George Conrades, the Former CEO of Akamai Technologies and Current member of Oracle’s Board of Directors joins John Kaplan and John McMahon for a conversation on leadership. Conrades is the author of ‘On Being a Leader’ where he shares how to inspire and guide others toward a common purpose. 

He’s mentored countless leaders at all levels and across diverse industries, experiences and backgrounds. He shares his experience in this candid conversation. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Connect and learn more about George Conrades:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeconrades/

Be sure to check out his book, On Being A Leader. All the proceeds go to the Akamai Foundation that supports STEM education in grades K-12.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DF6NVQ3V

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT

[00:02:06] Insights on Leadership from George's Book
[00:04:13] The Power of Effective Listening
[00:08:38] Inclusiveness and Team Building
[00:17:08] Navigating Change as a Leader
[00:20:05] Transactional vs. Transformational Leadership
[00:22:55] Balancing Management and Leadership
[00:24:28] Understanding Competence and Commitment
[00:28:09] The Importance of Being Present
[00:29:02] Leveraging Team Strengths
[00:33:54] Loving People: The Heart of Leadership
[00:37:16] Leadership Development Insights
[00:38:23] The Power of Authenticity
[00:39:03] Self-Awareness in Leadership
[00:39:36] The Impact of Words and Actions
[00:44:38] Recruiting the Right People
[00:50:55] Creating Clarity and Setting Goals
[00:52:53] Accountability and Team Dynamics
[01:00:04] Guiding Principles and Urgency
[01:01:35] The Importance of Humility

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:02:10] "Leadership is not about your title. Leadership is about your intention and actions."
[00:02:35] "Absorb uncertainty. Great teams, full of wonderful people, can't stand ambiguity."
[00:06:42] "To be present shows that you care, and that's a big emotion."
[00:34:19] "Your whole job as a leader is to inspire others to do their very best. The measure of your personal leadership success is leaving behind even better leaders."
[00:35:04] "You need to be vulnerable because you're going to ask questions that will expose you as a leader who doesn't know the answer."
[00:36:41] "Great leaders are made, not born."

In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, Brian White shares his perspectives on team motivation and leadership. Brian White, the running backs coach at Bowling Green State University, discusses the invaluable lessons learned from losses, the importance of the human touch in coaching, and the significance of building accountability and selflessness within teams. He elaborates on his coaching philosophy, which includes connecting deeply with players, understanding their backgrounds, and emphasizing the core values of gratitude, grit, and selflessness. White also recounts lessons from his mentor Joe Moore and explains his approach to fostering team spirit and individual excellence.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:00:50] Lessons from Wins and Losses
[00:01:20] The Importance of Human Connection in Coaching
[00:01:58] Reaching Players' Genetic Ceilings
[00:02:36] Connecting with Players on a Personal Level
[00:03:18] Feeding Players: A Coaching Strategy
[00:06:35] Core Values: Gratitude, Grit, and Selflessness
[00:07:28] Balancing Individuality and Teamwork
[00:08:29] Mantra for Success: Play Hard, Fast, and Be a Great Teammate

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:01:13] "The most important thing you learn through the losses is that the human touch is the most important component."
[00:01:25] "If you have the ability to touch people in a way that they'll relate to, you're going to drive your productivity through the roof."
[00:03:13] "People want to be touched and they want you to get involved with them."
[00:08:37] "Play as hard as you can, as fast as you can, for as long as you can, and be a great teammate."
[00:10:20] "You can be the greatest talent in the world, but if you can't get anybody to follow you, that's a problem."

Listen to Mark’s Full Episode Here: https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/harnessing-the-power-of-coaching-with-brian-white/

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

Check out John McMahon’s book here:

Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4

Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here: 

https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/

Read Force Management's eBook: https://www.forcemanagement.com/roi-of-sales-messaging

In this episode, we bring you snippets of several conversations that focused on Customer Success. Listen as John Kaplan and John McMahon talk with Sasha Anderson, the Global Head of Customer Success at Canva, Dan Barrett the Executive VP of Customers at MongoDB and Allison Pickens Co-Author of the Customer Success Economy. 

