A.J. Cook

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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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/eeVWViQz  

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𝗚𝗧𝗠 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 & 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 separate Strategic CROs and RevOps Leaders from glorified sales managers and systems admins. Getting accurate metrics isn’t easy though. Getting real Insights from those metrics is even harder. You need to: 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 Start by identifying the metrics that matter for your unique GTM motion. To help, our 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 will have a 𝗚𝗧𝗠 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘅 outlining the most common metrics in B2B SaaS and how to calculate them. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 P𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 F𝗲𝗲𝗱 M𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 Metrics are only as accurate as the process being executed. If our salespeople don’t know how to qualify deals, for example, our Close Rate will tell us nothing. We have to clearly define processes, train the team, and drive them to adopt and execute in order to be a data-driven organization. 𝗨𝗻𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 It’s not enough to see our Lead Conversion Rate, or Close Rate, across our entire business. These numbers are blended together across different types of leads and lead sources, different segments (SMB, MM, ENT), geos, products, etc. To see what’s really happening, we have to unblend the funnel. More on this in our 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 People only execute processes when held accountable. To get accurate data, we need to inspect the data regularly to be sure it’s accurate. To get real insights into our business, we need to analyze that data regularly to spot trends and take action. This requires the right person/people with the right skills and uninterrupted time to do “deep work.” CROs usually don’t have time to do this well and RevOps can’t if they’re constantly harassed with system admin requests. 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 As we get to this part of the year, finalizing our annual plan, it’s a bit too late. We have dirty data and have to make some BIG assumptions. If we’re in this boat, we need fix this for next year. Additionally, Annual Plans aren’t set in stone. We need to track them and iterate as we hit or miss goals and milestones. More on this in our 𝗚𝗧𝗠 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 Subscribe to our Newsletter to get it tomorrow: https://bit.ly/49RCm0h If you want a high-res image, subscribe and get it tomorrow, or comment "High Res" below (and send me a connection request if we're not already connected) and I'll DM it to you. ✌️

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Does your demo feel like it’s talking to everyone yet connecting with no one? It’s time to change the game. When your demo speaks directly to your customer’s needs, the impact is undeniable. Tailored demos don’t just inform—they engage, resonate, and lead to higher conversion rates. It’s the difference between a demo that gets ignored and one that closes deals. Here’s the secret: stop focusing on features, and start focusing on their goals. Build your demo around their pain points and challenges, and watch as your prospects lean in, ready to see how your solution transforms their business. The Great Demo! methodology helps you craft demos that zero in on the customer’s needs and position your solution as the answer they’ve been looking for. DM me or comment below to learn how you can turn your demos into powerful, customer-centric presentations 🚀

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Without GTM leader support, your enablement efforts are DOA. Here’s how I use AI to get buy-in from GTM leaders without tons of meetings... 1) Identify the key players. For me, it’s typically: Product Marketing (PMM) RevOps Frontline Sales Managers CRO 2) Create LIVE personas. I use Replicate Labs to pull in data from: LinkedIn Top Voices Industry-leading podcasts Profile searches My notes on key initiatives This builds a living persona for each stakeholder. 3) Start “conversations” with these personas. Some go to prompts I like to use: Which industry trends are threatening your effectiveness? How often do you collaborate with [insert another key stakeholder]? When you learn something new about our sales process, who do you share it with first? Use the input to build an enablement program plan draft. 4) Cross-reference with actual stakeholders. Here’s the trick: Present your enablement program draft to team members before the CRO. Tag them in areas that impact the metrics they care about. Refine based on their feedback. 5) Deliver a 1-page business case to the CRO. Include: Quotes & examples from your internal conversations. A link to the full project plan. Clear impact on executive-level metrics. Result: After signoff, have the CRO announce the project to the team noting that you’ll be the project lead. 🚀 Before using AI, this process took hours. Now, I can chat with personas in minutes, just like I would on Slack. If you try to avoid meetings like the plague, but need to get a better understanding of the challenges facing internal stakeholders, use AI to do the preliminary research. Then send them a project plan to comment on rather than a calendar invite. Your team will thank you. #Enablement #SalesLeadership #AI

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How much retention would go up? If... - The Customer Success org starts with Solutions - There's a Chief Solutions Officer on the board - AEs consult with SEs on all ongoing deals - Customers talk 80% in conversations - Focus is on adoption, not renewals I'm guessing by A LOT. That's the GTM SaaS world I envision. P.S: True customer adoption nearly guarantees renewals. #presalesevolution #customersuccess #saas

