Gopalakrishna (Krish)

VP Sales search scorecard They MUST have led the $5m to $15m + ARR journey within domain X. But are we neglecting context in our persona prerequisites? Scenario/Candidate 1: led $5m - $20m ARR in domain X. Established Enterprise company Strong product-market fit before arrival Significant inbound lead/demand generation Higher customer acquisition cost Scenario/Candidate 2: led $3m - $12m ARR in domain X. Early-stage challenger Built the sales engine/process from scratch Built a true outbound culture & rigour Maintained fiscal discipline & creative resource allocation The goal should be to evaluate a candidate's ability to excel in the specific circumstances and challenges that your company currently faces rather than relying solely on predetermined revenue milestones from their past experiences. Who are you hiring? #GTMHIRING #VPSALES #GTM

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@HBR just posted a great article on sales automation and how to best utilize AI and a myriad of sales technology offerings available in 2024. 💡 Tools and automation are great....they improve and speed your selling process....but only if the sales strategy they are automating is a well-founded winner. So consider: 🤔 Is your current sales and outreach strategy the same as your competitors? 🤔 How can you separate and differentiate in a positive way? 🤔 Are you working your outreach program for "leads" or "relationships"? Sometimes adopting a "Challenger Mentality" @challengersale is best for setting your brand apart from the others.....

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Struggling with churn? Validate the value your customer receives. This is not a static metric/KPI - it needs to be nurtured, revisited, redefined, and reinforced throughout the customer lifecycle ♻ #customersuccess #sales #customervalue #value

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🌟 Calling Sydney SaaS GTM Leaders: Exclusive Breakfast Roundtable in Early November 🌟 The SaaS landscape is rapidly evolving. As economic pressures rise and customer expectations grow, the need for re-defining Product Market Fit (PMF) & adapting your GTM strategy is critical to stay relevant. Join us for a focused breakfast discussion & networking with industry peers: We'll dive into: 1️⃣ Re-assessing Product-Market Fit: Know when it’s time for a change. 2️⃣ Evaluating Market Conditions: Adapt your messaging, features, and target market. 3️⃣ Redefining Your ICP: Ensure your Ideal Customer Profile matches market realities. 4️⃣ Updating GTM Strategy: Implement and track the effectiveness of changes. 📅 When: Early November 📍 8.30am - 10.30am Where: Sydney CBD Attendees: Founders & GTM market leaders of high growth SaaS Businesses (up to 75 employee businesses) Space is limited but If you'd like to join for a delicious breakfast, participate in the discussion, meet and network with other SaaS leaders facing similar challenges, comment below or message me directly ASAP. #SaaS #SydneyTech #ProductMarketFit #GTMStrategy #BusinessLeadership

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If you’re in wholesale, distribution, or manufacturing, you know the drill: endless spreadsheets, slow reports, and still no clear picture of what’s really happening. At Phocas Software, we don’t replace your ERP—we supercharge it. We turn your data into insights you can actually use, from sales trends to inventory clarity and beyond. Quick, clear, and no spreadsheets were harmed in the process. If this hits home, let’s talk. #DataInsights #DataAccuracy #StockClarity #SalesTrends https://lnkd.in/eWQNJqU6.phocassoftware.com%2Fsolutions%2Fperformance-analytics&utm_campaign=aga&utm_source=agsadl2%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4

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65% of SaaS buyers want a mix of self-service and sales interaction. Our infographic delves into how combining Product-Led Growth (PLG) and Sales-Led Growth (SLG) creates a powerful hybrid strategy. PLG leverages your product's value to drive user adoption and sales, while SLG focuses on personalized outreach. Together, they create Product-Led Sales (PLS), a growth engine for… ✔ Lower customer acquisition costs ✔ Higher customer lifetime value ✔ Faster market expansion View our infographic to know how PLG and SLG work together throughout the customer journey. https://lnkd.in/gFk_tpMK

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GV, Salesforce Ventures Top Corporate Venture In Leading Investments The likes of GV, Salesforce Ventures and M12 top the list so far this year in terms of rounds led or co-led by U.S.-based corporate ventures — including massive bets in AI, healthcare and the cloud. https://buff.ly/3TSzw5t View more Hiring, Layoff & Job Market Trends at Remote Jobs In HR - buff.ly/3TUvOrM #Hiring #Layoffs #HiringTrends #HumanResources #JobOpening #Recruiting #TalentManagement #CareerOpportunities #EmploymentTrends #WorkforcePlanning #Unemployment #Jobs #Business #JobCuts #Economy #JobSearch #EmploymentLaw #JobMarket

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GenAI for Sales Productivity   For decades, sales organization productivity has been hindered due to critical selling information being siloed across several disparate systems. Salespeople are constantly hunting for the information they need to succeed in their sales campaigns. Presales/solution engineers/experts are overburdened with requests for contributing their knowledge and time to sales efforts. Enter GenAI for sales. At BCG, we see forward thinking and high performing sales orgs using GenAI (think ChatGPT for sales orgs) to solve this problem and dramatically drive sales productivity by 50% to 100%. This article dives into this topic and outlines how you can leverage these ideas.