[00:00:13] Sasha Anderson on Customer Success and Consumption Pricing
[00:06:30] Dan Barrett on Customer Expectations and Value Demonstration
[00:16:35] The Importance of Customer Success in Reducing Churn with Alison Pickens

Don’t miss the full episodes featuring our guests: 

Allison Pickens: https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/mastering-the-art-of-customer-success-with-allison-pickens

Sasha Anderson: https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/optimizing-a-customer-success-team

Dan Barrett: 

https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/the-right-hire-for-customer-success-with-dan-barrett

Additional Resources
Force Management’s Customer Success Playbook: 
https://www.forcemanagement.com/driving-renewals-and-nrr-with-customer-success

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

Check out John McMahon’s book, The Qualified Sales Leader: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064

In this episode, John Kaplan and John McMahon talk through their key takeaways from the most popular episodes in our Revenue Builders Archive. We compiled our top five shows based on listener data - tune in as our hosts talk through the following conversations and lessons learned:

[00:03:03] The Difference Between Managing and Leading with Jeremy Duggan, President and Board Member at Multiverse.
[00:09:27] Sales Best Practices with Mark Wendling, VP of WW Data Cloud Sales at Snowflake.
[00:12:54] Sales Stages and Exit Criteria, with Brian McCarthy CRO at Rubrik.
[00:19:36] Business Value Assessments, with Doug May SVP of Productivity at Harness.

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

Check out John McMahon’s book, The Qualified Sales Leader: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064

In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, Mark Roberge shares some thoughts on AI and how to think about using it to innovate business, rather than automating isolated tasks. It’s part of a larger episode with John Kaplan and John McMahon. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:00:25] How AI Disrupts Legacy Thinking: Relying on established systems and resources will lead to failure; companies must rethink from scratch.
[00:01:41] Big Companies Resist Disruption: Internal power dynamics often prevent large companies from embracing necessary innovation.[00:03:13] AI's Shortcomings in Sales: Many companies focus on automating tasks rather than considering the full customer experience.
[00:05:09] AI Co-pilot Concept: Current AI tools are overly iterative, with most companies simply aiming to boost productivity, not revolutionize.
[00:05:57] Future of Work with AI: The potential for billion-dollar companies with minimal employees raises questions about capitalism and job creation.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:00:46] Mark Roberge on Innovation: "The minute you say, ‘How can we leverage what we already have?’—game over."
[00:01:41] John McMahon on Company Resistance: "The people in power won’t give in easily to disruptions that challenge their status."
[00:03:57] Mark Roberge on AI's Shortcomings: "Co-pilot is the pets.com of this era. It’s iterative. It’s not revolutionary."
[00:05:57] Mark Roberge on Future Jobs: "AI will lead to the first billion-dollar company with two employees."

Listen to Mark’s Full Episode Here: https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/innovation-growth-and-failure

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

Check out John McMahon’s book here:
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4

Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here: 
https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/

Read Force Management's eBook: https://www.forcemanagement.com/roi-of-sales-messaging

In this episode, John Kaplan and John McMahon talk through each stage of sales management and the important responsibilities that must be mastered at each role.

From first-line manager to second-line to VP of Sales and all the way up to the CRO, they tackle the key responsibilities at each role and the key factors that go into coaching and developing their teams at every stage. It’s a great discussion on how these leadership roles intertwine with the ultimate goal of building a system for revenue success. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Check out John McMahon’s book, The Qualified Sales Leader: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

Force Management’s Manager Enablement Resources: https://hubs.li/Q02Vt_xM0

HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT

[00:01:02] Key Responsibilities of Sales Reps
[00:03:46] Challenges of First Line Sales Managers
[00:07:03] Territory Management and Fairness
[00:11:35] Recruiting and Developing Talent
[00:19:46] The Role of Second Line Managers
[00:36:07] A Learning Experience in Management
[00:38:07] The Impact of Attrition on Sales
[00:41:12] Why Sales Reps Fail
[00:50:28] The Importance of Time Management
[00:55:01] Responsibilities of a CRO
[01:04:32] Critical Metrics for Sales Success

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:07:01] "Management needs to have deep insights into the accounts and the reps. Without that, it's all just guesses." – John McMahon
[00:18:16] "If you're a good recruiter, you meet spouses and friends of your hires. You have to zip them up in a body bag if you fail them, and that's serious." – John Kaplan
[01:13:37] "Critical activities, proactive processes, and understanding why we're measuring people on these metrics are key components for driving success." – John Kaplan
[01:12:51] "It's all about building and maintaining a collective sense of urgency and careful management of quotas and recruiting timelines." – John McMahon

