Podcasts

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, join us for a fireside chat with Scott Strubel, Vice President of the America's Partner Organization at Darktrace, a leading cybersecurity AI company. Scott shares his firsthand experiences and insights from the first 90 days as a new leader in the cybersecurity landscape. From his childhood jobs shaping his approach to leadership to his impressive career journey spanning HP, Oracle, NetApp, Commvault, Hitachi Vantara, and Darktrace, Scott dives into the importance of building strong partnerships and outlines his strategies for success. Learn about Darktrace's evolution, Scott's go-to-market plans with partners, and his emphasis on fostering a collaborative and accountable culture.KEY TAKEAWAYSThe First 90 Days as a New Leader: Scott delves into the critical initial period of leadership and emphasizes the significance of building relationships with partners, sales organizations, and key team members.Navigating Partner Relationships: Explori…

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl welcomes Amit Bendov, the CEO of Gong, to discuss the profound impact of AI in sales and revenue team transformation. Amit shares the origins of Gong's AI-driven platform, its evolution, and the pivotal role it plays in empowering sales teams. From increased productivity to predictive analytics and integrations with sales methodologies, Gong's technology streamlines processes, enabling teams to focus more on selling effectively.KEY TAKEAWAYSAI's Role in Sales Transformation: Amit describes how AI revolutionized sales processes by autonomously gathering insights from customer interactions, enhancing productivity, and providing data-driven decision-making.Gong's Solutions and Innovations: He highlights Gong's suite of AI-powered products—Engage, Forecast, and Conversation Intelligence—and how they optimize sales productivity, forecasting accuracy, and training effectiveness.AI's Impact on Productivity and Strategy: The conversati…

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl sits down with David Donatelli, CEO of Riverbed, for a candid conversation on "Lessons Learned." David shares insights garnered throughout his illustrious career spanning EMC, Hewlett Packard (HP), Oracle, and his current role at Riverbed. From telemarketing and sales strategies of the past to the evolving landscape of enterprise solutions, they explore the essence of value-based selling, marketing lead generation, and the importance of customer trust. David delves into the significance of product-market fit, team collaboration, and the transformative impact technology can have on businesses, sharing anecdotes that highlight how Riverbed's solutions have streamlined operations for major companies worldwide.KEY TAKEAWAYSValue-based Selling: Understanding and articulating the true business value of solutions are pivotal in driving successful enterprise sales.Customer Trust: Building and maintaining customer trust by honoring commi…

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl in an insightful conversation with Jim Nyhan, Director of America's Enterprise Sales at Cyber Proof, discussing the shift from selling individual products to integrated platforms in managed cyber services for enterprise clients. Jim shares his journey, emphasizing the importance of an ecosystem approach, addressing challenges in the tech sector, and highlighting the crucial role of customer-centricity in building lasting partnerships. KEY TAKEAWAYSTransition to Platform Approach: In a tightening tech economy, platforms supersede individual products as enterprises seek consolidation and value from integrated solutions.Ecosystem Advantage: Larger players leverage ecosystem partnerships, offering enterprise licensing agreements and consumption models, presenting an edge over niche point products.Customer-Centric Culture: Upholding an egoless, customer-focused culture fosters trust, longevity, and mutually beneficial relationships.…

Tom Hannigan is the President of the Americas at ServiceNow. He has over 30 years of experience in the tech industry, with a focus on sales and leadership. Tom has held various roles at EMC and ServiceNow, and he is known for his collaborative and empathetic leadership style.In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Tom discusses leadership development and selling into multiple markets. He emphasizes the importance of staying hungry and humble, and he shares his philosophy on people, winning as a team, and operational command. Tom also highlights the significance of value selling and the role of sales ops in driving success.KEY TAKEAWAYSStaying hungry and humble is crucial for success in sales and leadership.Building a strong team and fostering collaboration is essential for winning as a team.Operational command, including effective time management and accountability, is key to achieving sales goals.Value selling is critical in today's market, where customers are focused on pro…

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Paul Fipps, President of Strategic Accounts at ServiceNow, shares his journey from an Army career to pivotal roles in leading technology companies. Paul reflects on his military background's profound impact on his leadership style, emphasizing the importance of placing the mission or company objectives first, the team second, and personal motives third. He discusses the critical role ServiceNow plays in digital transformation, offering insights into the company's purpose-driven approach and innovative AI-powered solutions. Throughout the conversation, Paul underlines the significance of a strong team-oriented culture and how it drives success in customer relationships and company growth.KEY TAKEAWAYSLeadership Principles from the Military: Paul Fipps shares his key leadership lesson from the military, emphasizing the priority of the mission or company objectives, team cohesiveness, and personal motives in that order.ServiceNow's Purpose-Dri…