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The most valuable question every CSM needs to master... As CSMs, we often focus on answering customer requests, tracking and reporting metrics, and discussing product features. But none of it truly matters unless it answers one critical question: “So what?” This question is the difference between a CSM that simply reports data and tick some internal boxes and a CSM that drives impactful outcomes. Let’s explore why mastering it is essential: 🔸 It shifts perspective: it forces you to look beyond surface-level metrics and ask yourself, “Why does this matter to the customer?” For example, if you’re reporting on product adoption rates, ask: So what? How does this data connect to the customer’s strategic goals? 🔸 It uncovers real impact: every conversation should tie back to the customer’s desired outcomes. When a customer comes to you with a request, ask, “So what? What’s the real reason behind this ask?” 🔸 It strengthens relationships: by digging into their needs at a deeper level, you build trust and loyalty, positioning yourself as a true partner rather than just a service provider. 3 ways to apply this question today: 🔸 QBRs: When preparing reports, challenge yourself and every data point with “So what?” This will ensure your presentation highlights what’s truly valuable to the client. 🔸 Product updates: Don’t stop at “What’s new?” keep asking, “So what?” to ensure every update aligns with customer success. 🔸 Customer requests: Before acting on a customer’s request, ask, “So what?” For example, if a customer requests an expertise, ask how it ties into their overall objectives. This ensures you’re focused on what drives results. Over to You: - What’s a question you ask to uncover your customer’s true priorities? - How has challenging the status quo with “So what?” changed the way you work with customers? - What’s one question you believe CSMs should ask more often to drive customer outcomes? 👇 Share your experiences below, let’s learn from each other! 

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Here are our suggestions for some fresh technology ideas this week. Do you know these software vendors and can they help your business? Gong - one for the sales team - founded in 2015, Gong provides a Revenue Intelligence platform designed to transform sales teams by capturing and analyzing customer interactions across various channels such as phone, web conferencing, and email. The platform uses AI to deliver insights, suggest next actions, and automate workflows, helping businesses increase efficiency, improve decision-making, and accelerate revenue growth. Exclaimer - Exclaimer is a leading provider of email signature management solutions - what is that you might ask? The company offers tools that enable businesses to create, manage, and control professional email signatures across their organizations. Exclaimer's solutions help ensure brand consistency, legal compliance, and effective marketing through recipient-specific email signatures. The platform is widely used by organizations of all sizes to enhance their email communications and corporate identity​. Databricks - a powerhouse in the data area and a fast-growth vendor. Databricks is an AI and data analytics company that provides a unified platform for data engineering, machine learning, and analytics. The company's Lakehouse Platform combines the best elements of data warehouses and data lakes to offer a scalable and efficient data management solution. LivePerson - a leader in the 'conversational AI' and messaging solutions that enable businesses to engage with customers through chat, messaging, and voice channels. The company's platform leverages AI to deliver personalized customer experiences, automate responses, and improve customer service efficiency. LivePerson serves a wide range of industries, helping companies enhance their customer engagement and drive better business outcomes​. Hive - Hive offers a project and process management platform designed to improve team collaboration and productivity. Founded in 2016, Hive provides tools for task management, project tracking, and workflow automation. The platform integrates with various business applications, allowing teams to manage all their work in one place. -- There are thousands of technology vendors in the market - Viewpoint Analysis helps business leaders to find and select the technology that can help them best! #technologyideas #vendorselection #digitaltransformation #software

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Revenue leaders plan to invest in 3 areas in 2024: 1. Sales forecasting 2. Sales enablement  3. Sales engagement Why are companies investing heavily in these revenue activities? They have to stop Revenue Leak. In Clari’s Revenue Leak Report, revenue teams shared their ultimate goal of enhancing the accuracy and reliability of their revenue predictions. Get more Revenue Leak insights (and how to stop it) here: https://lnkd.in/g9gnGrdz  

