group, talks about the current state of recruitment and the situations that are causing the problems hounding the industry. Mike also shares practical tips for job seekers looking to stand out and not get lost in the shuffle of resumes. HIGHLIGHTSStarting out as an accidental recruiterRecruiters are not reading your resumesCultural fit is almost more important than technical skillsToday is the best and worst time to recruitTry to look internally before recruiting outsideHiring managers need to own the whole processThe Rule of 3: Always be recruitingHow to stand out in a bureaucratic worldTips and best practices when using referencesLook for an internal advocateMike's favorite things  (If you golf, you’ll like his advice on what to spend money on)QUOTESMike: "I believe that most of what's done in recruitment is broken. It doesn't take the candidate's background and the candidate's skills, goals, and desires and doesn't put that in the forefront. And we do that by relying on some methodologies or processes that have just been around since the beginning of time." Mike: "There's never been a better time to recruit, at least in my 30 years in the US history, at least in the labor market right now. And there's never been a more dangerous time to recruit and the reason that is is we're just seeing unbelievable data that says 8 out of 10 people that are gainfully employed today are willing to entertain a new opportunity."Mike: "If you want to stand out, find somebody from the inside of that organization that knows your skills and past performance and see if they'd be willing to at least talk to people inside the organization that are hiring for that skill set."Mike: "The advice I give to anybody that's looking for a job is, if you're looking for a job posting, it's already too late. They've already got 70 applicants and you're gonna get lost in the shuffle. So use your connections, use LinkedIn to see who you know that now is working at that organization that will be your internal advocate."Mike: "Your resume is not gonna make you stand out. It's doing something uniquely different. And very quickly, LinkedIn is an incredible tool. I can find out who John Kaplan has worked with in a past life. And if I ever work in and around that person, could I have that person call John Kaplan."Connect with Mike McSally on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemcsally/Check out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064Additional Resources:Articles by Mike McSally: https://www.forcemanagement.com/blog/author/mike-mcsallyImproving Sales Productivity: Owning the Talent Process https://forc.mx/37YOAcJMore about Force Management: www.forcemanagement.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, John Kaplan and John McMahon talk to established sales leader and current President of Lacework, Andy Byron. Andy gives actionable advice for scaling sales organizations, especially in defining your ideal customer profile. HIGHLIGHTSThe prerequisites of scaling a sales organizationHow to define your ideal customer profileAre geographic territories still relevant?Challenges of the Chief Revenue Officer roleFounding CEOs aren't always the best leadersDon't rely solely on advice from venture capitalistsBe open to evolutionScaling strategies can be repeatableCommon mistakes that companies make when trying to scale upDon't try to change how customers want to buy your productTeam players are essential in scalabilityMaster the playbook and improve itAdvice for new sales leadersYour actions as a leader impact other peopleQUOTESAndy: "When you think about the CRO's role, it's so hard because you're navigating a market of sales teams scaling the company, hitting the number. But then also part of the job a lot of people don't talk about and you both know this really well, is you also have to set expectations and navigate with your constituents in the executive team, the board, the CEO."Andy: "When you have an executive team that's aligned and has patience and frankly has the ability to evolve over time and just kind of say 'alright, what's working and what's not', and it's an open line of communication, and that strategy doesn't change, that's when you see companies that win."Andy: "For the first time leader, it's not about you, and what value are you gonna impart to the team? And the third thing, how are you gonna create a winning culture? Because people are gonna want to come work for you, people are gonna want to generate pipeline. People are gonna want to really inspect the forecast. If you're gonna create a winning culture, they're gonna want to do those things. I think, as a first time leader, any leader, but definitely a first-time leader, how are you gonna inspire people to go in?"Andy: "It takes some really hard times to really reflect back and say 'well, am I really giving everything I can to not just work but to myself and to others that support me?' And when you have those three things really working for you, that brings out the best in you, which by definition brings out the best in everybody else. When one of those is lacking, everybody can