Revenue Builders - podcast cover

Revenue Builders

Force Managementwww.forcemanagement.com
Welcome to the Revenue Builders podcast, a weekly show featuring B2B sales leaders and executives. Hosted by Five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management’s Co-Founder John Kaplan, the show goes in the barrel, behind the scenes with the people who have been there, done that and seen the results. Revenue Builders covers the best practices for scaling and growing your business, while sharing the pitfalls to avoid. Great conversation. Solid interviews. Tangible takeaways to help you succeed. If you enjoy our content, please subscribe, rate and review the show to help us reach more people. This show is brought to you by: Force Management where we help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale. Check out forcemanagement.com more information.
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Episodes

Getting the Most out of Your Sales Teams with Mark Thurmond

In this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast hosted by John McMahon and John Kaplan, they engage in a dynamic discussion with Mark Thurmond, COO of Tenable, a veteran revenue builder. Mark shares insights on recruiting top talent using the concept of the "three H's" – head, heart, and hard work – emphasizing the significance of character attributes in addition to skills. The conversation delves into the crucial role of effective enablement in empowering sales teams and the necessity of removi...

Dec 17, 202310 min

Decoding Decision Criteria, Mastering Champions: Blueprint for Sales Success with Anne Gary

In this episode of th e Revenue Builders Podcast hosted by John McMahon and John Kaplan, our special guest, Anne Gary , the Managing Director at Force Management, is back again to discuss the intricacies of decision criteria while mastering the role of champions in sales success. Delving into the depths of sales strategy, they explore defining decision criteria, aligning it with customer needs, and differentiating products effectively. John McMahon, John Kaplan, and Anne Gary navigate through th...

Dec 14, 202349 min

Providing Purpose to Your Teams with Cedric Pech

In this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast hosted by John McMahon and John Kaplan they engage in a captivating conversation with Cedric Pech, the Chief Revenue Officer at MongoDB. Cedric shares insightful experiences and lessons learned in transitioning from a VP role to a CRO position, focusing on the challenges of managing global teams, fostering purpose-driven leadership, and creating a unified vision that motivates teams beyond just financial incentives. The discussion delves into the s...

Dec 11, 202314 min

Driving Sales Productivity with JP Bolen

JP Bolen is the VP of Global Sales at Rubrik. He has a wealth of experience in sales and sales leadership, having worked at various companies such as Wallace Computer, PTC, Primo, Blade Logic, BMC Software, Dynamic Ops, VMware, ClearSlide, MongoDB, and ThoughtSpot. In this episode, JP emphasizes the importance of sales enablement and the three types of training: onboarding, ongoing, and field training. He shares his experience in implementing a comprehensive onboarding program at Rubrik, which i...

Dec 07, 20231 hr 12 min

Selling to the CFO with Michael Cremen

In this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast , hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan dive deep into the critical role of the CFO in sales deals, especially in uncertain times. Michael Cremen joined us when he was the CSO of Elastic. The discussion revolves around the importance of understanding and addressing the CFO factor, failing fast, and asking the hard questions. The episode provides valuable insights for sales professionals on navigating financial implications, engaging champions effectiv...

Dec 03, 202313 min

Balancing Business and People in Leadership with Harsha Jalihal

Harsha Jalihal is the Chief People Officer at MongoDB. She has a background in HR and has worked in various leadership roles at companies like Cognizant and Unilever. In this episode, Harsha emphasizes the importance of balancing the needs of the business with the needs of the employees. She discusses the role of different departments in driving business outcomes and highlights the significance of understanding human behavior and motivations. Harsha also emphasizes the role of trust in building ...

Nov 30, 20231 hr 4 min

Champions and a Bias for Action with Richard Rivera

In this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast , join hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan as they explore the multifaceted world of sales champions with veteran sales leader and author Richard Rivera. Discover the nuances of champion dynamics, including the often-overlooked aspect of bias for action. Rivera breaks down the four champion tendencies—Complacent, Teaser, Protector, and Transformer—revealing strategies to navigate each and ensure successful deals. KEY TAKEAWAYS [00:01:02] Understandi...

Nov 26, 202315 min

Moving into the CRO Role with Kelly Connery

In this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast hosted by John McMahon and John Kaplan, Kelly Connery delved into the nuances of transitioning into leadership roles, specifically focusing on the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) position. Kelly shares invaluable insights from his extensive experience in various leadership positions, offering crucial advice on leadership, team alignment, and global perspectives crucial for success in the CRO role. KEY TAKEAWAYS [00:01:10] Transitioning to Leadership: M...