In this episode, John Kaplan and John McMahon are joined by Devavrat Shah, CEO and co-founder of Ikigai Labs and MIT professor, to demystify the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. The conversation spans a wide array of crucial AI topics including the history and applications of AI, causal inference, explainability, and the integration of AI into sales and forecasting processes. Key highlights include the role of AI in consumption pricing, business model transformations, and job market impacts. Shah underscores the importance of governance, ethical use, and education in AI, offering valuable insights into AI tools from Ikigai Labs and their practical implementations in sectors like healthcare, supply chain, and BFSI. The discussion concludes with a focus on the explosive growth of AI, urging businesses to invest in internal education and to approach AI adoption with a 'proof of value' mindset for sustained success and global upskilling.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Connect and learn more about Devavrat Shah:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/devavrat-shah-63b59a2/

Learn more about AI through Ikagai Academy: https://www.ikigailabs.io/ai-academy

Check out Force Management’s guide on implementing AI for B2B Sales teams: https://hubs.li/Q02TG4tZ0

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT

[00:03:02] History and Evolution of AI
[00:06:21] Understanding AI Terminology
[00:18:37] The Role of Explainability in AI
[00:26:45] AI in Consumption Pricing and Forecasting
[00:33:33] Future Possibilities and Implications of AI
[00:35:58] AI's Role in Healthcare and Decision Making
[00:37:08] Human-Machine Interaction and AI
[00:38:29] Embracing AI Tools in Daily Life
[00:40:33] Challenges and Governance in AI
[00:42:44] The Importance of AI Governance
[00:49:10] Introduction to IKIGAI Labs
[00:54:13] AI's Impact on Industries and Consumers
[01:01:18] The AI Revolution: Why Now?

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:03:15] "AI, statistics, machine learning, data science, for me, all of those terms have intimate relationships." – Devavret Shah
[00:04:32] "Humans primarily do two things really well: mind and muscle." – Devavret Shah
[01:00:27] "Don't just rush into AI because it's cool. Carefully choose where you go." – Devavret Shah
[01:00:51] "Have internal champions who should be educated in terms of how to use AI." – Devavret Shah
[01:04:13] "It's time to just upskill a little around AI so that we are not left behind." – Devavret Shah

The best sales kickoffs are planned in a way that aligns with the company’s strategic goals and sets your revenue teams up to execute successfully. In this segment, John Kaplan and John McMahon talk through the importance of demonstrating the opportunity your company is providing your revenue teams and why committing their time to your organization is going to be worth it. 

Force Management’s Sales Kickoff Resources:
Five must-dos for leaders on SKO planning: https://hubs.li/Q02SpNpS0
Ultimate Sales Kickoff Resource Guide:  https://hubs.li/Q02Qr2B80

Check out John McMahon’s book here:
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4

Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/

Read Force Management's eBook: https://www.forcemanagement.com/roi-of-sales-messaging

In this episode, John Kaplan and John McMahon are joined by return guest Keno Helmi, a seasoned five-time CRO, to delve into the nuances of negotiation in B2B sales. Keno offers insights into effectively managing price perception and ensuring the customer's focus remains on the value of the solution, rather than cost. With a focus on crafting an impactful ROI and leveraging business cases, Keno highlights the importance of negotiation as a competency requiring strategic planning and training. Tune in to hear a detailed overview of Keno's negotiation protocol, which includes qualifying negotiation conditions, understanding the customer's alternatives, and the importance of preparing for trade-offs to secure a favorable deal.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Connect and learn more about Keno Helmi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keno-helmi-74779329/

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT

[00:01:07] Kino Helmi's Career Journey
[00:02:05] The Importance of Early Negotiation
[00:04:51] Characterizing Your Product as Premium
[00:08:03] Handling Pricing and Value Discussions
[00:12:24] The Role of Discovery in Negotiation
[00:26:12] Budgetary Pricing and ROI
[00:33:32] Navigating Late-Stage Sales Challenges
[00:35:04] The Importance of ROI in Negotiations
[00:40:35] Mastering the Art of Shock and Awe
[00:41:53] Qualifying the Negotiation
[00:43:34] Leveraging Non-Price Elements
[00:44:37] Aligning Sales Reps and Company Goals
[00:56:31] Establishing a Walkaway Point

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:09:25] "Negotiation is a process, not an event."
[00:35:47] "Ultimately, you're going to be judged relative to the ROI."
[00:41:04] "Shock and awe: No matter what the counter proposal is, fall out of your seat; provoke a reaction."
[01:00:13] "Every great deal has a thousand mothers and fathers to it. Everybody signs up and says, 'Oh, we were part of that deal.' Every bad deal is a rep on an island."

