What skills make an exceptional CRO?

In this episode of Reveal, host Dana Feldman sits down with Rob Rosenthal, Chief Revenue Officer at Udemy, to uncover the core skills and responsibilities expected of a great CRO. With a proven track record at companies like Adobe, SAP, and Bloomreach, Rob brings a wealth of knowledge to the table.

Throughout the conversation, Rob shares his insights on staying customer-focused, building strong cross-functional alignment, and learning consistently throughout your career. Mastering these skills is essential for anyone striving to become a top-tier CRO.

Great leaders serve their teams, not the other way around.

In this episode of Reveal, host Dana Feldman chats with Adam Carr, Head of Global Sales at Miro. Adam shares his journey from a solopreneur to leading a global sales team of over 300 people across 12 offices.

Drawing from his own experience, Adam discusses how to effectively lead teams by building trust and encouraging a culture of experimentation. He also offers advice on advancing your career by making intentional moves that make you a well-rounded leader. 

At its core, leadership is about elevating others and driving results with purpose.

When you are enthusiastic and receptive to feedback, excellent conversations occur.

And according to @Chris Degnan, Chief Revenue Officer at @Snowflake Computing, conflict in the workplace can be constructive rather than destructive when it's delivered in a respectful, curious way.

Imagine that!

But you don’t have to just imagine it—you can live in that world.

"The Humility Essential for Success: You're part of that rocket ship, but you're not the rocket ship," says Degnan.

He stressed the importance of maintaining humility, regardless of position, which will create an open, feedback-friendly culture. And that’s an environment that will cause people to stick around.

Resources: Harvard Business Review

Knowing thy customer is everything. Take it from Judi Hand, CRO at TTEC, a customer experience as a service platform that is behind some of the world’s largest brands. She joins Devin to break down the customer experience (CX) trends every leader should be aware of. 

These are the trends impacting your bottom line, and your customer retention and satisfaction rates. If you strive to enable your sales team to create memorable customer experiences, this episode is for you. 

Enterprise selling is a team sport. In order to win bigger, you have to get more people involved, which means longer deal cycles and deeper relationships. Learn how to handle complex deals with ease, according to Will Urban–CRO at Flexport, a supply chain and logistics organization.

In this episode, he’s sharing how despite pandemic challenges like longer sales cycles and more complexities, his team actually thrived. 

Sign up for The Edge newsletter.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[7:50 - 8:25] How Flexport embraces the long game

[18:12-19:07] A dive into their "deep selling" process

[26:44-27:03] Empathy + flexibility = the long game secret

Warning: POWERFUL conversation ahead. And we couldn't be more thrilled to share it with you. Hang Black, VP of Revenue Enablement at Juniper Networks, tells her childhood story as a Vietnamese refugee, and how it drives her mission to help others overcome adversity. She shares her unique perspective on diversity, resilience, and breaking out of the status quo. 

Quarterly business reviews are critical moments for feedback, upsell, and relationship building with your customer. Nick Mehta, CEO of customer success platform Gainsight, has the proven playbook to ensure your business reviews wow your customers and impact the bottom line.

In this episode, Nick shares his step-by-step advice on getting executives in the room, how to kick off an effective meeting, and how to use tools like chat to effectively engage and smoothly run a meeting that will keep even the high-expectation executives happy.

Sign up for The Edge newsletter: gong.io/the-edge

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[03:54] - Wait…should QBRs be EBRs?

[11:21] - Nick’s tips for 30 minutes with an executive

[20:59] - How to teach and hold your CSMs accountable

Did you know nearly 50% of sales reps miss their annual quota? If you want to avoid that fate in 2022, there’s good news: these tips are your one way ticket to quota-attainment.

Gong Labs analyzed 140,566 sales opportunities and found mind-boggling data to help you stay ahead of the curve (and the competition). Devin covers everything from negotiation mistakes that cost you deals to “best practices” that actually tank your success – this bonus episode has it all.

Leading sales professionals is challenging. There are many best practices available, we all possess one thing that can give us a massive competitive edge — time. 

Daniel Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author, reveals the secrets revenue leaders need to know to drive maximum impact. These insights will leave you with a straightforward approach to making the most out of your valuable asset.

Key Takeaways

08:29 - 10:05 How to maximize your productivity with limited time

19:27 - 20:21 Data Breakout: Impacts of a break

20:47 - 23:26 How your sales team can start creating urgency in their sales

27:32 - 29:21 The key to effective selling is finding problems

34:12 - 36:53 The most effective sellers are ambiverts

42:05 - 42:58 Micro Action: Observe yourself

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Daniel Pink: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielpink/

Success in sales is all about the relationships you build, both with your buyers – and your team.Andrew Metz  knows the value of building authentic relationships and shares how it’s skyrocketed his career. 