Nov 19, 202310 min

Leveraging Product-Led Sales for Growth with Alex Bilmes

Join hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan in a profound exploration of Product-Led Growth (PLG) and its seamless integration with traditional sales strategies. Guest expert Alex Bilmes, CEO of Endgame, shares practical insights and strategies for revenue leaders aiming to leverage product data to supercharge their sales efforts. Discover how PLG, far from being a threat to sales, serves as a force multiplier when intelligently integrated. Gain valuable perspectives on aligning product signals with...

Nov 16, 20231 hr 1 min

Scaling Sales at a Startup with Chris Reisig

In this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast hosted by John McMahon and John Kaplan, Chris Reising, a five-time Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) with extensive experience in scaling sales at early-stage tech companies, shares invaluable insights into the challenges and strategies involved in scaling sales functions for startups. From finding product-market fit to hiring the right sales reps and understanding the importance of pain points, this conversation provides a comprehensive guide for entrep...

Nov 12, 202314 min

Selling the Vision with Devdutt Yellurkar

Devdutt Yellurkar is a managing partner at CRV and has a wealth of experience as a sales VP, CEO, and venture capitalist. He has worked with several successful startups and has a deep understanding of the sales process and building successful companies. Devdutt is also a co-founder of the VC fund named Propeller, which focuses on investing in companies that address climate change. In this conversation with John McMahon, Devdutt shares his insights on how his experience in sales has helped him as...

Nov 09, 20231 hr 9 min

Breaking Down the Traits of a Champion with Anne Gary

In this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast hosted by John McMahon and John Kaplan, Anne Gary, Managing Director at Force Management, dive into the crucial topic of identifying and understanding champions in the sales process. They explore the differences between business champions and technical champions, the significance of the power chart, and the role of coaches. Discover how to distinguish between these key players, the indicators to look for when meeting potential champions, and the im...

Nov 05, 202316 min

Focusing on the Fundamentals with Paul Ohls

Paul Ohls is the Chief Revenue Officer at Sprinklr. He has had a successful career in sales leadership, working at companies like Aerotech, Ariba, NuScale, Zillent, Lattice Engines, Medallia, Fuse, tenfold, and now Sprinklr. In this conversation with John McMahon, Paul shares his insights on sales leadership and the importance of hiring the right people. He emphasizes the need for intelligent, driven, and coachable individuals who can ask insightful questions and think critically. Paul also disc...

Nov 02, 20231 hr 4 min

Key Points in Snowflake's Growth with CRO Chris Degnan

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. KEY TAKEAWAYS [00:00:53] The pivotal moment when Capital O...

Oct 29, 202313 min

Reducing Customer Churn with Pawan Deshpande

Pawan Deshpande is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor, and a 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. Pawan shares his experience with customer success and introduces the concept of critical care, a proactive approach to customer suppo...

Oct 26, 202349 min

The Passion a Founder Needs with Jim Baum

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 ...

Oct 22, 202317 min

The Art of Cold Calling with Leslie Venetz

Leslie Venetz is a corporate sales trainer and sales-led GTM consultant. She has made over 100,000 cold calls, was a 3x Head of Sales & is now the Founder of Sales Team Builder. Leslie uses her expertise to help teams talk WITH their prospects instead of AT them. She is an active content Creator with over 60,000 followers. She has posted daily on LinkedIn for over 1000 days & is a LinkedIn Top Voice. Leslie was also the first B2B sales creator on TikTok posting under @‌SalesTipsTok. ‌Les...

Oct 19, 20231 hr 3 min

Taking Ownership When Scaling Sales with Andy Byron

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 reve...

Oct 15, 202313 min

Innovating and Iterating for Growth with Hubspot Co-Founder Brian Halligan

Brian Halligan, former CEO, and co-founder and executive chairperson of HubSpot, is a visionary leader who revolutionized marketing with the concept of "inbound marketing." His tenure as CEO, until 2021, was marked by consistent recognition on Glassdoor's and Comparably's lists of best CEOs. Brian's influence extends beyond HubSpot; he is an esteemed educator, teaching MIT's Scaling Entrepreneurial Ventures class for over a decade and receiving the Monosson Prize for his mentorship in entreprene...

