Sales Tech Podcast

Episode Summary:

Welcome to Sales Tech Podcast, the show that talks about sales technology, what's working, what's not, and where the industry is going. In this episode, Thom sits down with author, entrepreneur, and B2B sales expert, Anita Nielsen.

Anita has devoted herself to helping remove obstacles in sales professionals' path through compassionate coaching. Her goal is to help sales leaders create high-performing sales organizations that are fueled by the culture and designed to accelerate growth.

Today, Thom and Anita talk about the humanity of sales and provide best practices and strategies for bringing this human element back into the sales industry. They discuss sales tech trends Anita has noticed throughout the years and why the number of sales tech stacks out there can be overwhelming for sales professionals and organizations.

Finally, Anita shares her thoughts on the critical need to be a lifelong learner and why those who do are much better off that those who don't.

What We Covered:

00:40 – Thom introduces today's guest, Anita Nielsen, who joins the show to share her observations of technology and sales and why the sheer number of technologies out there is overwhelming

02:52 – How to get sales professionals to better utilize sales technology

05:06 – Anita talks about why some sales professionals resist sales tech that they are offered

06:32 – Anita revisits the notion that there are an overwhelming amount of options out there

08:52 – Anita talks about her book, Beat the Bots, and why the human element of sales is critical

12:58 – How people can build up their humanity and use technology to do it better

14:51 – The power of remembering birthdays and other small touches of human connection

20:35 – Anita provides her thoughts on the value of being a lifelong learner

23:43 – Thom takes a moment to promote the upcoming Sales Tech Expo

24:07 – Anita speculates on the future of sales tech

24:42 – Thom thanks Anita for joining the show today and let's listeners know how to connect with her

Tweetables:

"Tech is only as good as the people who wield it." (02:07)

"You have to surround salespeople with communication and understand of what you are trying to do with that tech. And it has to help them." (03:12)

"People buy based on emotion, we've all heard this in sales. They later justify it. Well, the trick is that if you can't tap into that emotion, if you can't understand that emotion, how are you going to be able to get them to make a buying decision in your favor? It's probably not gonna go your way." (09:43)

"My technology is used to tell me, 'Hey, right now might be a good time to show them this case study. Or, maybe it's time for you to set up a reference call.' Any of those things that technology can do to support me to better enable the buyer to make the decision in my favor, that's where technology needs to play." (14:22)

"There's a bit of the 'Survival of the Fittest' thing going on. The way I look at it is the salespeople who are on their game and learning and moving forward and creating a personal brand and creating value, they're still killing it. But the ones who aren't, they're falling by the wayside and it's a little sad." (21:18)

Links Mentioned:

Anita Nielsen on LinkedIn

LDK Advisory Services Website

Beat The Bots Book

Salesforce

Blinkist

Episode Summary:

Welcome to Sales Tech Podcast, the show that talks about sales technology, what's working, what's not, and where the industry is going. In this episode, sales expert and entrepreneur, Scott Ingram joins the show to discuss his latest project, the Sales Tech Expo. Scott is the man behind Sales Success Media, a community that deconstructs world-class sales professionals. Scott is an incredibly thoughtful and deliberate sales professional who lives at the intersection of sales and innovation.

Today, Thom and Scott talk all about what to expect from the upcoming Sales Tech Expo in Austin, Texas. Scott speaks to what inspired him to launch this project, the importance of creating value for both practitioners and sponsors alike, and the culture of connecting at live events. Finally, Scott speaks to the investment boom in the sales tech industry and why it is poised to continue into the future.