Andrew is the VP of Sales at Zywave, a digital insurance agency platform overseeing over 75 sellers. We talk with Andrew about how you can get in the trenches with your sales team – by getting out of your comfort zone, being candid with your teams, and setting an example with your own actions and boundaries.

Sign up for The Edge newsletter: gong.io/the-edge

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

[6:30-7:30] Seeking out opportunities for connection

[10:47-12:09] How to empower your teams to live a balanced life

[20:04-22:15] Justifying time for sales off-sites, even if it takes them off the sales floor

When all of your go-to-market teams are working together, your customers become raving fans. Eran Aloni, Chief Customer Officer at Gong, shares how he helps customers be successful–from long-term relationship building, to empathy, to simply listening to the customer. 

Eran believes that customers should be your raving fans–and on this episode, he shares exactly why you should work to achieve this, and the positive ripple effect it will have on every area of your organization–including your sales efforts.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

[1:49-2:39] The dawn of the “raving fan” at Gong

[4:56-6:54] Why you should want to turn your customers into raving fans

[14:18-15:50] Metrics of customer success to focus on

Hannah Willson is the SVP of Sales at Modern Health, a platform that helps companies destigmatize mental health care, break down barriers to access, and give everyone the tools they need to get clinical support. 

Hannah shares her tips for exactly what your organization and you as a sales leader can do to better support your team’s mental health needs. She’s breaking down the landscape of mental health resources, and sharing her own perspective on how leaders can foster mental health awareness. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

[3:17-4:15] Why sales professionals need to focus on mental health

[12:07-13:52] How employee expectations for mental health support have changed

[17:32-18:11] How Modern Health approaches employee mental health

Susan Rothwell is CRO at Vericast, where she’s leading transformational initiatives on a daily basis. Her experience at Polaroid taught her about the importance of embracing change – and she’s here to share what she learned.

You’ll get actionable advice around how she empowers her sales team to embrace risk, and how to put data at the center of organizational change.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[6:58-8:12] Prioritizing curiosity as a leader

[11:39-13:49] How to constantly evolve your organization

[23:11-23:55] Why there's more risk in not changing

Are you looking for the perfect marriage between technology and human intuition?

Sales executives who use new methods and technologies in their job procedures will see an increase in efficiency and productivity…

…as long as they don’t overlook the human intuition piece. 

Our guest, @Rajesh Bhattad, Former Head of RevOps Strategy & Solutions at @RevSure AI, shares his take on how to welcome the technology change, introduce AI, and determine how RevOps can use it to its fullest potential—all with an involvement of human touch.

Whether it's generative AI or RevOps, we’ve got to embrace change to grow.

Resources: McKinsey & Company

Robert Cialdini is the godfather of the psychology. His book “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” has sold over 5 million copies and has helped countless salespeople learn the fundamentals of creating connections and influence in their sales efforts. 

His principles are the difference between going through the sales motion and actually persuading your buyer to make a purchase. In this episode, Robert joins Devin and Sheena to dive into some of the tenets of his book, and share his advice for ethical influence in selling.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

[5:25-10:07] Robert's four principles of strong relationships

[15:22-18:05] How to engage prospects with reciprocity

[23:03-27:26] The power of co-creating with your prospect

If every revenue leader has a secret weapon and Ricky Sevta’s is data. Ricky Sevta is the CRO at simPRO software, where he leads his sales team to success by combining his engineering background with his love for data. 

In this episode, Ricky shares his insights as an engineer-turned-sales professional, his tips for keeping sales processes agile, and his experiences from the trenches of an organization that is in the midst of global expansion.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

[4:21-6:06] Ricky's sales philosophy: peace, love, and data-driven decision making

[9:34-10:50] Bringing sales and engineering mindsets together for success

[19:59-20:55] Data-driven sales KPIs to focus on

Robert Graham is a guru of the art of the presentation. As a coach to hundreds of executives and sales professionals, he shares decades-worth of knowledge that will help you become a better presenter, communicator, and seller. 

In his conversation with Devin and Sheena, Robert talks about the importance of keeping your camera on (even when you don’t want to), why storytelling is a skill you need in your toolkit, and why you’re probably better at presenting than you think you are.

Carolyn Betts, CEO and Founder of Betts Recruiting, has purview into thousands of sales interviews, and advocates that mutual agreement is key to a successful sales recruiting process.

