Danica Calderhead

Best-in-class for DTC and B2B? That’s Shopify! Forrester just named Shopify a Leader in B2B commerce according to the new 2024 Forrester Wave. That’s right: In our first ever showing on the B2B Wave, not only were we recognized as a Leader, but we also received the highest scores possible in categories like Innovation, Market Presence, Partner Ecosystem, and more. Love seeing this momentum, especially after Shopify was also recently recognized as a commerce leader by IDC and Gartner.Read the report below.Link: https://lnkd.in/dXXGAVDk

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One of things I love about buying software is it puts me deep into the sales process as a buyer (rather than an ops person). When you walk a mile in a buyer's shoes, you build empathy and see so clearly what works and what doesn't. A few disconnected observations: 𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁 As much as we want to create structured, predictable processes, it's a much better experience when you give the buyer control. I know how to define my needs. I know my internal procurement process. I know the stakeholders I need to align with. The best sellers are going to work with me, flexibly, to tick all the right boxes vs. try to keep me in a pre-defined process. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 A big part of how I perceive sellers is how efficiently they communicate. If you are responding quickly, providing detailed answers to my questions, and know how to clearly structure an email with headings and bullets, that shows competence. 𝗗𝗲-𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 Risk is a huge concern for any software buyer. The best way to be sure is to get your hands on the product and see it doing what you want it to do. I feel very wary these days about buying a product where I can't spin up a trial—I've been burned too many times. I also rely far more on the customer-facing docs to understand true capabilities than the sales pitch deck. One seller took my evaluation grid (with 50+ use cases) and recorded a short Loom video demonstrating each one. This is way better than a 1 hour demo, as I can go back and validate specific things. The more deeply you show you understand my needs, the more I trust you. 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 Tech is changing so fast, I need to know a vendor is going to continue to innovate and support the use cases I'll have 6 months from now. The best vendors give transparency on roadmap, show they ship regularly, etc. 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 A pet peeve: I know it's best practice to always book the next touchpoint before getting off a call—I really do get it. But it's annoying in practice. Sometimes I just need to process and think about next steps. There is no buyer in the world who says, "well I was going to rule out vendor x, but I guess I'll keep them in the running because I have this meeting booked." Forcing a buyer into a meeting is a poor substitute for showing value and demonstrating you can solve the problem.

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RevOps leaders are building their tech stacks around tools they are confident can scale alongside their growing teams (and complexities). Today QuotaPath has released a series of features that position us as the most adaptable commission software for high growth teams with complex compensation problems. I use QuotaPath constantly (a fun perk of the job), and we are constantly listening to our customers and evolving QuotaPath to address their biggest pain points. Features like a first-of-its-kind Mapping Manager that allows users to build data logic once in a template, save it, and re-use it anytime they need to add a new comp plan and connect to its data source. (A massive time saver.) Our Manager Plans and Dynamic Team Assignments are designed to seamlessly support the shifts that occur when reps transition between teams. These features ensure that your compensation plans stay aligned with your evolving team structure. And a new multi-level approval process promises that by the time Finance gives its final sign-off on commission earnings, reps and sales leadership have already seen and approved their earnings, streamlining the payout process while giving reps more ownership over their commissions. Congrats to our team and thank to every customer who has contributed to QuotaPath’s evolution. 

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In honour of Singles' Day: What do outbound sales and dating apps have in common? Spoiler: way too much. ➡️ Lead qualification: That delicate process of figuring out if they’re serious—or just “browsing.” Bonus points if they’re as interested in your solution as you are. ➡️ Ghosting: One day they’re all in; the next, they’ve vanished without a trace. Were they even real? ➡️ No-shows: You put on your best pitch (or outfit), and they cancel last minute (or never show up at all). Classic. ➡️ “Not interested”: The standard “it’s not you, it’s me”—or “we’re not looking to buy right now.” Ouch, every time. ➡️ Hopes of finally closing a deal: When all signs point to a "yes," but somehow you still end up back in the pipeline. ➡️ Relentless optimism: The audacity of hope, even after 50 rejections and a coffee addiction that’s getting out of hand. Somehow, we still believe every new prospect is “the one.” How else could we keep doing this? ➡️ Endless cycle of starting over: The grind never ends. New day, new pitch, new prospects...same hope, same questionable life choices. Shout-out to all of us serial pitchers - whether you’re chasing the next big deal or the next right-swipe, we’re all in this relentless pursuit together. Just hang in there, keep swiping, pitching, and staying optimistic! 🥲

