SBI, The Growth Advisory

Amidst pressure from the board and an increasingly volatile market, many CEOs make the mistake of pursuing growth at all costs when they should be building a resilient and sustainable business instead. Find the right balance between growth and profitability, then build up the talent to drive quality revenue streams. Tune into the first part of the conversation with host Mike Hoffman, SBI CEO, and Chris Cabrera, Founder and Board Member of Xactly, as they explore the common pitfalls of an aggressive growth thesis and how leaders can navigate shareholder expectations while increasing profitability. Key talking points: Risks of solely focusing on achieving a high valuation Navigating the pendulum scenario of growth versus profitability How sales leaders can unintentionally hinder their talent’s success

Despite record-setting investments, marketing leaders have historically struggled with showing results. The divide between sales is clear: marketing needs to demonstrate how they contribute to the company’s revenue. Make ROI the primary objective, and create the dependencies necessary to drive effective growth. Listen in the conversation in this episode with host Mike Hoffman, SBI CEO, and Jeff Pedowitz, President and CEO of The Pedowitz Group, as they discuss the role of marketing in a B2B environment and explore how marketing leaders can reinforce their position as a key revenue driver. Key Talking Points: • Marketing as a cost-center vs. revenue generator • Key dependencies to effective marketing • How to design a holistic campaign model with sales functions

The playmakers and managers that worked well for you in the past may now be slowing you down. But it goes beyond tech augmentations and enablement, it is the fundamental hiring framework that is flawed. Cut through the noise and focus on what your customers want from your sellers to drive win rates and loyalty. Join the conversation in this episode with host Mike Hoffman, SBI CEO, and Nick Toman, SBI Chief Strategy and Product Officer, as they explore the evolving requirements of sales functions and how outdated talent frameworks could be slowing companies down. Key Talking Points: • The critical role of talent in driving growth and value creation • How the sales role has evolved from the Great Depression • What to look for in new talent, and who to potentially let go

The playmakers and managers that worked well for you in the past may now be slowing you down. But it goes beyond tech augmentations and enablement, it is the fundamental hiring framework that is flawed. Cut through the noise and focus on what your customers want from your sellers to drive win rates and loyalty. Join the conversation in this episode with host Mike Hoffman, SBI CEO, and Nick Toman, SBI Chief Strategy and Product Officer, as they explore the evolving requirements of sales functions and how outdated talent frameworks could be slowing companies down. Key Talking Points: • The critical role of talent in driving growth and value creation • How the sales role has evolved from the Great Depression • What to look for in new talent, and who to potentially let go

Alfred Ojukwu, Co-Chair of Blacks at Microsoft and a senior sales professional specializing in healthcare, shares insights on the transformative power of AI in sales. He emphasizes that AI enhances the human element, fostering stronger customer relationships and trust. Ojukwu also highlights the significance of diversity in driving growth and innovation. The conversation delves into training sales teams to adapt to AI tools and the importance of inclusive leadership for effective collaboration, ultimately shaping the future of sales.

Creating customer success is more than just sales, it’s about creating value before you arrive at the negotiating table. Give your customers a vision of what they would need, and demonstrate how you would be the best fit for them. In this episode, join SBI Senior Partner and TMT Practice Leader, Tony Erickson as he resumes the discussion with symplr CEO, BJ Schaknowski and President, Nicole Rogas on how the provider of enterprise healthcare operations software and services succeeded in building a large, consolidated brand with a focus on customer success. Key Talking Points: • The current state of the healthcare industry and opportunities to come • Adopting a consultative approach that creates positive impact for customers • How symplr positions itself within customers’ existing investments

At the surface level, it seems obvious that top-line growth plays a big role in creating value for a company—but different conditions and factors may affect how much top-line growth affects value creation, and the strategies that can effectively generate that growth may also differ. In this episode, SBI CEO, Mike Hoffman hosts Jake Silverman, CEO of Kroll and a Board Member at SBI, as the two discuss the role of top-line growth in value creation and contemporary topics on the minds of CEOs, including cybersecurity. Key Talking Points: Factors affecting the value created by top-line growth in different contexts The value of skeptical opinions to keeping CEOs in check on key decisions Key themes for CEOs to consider in planning their 2024 growth strategy

Companies should never underestimate the value of customer success, which can significantly increase upsell and cross-sell opportunities. Invest in your customers, and your customers will invest in you. In this episode, SBI Senior Partner and TMT Practice Leader, Tony Erickson talks with symplr CEO, BJ Schaknowski and President, Nicole Rogas to learn how the provider of enterprise healthcare operations software and services succeeded in building a large, consolidated brand with a focus on customer success. Key Talking Points: How symplr continues to tell a consolidated brand story after 15 acquisitions The payoff of heavily investing in customer success, which reduces churn Hiring the right go-to-market talent that aligns with the company’s GTM strategy

Episode 5: Empowering Sales with AI AI development continues at a breakneck pace, with the number of use cases increasing by the day. This raises the question for many Go-to-Market leaders: how do we use AI to help sales? How do we ensure smooth adoption of AI? And what value does it bring to the business? In this episode, SBI Managing Director of Talent Services, Ray Makela meets Conor Grennan, Head of Generative AI at NYU Stern School of Business to take a deep dive into the state of generative AI today, its use cases, and key considerations in business. Key Talking Points: Use cases for generative AI in Sales and how it augments various tasks Overcoming resistance to AI use, and key considerations such as data privacy Ideas for effective AI enablement, as well as other new use cases for AI

Episode 4: Growth at Any Cost is Over Understanding the right design and execution of GTM levers in uncertain markets could help CEOs propel their revenue growth by making efficient use of existing resources. In this episode, Pilar Schenk, Cisco COO, Global Specialists, and Mike Hoffman, SBI CEO, discuss strategy, execution, and activation against a backdrop of those who had a growth thesis in tech of growth, at any cost.