Carolyn shares her insights from X years in the recruiting space including what it takes to recruit and retain top sales talent, managing expectations in return-to-work conversations, and how GTM leaders can influence the employee experience – even if they’re not the ones calling the shots.

• [03:17-4:44] Today’s dynamic marketplace for talent 
• [5:09-6:27] Is it actually ‘harder than ever’ to hire?
• [10:51-12:28] What companies that are winning the talent game are doing 
• [20:21-20:55] How today’s top companies are using AI in recruiting

Ed McQuiston, EVP, Chief Commercial Officer at Hyland, will challenge you to think differently about your talent pool. He pushes back against the way we have traditionally thought about retaining top talent, gives tips for gathering feedback, and suggests creative ways to connect with your team.

Many job-hunters have a “the grass is always greener” mentality, and given the active job market, it’s more necessary than ever to make sure your company is ready to live up to expectations.

• [02:06-06:02] The effects of The Great Resignation 
• [06:20-08:11] How Hyland has adapted  
• [08:12-09:25] The importance of retention interviews 
• [09:55-12:22] How to hire in remote times 
• [12:49-14:02] Promoting mental wellness for his teams 
• [14:02-18:31] The small talk issue
• [19:31-22:28] Justifying the productivity loss of workplace camaraderie 
• [22:44-23:19] Following up on survey responses
• [23:42-14:02] Promoting mental wellness for his teams

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

• Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/
• Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/
• Connect with James Burnette: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesburnette/

Brandon Fluharty, VP of Sales at LivePerson, was fully bought into hustle culture. He drank tons of coffee. Pulled all-nighters. And thought more work = better results.

Then one day, the constant grind led to serious medical conditions–depression, panic attacks, and even a stroke at age 34. Flash forward to today and Brandon is happier, healthier, and more successful than ever before–and, he’s hustle-free.

Brandon reveals the secrets that allowed him to break free from hustle culture and thrive. He shares his frameworks for reaching holistic goals and shares steps you can take to follow in his footsteps.

Key Takeaways:

04:49 - 07:16 Where the shift to anti-hustle culture began

10:01 - 15:27 The anti-hustle personal operating system

19:15 - 21:35 How the anti-hustle approach can impact you

21:37 - 22:35 Data Breakout: How lack of sleep affects your cognitive performance

26:55 - 29:14 How to handle the pressures of being a high performer

30:58 - 31:36 Sales in one word

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with James Burnette: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesburnette/

James Burnette, Senior Director of Global Sales at LinkedIn, shares how to use technology to your advantage and thrive in a rapidly shifting environment. 

ICYMI: Your tech stack is only as good as the data that flows through it. James breaks down the tools you need to succeed and why real-time data matters more than you think.

Key Takeaways:

03:15 - 05:46 The core foundations of a tech stack

08:26 - 09:52 How to set your team up for success to utilize your tech stack

12:53 - 13:34 Data Breakout: Sales turnover in B2B

15:51 - 17:13 Where to start when reevaluating your tech stack

19:51 - 22:06 How data and insights can empower sales leaders

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with James Burnette: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesburnette/

Alex Shumway-Jones, AVP of Omni Channel Sales at AT&T, shares how to build a culture of experimentation informed by data. Knocking on doors was the most productive sales tactic but today, data is how teams blow past quota. Case in point: it completely revolutionized AT&T’s sales motion. Alex reveals the power of putting data directly into the hands of your sellers and explains how you can ensure your team is data literate.

Key Takeaways:

08:25 - 11:25 What drove Alex to join inside sales

11:52 - 15:52 How AT&T is leveraging data for productivity

21:51 - 22:34 Data Breakout: Data as a powerful asset

26:39 - 28:39 2022: More ideas, more innovation, more distribution

29:31 - 30:20 This week's micro-action: Putting data in the hands of your sellers

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Alex Shumway-Jones: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-shumway-jones-3a04b016/

Joe Marcin, CRO at Kyriba, reveals a turning point in his career that led him to discover the triangulation of bringing experience, data, and the art of selling together to help him make great business decisions.

Early in his career, Joe feared a career in sales meant schmoozing prospects on a golf course. But then he discovered sales was really about processes he could learn, repeat, and scale. Joe breaks down the science of selling and shares stories illustrating how data combined with experience can drive record-setting business outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

04:57 - 05:54 Understanding the science of selling

09:07 - 10:02 How to get a team on board with the science of selling

13:33 - 14:26 Data Breakout: Metrics to influence the future

18:25 - 20:29 How to begin bringing the science into your sales process

23:59 - 24:47 Micro Action: Start bringing the science of selling to your organization

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Joe Marcin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmarcin/

Dini Mehta, CRO at Lattice, specializes in sustainably building go-to-market engines and shares her secrets to set your organization up for success. 