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🚀 Get Ready for BFCM 2024! 🚀 As Black Friday and Cyber Monday approach, having a solid strategy is crucial. Explore Shopify's BFCM Checklist: 25 Tips to Prepare for 2024 for invaluable insights! Highlights include: - Start Early: Plan promotions in advance to attract early shoppers. - Leverage Data: Use past sales trends to inform inventory and marketing decisions. - Craft Irresistible Offers: Create compelling deals to drive additional purchases. - Optimize Shipping: Ensure shipping strategies meet customer expectations. - Reward Loyalty: Provide exclusive deals to loyal customers. Dive into the full checklist for more tips and set your business up for success this holiday season! #BFCM #BlackFriday #CyberMonday https://lnkd.in/dqxD9b9A

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🚀 An Outbound Play That’s Landing Meetings “It is all about 2025 Planning” 🚀 If you’re looking to get in front of leaders at your target accounts, now is the time.  Most of them are planning for 2025, here’s a simple but effective approach that’s been working well: 1️⃣ Partner with Your Marketing Team.  Check out the image of Tessa Barron, SVP Marketing & me; we are having a blast!  I am sure this was about 2025! Ask the team to create a Benchmark Report comparing key metrics for your prospects against other customer teams or industry benchmarks.  At ON24 we are releasing a GTM Benchmarks Report for Marketers. This gives you a data-driven approach to open conversations. 2️⃣ Use Snippets from the Report in Your Outbound - Highlight unique data points relevant to your prospect’s industry or challenges. Personalized, insight-driven outreach grabs attention and shows you’ve done your homework. 3️⃣ Plan a Webinar on the topic “ Data-Driven Goals for 2025”- Focus the webinar on topics like “How to use the right data to set goals and work backward”. At ON24 we are socializing approaches marketing leaders take for cross-functional planning and target setting.  We are including the guide and practices to benchmark our prospect’s webinars and virtual event channels in the vent. Check out webinar here: https://lnkd.in/ex3SWgXS This approach provides value upfront and positions you as a strategic partner in their 2025 planning process. 💡 What outbound plays are working for you? Let’s share ideas in the comments! #2025planning

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Revenue ops does not have to be sales ops rebranded. After meeting so many great revops practitioners at the RevOps AF conference last week, I was inspired to put this together. Revenue ops can be a unified model encompassing marketing ops, sales ops, and customer success ops. A couple of notes about this model: A - Deal desk is recommended, but can be replaced by a different function for more simple offerings. B - The “systems” role and the “analyst” role can be a stand-alone function in some models. C - Another spoke in this model could be project management or “PMO.” D - Customer success operations usually exists is mid to large companies, as unfortunately CS ops is usually underfunded and an afterthought. E - Marketing ops is missing budgeting and planning, which I have advocated for in earlier models. D - The advantage of this structure is an objective, revenue-focused operations team dedicated to the top goals of the business. What do you think? What do you like? What would you change? Thanks for your advice on this Jeff Ignacio! PS: I’m writing more about this in my newsletter next week, subscribe to stay updated https://lnkd.in/g_3YC7BZ #marketing #martech #marketingoperations #revenueoperations

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📣 Big news for social marketers AND customer service teams! 📣 Hootsuite just dropped Social Customer Care — a Salesforce integration that can streamline, simplify, and even automate social messaging across your entire org. ✨DMs get automatically routed to the right team and person. 💡 Support peeps can see message history in context and reply right from Salesforce. 🤖 There’s even chatbot integration to automate replies to FAQs across your social channels. You’ve gotta see it: https://ow.ly/REAn50Tp70O