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl has an insightful discussion with Carl Eschenbach, a successful partner at Sequoia, as they unravel the secret sauce behind effective leadership. This episode delves into how the landscape of sales, technology, and leadership has evolved, emphasizing the role of innovation, data-driven approaches, and the crucial qualities that differentiate successful companies. Learn about Carl's journey from his humble beginnings to becoming an influential figure in the business world and venture capital.KEY TAKEAWAYSEvolution of Sales Tech: Explore the changing dynamics of sales, leveraging technology tools like Gong, which have revolutionized sales strategies, making them more data-driven, efficient, and strategic.Leadership and Boardroom Insights: Discover the art of effective leadership, the critical role of the founder or entrepreneur, and the visionary qualities needed to steer companies to success.Company Differentiation: Understand t…

Chris McCarthy is a seasoned go-to-market executive with extensive experience in the technology industry, and the founder of 45 East, LLC. He has worked for companies like IBM, EMC, Cisco, HP, HPE, and Microsoft, where he has built strong relationships with sales teams, partners, and clients to deliver technology-based solutions that drive measurable business outcomes.In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl interviews Chris McCarthy, a go-to-market executive with a background in consulting services. They discuss the importance of leveraging services and consulting as a competitive advantage in the technology industry. Chris shares his insights on the evolution of services and consulting, the challenges of balancing product and services teams, and the growing trend of customer success. He emphasizes the value of understanding customer outcomes and delivering solutions that align with their goals. Chris also highlights the significance of storytelling and value selling in …

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, host Randy Seidl is joined by Kevin Purcell, a seasoned expert in selling to and with Global System Integrators (GSIs), and the Head of Global Strategic Partnerships at Hitachi Vantara. They explore the significance of GSIs in the tech industry, share valuable insights on how to effectively collaborate with these complex organizations, and offer practical strategies for companies of all sizes to leverage GSIs in their go-to-market approachKEY TAKEAWAYSUnderstanding GSIs: GSIs, or Global System Integrators, play a critical role in the IT industry, driving approximately 10% of the total market revenue. They work closely with enterprises to shape their digital transformation journeys.Investment in GSIs: To succeed with GSIs, companies must be prepared to make significant monetary and resource investments. The key is to pick the right GSI partner willing to collaborate and invest in a mutually beneficial partnership.Go-to-Market Strategies: Co…

Phil Castillo is the VP of Sales for CommScope, where he oversees the Americas region. With a background in networking and technology sales, Phil has held leadership roles at companies like Cisco, Avaya, and HP. He is known for his ability to develop top talent and drive results in challenging situations.In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Phil shares his insights on the importance of being effective as a sales leader. He emphasizes that being right is overrated and that it's more important to focus on being effective in order to achieve success. Phil discusses the role of intent and genuine understanding in building strong customer relationships, as well as the value of quick and concise follow-ups. He also highlights the importance of embracing authenticity and avoiding blame in order to foster trust and ownership within a team.KEY TAKEAWAYSBeing effective is more important than being right as a sales leader.Genuine intent and understanding are key to building strong cust…

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 tha…

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl interviews Jill Harris, the VP of Sales at GoTo, to discuss how Jill leads her sales team with a growth mindset, which means embracing challenges, learning from failures, and constantly improving their skills. They also talk about how they use customer centric selling as their sales methodology, which focuses on understanding the customer’s role, problem, and solution. Jill reveals how they use GoTo as a tool to analyze their calls, get feedback, and improve their performance. She also mentions some of the latest features of gong that they love. In addition, they share some tips and insights on selling to different markets, such as American CTOs versus European CTOs, and how to find the ideal customer profile for their products. They also discuss how they generate leads through marketing campaigns, outbound calls, and partner referrals. Jill also shares some creative ways to get meetings at conferences without having a booth. This ep…