In this curated episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by sales veteran Tammy Sexton, currently CRO at Aerospike, discussing the crucial transition from being an account executive to a first-line manager. Tammy emphasizes the common pitfall of new managers acting as 'super reps' by trying to sell in their style rather than coaching their teams. She shares insights on empowering sales reps, recognizing individual strengths, and fostering lasting behavioral changes through effective coaching. The conversation highlights the importance of not overshadowing AEs in client interactions and allowing them to enjoy the critical negotiation phases. Tammy provides strategies to help new managers succeed in their roles and drive revenue goals without undermining their team's potential.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:00:45] Transitioning from AE to First Line Manager
[00:01:26] Avoiding the Super Rep Trap
[00:03:46] Effective Coaching Strategies
[00:04:11] Empowering Your Team

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:01:43] "Managers need to recognize when they're becoming super rep and when they're doing their AEs' job for them, as opposed to coaching them."
[00:01:59] "Sometimes letting them just fall off once is not a bad thing either."
[00:03:50] "Telling them what to do is never really effective. Asking them questions so that they figure out that they could be doing something differently themselves - that's when you're going to actually have a change that's going to be a lasting change in their behavior."
[00:04:21] "The most important person at the account is the rep and you're disrespecting the rep in front of the customer, you're not giving any power to the AE."
[00:05:09] "Taking that fun part away from them makes them not want to be on your team anymore."

Listen to the full episode through this link: 
https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/showing-value-as-a-sales-leader-with-tammy-sexton/

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

Check out John McMahon’s book here:
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4

Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here: 
https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/

Read Force Management's eBook: https://www.forcemanagement.com/roi-of-sales-messaging

In this episode, John Kaplan and John McMahon are joined by Bill Binch, a seasoned sales leader and Operating Partner at Battery Ventures. Together, they explore Bill's extensive career, beginning at major companies like Oracle and PeopleSoft, moving to startups such as Marketo, and eventually stepping into the VC world. Bill shares key lessons on effective sales management, transparent leadership, and strategic hiring. He also emphasizes the importance of consistent messaging, proactive problem-solving, and the integration of new technologies like AI in achieving revenue goals. This episode provides practical insights into growing within the sales domain, understanding the motivations behind career transitions, and the roles of anticipation and deliberate growth for CROs looking to evolve into advisory or operating positions within investment firms.

Tune in and learn more on this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Connect and learn more about Bill Binch:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-binch-302a4a2/

Listen to Bill's podcast:  

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sound-bites-with-bill-binch/id1732334718

Read Bill's Content:  

https://www.battery.com/blog-author/bill-binch/

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT

[00:01:33] Lessons from Oracle and PeopleSoft
[00:04:32] Purposeful Career Moves and Sacrifices
[00:09:02] Navigating Career Challenges and Mentorship
[00:13:05] The Importance of Learning and Patience
[00:32:19] Transitioning to Smaller Companies
[00:45:57] Transparency and Community Building at Marketo
[00:47:13] Simplifying the Message: A CRO's Skill
[00:48:48] Recruitment Challenges and Strategies
[00:51:55] Building a High-Performance Sales Team
[00:52:37] The Importance of Employee Value Proposition
[00:55:47] Traits of Successful Sales Reps
[00:59:28] The Role of a CRO in a Startup
[01:01:07] Navigating the CRO-CEO Relationship
[01:05:25] Forecasting and Accountability
[01:09:48] Transitioning to an Operating Partner Role
[01:18:43] Advice for Aspiring CROs and Board Members

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:02:28] "People that raise their hands and say the word yes, opportunities open up for you when that happens." — Bill Binch
[00:10:50] "Learn, earn, and return. And you don't ever stop; as you grow, you acquire more of those stages." — Bill Binch
[00:11:00] "So it starts with learning your craft, learning your skill, getting good at something." — Bill Binch