Tech Sales Insights

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl is joined by Dave Grant, President of Nasuni, to discuss his impressive career trajectory from CMO to CRO and now President. Dave shares his journey, key insights, and the importance of a holistic go-to-market strategy. The conversation covers the role of rev ops, the importance of a strong corporate culture, and the significance of balancing short-term execution with long-term strategy. Key takeaways include leveraging sales and marketing symbiosis for better outcomes, focusing on transparency within the company, and the value of building a supportive network. Notable quotes from industry leaders highlight Dave's unique blend of strategic and tactical skills. This episode is sponsored by Sandler and Sales Community.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Career Progression: Understand the key skills and mindset shifts necessary to transition from a CMO to a CRO and ultimately to President.
• Sales and Marketing Alignment: Learn about the importance of integrating marketing efforts with sales to ensure cohesive go-to-market strategies and successful outcomes.
• Company Culture: Discover how Nasuni's transparent and team-oriented culture contributes to its success and employee satisfaction.
• Strategic Partnerships: Gain insights into how Nasuni leverages partnerships with hyperscalers and channel partners to enhance its market presence and drive growth.
• Challenges and Opportunities: Hear about the challenges in brand awareness and the strategies Nasuni employs to overcome them and capitalize on its market potential.

QUOTES

• Dave Grant on Team Dynamics: "I think team translates into what goes on in the workplace. As long as you're a good teammate, most of it, the rest of it plays out."
• Randy Seidl on Marketing Metrics: "MKLs are great, but what's it doing to turn into an SQL and something that's really trying to add value?"
• Dave Grant on Company Culture: "Paul Flanagan puts it best when he says you take care of your employees. They take care of customers and everything else follows."
• Dave Grant on Nasuni's Growth: "We believe we have the potential with the addressable market we have in front of us... We can be a standalone publicly traded company."

Find out more about Dave Grant through the link below:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dgrant4/

This episode is sponsored by Sandler. Sandler is a world leader in innovative sales, leadership, and management training. For more than 50 years, Sandler has taught its distinctive, non-traditional selling system and highly effective sales training methodology, which has helped salespeople and sales managers take charge of the process.

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl is joined with Lee Hacohen, Head of Sales at Red Eye, to discuss the pressing issue of pipeline problems in sales and how AI can provide a solution. Sponsored by Alexander Group, the episode dives deep into the evolving landscape of sales, the impact of AI, and practical strategies for leveraging technology to enhance sales productivity. Lee shares his journey from broadcasting to becoming a sales leader, insights on AI’s role in sales, and actionable advice for sales professionals facing pipeline challenges.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• AI in Sales: AI can handle repetitive tasks like identifying prospects, gathering contact information, and personalizing initial outreach, freeing up sales reps to focus on high-value activities.
• Human vs. Machine: AI is not replacing salespeople but augmenting their capabilities by handling tasks that machines excel at, such as data processing and initial contact personalization.
• Personalization at Scale: Tools like Reggie enable sales teams to send highly personalized emails and LinkedIn messages efficiently, improving engagement rates.
• Importance of Training: Continuous training and adaptation are crucial as the sales landscape evolves with technological advancements.
• Building and Growing: Identifying companies in their growth phase and leveraging AI can significantly impact sales success.

QUOTES

• "There's certain things machines do really well and there's certain things people do really well. AI is here to augment, not replace, the salesperson."
• "In order to actually connect with someone and get their attention in an inbox that has 60 emails, you have to show them that you know them."
• "AI can personalize messages based on company performance and individual profiles within seconds, a task that would take a human significantly longer."

Find out more about Lee Hacohen through the links below:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lhacohen/

This episode is sponsored by The Alexander Group, our GTM & Sales Compensation Partner. Alexander Group provides revenue growth consulting services to the world’s leading sales organizations. When clients need to grow revenue, they look to Alexander Group for data-driven insights, actionable recommendations, and results.