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Ready to transform your customer success strategy with cutting-edge insights? Dive into this episode of Scale Your Sales, where Emma Lo unpacks the latest trends in customer success and AI-driven personalization. Emma, the onboard czar at Noibu and leader of Canada's thriving CS in Focus community, shares golden nuggets on predictive analytics, the importance of customer advisory boards, and the true meaning of personalization at scale. You don't want to miss this episode; it's a blueprint for game-changing growth! https://lnkd.in/ehqgZB7R #scaleyoursales #customergrowth #techleadership #technology #AI #sales

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Calling All SALES People – YOU HURT YOURSELF WHEN YOU DO THIS!! A huge piece of advice to all of you included in SALES process for your business including CEO’s, MD’S, SALES Directors, Client Directors, Head of Sales, EVP’s, VP’s, SVP’S…I think you get the drift. If your business is taking part in an official RFP process and the RFP states the lines of communication to be used (which it will) i.e. people you should contact (probably a #Procurement person or maybe a Stakeholder)…then abide by it! Now sometimes during the RFP process you may learn of other more senior people who may have an impact on the RFP outcome. This may be via demos or chemistry sessions, or your senior people already know and have a relationship with senior people in the business… BUT please, no matter how desperate or brilliant you think you are…. DO NOT CONTACT THOSE SENIOR PEOPLE DIRECTLY (unless requested to by the contact in the RFP!) It may in your mind seem like a smart thing to do, as you can influence the outcome and get advantage…and I get that is the SALES person in you, and you’ve seen it pay off sometimes… But here’s what actually happens: If the Procurement team are valued and are in charge of doing the official RFP - then take it as given!! All that will happen by your actions is that the senior person will reach out to the Procurement team and tell them…. and guess what that does to your proposal…? Don’t think for one second, your proposal goes to the top of the pile. IMHO, IT’S A HUGE BLACK MARK! What your actions have actually managed to achieve are: 1.     You will have annoyed the Procurement person managing the RFP 2.     You will have annoyed the CPO or Head of Procurement 3.     You will have annoyed the Senior stakeholder who is sponsoring the RFP 4.     You will probably annoy the Senior person you contacted… after all there’s a Procurement function to deal with this stuff! So, SALESPEOPLE…no matter the temptation, do yourself a favour and abide by the RFP rules of communication. You have been warned! _________________________ 😃 Hi I'm Steve Walton. I help companies to fully realize the value procurement brings in terms of cost savings, risk mitigation, supplier innovation and sustainability. DM me if you’re ready to move procurement beyond a tactical purchasing function, and need consultancy and training. 💸📉📊

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Attention SDRs and Sales Reps🎙️ If you are not getting enough coaching, use Chat GPT to supplement the lack of support - P.S sorry you aren’t getting support 😥 Paste a transcript of your recorded call or role-play you did with a co-worker into ChatGPT (check with legal if you can do this) Ask ChatGPT to: • Analyze your call based on your call framework or script • Identify areas for improvement by asking Chat GPT (or whatever tool you may use) questions • Suggest alternative phrases to communicate value better Prompts you could use: "What did I do well on this call?” - Start off feeling good "What did I not do well?” "How could I have dug into the pain more? Please provide questions I could have asked?” “Can you give me 3 ways I could have handled the objections?” "Suggest alternative ways I could have gone for the close?” “Did I miss anything in the call that could have helped me go for the close?” A.I. will not replace you; the Reps who learn how to use it to help them improve will. If you are a sales or enablement leader and want to learn more about how you could leverage A.I. to help improve your team. Come to the Allego Sales Success Summit, where Sam Richter CSP, CPAE, will discuss how to use AI to help improve your sales team. https://lnkd.in/eKg3w7w2

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Do I have a story for you! A client is on Salesforce - loves Salesforce but fell out of love with Pardot, they just could not do all the marketing things they want to do with the platform. The GUI is Kerflooey! So we implemented HubSpot's Marketing platform and integrated it with HubSpot. Now we are efficiently following up on quotes, stalled deals, and dreaming up new ways to communicate with customers, prospects and the sales team. This story will keep getting stronger as they bring their other companies on to HubSpot (but still keep Salesforce). #manufacturing, #manufacturing marketing #hubspot #salesforce