She breaks hyper-scaling into three key areas: leaders scaling themselves, how leaders can scale their teams, and how leaders can scale revenue engines.

Key Takeaways:

04:14 - 05:49 What it means to sustainably build go-to-market engines

07:39 - 09:49 The challenges that come with hypergrowth

15:40 - 17:21 How leaders can scale themselves, their time, and their output

18:35 - 19:28 Data Breakout: Talent Development

25:05 - 27:02 How to scale your revenue engines

28:32 - 29:28 Micro Action: Pick 1 thing to say "no" to

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Dini Mehta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nandinimehta/

Interested in taking your sales approach back to the basics?

This time-tested recipe is still effective…

1. Don’t overcomplicate things
2. Weave storytelling into your sales strategy
3. Fully understand the “why” behind your products and services

From his experience in door-to-door sales to building an outbound call center and starting his own consultancy, our guest Jason Bay shares his experience in using these simple, approachable tactics in sales that make the customer feel good and understood. As the founder and CEO of Outbound Squad and the owner of Jason Bay Consulting, he successfully assists sales teams in converting total strangers into paying clients.

Selling executives will learn about human stories and how a compelling "why" behind their projects, as Jason's tips, are sure to boost team performance and results.

Resources: SAGE Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods

Want to know how Hootsuite, Indeed, and Drift successfully coach their sales teams at scale? Sadie McGraw, Manager of Commercial Sales at Gong, knows that sometimes even coaches need coaching. In this Celebrate replay, Sadie moderates a discussion with this highly-experienced panel of sales leaders:

• Niki Phillips, Director of Mid-Market at Hootsuite
• Nick Christolos, Senior Mid-Market Sales Manager at Drift
• Mona Sheth, Director of Learning and Development at Indeed

They teach us how to scale individualized, data-driven motivational coaching and cover both the challenges (and solutions) for experiencing success in coaching sales skills, deal execution, and motivation. If you’re a sales leader looking to level up your team in 2022, hit play now.

Key Takeaways:

04:04 - 06:24 Impactful stories about coaches throughout careers

09:02 - 10:16 How to individualize your coaching strategy for each of your reps

12:19 - 14:22 Coaching tips our experts swear by

17:35 - 20:23 How to detect deal risk before it's too late

23:51 - 26:14 Don't leave anything up to chance!

29:39 - 31:03 A key component to coaching is understanding each individual's motivators

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Craig Rosenberg, Distinguished VP, Analyst at Gartner, has been bringing products to market long enough to know the importance of advice from others who have been there -- done that. 

Craig helps bring that advice straight to you in a discussion with this panel of go-to-market leaders:

• Dannie Herzberg, Partner at Sequoia
• Olivia Nottebohm, CRO at Notion
• Kelly Wright, President & COO at Gong

This heavy-hitter panel shares tried and true principles with a focus on clarity, alignment, and data-informed decision making. Whether you’re scaling a start-up or leading a global team, these insights will allow you to unlock your potential.

Key Takeaways:

04:35 - 05:48 The fundamentals to scale a go-to-market organization

09:17 - 10:36 Challenges you might face when scaling your business

11:41 - 15:34 Best practices for those in leadership

16:56 - 20:21 4 Key components to take your career to the next level

20:35 - 23:48 Why your company should be data driven

26:48 - 30:13 Final thoughts for your go-to-market strategy

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Devin Reed, Head of Content Strategy at Gong, knows that quota never sleeps -- even during the holidays. In this Celebrate replay, he reveals three devastating end-of-quarter mistakes and how to avoid them. He also gives data-driven action steps proven to increase your win rate and shares value-selling prompts that you can implement today. If you want to spend your holiday season cozying up by the fire and not putting out fires, this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways:

02:37 - 03:04 The 3 deadly EOQ mistakes

06:04 - 06:46 How Gong unlocks reality

06:47 - 08:46 Mistake #1: Selling during "Dead Zones"

08:50 - 12:23 Mistake #2: Negotiating over email

12:34 - 15:59 Mistake #3: Relying too much on driving next steps

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Keep your deals on track during the coldest selling months: https://www.gong.io/content/holiday-selling-guide/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Inaccurate forecasts haunting you?

Diego Panama, Chief Commercial Officer at LiveRamp, has dialed in his team’s forecasting and they’re experiencing earth-shattering results. Before, forecasts were iffy at best, but now the team is able to predict the outcome of deals with incredible accuracy. Their key to success? Focusing on the customer journey. This means forecasting based on customer signals rather than the sales team’s actions.

