Outcome-Based Selling sounds powerful - but most sales transformation efforts stall because organizations still think like product companies. In this episode, we unpack what it really takes to shift from product selling to true customer centricity and enterprise sales strategy.

In this episode of the B2B Sales Trends Podcast, Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Michael Oren, SVP Americas Sales at Dematic, to explore the uncomfortable truth behind outcome-based selling and sales transformation inside enterprise environments.

This is not theory. It’s lived experience - from Xerox to Dematic - across real organizations, real customers, and real accountability.

🔗 Explore more insights: https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

📘 Get the 26 Sales Trends for 2026 report:

👉 https://globalperformancegroup.com/26-sales-trends/

00:00 – Outcome-Based Selling vs product mindset

04:15 – The “solution selling” illusion in B2B sales

09:30 – Enterprise sales strategy: where execution breaks

15:40 – Sales accountability in long implementation cycles

21:10 – Leading sales transformation without chaos

27:00 – Consistency, courage & patience in sales leadership

You’ll learn:

- Why many “consultative selling” models still operate with a product mindset

- What sales leadership must change to drive true customer centricity

- How sales accountability shifts in multi-year enterprise sales strategy

- Why value-based selling requires operating model change - not just new language

💡 Key Takeaways

- If your solution story collapses without your product at the center, you’re not selling solutions

- Sales transformation fails in the “messy middle” - not at kickoff

- Outcome-based selling requires courage to change metrics, roles, and funding

- Enterprise sales strategy must optimize around customer outcomes - not product features

- Leadership consistency, courage, and patience determine whether transformation sticks

About Guest

Michael Oren is SVP Americas Sales at Dematic, a global leader in warehouse automation. Formerly EVP of Global Services at Xerox, he has led large-scale commercial reinvention - from product selling to services-led, outcome-based models. Michael specializes in sales transformation, enterprise sales strategy, and aligning sales culture to customer outcomes.

Connect with Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeloren/

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with your team.

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👉 https://globalperformancegroup.com/26-sales-trends/

🎙️ Want to Be a Guest on B2B Sales Trends?

We feature senior B2B sales leaders, commercial executives, and operators shaping modern go-to-market strategy.

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Cross-functional teams in B2B sales decide whether complex deals move forward or fall apart. In this episode, we explore how high-performing sales teams, stakeholder collaboration, and shared accountability shape modern B2B sales strategy at scale.

In this episode, host Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Bassem Salameh, Head of Network North Europe at Ericsson, to unpack what truly drives performance in complex B2B environments. Together, they explore why alignment between sales, technical, and delivery teams is no longer optional - and how leaders can build high-performing sales teams that move as one.

🔗 Explore more insights: https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

📘 Get the 26 Sales Trends for 2026 report:

👉 https://globalperformancegroup.com/26-sales-trends/

00:00 – Why sales never really “ends” in complex B2B

04:30 – How miscommunication kills B2B sales deals

09:00 – The cross-functional triangle: sales, technical, delivery

14:40 – Building stakeholder collaboration at scale

20:00 – Leadership, accountability, and shared KPIs

31:50 – The future of B2B sales and AI’s role

You’ll learn how to:

- Align cross-functional teams across the entire B2B sales lifecycle

- Prevent miscommunication that quietly derails enterprise deals

- Build stakeholder collaboration without slowing execution

- Create sales accountability without silos or blame

💡 Key Takeaways

- Cross-functional alignment matters more than product or price in complex B2B sales

- Miscommunication - internally and externally - is the biggest hidden deal risk

- High-performing sales teams rotate leadership based on deal stage, not hierarchy

- Sales accountability improves when teams share outcomes, not just targets

- Confidence in B2B selling comes from preparation, listening, and inclusion

About Guest

Bassem Salameh is Head of Network North Europe at Ericsson, where he leads large-scale technical, sales, and delivery organizations in complex enterprise environments. Known for his techno-commercial leadership approach, Bassem helps organizations align cross-functional teams to deliver sustainable B2B sales performance at scale.

Connect with Bassem on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bassem-salameh-4311894/

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with your team.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly insights on modern B2B selling, leadership, and performance.