This week's episode of Tech Sales Insights LIVE features guest Brian Kelly, CEO of CloudGenera

This episode is sponsored by The Alexander Group, our GTM & Sales Compensation partner. Alexander Group provides revenue growth consulting services to the world’s leading sales organizations. When clients need to grow revenue, they look to Alexander Group for data-driven insights, actionable recommendations and results.

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/salescommunity/message

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl in an insightful conversation with Mohamad Ali, Chief Operating Officer of IBM Consulting, they delve into the transformative impact of generative AI on the IT consulting industry. From disrupting traditional sales processes to enhancing cybersecurity for global organizations like NATO, Ali shares real-world examples of how AI is reshaping the landscape. Discover the secrets behind IBM Consulting Advantage, an AI services platform, and explore the profound productivity improvements witnessed in groundbreaking projects. Learn how IBM Consulting is at the forefront of embracing AI to drive efficiency, security, and innovation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The IT consulting industry is on the brink of a significant transformation with the advent of generative AI.
• Gen AI is disrupting traditional sales processes, leading to monumental shifts in client engagement and project timelines.
• IBM Consulting Advantage provides a consistent approach to building AI solutions, ensuring security, governance, and protection against biases.
• Real-world examples, such as the NATO cybersecurity project, showcase the immense potential of AI in solving complex challenges.
• Productivity improvements of up to 52% have been observed in projects utilizing AI assistants, emphasizing the practical impact of Gen AI.

QUOTES

• "We need to bring consistency to AI projects because it's not just about building great solutions; it's about securing, governing, and protecting personal information."
• "The consulting market is not going to stay labor-based; Gen AI will disrupt the industry in the same way Uber disrupted the taxi business."
• "Focus on doing a great job and loving what you do. Internal politics will fade away if you genuinely enjoy your work."

Find out more about Mohamad Ali through the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alimohamad/

This episode of Tech Sales Insights is brought to you by:

• Sales Community: https://www.salescommunity.com/
• Sandler: https://www.sandler.com/

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl interviews Greg Casale and Ryan Reisert about the importance of live conversations in sales. They discuss the metrics of conversations versus dials, the effectiveness of cold calling, and the impact of local dialers. They also emphasize the need for personalized and targeted outreach and the importance of training and skill development for successful outbound calling. Ryan shares a study from Outreach, a billion-dollar valuation company, which suggests that after 250 deliveries, a 12% top-line response can be expected when using email and LinkedIn, compared to a 20-40% connect rate when solely using cold calling. Greg emphasizes the importance of setting realistic expectations and understanding the specific connect rates for your industry and target audience. They also discuss the qualities and training needed for successful outbound calling, including the ability to stick with the process and build muscle memory. Greg highlights that competitiveness is not the only factor for success, and introverts can excel in outbound calling due to their analytical and listening skills. They also touch on the effectiveness of phone-ready leads in increasing connect rates, with Ryan explaining that their process involves identifying signals that indicate a higher likelihood of reaching prospects.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Live conversations are essential for sales success as they allow for meaningful interactions with prospects.
• The connect rate for cold calling is typically between 2% and 12%, depending on the industry and target audience.
• Local dialers can be effective in some cases, but the advantage has diminished over time as people have become more accustomed to receiving sales calls on their mobile phones.
• It is important to set realistic expectations for outbound calling and understand the specific connect rates for your industry and target audience.
• The qualities needed for successful outbound calling include the ability to stick with the process and build muscle memory.
• Introverts can excel in outbound calling due to their analytical and listening skills.
• Phone-ready leads can significantly increase connect rates by identifying signals that indicate a higher likelihood of reaching prospects.

QUOTES

• "Nothing converts better than a live conversation." - Ryan Reisert
• "You want to build enough of a statistical database to know what the connect rate is for your persona in a company of the size you're trying to reach." - Greg Casale

Find out more about Greg and Ryan through the links below:

• Greg Casale: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregcasale/
• Ryan Reisert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salesdevelopmentrepresentative/

This episode of Tech Sales Insights is brought to you by:

• Sales Community: https://www.salescommunity.com/
• Sandler: https://www.sandler.com/