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It will be interesting to see how this dynamic changes things. Even if the #SaaS pioneer changes their #pricing model, there are bound to be shifts. Customers for whom the old model was great may balk at shifting to the new, while others will jump at a pricing structure that is now better suited to them. Assuming that WTP will remain constant across the existing customer base regardless of the pricing configuration feels like a HUGE risk. While SFDC wants to extract the maximum value from its customers... evolutions in the tech will ultimately mean that customers NEED LESS Salesforce to accomplish their goals. Can Salesforce also evolve and retain its position as indispensable to customers? Pricing is often an optimization strategy. How can we get more by capturing latent WTP. If I were SFDC, I would add to this strategy (not replace it) a strong look at the market not currently served due to price. I'd want to know if #AI allows SFDC to serve markets that they currently cannot profitably serve? Opening new TAM > shuffling the deck chairs IMO. There's a pride to being the premium provider that can undermine your goal of maximum revenue. #cmozen

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The revenue teams I talk to don’t want a dozen solutions. They want a single platform that does it all. - Forecasting - Call recordings - Sales engagement When these features exist in an isolated, one-off solution, the switching costs are huge. Reps spend hours each week clicking back-and-forth. Tech fatigue takes over. Costs go through the roof. That’s why we’re positioning Clari as a one-stop shop. Everything reps to execs need - all available on a single Revenue Platform. Throw in next-level AI and the largest revenue database on the market, and that’s a winning formula. If you want to learn more about Clari, chat with my team here: https://lnkd.in/gUjW9Y2z 

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Gong's GTM teams love DealHub! We're geeking out over how Gong, the Revenue Intelligence leaders, are using DealHub.io to, well, rock their sales world! Their Deal Desk, RevOps, and Sales teams are all raving about the platform. Here's why DealHub is a hit at Gong: * Less Busywork, More High Fives: DealHub slashed manual work by 50%, freeing up time for what matters – closing those deals. * Crystal Clear Visibility: Say goodbye to pipeline mysteries! Everyone at Gong has a bird's eye view of the sales process. * Faster Sales Cycles: DealHub helped Gong accelerate their deal cycles, meaning quicker wins and happier customers. * Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Collaboration is key! DealHub fosters seamless communication between all of Gong's awesome teams. Curious how DealHub can boost your RevOps magic? Check out the full story! https://okt.to/WeHlgw #RevOpsLife #SalesTeamWins #DealHubLove #CustomerSpotlight

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WE DON’T WANT TO REPLACE SDRS Agent Frank was never meant to replace your sales team. Sure, it can help you reduce some costs - for example, instead of hiring 2 new reps, you can just hire one and onboard Agent Frank - https://lnkd.in/e69mGgBG But the goal was always for Agent Frank to work WITH your team and enable them to focus on the best part of being an SDR: Closing deals 🚀

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Forging pipeline made easy: Salesforge 🔥 takes care of managing your sequences Mailforge - Cold Email Infrastructure 📈 & Infraforge - Private Email Infrastructure 🔷 cover email infrastructure Warmforge - Land In The Primary 🎯 boosts your deliverability Agent Frank takes on autonomous prospecting, outreach and booking meetings & more to come! Get ready for what’s next 😈

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Thanks to DealHub.io, Factorial were able to deploy a CPQ with guardrails and approval workflows to speed up their GTM motion. Operational Efficiency is top of mind for many business leaders today. Time is money and many have a pain with friction in their quoting process. Factorial can trust DealHub CPQ to worry about the pricing mechanism and the built-in Guided Selling training in order to go faster. They can advance and improve their pricing strategy and be more flexible with the right policies, such as applying different discounts to maximize revenue. My thanks to Moran Laufer, Factorial’s CFO, for sharing his insights and Kudos to Jonathan Angel for delivering an excellent customer experience. #CFO #CRO #SalesOps

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Jessie Shipman is out here preaching the GTM gospel! 🙏🏼 I feel this in my SOUL. Let’s see…hire one person to do the job of ten, minimal investment in strategy/tools/and then not understand why partners aren’t breaking doors down to resell/co-sell/refer? Trust and believe technology vendors notice EVERYTHING. They see which technology companies are driving awareness, education, connecting with their direct sales/engineering teams at industry standard events, driving demand generation for THE PARTNERS, etc. You know, the basic’s. GI/GO.