🔗 Explore more at https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

📘 Get the 26 Sales Trends for 2026 report:

👉 https://globalperformancegroup.com/26-sales-trends/

Build trust for sales through relationship selling - not rigid process.

In this episode of B2B Sales Trends, Blanca Galletero explains why trust, transparency, and leadership authenticity are the real growth levers in modern B2B sales and channel partnerships.

The future of B2B selling isn’t about tighter control or more dashboards - it’s about relationship selling at scale. In this episode, host Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Blanca Galletero, VP EMEA Channels at SentinelOne, to unpack how trust is built, lost, and rebuilt across complex partner ecosystems.

Together, they explore how sales leaders can move beyond old-school tactics, use soft skills in sales as a competitive advantage, and increase results by offering real value and transparency - even in high-pressure moments.

📘 Get the 26 Sales Trends for 2026 report:

👉 https://globalperformancegroup.com/26-sales-trends/

🔗 Explore more insights: https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Why build trust for sales before pipeline and process

03:40 – Relationship selling vs. sales process: what actually scales

07:25 – Transparency + predictability: the trust formula for sales leaders

11:10 – Channel partnerships, credibility, and leadership authenticity

16:55 – Repairing trust when deals break down

20:45 – AI in B2B sales: why trust still beats automation

You’ll learn:

- How to build trust for sales without overpromising

- Why relationship selling outperforms process-heavy sales models

- How leadership authenticity drives long-term partner success

- Where AI supports selling - and where it can’t replace human trust

💡 Key Takeaways

- Trust is not a KPI - it’s a daily leadership decision

- Relationship selling scales when predictability replaces perfection

- Transparency only works when it’s practiced, not presented

- Strong channel partnerships are built on honesty, not opportunism

- AI can scale process, but trust scales relationships

About the Guest

Blanca Galletero is VP EMEA Channels at SentinelOne, leading go-to-market and partner ecosystems across Europe. With 20+ years of experience across companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, and SentinelOne, she’s known for building high-trust relationships through leadership authenticity, value-based selling, and transparency.

Connect with Blanca on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blanca-galletero/

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with your team.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly insights on modern selling, leadership, and performance.

🔗 Explore more at https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

📘 Get the 26 Sales Trends for 2026 report:

👉 https://globalperformancegroup.com/26-sales-trends/

A modern sales enablement strategy is no longer about quarterly training or feature decks. In fast-moving AI markets, credibility is fragile, buyers are overwhelmed, and sales teams need real-time learning to stay relevant. In this episode of the B2B Sales Trends Podcast, we explore how enablement, go-to-market strategy, and outcome-based selling must evolve when markets change weekly.

In this episode, Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Phil Manez, VP of Go-To-Market Execution at VAST Data, to unpack how modern sales teams can stay credible when products, markets, and customer expectations evolve faster than ever. Drawing from real examples in AI-driven environments, Phil shares how enablement, messaging discipline, and execution come together to support confidence in selling.

📘 Get the 26 Sales Trends for 2026 report:

👉 https://globalperformancegroup.com/26-sales-trends/

🔗 Explore more insights: https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

Timestamps:

00:00 – Why credibility is fragile in AI-driven B2B sales

03:30 – Sales enablement strategy in fast-moving markets

06:10 – Go-to-market strategy: precision over coverage

09:45 – Turning reps into outcome-based sellers

14:10 – Continuous enablement vs. one-off sales training

18:20 – What elite sellers must unlearn in the AI era

You’ll learn:

– Why traditional sales enablement strategies fall apart in AI markets

– How go-to-market execution creates focus instead of noise

– What outcome-based selling actually looks like in complex deals

– How continuous enablement keeps teams relevant and credible

💡 Key Takeaways

- Sales enablement strategy must be continuous, not event-based

- Credibility is the true currency in AI-driven B2B selling

- Go-to-market strategy works best when it prioritizes precision over volume

- Outcome-based selling reframes deals away from features and toward value

- Leaders must model learning to keep teams relevant as markets accelerate

About the Guest

Phil Manez is VP of Go-To-Market Execution at VAST Data, where he operates at the intersection of product, engineering, marketing, and sales enablement. Known for building enablement systems that keep pace with rapidly evolving AI markets, Phil helps sales teams stay credible, focused, and outcome-driven in complex B2B environments.