Not only does this method center customers, but it also leads to more accurate forecasts. It helps your sales team direct their energy and allows your executives to plan more effectively.

Key Takeaways:

06:06 - 08:01 Why forecasting is important, and the risks that come along with it

09:16 - 12:35 3 Components to forecasting

16:04 - 18:36 The challenges in forecasting

19:26 - 19:59 Data Breakout: Forecast accuracy

20:13 - 21:27 How to increase your forecast accuracy

22:03 - 24:57 The importance of narrowing the gender gap in the workplace

26:36 - 27:30 Micro Action: Understanding your sales cycle

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Diego Panama: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diegopanama/

Leading sales professionals is challenging. There are many best practices available, we all possess one thing that can give us a massive competitive edge — time. 

Daniel Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author, reveals the secrets revenue leaders need to know to drive maximum impact. These insights will leave you with a straightforward approach to making the most out of your valuable asset.

Key Takeaways

08:29 - 10:05 How to maximize your productivity with limited time

19:27 - 20:21 Data Breakout: Impacts of a break

20:47 - 23:26 How your sales team can start creating urgency in their sales

27:32 - 29:21 The key to effective selling is finding problems

34:12 - 36:53 The most effective sellers are ambiverts

42:05 - 42:58 Micro Action: Observe yourself

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Daniel Pink: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielpink/

As the end of the year approaches, you’re probably feeling the pressure. Pressure to exceed quota, get the most out of your team, and end the year on a high note -- all while trying to avoid burnout. Mark McWatters, VP of Sales at Ambition, shares his advice for coaching your team across the finish line. His secret? Asking empowering questions and ridding yourself of the pressure to have all the answers.

In this episode you’ll learn how to get your reps unstuck, shift your leadership approach, and scale a team to succeed without you.

Key Takeaways:

05:41 - 07:30 Lessons on coaching teams of A-players

13:25 - 14:11 Data Breakout: End of month sales

14:44 - 16:56 Developmental Coaching vs. Finish-line Coaching

23:54 - 26:28 What sales leaders often get wrong

29:10 - 30:04 Micro Action: Final round of 1:1s

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Mark McWatters: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mcwatters-26539414/

How do you identify high-performing sales professionals? Jason Andrew, Chief Revenue Officer at BMC Software, shares his tried-and-true insights.

His advice boils down to problem solving. It sounds simple but healing root causes (rather than symptoms) is key to success in sales leadership. Listen to hear more about why talent acquisition is so important and how you can retain your top people.

Key Takeaways:

07:39 - 10:26 Lessons from experience - What Jason wish he knew when starting at BMC

12:26 - 13:18 Data Breakout: Sales employee turnover rate

13:20 - 16:35 How to keep employees engaged long-term

21:14 - 24:59 Identifying the right people for first-time leadership/seniority roles

35:46 - 36:42 Micro Action: Giving people opportunities to grow

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Jason Andrew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonwandrew/

“Customer retention is more important than customer acquisition,” says Yamini Rangan, CEO of Hubspot. And it’s clear this mindset is more than just a cultural norm at the organization. 

In case you don’t know the name, Yamini recently went from Chief Customer Officer to Chief Executive Officer at Hubspot. Her ‘customer first’ mentality creates a fundamental shift in the B2B space from the traditional funnel approach to a flywheel. Learn how to provide value, starting with the first sales conversation.

Key Takeaways

09:09 - 11:28 Why shifting to the flywheel view instead of the funnel view will benefit your business

15:51 - 18:31 How to turn the flywheel vision into an actionable plan

18:33 - 19:15 Data Breakout: Cost of acquiring a new customer vs retaining an existing customer

21:37 - 23:40 Incentives shape behavior: Care about customer success

31:03 - 32:00 Micro Action: Find when and why customers churn

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Yamini Rangan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaminirangan/

Accurate forecasts are core to running a successful business. Yet more often than not, forecasting is rarely that... accurate.

When John Lorenc, Vice President of Sales Operations, joined Point Click Care they didn’t really have a sales operations function. Today, the company operates a data-fueled forecasting approach putting them within 3% of accuracy. Hear how they said good-bye to a “best-guess” model and get a crash course on how to set up a sales operations function that has massive impacts on the health of your organization.

Key Takeaways:

10:12 - Why it's so difficult to forecast the right way

14:03 - Support your forecast with data

16:19 - Tips for reps building their forecast bottoms up

19:43 - Data Breakout: Forecasting accuracy

20:43 - Crash course to build an accurate forecast

29:43 - How to automate your forecasting

34:22 - Micro Action: Building your idea forecasting process

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with John Lorenc: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-lorenc-ph-d-a1791345/

Being exceptional in sales isn’t a solo mission — it’s a team effort. To be successful in any revenue-generating function, you need mentorship. 