Evan Leong is the founder and CEO of Product Signals, a company that provides product feedback solutions for modern teams. He has a background in product management and has worked in various roles in the tech industry. Evan is passionate about solving the problem of effectively managing and utilizing product feedback in B2B SaaS companies.In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Evan Leong joins Randy Seidl to discuss best practices for sales to help with product feedback. Evan shares his journey from working at Nissan to starting his own tech company and the inspiration behind Product Signals. He highlights the importance of bridging the gap between product and sales teams and the challenges faced in achieving this. Evan also provides insights into his sales process and the ideal customer profile for Product Signals.KEY TAKEAWAYSEffective communication and collaboration between product and sales teams is crucial for making informed product decisions.Closing the feedback loop an…

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl welcomes Martin G. Moore, a keynote speaker, co-founder “Your CEO Mentor”, and the host of “No Bullsh!t Leadership”, to share his insights on leadership and the key principles of his "No Bullsh!t Leadership" framework. He emphasizes the importance of delivering value at the core of leadership and highlights the seven imperatives for effective leadership: handling conflict, building resilience, working at the right level, mastering ambiguity, making great decisions, connecting the dots, and being accountable. Marty also discusses the challenges of remote work and the need for deliberate and productive in-person interactions. He shares a real-life example of how focusing on change and continuous improvement can lead to significant improvements in productivity. Marty also explores the paradox of salespeople transitioning into leadership roles and the importance of empathy and connection in leadership.KEY TAKEAWAYSEffective leadershi…

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl welcomes Brad Rinklin, EVP and CMO at Infoblox, to discuss the importance of understanding buyer personas and qualified opportunities in the sales process. He emphasizes the need to focus on the customer and their pain points, as well as the importance of aligning sales and marketing efforts. Brad also highlights the challenges of selling security solutions and the need for ongoing education and enablement for the sales team. He shares how Infoblox leverages data from tech target, Sixth Sense, HG Insights, and D&B to target prospects effectively. Brad also talks about the value of DecisionLink in creating data models and generating ROI proposals for customers.KEY TAKEAWAYSUnderstanding the customer and their pain points is crucial in the sales process.Aligning sales and marketing efforts is essential for success.Selling security solutions requires ongoing education and enablement for the sales team.Leveraging data from tech ta…

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl interviews Stephen DiFranco, executive partner at Gartner, about the changing dynamics of enterprise sales. They discuss how buyers are becoming more independent and relying less on sellers, the importance of preparation and research in sales, and the evolving role of sales leaders in orchestrating complex sales organizations.KEY TAKEAWAYSBuyers now spend less time with sellers and more time gathering independent information.Sellers need to focus on helping buyers make decisions rather than just selling products.The role of sales leaders is shifting towards orchestration and coaching, with a focus on managing seller time effectively.The use of AI and generative AI in sales organizations is increasing, but it requires careful planning and integration with existing tech stacks.QUOTES"Buyers are becoming more transactional and are focused on how they buy rather than what they buy.""Sales organizations need to focus on dwell …

ABOUT MICHAELMichael Wing is the President of Vast Data, a hot company in the AI space. He has a background in sales and has been instrumental in the success of Vast Data.SHOW SUMMARYIn this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl and Michael Wing discuss the company's disruptive technology and its recent announcements in the AI space. Vast Data has experienced unprecedented success, achieving a $100 million ARR in just three years. The company's unique architecture and focus on unstructured data make it a leader in the industry. Wing also shares insights into Vast Data's sales process, emphasizing the importance of discovery and customer engagement in designing solutions.KEY TAKEAWAYSVast Data's architecture is built on the emerging standard of NVMe over Fabrics, allowing for superior performance and scalability.The company's focus on unstructured data and AI applications sets it apart from competitors.Vast Data's recent announcements, including the Vast Database and Vas…

ABOUT VLADIMIRVladimir Rozanovich is the Senior Vice President and President of North America at Lenovo. He has over 24 years of experience in the technology industry and has held various leadership positions at AMD before joining Lenovo.​SHOW SUMMARYIn this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl is joined by Vladimir Rozanovich to discuss the importance of perseverance in a down market. He emphasizes the need to focus on customers, leverage partnerships, change the narrative, and invest in people. He also highlights the value of as-a-service models and the role of sales operations in driving success.​KEY TAKEAWAYSPerseverance in a down market requires focusing on customers, leveraging partnerships, changing the narrative, and investing in people.As-a-service models, such as Lenovo's TrueScale, can help reduce CapEx expenditures and provide flexibility for customers.Certain industries, such as born-in-the-cloud companies, are more inclined to adopt as-a-service models…