Connect with Phil Manez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philmanez/

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with your team.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly insights on modern selling, leadership, and performance.

🔗 Explore more at https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

📘 Download the 26 Sales Trends for 2026 report:

👉 https://globalperformancegroup.com/26-sales-trends/

B2B sales leaders lose deals not in the RFP-but long before it arrives.

In this episode, we unpack why RFPs fail in B2B sales, how sales leadership must rethink RFP strategy, and what outcome-based selling looks like in complex enterprise sales environments.

RFPs trigger pressure, speed, and reaction - but that instinct is exactly what kills win rates. Host Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Patrick Oestreich, a senior commercial leader preparing to assume a CEO role, to break down how elite B2B sales teams approach RFPs with discipline, clarity, and leadership judgment.

This episode is a masterclass in B2B sales strategy, qualification, and modern sales leadership - especially for teams operating in procurement-driven, enterprise environments.

🔗 Explore more insights: https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

📘 Get the 26 Sales Trends for 2026 report:

👉 https://globalperformancegroup.com/26-sales-trends/

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 – Why RFPs fail in B2B sales

03:45 – RFPs are the end of the sales cycle

08:30 – Outcome-based selling vs reactive RFPs

14:10 – Enterprise sales strategy: shaping deals early

20:25 – When sales leadership should walk away from RFPs

27:40 – Coaching teams to increase RFP win rates

You’ll learn how to:

- Stop wasting time on unwinnable RFPs

- Shift from reactive selling to outcome-based selling

- Build a healthier B2B sales pipeline with higher win rates

- Lead sales teams with intention - not pressure

💡 Key Takeaways

- RFPs are not the start of the sale - they are the final checkpoint.

- High-performing B2B sales teams shape opportunities months before procurement gets involved.

- Inflated pipelines don’t drive results - disciplined qualification does.

- Sales leadership must reward impact, not activity.

- Walking away from the wrong RFP is a strategic advantage, not a failure.

About the Guest

Patrick Oestreich is a senior commercial leader with decades of experience in RFP-driven, highly competitive enterprise environments. Most recently, he served as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and Executive Board Member at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics and is preparing to assume a CEO role at a mid-sized, family-owned business.

Known for combining strategic clarity with human leadership, Patrick helps organizations rethink how they sell, qualify, and lead in complex B2B environments.

🔗 Connect with Patrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-oestreich-54b2ab56/

If this episode challenged how you think about RFPs, share it with your sales leadership team.

🎧 Subscribe to the B2B Sales Trends Podcast for weekly insights on modern selling, leadership, and performance.

🔗 Explore more at https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

📘 Get the 26 Sales Trends for 2026 report:

👉 https://globalperformancegroup.com/26-sales-trends/

Increasing sales performance and confidence in selling doesn’t come from more pressure - it comes from better leadership design. In this special 100th episode of the B2B Sales Trends Podcast, Harry breaks down the systems, structures, and leadership shifts shaping sales trends 2026, and why modern B2B sales strategy must move beyond urgency and intensity.

This solo milestone episode marks 100 episodes of pattern recognition across sales leaders, first-line managers, and go-to-market teams. Harry Kendlbacher distills the first three insights from the 26 Sales Trends for 2026 report - explaining why pressure no longer works, how leadership design drives consistency, and what buyers truly respond to today.

🔗 Explore more insights: https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

👉Download the report here: https://globalperformancegroup.com/26-sales-trends/

Timestamps:

00:00 – Why increasing sales performance feels harder today

02:18 – Sales trends 2026 and what they reveal about modern selling

04:40 – Predictability vs pressure in B2B sales strategy

06:55 – Sales manager coaching as the real performance lever

08:20 – Confidence in selling and the consultative sales approach

09:30 – Final reflections + the future of sales leadership

You’ll learn:

– Why pressure-based sales training is breaking performance

– How predictability increases confidence in selling

– The growing impact of sales manager coaching

– What modern buyers expect from consultative sales conversations

💡 Key Takeaways

- Increasing sales performance today depends more on systems than effort

- Predictable environments outperform pressure-driven sales cultures

- First-line sales managers are the true drivers of behavior change

- Confidence in selling comes from clarity, not urgency

- Sales trends 2026 reward consistency over intensity

About the Episode

This is a solo 100th episode special hosted by Harry Kendlbacher, founder of Global Performance Group and host of the B2B Sales Trends Podcast. Drawing from hundreds of conversations with sales leaders worldwide, Harry shares the foundational shifts redefining performance, leadership, and trust in modern B2B sales.