Oct 12, 20231 hr 1 min

Measuring Pipeline Activities with Carlos Delatorre

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 su...

Oct 08, 20239 min

Effective Proof of Concepts with Keno Helmi

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 the CRO at Espressive. Keno discusses the importance of proof of value (POV) in the sales process. He explains that a POV is not just about validating the technology, but also about validating the business case. By setting clear success criteria and involving the economic buyer (EB) in ...

Oct 05, 20231 hr

Making the Right Sales Hire with Mark Roberge

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 curi...

Oct 01, 202313 min

Investing in the Future of B2B Software with Andy Price

As Founder of Artisanal Talent, Andy is globally recognized for having helped build, and invest in, some of the most successful software startups in history. He has spent 26 years in the industry, built two companies as CEO in the exec search industry, and 2 years inside two of the top VC firms in the world (Redpoint and Index). He continues to work closely with, and learn from, the best VC’s in the history of the space: Mike Speiser (Snowflake Founding investor), Scott Raney (Twilio, Stripe, Ha...

Sep 28, 20231 hr 7 min

Making Sure the Right Decision Gets Made with Mike Hayes

In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast , John McMahon and John Kaplan interview Navy SEAL veteran and VMware COO, Mike Hayes , about leadership and decision-making. Mike discusses the concept of dynamic subordination, where anyone in an effective team can take the lead based on their skills and the situation. He emphasizes the importance of leaders empowering others and creating a culture where individuals feel comfortable bringing up ideas and attempting challenging tasks. Mike also sh...

Sep 24, 202311 min

Responding to RFPs in B2B sales with Scott Sinatra

Scott Sinatra is the CEO and Co-Founder of Bountiful. Scott is a serial entrepreneur and former senior vice president of worldwide sales at Glassdoor. With deep industry knowledge in HR technology, Sinatra also served as a founding executive and head of go-to-market at Glint, which was acquired by LinkedIn in 2018 In this interview, Scott shares his experience responding to an RFP during his time at BladeLogic. He discusses the importance of having a champion within the customer's organization, ...

Sep 21, 202351 min

Command and Control of the Business with Murray Demo

In this episode, John McMahon and John Kaplan host Murray Demo, a seasoned CFO with a wealth of experience at renowned companies. Murray shares valuable insights on the transition from sales leader to business leader, emphasizing the need for aligning with company-level problems and becoming a strategic thinker. The discussion explores the ideal profile of a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) with a focus on business acumen and alignment with company goals. Murray also discusses the challenges of budge...

Sep 17, 202318 min

How to be a Well Being in Sales

Jim Pouliopoulos, known to all as “Pouli” is a storyteller, professional speaker, author, and Senior Lecturer and Director of the Professional Sales Program at Bentley University. In July of 2020, his book, “How to be a WELL BEING: Unofficial Rules to LIVE Every Day”, was published by Wiley Publishing. It shares Pouli’s insights on bringing a happiness-first approach to business, education, and life. In his three TEDx Talks, he explores similar concepts and the question of what drives inner moti...

Sep 14, 202355 min

Learning Leadership with Jeremy Duggan

In this episode, hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan sit down with Jeremy Duggan, a seasoned sales leader with a track record of success. They delve into the challenges and strategies of building a sales team from scratch and inspiring them to achieve greatness. Jeremy emphasizes the importance of data, facts, and transparent leadership. He shares insights on the three R's of leadership, leading indicators for success, and the role of education and development in reaching sales goals. The episode...

Sep 10, 202316 min

Product-Led Growth in B2B Sales with Oliver Jay

Oliver Jay is a former Chief Revenue Officer of Asana and an advisor and leadership coach for various companies. In this conversation with John McMahon, Oliver Jay discusses the concept of product-led growth (PLG) and its impact on B2B sales. PLG is a methodology that focuses on using the product as the primary conduit for acquiring users, driving sales, and retaining customers. Oliver explains that PLG is effective for certain personas and products, but it requires careful planning and consider...

Sep 07, 20231 hr 8 min

Perfecting the Process with Terry Tripp

Terry Tripp is the Chief Revenue Officer of Tines, a high-growth company in the security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) space. With a background in sales and recruiting, Terry brings a wealth of experience to his role. In this conversation with John McMahon, Terry Tripp, CRO of Tines, discusses the importance of a well-defined sales process and the top three things he focuses on when starting a new role. He emphasizes the need to understand the people, get feedback from customers...

Aug 31, 202355 min
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