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This. The risk of isolating your Point of Sale and Online channels is missing out on opportunities like these. Shopify just launched new retail-first customer segments. What does this mean for you? Imagine promoting in-store events to nearby customers, who may have only shopped from you online. Or creating hyper-local offers for customers within a specific radius of your retail store. Or running targeted campaigns for your most loyal, local customers. Now, you can segment customers based on their proximity to a retail location, or by sales channel, such as POS -- letting you better personalize your communications based on where and how they shop. Here’s how to get started: 1️⃣ Head to the Customers section of your Shopify admin. 2️⃣ Click on Segments. 3️⃣ Try the two new templates: “Customers near retail location.” “Customers who frequently purchased in-store (last year).” The online vs. offline divide? Consider it bridged. 🌉 #retail #shopify #unifiedcommerce

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Hi all - Sharebird invited me to do an AMA on Sales + Demand Gen alignment - a topic near and dear to me! You can ask questions and sign up to get my answers emailed to you via the link below.

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Tired of losing hard-earned deals? Solve for Revenue Leak. In Clari’s 2024 Revenue Leak Report, RevOps leaders said leak happens at every stage of the funnel. - Creating: Poor and slow upsell pipeline tracking - Converting: Unsure where pipeline is dropping off - Closing: Slipped deals Don’t let Revenue Leak drag down another quarter – or another year. Download the Revenue Leak Report for more: https://lnkd.in/g9gnGrdz  

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🔥 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁: 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲-𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 🔥 🎙️ In this month's episode of The Customer Success Pro Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Madelyn DePrey, the VP of Customer Success at Aircall. Madeline shares her incredible journey from hospitality to customer success and dives deep into how her team drives revenue growth by leading with value. 💡 Some of the questions I ask Madelyn in our conversation: ❓CS should not fear owning a revenue number, but how do they get comfortable? ❓ Embracing the top of the funnel in CS - What is the top of the funnel? How can CSMs lean into embracing sales methodology in CS? ❓Sales Methodology in CS - what is it you train your CSMs on? 🌟 Key Takeaways: 1⃣ Crafting a customer success strategy that drives revenue 2⃣ Effective tools and methods for gap selling and multi-threading 3⃣ How top-of-the-funnel principles can enhance your CS approach 4️⃣Training and coaching CSMs for commercial success Don't miss out on these actionable insights! Tune in and elevate your CS strategy today. 🎧 Link in the comments.👇 __________________ ✍️ Would love to hear your thoughts. ♻️ Reshare if this helped you. 📨 Check out my newsletter if you want more of this content. #CustomerSuccess #Podcast #RevenueGrowth #CSM #Leadership

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Here is why outbound isn't dead 🪦 The BDR team at Reachdesk has been on a momentum of change over the past few months supported by Andy Laws and their new leader 🤖 Brandon Ray 🤖! In October we set a hefty goal and although outbound pipeline has been improving was still a big number. For context, we needed to double it. Here are some actions we've taken to improve and 2X our pipeline. 1. ICP with a heavy focus on technographic data from key partners using Crossbeam. Went all in on our core accounts and made sure time was heavily prioritized here. 🎯 2. Alignment on account plans with the AEs and improved 1-1's, goal setting, and building actual relationships. Win it together is the key theme. Target the right accounts at the right time. 🙌 3. Event and digital support BDRs and AE self gen - we don't use an MQL model instead everyone is invested in generating pipeline in our key accounts and converting them sooner with outbound. 🏎 4. Increase contacts reached and accounts worked with more activity - this doesn't mean spray and pray but better efficiencies to give people more of a chance of connecting with the right person and right account using tools like Nooks 📞 5. Creativity to stand out. We've launched impactful campaigns, and seasonal gifting campaigns, run some unique events and ultimately worked on our presence to be seen. Shout out Daniela Ferreira who is often the unsung hero creating the amazing design work you see! 💜 What am I happy to celebrate? 100% of the BDRs hit their October target and many exceeded Sean Ryan and Joe Kay got promoted to Snr BDRs (deserves a post on it's own) Marketing achieved their third quarter of hitting target! Well done 💜 Sofia Alexandra Silva, Sara Sa, Kinga Kusak, Sam Collins Outbound is a team effort and that's why we invest in Allbound! Cheers to all of the GTM team for a huge Q3! Let's build on it for Q4 and smash some new records!