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with your team.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly insights on modern selling, leadership, and performance.

📘 Download the full 26 Sales Trends for 2026 report:

👉 https://globalperformancegroup.com/26-sales-trends/

🔗 Explore more at https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

Sales technique today is about impact, not activity. In this Best Of episode, we break down high performance in sales, sales enablement best practices, and buyer psychology - including how AI in sales enablement is reshaping modern B2B selling.

On the B2B Sales Trends Podcast, host Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Brian North, Sr. Vice President of Strategic Brand Partnerships at Hearst, to unpack why most sales strategies fail in execution - and what separates teams that sustain high performance. This is a conversation from our archive we’re resurfacing because its insights on sales techniques, sales enablement, and AI in sales enablement are more relevant than ever.

🔗 Explore more insights: https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

You’ll learn:

- Why sales strategies fail in execution - and how to fix it

- How elite sellers move from product pitching to problem solving

- What buyer psychology reveals about modern purchase decisions

- How sales enablement best practices drive consistent execution

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – What High Performance in Sales Really Means Today

04:35 – Why Sales Strategy Breaks Down in Execution

09:05 – Measuring Impact vs Activity in B2B Sales

11:15 – From Product Pushing to Problem Solving Sales Technique

13:30 – Buyer Psychology and Modern Purchase Decisions

24:20 – AI in Sales Enablement and the Future of Selling

💡 Key Takeaways

- High performance in sales comes from impact, not volume

- Sales techniques must align with how buyers actually make decisions

- Sales enablement best practices fail without coaching and reinforcement

- Buyer psychology explains why activity alone doesn’t move deals

- AI in sales enablement amplifies skill — it doesn’t replace judgment

About the Guest

Brian North is Senior Vice President of Strategic Brand Partnerships at Hearst, where he focuses on performance, innovation, and consultative selling across a complex, fast-moving media landscape. With over 25 years of experience, Brian helps organizations translate data, audience insights, and buyer psychology into sales techniques that drive real business outcomes.

Connect with Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-n-85b2682/

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with a sales leader or enablement partner focused on execution - not just strategy.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly insights on modern B2B selling, leadership, and performance.

🔗 Explore more at https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

Sales team culture building is what turns sales strategy for B2B into real performance - not tools, not talk, and not one-off initiatives. This episode explores how leaders build organizational culture that actually executes.

On the B2B Sales Trends Podcast, host Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Susana Klotz, VP of Global New Client Acquisition at Kaseya, to unpack how high-performing sales teams move from process to performance by obsessing over culture, habits, and the buyer journey. This is a standout conversation from our archive - resurfaced because its lessons remain highly relevant for today’s B2B leaders.

🔗 Explore more insights: https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

You’ll learn:

- Why sales team culture building determines execution quality

- How organizational culture connects directly to revenue outcomes

- What “buyer journey thinking” really means for modern B2B sales

- How leaders turn strategy into consistent daily behavior

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Why Sales Team Culture Building Drives Performance

03:20 – Turning Sales Strategy for B2B Into Daily Habits

07:20 – Organizational Culture vs. Slide-Deck Strategy

11:50 – What the Buyer Journey Really Looks Like in Practice

16:30 – Moving Beyond the First Deal in B2B Sales

22:45 – The Habits That Separate Average and Elite Sales Teams

💡 Key Takeaways

- Sales team culture building is the foundation of sustainable performance

- The best sales strategy for B2B lives in habits, not frameworks

- Organizational culture shows up in how teams behave under pressure

- Understanding the buyer journey prevents transactional selling

- Consistency and clarity matter more than motivation or incentives

About the Guest

Susana Klotz is VP of Global New Client Acquisition at Kaseya, where she leads global go-to-market teams focused on growth, execution, and culture. Known for her disciplined, people-first leadership approach, Susana helps organizations translate strategy into repeatable behaviors that drive long-term results.

