James Tudway is a Commercial Leader and Go To Market Strategist, currently Vice President of HG Insights, with deep expertise in leading revenue teams through product misalignment and market disruption. With years of experience scaling global sales organizations, including a recent stint in California. James returned to the UK to help turn around a SaaS data business grappling with churn, long sales cycles, and enablement blind spots. Known for building resilient GTM functions and high impact sales cultures, James brings a candid, pragmatic perspective to leadership during turbulent times.
In this episode, host Matt Milligan and James discuss what it really takes to lead a sales team when your product is behind the curve. From introducing a “hero model” for performance to balancing budget between enablement and engineering, James offers tactical insights on coaching, morale, compensation, and retaining top talent when the odds are stacked against you. You’ll hear how fragmented development efforts can quietly erode renewal rates and how sales leaders can reframe the conversation internally to secure long term wins.00:00 – Introduction & Relocating Back from the U.S.
00:03:15 – Leading When Product Isn’t Ready
00:06:00 – Why Customers Pause: The Real Churn Drivers
00:08:00 – Facing the Hard Truth: Falling Behind Competitors
00:10:30 – The “Hero Model” Approach to GTM Talent
00:12:30 – Rebuilding Morale with Comp Structure & Focus
00:15:45 – How Enablement Gaps Undermine Performance
00:18:20 – Budget Prioritization: Product vs. People
00:21:00 – Advice for Vendors Navigating Budget Pushback
00:24:15 – Final Thoughts & Partnership Opportunities