Peter Kim, Chief Sales Officer at Relativity, shares how to budget time, intentionally seek out mentorship opportunities, and why mentors are key to developing the next generation of go-to-market leaders. This episode gives you the playbook you need to build career and life-changing relationships.

Key Takeaways:

08:51 - The building blocks to being a great leader

15:22 - What mentorship actually looks like

20:37 - How to know when a mentor/mentee relationship is working

26:24 - Data Breakout: The power behind mentorship programs

27:33 - How to become a more effective leader

34:53 - Micro Action: Be intentional about creating a mentor relationship

Save your seat for Celebrate: https://gongh.it/celebrate21-reveal

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Peter Kim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterxkim/

If at first you don’t succeed…audit the heck out of your processes.

Leigh Ann Harris, Senior Vice President, Demand Services, North America Cloud Infrastructure at Oracle, joins Corrina to share her goldmine of insights from her experience leading 500+ outbound BDRs. Also, hear her passionate stance on how data and AI can block out your competition and maximize lead quality.

Resource: https://www.gong.io/blog/sales-artificial-intelligence/**

“Land and expand” is vendor-centric. “Know and grow” is customer-centric. There’s a difference. Daniela Becker, Area Vice President Major Accounts EMEA at DocuSign, shares her secrets to success in enterprise sales. Tune in to learn how to set massive deals up for long-term wins – including the tactics that lead to record-breaking upsells.

Key Takeaways:

07:01 - The 3 elements to being an impactful sales leader

09:22 - What is "knowing and growing"?

11:48 - How to ensure you have the right success metrics with your buyers

18:25 - Criteria for entering a proof of concept

20:19 - Data Breakout: Successful POCs

24:33 - You're only as successful as your firs adoption

30:51 - How to find your passion project within your organization

43:58 - Micro Action: Land and expand KPIs

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Daniela Becker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniela-becker-8b41998/

Want to provide vision, direction, and inspiration to your team? Ryan Longfield, Chief Revenue Officer at Gong, breaks down the critical role employee retention plays in sustainable long-term success. Learn how to manage your team’s emotional state (and hear the impact it has on performance). Consider this a crash course on how to level-up as a leader.

Key Takeaways:

05:35 - What leadership means to Ryan Longfield

06:48 - What was the moment you decided to go into leadership

10:34 - Small team vs. Large team aspect

19:35 - What does a leader need to do in the tough times to keep motivation

25:06 - Setting expectation for your team

35:46 - Revenue intelligence is all about seeing clearly

38:44 - Describing sales in one word

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Ryan Longfield: linkedin.com/in/rlongfield

To sell more, you have to sell less. It sounds counterintuitive — but that’s what value-based conversations are all about. Vin Messina, VP of Sales Execution at Blackline, shares how he identifies his buyer’s problems and partners with them to find solutions. Tune in to get a step-by-step playbook on how to sell to the c-suite. (Spoiler: C-suite alignment should happen on the FIRST call.)

Key Takeaways:

00:55 - Introducing Gong's rebranding

11:07 - Differentiating sales execution and sales enablement

15:46 - Sales: A series of well-executed value-based conversations

19:40 - Data Breakout: Sales processes and buyer expectations

20:39 - Vin's value-based formula - Problem, impact, value

25:17 - Enabling sellers to coach buyers not press them

32:19 - The difference between a champion and a change agent

38:15 - Micro Action: Are you fulfilling your buyers needs?

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Vin Messina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vmessina/

After analyzing 300,000 cold emails, we debunked one of sales’ greatest mysteries — and unlocked a strategy to DOUBLE the amount of meetings you book. Here's a hint: The CTA (call to action) you use at the end of your email, matters more than you think. And according to the data, there's one cold email CTA that reigns supreme. Ready to craft the perfect cold email? Tune in to the episode.

43 Highly effective email CTAs: https://gongh.it/43-ctas-gong-asp

Key Takeaways:

00:53 - What is the most effective CTA?

03:54 - The answer from Gong Labs data

07:27 - Why asking for a meeting too early is risky

08:02 - Does the answer change depending on the stage?

08:49 - Do online calendars impact the ask?