Connect with Susana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susana-klotz/

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with a sales leader or enablement partner focused on building culture that performs.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly insights on modern B2B selling, leadership, and performance.

🔗 Explore more at https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

Sales Engineering and Business Development are no longer support functions - they are central to how modern B2B deals are won. In this episode, we explore how Sales Engineers drive real business outcomes, not just technical validation.

On the B2B Sales Trends Podcast, host Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Nirav Sheth, VP of Global Sales Engineering at Pure Storage, to unpack how Sales Engineers evolve into trusted advisors across the full sales cycle — from discovery to long-term value creation. This episode is part of our Best Of series, highlighting timeless conversations from the B2B Sales Trends Podcast.

🔗 Explore more insights: https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

You’ll learn:

- How Sales Engineers elevate Business Development beyond demos

- Why consultative discovery is the new competitive advantage

- How Sales Enablement scales SE impact across global teams

- What strong SE–AE collaboration looks like in practice

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Why Sales Engineering Is Now Core to Business Development

04:50 – From Technical Demos to Consultative Sales Engineering

09:40 – Discovery, Curiosity, and Business Outcomes in Enterprise Deals

14:55 – Scaling Sales Enablement Across Global SE Teams

18:05 – How Sales Engineers and Sellers Co-Own Accounts

25:10 – The Top Skills Every Elite Sales Engineer Needs

💡 Key Takeaways

- Sales Engineering has evolved from technical support into strategic - Business Development

- Great Sales Engineers uncover unconsidered needs, not just stated requirements

- Sales Enablement is critical to scaling SE excellence across large organizations

- Trust, curiosity, and inspiration matter as much as technical depth

- Long-term customer value is created through proactive, ongoing engagement

About the Guest

Nirav Sheth is VP of Global Sales Engineering at Pure Storage, where he leads a worldwide organization of Sales Engineers supporting enterprise, mid-market, and emerging customers. Known for transforming Sales Engineering into a consultative, outcome-driven function, Nirav helps organizations connect technology investment directly to business impact.

Connect with Nirav on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niravsheth3/

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with a Sales Engineer, seller, or enablement leader on your team.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly insights on modern selling, leadership, and performance.

🔗 Explore more at https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

Sales Discovery and business pain are the real drivers behind deal momentum - not pressure, not persuasion, and not better slides. In this episode, we break down how modern B2B sales teams use discovery to turn passive buyers into decisive action.

In this B2B Sales Trends Podcast, host Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Lisa DeCristofaro, Sales Director at UKG, to unpack how elite sellers uncover real business pain points, create sales momentum, and lead consultative selling conversations that actually move deals forward.

🔗 Explore more insights: https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/

You’ll learn:

- How sales discovery questions uncover urgency without pressure

- Why “cost of inaction” beats ROI in complex B2B selling

- How sales coaching and role play drive consistent performance

- The outbound prospecting strategy that activates buyers early

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Why Sales Discovery (Not Pitching) Creates Momentum

03:55 – Turning Passive Buyers Into Active Buyers Through Discovery

08:40 – Finding Real Business Pain Points and the Cost of Inaction

13:30 – Sales Discovery Questions That Drive Consultative Selling

18:50 – Sales Coaching, Role Play, and Building Sales Momentum

24:45 – Outbound Prospecting Strategy and Sustaining Performance

💡 Key Takeaways

- Sales discovery works when it uncovers business pain tied to outcomes, not surface-level problems

- The biggest threat to deals isn’t rejection - it’s buyer inaction

- Consultative selling requires curiosity, discipline, and deep listening

- Sales coaching only sticks when leaders model, practice, and repeat

- Strong outbound prospecting activates buyers before competition enters

About the Guest

Lisa DeCristofaro is a Sales Director at UKG, where she leads and scales high-performing B2B sales teams in highly competitive markets. Known for her practical approach to sales discovery, coaching, and leadership development, Lisa helps organizations move from stalled deals to consistent execution through trust, clarity, and disciplined practice.

Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisadecristofaro/

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with your team or a sales leader navigating stalled deals.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly insights on modern B2B selling, leadership, and performance.

🔗 Explore more at https://www.globalperformancegroup.com/