see."Connect with Andy with the link below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-byron-417a429/Learn More about Force Management here: www.forcemanagement.comTaking on a New VP of Sales Role? Key Resources: | https://forc.mx/3KTEismMore about Force Management | www.forcemanagement.comCheck out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, John Kaplan and John McMahon talk to Managing Director of Madrona Venture Group Hope Cochran. Hope serves on the board of three public companies, Hasbro, Inc, MongoDB and NewRelic.She is the former CFO of King Digital, the developer behind the phenomenal game Candy Crush. She is also the co-chair of OnBoarding Women, an organization that supports talented accomplished women in their journey to the boardroom. Website: https://onboardingwomen.org/.Hope pulls the curtain back on what drives CFOs and gives sage advice on various areas of business, particularly in raising funds and ensuring that you can achieve healthy growth. However, Hope also advises that people should not be afraid to take risks and be open to learning. If it makes you nervous, she says, you’re in the right place. HIGHLIGHTSThere's more to one's LinkedIn profileAdvice for entrepreneurs looking to raise moneyLessons learned in launching Candy CrushBalancing overachievement and predictabilityAlways aim for healthy growthSolutions vs cost justificationCFOs need to be the ears of the companyWorking with Onboarding WomenQUOTESHope: "I am very mindful of markets and I am very mindful that when a market is open, I'll figure out how to get money. Because when the market turns off and that's when you need money, it's a rough spot." Hope: "I'm always quick to stop talking about  how much money are we taking in and what is the plan and what's our frame of mind of what we're doing with it. Meaning, what I want to see is money being applied to areas of growth labors. If we can spend more money and get more users or more adoption of the product, that makes a lot of sense." Hope: "Lately, really what the markets have valued is growth. You have to be mindful about what we're looking at in terms of the markets, as well as the strength of the balance sheet. Assuming that the company has a good cash balance and we're not dealing with debt or areas of losing too much cash, clearly we want to propel growth."Hope: "As a CFO, my most important thing is that my numbers are right. And I can do that by making sure my systems and processes keep up with the size of the organization. So I'm constantly ensuring that my systems are not too far behind my growth trajectory."Hope: "Take a risk. When I think of the big movements in my career, they've been when I've jumped while taking a risk, when I've been nervous. I don't think I've ever taken a job that I felt like I was qualified for. Whenever it pushed me and made me uncomfortable, I knew that was the right job."Learn More about Force Management here: www.forcemanagement.comCheck out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We kick off the inaugural episode of the Revenue Builders podcast with a short conversation featuring our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan. Both have been there, done that when it comes to sales leadership. John Kaplan is the President and Managing Partner of Force Management and John McMahon is a five-time CRO and the author of the bestselling book The Qualified Sales Leader. QUOTESJohn MacMahon: "I find that there's no common question, but there's a common thread. And the common thread is that they don't really understand the way things really work around them, whether it's internally or externally. So they've made some assumptions about how those things work and I realize, I don't think they really understand how that works. But they're either frustrated and that's why they're coming to me, or they're really curious and they want answers but they're not really getting those answers to those questions from the people that they work for." John McMahon: "I'd love to get a CFO on, a Client Success VP, a VP of HR, a CEO, a VC, and let's go dig deep into what their concerns are. Let's go talk about how you scale a company. Let's talk about how and why you funded a company. Let's go talk about what a CFO is truly concerned about and we're gonna go to talk to them. I think if we dig into those things with those different types of stakeholders, it'll be a completely different podcast."John Kaplan: "My father used to tell me all the time. When I was younger, he would say, everybody has a story. And I actually realized, I wound up listening to podcasts, and I'm very curious about people's stories. John and I have a lot of relationships with some very very successful people that have built elite organizations, that have funded elite situations, that have gotten great business outcomes. But all of them had stories. They had backgrounds. They had parents, they had hopes and dreams when they were younger and how they realized those later on in life."Learn More about Force Management here: www.forcemanagement.comCheck out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.