If you missed the Opinions portion of this podcast (aka the first half of the episode), you can listen here: https://link.chtbl.com/PWHzpEQ7

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here:

43 Highly effective email CTAs: https://gongh.it/43-ctas-gong-asp

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Bryan Neale: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanneale/

Connect with Bill Caskey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billcaskey/

PLG (product lead growth) flips the traditional sales model on its head. Kai Mak, VP of Sales and Customer Success at Webflow, knows that an end-user-focused growth model isn’t just good for customers -- it’s also good for business. Learn how sales teams can influence product design, what it means to truly delight customers, and why the term 'product qualifying lead' will soon be common sales vocab.

Key Takeaways:

05:27 - What a product-led growth company(PLG) is

10:56 - Focus on the user experience - Bring support and customer success together

13:33 - Data Breakout: PLG companies scale faster once they hit 10 million ARR

21:03 - Leading a team with builder mentalities

27:23 - How Kai and his team use Gong

34:34 - Micro-Action: How to build a strong start for a product-led business

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Kai Mak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaimaksf/

Should you use slides on a discovery call? Choose wisely: it impacts your chances of booking the next meeting by 17%. On this episode of Opinions vs Reality with Bill and Bryan from The Advanced Selling Podcast, we share the data you need to close more deals.

9 Tips for crafting great sales decks: https://gongh.it/crafting-sales-decks-gong-asp

Key Takeaways:

01:01 - Myth bust: Should you use slides on your discovery call?

03:28 - The answer from Gong’s research

04:14 - Slides’ effect on question asking, monologuing, and listening

If you missed the Opinions portion of this podcast (aka the first half of the episode), you can listen here: https://link.chtbl.com/pGK1YxqI

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here:

9 Tips for drafting great sales decks: https://gongh.it/crafting-sales-decks-gong-asp

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Bryan Neale: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanneale/

Connect with Bill Caskey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billcaskey/

The best way to level up? Surround yourself with A-players. To celebrate hitting 100 episodes, we’re sharing the top 10 insights that will inspire you to take your career to the next level. These tips come straight from the minds of Mark Roberge, Kevin Dorsey, Matt Rosenberg, Marjorie Janiewicz, and Dan Shapero (aka the sales leaders who are breaking the mold and winning their markets). Plus — if you’ve ever wondered what Chris Voss’s ringtone is… you’re going to need to tune in. This is one revenue-boosting countdown you don’t want to miss.

Key Takeaways:

05:00 - Ed Calnan - How important is the buyer's journey?

07:42 - Rakhi Voria - Attracting a diverse sales workforce

10:24 - Dana Feldman - Running effective 1:1s that drive revenue

13:20 - Mark Roberge - Deal momentum masters

18:35 - Kevin Dorsey - Deal signals that increase revenue

21:24 - Chris Voss - How to negotiate like a boss

23:47 - Matt Rosenberg - Why multi-level selling is critical for today's landscape

26:38 - Marjorie Janiewicz - How hackers are driving predictable revenue

29:18 - Jonathan Frick - What prevents B-players from becoming A-players

31:57 - Dan Shapero - Why a growth mindset is critical for your success

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

“I need to think about it.” is the objection that makes every salesperson's skin crawl. But is it really the reason your deal didn’t close? On Opinions vs Reality, Bryan and Bill from the Advanced Selling Podcast join us to discuss how to overcome this all-to-common objection. Learn how to address any potential roadblock your seller might have. (Spoiler: It’s time to shift from sales to strategic advisor.)

Objection handling techniques: https://gongh.it/objection-handling-techniques-gong-asp

Key Takeaways:

2:06 - The perception of what “I need to think about it” has on closing a sale

4:13 -  Devin reveals what the data says

6:55 - Turning the date into action with successful follow-up strategies

9:20 - Shifting from sales professional to strategic advisor

If you missed the Opinions portion of this podcast (aka the first half of the episode), you can listen here: https://link.chtbl.com/95cifrB2

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Bryan Neale: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanneale/

Connect with Bill Caskey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billcaskey/

Virtual selling. Hybrid selling. Remote selling. Whatever you call it, 92% of buyers prefer it — and it’s here to stay. David Deming, Partner at Bain & Co., is an expert in salesforce effectiveness that leads to profitable growth. In the episode, he dives into data-driven sales plays and how to retool your front line. Whether you’re fully remote or have a hybrid model, these insights will lead you to virtual sales success.

Key Takeaways:

07:14 - How to define virtual selling

09:12 - Buyers prefer virtual interactions

10:50 - The importance of digital footprint

12:59 - 5 ways you can contribute to successful virtual selling

16:33 - How to roll out new tools without overwhelming sales reps

18:22 - Data Breakout - Digital transformation acceleration

24:03 - How to best coach your sales reps in the new virtual world

28:31 - How you can be a better sales leader

30:19 - Micro Action - Assessing where you are with your virtual selling capabilities

Opinions vs reality: Do you curse in sales?: https://link.chtbl.com/RXCZTv0g

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with David Deming: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daviddeming/

Do you know the impact cursing has on your sales calls? Bryan and Bill from the Advanced Selling Podcast join us for Opinions vs Reality. This midweek bonus episode unpacks the unexpected impact cursing has. Do you think it shows authenticity or a lack of professionalism?