ABOUT JOSHJoshua “Josh” Dinneen is the President of Blue Mantis (formerly Green Pages), a technology service provider. He has a strong track record of driving growth and organizational transformation in the tech industry. Josh discusses the importance of driving top-of-funnel activity to acquire new customers and shares insights on Blue Mantis' rebranding and focus on services. He also highlights the company's commitment to organic growth and the role of their BDR team in driving new business.SHOW SUMMARYIn this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Josh Dinneen emphasizes the significance of driving top-of-funnel activity to achieve substantial growth and acquire new customers. He shares insights on Blue Mantis' rebranding and their strategic focus on services, including cloud, cybersecurity, and networking. Josh also discusses the company's commitment to organic growth and profitability, as well as their pursuit of acquisitions that align with their strategy. He highlights the cruci…

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl is joined by Anthony Anzevino, Global VP of Customer Success and Renewal Sales at Commvault, to share his insights on selling with customer success and increasing the lifetime value of a customer. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the customer and their needs, as well as building strong partnerships with both customers and partners. Anthony also discusses the challenges and opportunities in the data protection market and how Commvault is evolving to meet the changing needs of customers.INSIGHTS OF THE DAYYour number one asset your company - Anthony: “Employees and people are the number one asset in any company, and it should be the number one goal of any great leader”Be humble, failing, greater good - Anthony: “Be humble enough to where you can ask questions, learn to fail, fail fast and fail forward. And especially if you do it for, you know, the greater good, the benefit of your customers and the benefit of your m…

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl and Frank Rauch, Global Channel Chief at Cato Networks, discuss the value of global partner summits and the need for bilateral communication with partners. They provide advice on sales strategies during a down market, emphasizing the importance of a compelling ROI and building relationships through face-to-face interactions. The topic of channel saturation is explored, with insights on prioritizing partners based on quantitative data and leveraging distribution and cloud marketplaces. They also highlight the significance of sales tech tools like Gong for understanding customer needs and AI tools like Clary for optimizing sales workflows. Additionally, they mention intent data tools for target selection and stress the importance of not forgetting the basics in sales.INSIGHTS OF THE DAYImportance of Partner Summits and Bilateral Engagement - Frank Rauch: “My point is, first of all, people like to see you show up right now, especi…

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl and Frank Rauch, Global Channel Chief at Cato Networks, discuss various topics related to recruitment, culture, and the channel. Frank mentions that their company is always recruiting and highlights the engineering, direct sales, channel, and SDR openings they have. He also emphasizes the unbeatable culture at Kato, where high-performing individuals are the norm. They talk about the flexibility of remote work and the importance of being present in a territory for sales roles. Frank also mentions the support they receive from investors like Lightspeed and Greylock.Randy and Frank discuss the recruitment strategy at Frank's company, highlighting the various job openings available. They also emphasize the importance of company culture and the value of having high-performing individuals on the team. The conversation touches on the flexibility of remote work and the significance of being present in a territory for sales roles. They men…

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy welcomes Frank Rauch, Global Channel Chief at Cato Networks, to discuss the future of the channel. Frank shares insights on leadership, go-to-market strategies, and his extensive experience in the technology industry.The episode is sponsored by trender.ai, a sales intelligence company that helps accelerate ABM initiatives through targeted social media monitoring. The Trusted Tester Program by trender.ai is introduced, offering a white-glove onboarding experience for a year. The episode also highlights salescommunity.com, a platform with valuable sales content for professionals.Frank's personal interests, including golf and owning a rock and roll bar, are mentioned, along with his passion for Philadelphia sports and recent milestone of becoming a grandfather. Quotes from industry leaders commend Frank's integrity, leadership, and strong relationships within the channel community.INSIGHTS OF THE DAYThe Importance of Personal Relatio…

On this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Steve Hershkowitz, the CRO of Virtana Corp., discuss various aspects of sales and operations. Steve reflects on his younger self and advises on the importance of patience and thorough research before closing deals. They also touch upon the value of one-call closes and the need to ask for the order. The conversation shifts to the evolution of sales ops and the growing significance of RevenueOps, using AI and predictive analytics for business insights. Steve mentions their recent investment in a RevOps platform and how it helps identify gaps in deals, enabling coaching and improving closing opportunities. The guest highlights the role of Gong, a tool relied upon by the sales operations team. They also talk about enabling sellers with the OpsCruise offering, which provides insights and alerts on complex data types. Steve explains their lead generation strategies, which include outbound cold calling, strategic partnerships, LinkedIn campaigns, busin…