What We Covered:

00:39 – Thom introduces today's guest, Scott Ingram, who joins the show to talk about the upcoming Sales Tech Expo

04:43 – Scott talks about the importance of creating value for both the sales practitioner and sponsor communities when organizing an event

06:23 – Thom and Scott talk about the culture of connecting at events

09:22 – Why Scott is extremely excited about the timing of the Sales Tech Expo

12:26 – Scott talks about the structure and core tracks of the Sales Tech Expo

15:09 – Scott discusses the investments that are taking place in sales tech

16:50 – Scott let's listeners know what to expect from the Sales Tech Expo and where they can learn more about the event

23:42 – Thom thanks Scott for joining the show today and all the work he's doing at Sales Success Media

Tweetables:

"What I recognized early this year was that there isn't a very practitioner-led event that brings all of the disciplines of sales together with all of the sales tech vendors and sales tech solutions." (02:27)

"The only way an event works is if there's value on both sides. I think, at the end of the day, it comes down to experience. And events are successful when you deliver that experience." (05:10)

"I'm a pretty good salesperson, but you know who's better than me? My best customer telling their story of working with us." (10:46)

"I'm looking to create a track called 'Founders and Funders,' where we can bring together the sales tech entrepreneurs, the C-level executives, the VCs, the angels, and those that are investing in the space and create this dynamic where they can all network." (13:42)

"We're well north of $1.5 billion of new investment that has flowed into this space. Sales tech is hot right now. It is attracting massive dollars because the investors see this is the new frontier." (16:08)

Links Mentioned:

Scott Ingram on LinkedIn

Sales Success Media Website

Crunchbase

Sales Tech Expo Website

Episode Summary:

Welcome to Sales Tech Podcast, the show that talks about sales technology, what's working, what's not, and where the industry is going. In this episode, keynote speaker, author, and radio host, Matt Heinz joins the show to discuss his background in marketing, the relationship between Sales and Marketing, and trends he's noticing in the sales tech industry. Matt has over fifteen years of experience in marketing, business development, and sales experience from a variety of organizations, vertical industries, and company sizes.

Today, Thom and Matt discuss the key role Marketing plays in supporting sales professionals. Matt talks about his experience with prospecting and provides best practices, including the value of utilizing the phone as a means of outreach. Matt shares his thoughts on sales tech stack that all organizations should be employing and expounds on what excites him most about the future of sales tech.

What We Covered:

00:39 – Thom introduces today's guest, Matt Heinz, who joins the show to talk about his marketing company, Heinz Marketing, and the relationship between Sales and Marketing

03:40 – Matt speaks to the tools that both Sales and Marketing utilize

05:12 – Trends Matt has noticed in sales tech that sales professionals need to pay attention to

08:01 – Best practices for standing out while prospecting

12:39 – Matt stresses the importance of paying attention to the little details when looking to differentiate yourself

15:05 – Matt lists the sales tech stack that all companies should have in their arsenal and the value of using the phone as a means of outreach

18:38 – How to get sales professionals to better utilize sales technology

21:09 – What excites Matt the most about the future of sales tech

23:18 – Final words of wisdom from Matt

24:21 – Thom thanks Matt for joining the show today and let's listeners know how to connect with him

Tweetables:

"You still, as a business, want to build brand. You still want to build thought leadership. You still want to build credibility for your brand and to build trust. But, you can't just focus on that and say, 'We've done our job for sales.' You have to provide more tangible value in the way of actual, qualified leads as well as tools, content, and support to help the team close more business." (03:18)

"In the best, highest performing organizations where they're consistently hitting their number, Marketing is helping to create the playbook of, 'How do I use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to get more value?'" (04:32)

"That's my number one feedback to selling organizations is recognize the volume of noise in front of your prospects and be better." (06:59)

"According to Gartner Sales Research, only three to four percent of companies in your market are actively buying right now. Forty-six percent of the market are considered poised." (14:02)

"So the question you asked was, 'How do we get salespeople to better use the technology?' I would say the answer is probably in asking the opposite question, 'What is the technology that's gonna best support the sales organization?'" (19:03)

"You don't win awards, let alone sales, from having the most tools. You win awards and sales and make more money and get promotions in having a tech stack that is actively used that has a direct correlation to driving performance. In ninety-plus percent of occasions that means less is more." (20:40)

Links Mentioned:

Matt Heinz on LinkedIn

Matt's Email

Heinz Marketing on Twitter

Heinz Marketing Website

Salesforce

Outreach

VanillaSoft

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Episode Summary:

Welcome to Sales Tech Podcast, the show that talks about sales technology, what's working, what's not, and where the industry is going. In this episode, Laura Welch joins the show to discuss her experience in marketing, product marketing, training, and enablement.