We reveal data that may make you rethink the words you use (and when).

Plus, there are 5 words that can make your sales calls even more persuasive. These are the words and phrases used by high-performing salespeople to close more deals. How many of these words do you use? Find out: https://gongh.it/words-that-sell-gong-asp/

Key Takeaways:

00:30 - To curse or not to curse, is that the question?

01:40 - Devin reveals what the data says

02:44 - The impact cursing has on your close rate

03:18 - Words of wisdom to live by

If you missed the Opinions portion of this podcast (aka the first half of the episode), you can listen here: https://link.chtbl.com/RXCZTv0g

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Bryan Neale: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanneale/

Connect with Bill Caskey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billcaskey/

We’re hearing it from sales reps and even some sales leaders: enough of the juggling act regarding sales tools.

Your sales force won't be able to perform at their best if they have to use too many different systems at once.

Our guest, Kyle Lacy, CMO of Jellyfish and former SVP of Marketing at Seismic, shares his thoughts on how too many apps and systems can get in the way of rep’s selling.

Kyle has extensive expertise in the rapidly expanding software sector, making him an expert at generating results and making an impression that lasts. But even though software offers amazing benefits in terms of efficiency, he challenges us to consider: When your tech stack becomes too complex or top-heavy, what happens?

Numerous studies show that a salesperson's output and efficiency suffer when they try to sell too many different things simultaneously. 

Let’s see how Kyle suggests reps approach this…

Resources: Salesforce & McKinsey

Success in sales leaves clues that point to what works and what doesn’t. Are you tracking success signals across your pipeline? Kevin "KD" Dorsey, VP of Inside Sales at PatientPop, shares how to use data to coach your team, spot at-risk deals, and fuel growth. You’ll learn how to recognize critical success signals, focus on what matters most during pipeline reviews, and build a scalable sales checklist that drives better performance from everyone on your team.

Key Takeaways:

06:59 - What are the patterns of my sales team?

13:22 - Develop people, manage processes

15:39 - The first deal warning: problem agreements

18:27 - Data Breakout: Plan your next steps...sometimes

25:14 - How skill-based metrics can help your sales team

32:30 - Listen to the language of your prospect

37:21 - Using your tools to make a change

41:18 - The psychology of sales.

43:44 - Micro-action: Make your own checklist

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Kevin Dorsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kddorsey3/

HackerOne sells a slightly non-traditional product: hackers. Marjorie Janiewicz, Chief Revenue Officer at HackerOne, shares how she uses data to build and validate her go-to-market strategy. (Luckily, her tactics work regardless of what you sell.) Plus, you'll hear how she went from sales rep to c-suite. If you want to make moves in your career, this is for you.

Key Takeaways:

06:35 - Hiring people who want to build a company

08:55 - What metrics to use and why it's a continuous learning process

13:37 - Data Breakout - How sales leaders would describe their culture

17:01 - How to position yourself from running inside sales to all of sales

24:58 - Skills salespeople should focus on

26:25 - Micro Action - Focusing on execution

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Marjorie Janiewicz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjorietoucas/

Your reps want to get better. You want to help them. The problem? Coaching has always been impossible to scale. Dana Feldman, Head of Enterprise and Mid-Market Sales at Amazon, and Bryan Tucker, Head of Mid-Market Sales at Gong, discuss all things coaching. From building a coaching culture to measuring the impact of your coaching strategy, learn how to increase revenue and turn mid-performers into top performers.

Key Takeaways:

10:01 - How to build coaching into your company culture

13:33 - Creating a framework for monitoring your coaching strategy

17:23 - Peer coaching - How to learn from one another

23:57 - Coaching top sellers using data

28:26 - Blindspots: Consistency is key

30:35 - Visibility: Where is coaching needed most?

38:55 - How to measure the impact of your coaching strategy

43:30 - Gong's Complete Coaching Suite

45:15 - Dana Feldman on Gong's new Complete Coaching Suite

Want to explore Revenue Intelligence for your org? It starts here: https://www.gong.io/revenue-intelligence/

Connect with Devin Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/

Connect with Sheena Badani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabadani/

Connect with Bryan Tucker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryandtucker/

Connect with Dana Feldman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danafeldman/