Categories: Podcasts
This month, our Revenue Builders guests shared some valuable breakdowns of key leadership skills. From hiring to reporting and developing innovative and effective processes — these guests have definitely been there, done that in the sales world, and we're proud to bring you their stories. These podcasts include insights from leaders of some of the top startups and tech companies of the past decade: Hubspot, Snowflake, MongoDB and more. Dig in to the below episodes to get the inside scoop on the skills needed to lead an elite sales team.
We recently started publishing two episodes per week, so there's even more great lessons in leadership to dig in to! Make sure to subscribe to the Revenue Builders podcast on your favorite podcast player, so you never miss an episode.
October Featured Episodes:
Making the Right Sales Hire with Mark Roberge
Duration: 13 min
Topic:
In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by Mark Roberge, co-founder at Stage 2 Capital and Harvard Business School lecturer. The discussion revolves around scaling sales and building a disciplined hiring process. Mark shares his insights into hiring for sales and highlights the importance of context in shaping the ideal sales team. He emphasizes the need to create a hiring scorecard with attributes like coachability, intelligence, and curiosity. Mark also explains the role of role-playing in interviews and the significance of continuous evolution in the hiring process.
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Effective Proof of Concepts with Keno Helmi
Duration: 1 hr
Topic:
Keno Helmi is a five-time CRO with a wealth of experience in the technology industry. He has held leadership positions at companies such as PTC, HP, Digby, Duetto, Platform 9, and Pegasus. Currently, he serves as CRO at Espressive. In this podcast with John McMahon, Keno discusses the importance of proof of value (POV) in the sales process. Keno explains that a POV is not just about validating the technology, but also about validating the business case. He shares best practices for running a successful POV, including defining objectives, setting clear success metrics, and involving the sales rep throughout the process. Keno concludes by discussing the importance of debriefing with the champion and presenting a comprehensive report or presentation to the EB after the POV.
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Measuring Pipeline Activities with Carlos Delatorre
Duration: 9 min
Topic:
Veteran sales leader Carlos Delatorre joins Revenue Builders for a conversation into pipeline generation and the essential skills and metrics that sales leaders should monitor. Carlos shares his experience in building a sophisticated pipeline generation machine at MongoDB, highlighting the complexity of open source software sales. He emphasizes the importance of conducting thorough research on target accounts and tailoring messages to different personas. The discussion also covers key metrics such as net new meetings and visible opportunities, with Carlos providing insights into what constitutes a visible opportunity. Throughout the conversation, the importance of unambiguous exit criteria for each sales stage is emphasized as a crucial element of successful pipeline management.
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Innovating and Iterating for Growth with Hubspot Co-Founder Brian Halligan
Duration: 1 hr
Topic:
Brian Halligan, former CEO and co-founder of HubSpot, is a visionary leader who revolutionized marketing with the concept of "inbound marketing." During his tenure with Hubspot (ending in '21) he was consistently recognized on Glassdoor's and Comparably's lists of best CEOs. In this podcast, Brian shares his journey in building HubSpot and the evolution of inbound marketing methodology. He emphasizes the importance of international expansion and the challenges of scaling a company. Brian also discusses the concept of "grinding it out" and the need for continuous improvement. In addition, he talks about his new venture, Propeller, a fund that invests in companies working on climate and ocean-related solutions.
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Taking Ownership When Scaling Sales with Andy Byron
Duration: 12 min
Topic:
In this episode, we dive deep into the world of sales leadership with veteran sales leader Andy Byron. We discussed critical aspects of sales scaling, including ideal customer profile alignment, pipeline metrics, and the cost of a bad hire. Andy shares invaluable insights on what it takes to build a successful sales organization and the common pitfalls to avoid. Whether you're a seasoned sales professional or an aspiring leader, this episode offers practical advice for achieving sustainable revenue growth.
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The Art of Cold Calling with Leslie Venetz
Duration: 1 hr 2 min
Topic:
Leslie Venetz is a corporate sales trainer and sales-led GTM consultant. She has made over 100,000 cold calls and served as Head of Sales for multiple organizations before founding Sales Team Builder, where over 60,000 users follow her content. Leslie uses her expertise to help teams talk WITH their prospects instead of AT them. In this podcast conversation, Leslie shares her knowledge of cold calling. She emphasizes the importance of treating cold calling as a craft and using it as part of a multi-channel outreach strategy. Leslie provides tips on how to maximize success before making a cold call, including creating a segmented and niche list as well as conducting research on the prospect's business challenges. She also discusses the elements of a compelling cold call pitch and the importance of curiosity, conversation, and conclusion in handling objections. Leslie advises on the best practices for follow-up calls and offers insight on the ideal time to make cold calls.
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The Passion a Founder Needs with Jim Baum
Duration: 17 min
Topic:
In this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast hosted by John McMahon and John Kaplan, growth executive Jim Baum, who has more than 25 years of experience in growing and managing cutting-edge tech businesses, shares his insights into what makes great leadership in the world of entrepreneurship and startup growth. The conversation delves into the significance of a leader's unwavering belief, perseverance, and the importance of market research. Jim's anecdotes and wisdom provide valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs.
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Reducing Customer Churn with Pawan Deshpande
Duration: 48 min
Topic:
Pawan Deshpande is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor who currently serves as Head of Product & Growth at Linea. He has founded multiple successful companies, including Curata, a content marketing and analytics software company. Pawan has extensive experience in customer success and has implemented a critical care framework to improve customer retention and satisfaction. In this episode, Pawan shares his experience with customer success and introduces the concept of critical care, a proactive approach to customer support. He discusses the four distinct ways companies handle customer success: reactive support, onboarding, business reviews, and critical care. Pawan emphasizes the importance of a culture of ownership within the customer success team and the need for proactive monitoring of customer health. He also highlights the role of instrumentation and telemetry in detecting issues and setting appropriate thresholds. Pawan's concluding remarks discuss the mindset shift required for effective customer success and the potential for upselling within customer success roles.
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Key Points in Snowflake's Growth with CRO Chris Degnan
Duration: 12 min
Topic:
In this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast hosted by John McMahon and John Kaplan, Snowflake's CRO Chris Degnan delves into the pivotal decisions and strategies that led Snowflake to its incredible growth. Chris shares insights into recognizing key moments and adapting to changing market dynamics. From selling to large enterprises to navigating the shift to the cloud, Chris provides valuable lessons on scaling a successful business.
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Never Miss an Episode
We publish new episodes every week. Download, listen and share them with your teams. If there's a topic you want us to cover, email us. You can subscribe to our podcast on all the major streaming platforms.
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