Laura is an incredibly impressive individual, one whose tenacity and determination have helped her as a Black Belt, marathon runner, public speaker, and sales professional. In her current role in Sales Enablement, Laura supports and trains sales professionals to help them be more effective.

Today, Thom and Laura discuss how to effectively measure sales enablement, the technologies that are threatening the modern sales professional, and actions sales professionals can take to remain relevant in the ever-evolving world of sales tech. Laura speaks to what excites her most about the future of sales tech and provides advice on how to be the most successful person you can be.

What We Covered:

00:46 – Thom introduces today's guest, Laura Welch who joins the show to talk about her sales journey and what makes her great at sales enablement

03:59 – What sales professionals want from their sales enablement team

05:04 – How to effectively measure sales enablement

06:56 – Laura speaks to recent trends in sales tech she's noticed

08:38 – Sales tech that threatens great salespeople

09:58 – How salespeople remain relevant in a world of emerging sales tech

11:48 – Laura provides tips and best practices for sales enablement

14:23 – How to get sales professionals to better utilize sales technology

16:06 – What excites Laura the most about the current state of sales tech

17:43 – Laura speculates on the future of sales tech

18:17 – Laura reflects on the Ted Talk she participated in and speaks to why it's important to have tenacity in sales

20:38 – Laura provides tips for salespeople that can help them be more successful

22:05 – Thom thanks Laura for joining the show today and let's listeners know how to connect with her

Tweetables:

"You don't stay in sales enablement long if you are not passionate that salespeople are the most important people in the company." (03:19)

"What makes a great salesperson unique and invaluable is their ability to tell a story and relate and look at it from the customer's point of view." (07:23)

"The technology that is threatening salespeople is just Big Data." (09:33)

"Salespeople are faced with too much technology they have to deal with. They want it simplified. If you can simplify things for your salespeople that is what you should do. And if you try to push out a technology and salespeople don't like it, it's not working." (14:55)

"Surround yourself with people who are great at what you want to be great at. So if you're a salesperson and you want to be great at closing, you want to be great at renewing, you want to be great at customer relationships, find people that are great at that, and do what they do." (20:55)

Links Mentioned:

Laura Welch on LinkedIn

Sales Enablement Podcast

HP Website

Laura's TEDxTalk

Episode Summary:

Welcome to Sales Tech Podcast, the show that talks about sales technology, what's working, what's not, and where the industry is going. In this episode, Andy Paul joins the show to discuss his extensive experience in sales technology. Throughout his professional career, Andy has sold everything from computers and small businesses to complex communications systems. He's closed hundreds of millions of dollars in products and services before eventually starting his own company.

Andy is also the host of Sales Enablement, a podcast that showcases in-depth conversations with the most exciting B2B sales and marketing leaders in the business. Today, Thom and Andy talk about the current state of sales technology, why sales managers tend to follow the status quo, and what sales tech Andy wishes existed years ago. Andy provides his thoughts on the most impactful ways sales professionals can utilize sales technology without becoming too reliant on it. Finally, Andy shares his thoughts on the future of the sales industry and the critical role that technology will play.