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Data/Outcome/Service As A Software While there is a lot of great content around "Service as a Software" as the next big evolution of SaaS, I didn't think the market was ready for it until recently. Yesterday, I was having lunch with RevOps legend Sunil Panda on evolving trends and business models in the RevTech space... and it got me thinking and writing this post. We operate in the insanely competitive contact data space with several mature players, such as D&B, ZI, etc., that have multi-year, multi-million dollar customers. While champion tracking is a great use case and our customers love us, some undercurrents are forcing us to evolve our business even further. #1 Rethinking Prospecting Most companies are frustrated with their contact data quality and realize that manual prospecting and cleanup is only making is worse. Our customers want AI Agents to prospect for every possible title variation and ensure 99%+ buying group members with all metadata is in CRM (while retiring stale ones). We should do this while notifying sales teams or activating plays for high-value signals like new executive hiring or champion job moments. Agents can also dynamically take new jobs based on various triggers like 6QA, new opp created, upcoming renewal, etc... Something that we humans don't want to do. #2 Rethinking business model Gone are the days when sellers made an API call to pull contacts manually into their CRM. Some of the jobs our customers give us include: - Maintain 99% of buying committee data in our Strat Accounts - Full cycle automation of champion re-engagement programs We are delivering this service through 50% AI, 40% Integration/Automation, and 10% manual work. Our customers treat my CSMs like internal RevOps resources and even give seats within their Salesforce and Outreach to make this happen. In a few cases, our CSMs are also participating in internal meetings to learn about different demand gen / outbound / ABM programs so that the data we provide in their CRM supports their pipegen priorities. Our business model is also changing to be Data as a Service... powered by AI and humans. Let me know in the comment how you are rethinking your business model in the "Outcome as a service" era

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Calling all APJ enterprise marketers! 🇦🇺🇳🇿🇸🇬 Ready to transform your customer engagement, slash acquisition costs, and unlock new revenue streams in the APJ region? Join Emarsys & Annex Cloud for a deep-dive webinar designed specifically for YOU. You'll learn powerful customer loyalty strategies that will skyrocket your sales game! Here's what you'll gain: ⭐ Sales-Boosting Insights: Discover how to leverage loyalty programs to get more opens, clicks, and conversions from your email marketing efforts. ⭐ Reduce Marketing Spend: Learn how to build a loyal customer base and ditch expensive acquisition strategies (like Google Ads). ⭐ Unleash Revenue Potential: Explore the power of co-funded loyalty programs to boost sales and generate income for your retail network. 📅 Wednesday, June 26th ⏰ 10:00 AM AEST | 8:00 AM SGT (convenient for the APJ region!) Register Now: https://bit.ly/3KKgGZc Don't miss this opportunity to take your marketing strategy to the next level!

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After speaking with 100’s of Rev Ops Leaders over the past few weeks, a few key issue stuck out. Here are 3 of the areas I heard over and over: 1.   Aligning Sales and Marketing 2. Data Silos and Visibility 3. Resistance to Change What are you hearing? Comment Below Here is an article that address other issues Rev Ops Leaders are experiencing.  https://lnkd.in/ewhKQGJA.

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Today’s show is a fricking masterclass in sales & hiring. Larry Shurtz has been a go-to-market OG for 3 decades. 👥 Salesforce: Led a 1,300 team to $2.1BN revenue 💰 Genesys Cloud: Record growth to $1.4BN ARR 📈 Confluent: Led them to record $600M ARR My 6 key takeaways 👇 1. Why Verticalization Requires More Than an AE Industry Nerd You can’t truly verticalize & deliver value to customers with only an AE. There cannot be a disconnect between them and the technical team. Every single person that touches the account has to be involved. 2. Those That Say They Do Not Have CS Is BS A lot of companies say they don’t need CS. Someone is playing that role under a different title. They are responsible for correcting architecture & aligning use cases. 3. What it Means If You Cannot Forecast Well You don’t truly understand your business. You’re not doing the right amount of diligence with customers & opportunities. We might not be asking the right questions & talking to the right people. 4. Why I Hate Panel Interviews When Hiring I prefer one-on-one interviews. The relationship between the leader and employee matters  It’s hard to get that out of a 5-person panel. 5. Why I Don’t Do Case Studies The real value is to understand their mindset & thought process. It gets to the what & the how. I could easily get that out of a 45 minute chat. 6. One Question I Ask Every Interview I would ask which culture did you prefer out of all their previous companies. The range of answers I’ve gotten have been shocking. Understanding their culture is important to value alignment. (links in comments) #founder #funding #business #investing #vc #venturecapital #entrepreneur #startup #seed #funding #hiring #sales #B2B

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Sales Assembly's "State of Enablement in H2 2024" drops next week. I...am...jubilant Incredibly lucky to have 6 the leading minds in Revenue Enablement contribute to this. It's not a boring survey report, or list of chatGPT-produced suggestions. This resource is full of tactical advice, observations, experiences and outlooks...from the leaders who are in the trenches every day. I'm sharing it next week. Make sure you get it. Connect with me here on LinkedIn, or just drop "Enablement" in the comments here to make sure you get the un-gated link as soon as it drops!

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The cost of making the wrong hashtag sales compensation decisions is even greater now given the high seller turnover rates. Leverage this infographic by Gartner to find out how other B2B sales companies are structuring their comp as a reference point. Gartner for Sales | #GartnerSales #B2BSales #SalesStrategy

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How to execute a great demo…

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