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On today's episode of "Whoa! Why is a CRO talking about Customer Success" I'm going to be talking about upsell/cross-sell. Yesterday, I talked about how referral programs turned happy customers into advocates who brought us new business. But here’s the thing: Retention doesn’t stop there. When I talk to folks about their CS team, there's always a lack of understanding about how retention leads to upsells and recurring revenue. They know that it can, but it's the HOW that gets them! So today I'm going to show you how we completely shifted our focus to upselling and increasing LTV in a traditionally "single purchase" industry. It wasn’t just about keeping customers, it was about deepening relationships, meeting their needs, and driving consistent revenue over time. Here’s how we made it happen: 1️⃣ Maintenance Plans: We introduced ongoing service contracts to give customers peace of mind and ensure they stayed with us for years. For the customer: Regular maintenance meant fewer headaches and optimal performance. For us: It created predictable, recurring revenue that reduced the pressure to constantly chase new leads (Although we did that too) 2️⃣ Add-On Services: Automated campaigns introduced complementary products and services tailored to customer needs. These offers weren’t pushy, they were helpful. For example: If we installed an HVAC system, we’d follow up with air quality upgrades or smart thermostat options, even LED light bulbs to make the home more efficient. This approach made upselling feel like the natural next step, strengthening the relationship, and in some cases gave us a reason to get back out to the house and have a conversation. 3️⃣ Seasonal Promotions: We ran limited time offers to encourage repeat business during quieter seasons. Think: Off-season check ups, discounted tune ups, or holiday specials. This kept revenue flowing year round and gave customers a reason to re-engage with us. The result? Customers didn’t just stick around, they spent more over time, turning one time buyers into long term customers. These strategies helped us maximize the value of every customer and build a sustainable growth engine. Tomorrow, I’ll get back into what a CRO "should be" focusing on in Step 5 of the RevEngine: Data-Driven Optimization and how we used feedback and data to constantly refine and improve our systems. I'll leave you with this note: Retention isn’t just about loyalty, it’s about value. Value is subjective, but when you find the right way to provide recurring value and impact, you'll have recurring revenue for years to come.

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Halfway There: Revamp Your Sales Pipeline for 2024 and Beyond. June, and H1, may be in the rearview mirror, but for sales teams, the year is far from over. It's time to take stock of your first half performance and not just shift focus to the remaining months, but strategically build your pipeline for 2025, especially if your sales cycles are longer. Here's why: Analyze First Half Trends: Look at what worked and what didn't. Were there specific lead sources that yielded better results? Did certain product features resonate more with customers? Understanding these trends will inform your approach in the second half. Refine Your Pipeline: Evaluate the health of your current pipeline. Are there deals stuck that need a nudge? Are there promising leads that haven't been nurtured enough? Revamp your pipeline to prioritize high-potential opportunities. Start Building for 2025: For companies with lengthy sales cycles, a six-month window might not be enough.Identify potential long-term clients now and initiate conversations. Plant the seeds early to reap the benefits next year. Action Steps: Revisit Sales Goals: Are your initial targets still realistic? Adjust them based on first-half performance and market conditions. Double Down on What's Working: Replicate successful strategies and tactics from the first half. Invest in Long-Term Relationships: Start nurturing leads for future sales cycles, building trust and brand awareness. By taking a proactive approach, you can ensure a strong finish to 2024 and set the stage for a prosperous 2025.Remember, a well-stocked pipeline today is the foundation for a successful tomorrow.

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