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There’s a conundrum when it comes to measuring sales training impact… I’ve worked with a lot of enablement teams that use leading indicators to measure training impact: Workshop Attendance Gong Recordings SFDC Hygiene Rep Surveys The problem: There’s no clear way to connect these metrics to business outcomes. Then, on the other side, you have teams that focus mainly on lagging indicators: Win Rate Pipeline Creation Sales Cycle Length Average Contract Value The problem: It takes a minimum of 3 months to see any results, and even if you do, no one believes that the changes can be attributed to sales training. Basically, if you focus too far down the funnel, no one believes you, but if you focus too far up the funnel, no one cares. Here are the only 3 questions you need to be able to answer to know if your training worked: 1/ Did reps use the training? Did they show up and engage during the session? Are they practicing the skills covered? Are their skills improving as a result of practice? 2/ Is there a clear change in outputs as a result of the new behavior? This is where you can think about leading indicators like (talk ratio, buyer engagement, and business case creation) 3/ Did the the new behavior lead to a change in key outcomes. This is where you tie a thread from the leading indicator to the lagging indicator. (Eg. What’s our win-rate on opportunities that include a business case?) The team over at Replicate Labs are taking what used to be a long drawn out process of measuring impact (that involved lots of help from RevOps), and turning it into a few simple steps. They’ve built one of the only training adoption platforms I’ve seen that allows you to see how practice produces outputs that lead to outcomes. If you’re tired of relying on surveys or waiting 3+ months to see results that no one believes your team influenced, reach out to James Pursey, and see for yourself.

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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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There is often considerable overlap between Revenue Operations (RevOps) leadership and the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) roles due to the interconnected nature of strategy and execution in driving revenue growth. This signifies a move toward a transformation in Revenue executives where decision-makers combine strategic foresight with operational expertise that drives sustainable revenue growth. The opportunity for senior RevOps professionals to take on these executive roles is more relevant than ever. Here is my advice on considering this move: https://lnkd.in/eEp263QR

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At ZoomInfo, we don’t settle for fool’s gold. Or bad data. And you shouldn’t either. With ZoomInfo Copilot, unrivaled buyer data and signals, tailored engagement recommendations, and AI-powered personalized outreach mean you’ll strike gold every time. 💰 Fueled by ZoomInfo’s best-in-class B2B data, ZoomInfo Copilot has the power to turn every seller into your best seller. DM me to learn more or visit our landing page 👉 https://lnkd.in/gJbMg4WZ #ZoomInfoCopilot 

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Partner leaders- we've got work to do. Sam Jacobs leads a community of CRO and GTM leaders- he's one of the most thoughtful, experienced, and effective people guiding the next generation of business leaders. This week he called out how poorly defined and poorly understood the partner playbook is- not just in the broader market, but even among the community of GTM experts. There's no playbook, it's hard to plan around, and "A bunch of partnership people standing around in a circle talking about how they're undervalued won't move the needle." He is 100% right. On the other side, I just got off a call with Dan McAllister, SVP Global Alliances and Channels at Boomi. Dan successfully led partnerships at SAP, Netsuite, Box, Mulesoft, and Salesforce before this role. When it comes to recognizing the opportunities the ecosystem presents his business, defining a strategy, crystalizing a joint business plan with his peers on the leadership team, and then executing the plan, Dan is one of the best in the world. #Partnerships are not one size fits all. The gap Sam called out in understanding partnerships and the partnering community's ability to close it is real. I'd like to personally invite Sam and all GTM leaders who want to understand partnerships better to join our Ecosystem Business Summit next week to hear how the best partnership leaders define partner strategy, rally their teams to understand the partner opportunity in GTM planning and lead the business through execution. We might all be great at recognizing the opportunity partnerships present, but unless you can rally the business around it you're failing as a partnership leader. We've got work to do! Join in link in comments.

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This Salesforce blog by Amber Armstrong (Oberg) is 💫 . Stat below but TL;DR: 86% of buyers want their goals understood but nearly 60% say sales reps don't understand them. SELLERS: if you take the time to understand your prospect's goals, you will win. Good old fashioned being a good human and working hard ALWAYS wins the day. Buyers demand personalization* 18. 86% of business buyers are more likely to buy if companies understand their goals. 19. But 59% say most sales reps don’t take the time to understand them. 20. 84% of business buyers expect sales reps to act as trusted advisors. 21. But 73% say most sales interactions feel transactional. *The data in this section comes from from the Salesforce State of the Connected Customer report.

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