What We Covered:

00:36 – Thom introduces today's guest, Andy Paul who joins the show to talk about his podcast, Sales Enablement, sales tech trends, and changes Andy has noticed in the industry throughout the years

06:27 – Andy reveals what sales managers should be doing to get people to be the best version of themselves

09:04 – Andy provides his thoughts on why managers tend to stick to the status quo

12:30 – Why some sellers are still hesitant to adapt to sales technology

14:07 – How to get sales professionals to better utilize sales technology

16:22 – The sales tools and tech that Andy wishes existed twenty years ago

17:40 – How sales has changed throughout the years

19:29 – Andy talks about what he thinks is the mark of a great salesperson when it comes to how they utilize technology

21:27 – What Andy wishes all salespeople knew that they don't currently know

23:55 – Andy speculates on the future of sales tech

25:00 – Thom thanks Andy for joining the show today and lets listeners know how to connect with him

Tweetables:

"The idea is to help the person not become the best seller, it's to help them to become the best version of themselves." (05:19)

"Leaning into [sales tech] too much, in my mind, can be problematic. But, that said, I think we're still learning." (13:46)

"To me, enablement is anything and everything that enables a seller to have a knowledge-based interaction with the buyer." (19:49)

"To the extent, we can use our technology to enable people to bridge that gap from knowing to understanding, then I think we'll be effective overall." (21:08)

Links Mentioned:

Andy Paul on LinkedIn

Sales Enablement Podcast

Harvard Business Review Article 'Let Your Workers Rebel'

Episode Summary:

Welcome to Sales Tech Podcast, the show that talks about sales technology, what's working, what's not, and where the industry is going. In this episode, David Dulany joins the show to discuss the latest trends he's noticed in sales tech.

David is the Founder and CEO of Tenbound, a Research, Advisory & Events firm that is focused 100% on Sales Development. Their mission is to help companies achieve higher pipeline and revenue.

Today, Thom and David talk about the evolution of sales roles into more distinct and specific categories, the importance David places on employee assessments both before and after the hiring process, and how David gets his team members to embrace and utilize the sales tech stack he implements at Tenbound.

Finally, David shares some key takeaways from his book and provides best practices on how to build an efficient and successful SDR program.

What We Covered:

00:45 – Thom introduces today's guest, David Dulany who joins the show to discuss the work he does at Tenbound, trends he's seeing in sales tech, and the future of Conversational Intelligence

03:46 – What inspired David to launch Tenbound

04:51 – David speaks to how sales roles have become more specific and siloed

07:49 – The importance David places on employee assessments both before and after the hiring process is complete

10:57 – David talks about the market map that he and his team utilize and the one technology that has had the greatest impact on his clients

12:13 – Why data is the lifeblood of sales development

14:04 – How David gets his team to embrace sales tech and actually utilize it

16:04 – David talks about key takeaways from his book, The Sales Development Framework

17:31 – Steps for building an efficient and successful SDR Program

18:39 – David speaks to how SDRs can help bridge the gap between Marketing and Sales

20:21 – David speculates on the future of sales tech

21:39 – Thom thanks David for joining the show today and lets listeners know how to connect with him and Tenbound

Tweetables:

"The first and foremost thing that you should definitely take a look at is the Conversational Intelligence space. Being able to plug in and analyze conversations that are happening on the sales floor – whether it be the SDR team, the AEs, or customer success – is just a complete game-changer." (01:52)

"The hypothesis is that you want to have people stay in their lanes and really focus on distinct work activities. Prospecting – going outbound, making cold calls, making lists, doing research, following up on inbound leads – is a specialty." (06:06)

"When it comes to assessments, people go with their gut a lot in the hiring process or they go with what's on the sheet. But if you start to look into the capabilities of some of these tools, it's much deeper than just a gut feeling. They use behavioral analytics and scientific analysis to really make sure you have the right people." (09:46)

"Data is the lifeblood of sales development, especially outbound." (12:31)

"We wrote the book as a way to look at the Sales Development Program and say, 'Ok, let's level set. How do you actually run an SDR program? How do you run it efficiently and make sure it's got the best chance for success?'" (17:04)

"From a leadership perspective, the Heads of Marketing and Sales really have to be in alignment based on what they're expecting from the SDR team and how to get that performance up to the standard that they're looking for." (19:34)

Links Mentioned:

David Dulany on LinkedIn

Tenbound Website

Salesforce

Who

The Sales Development Framework Book

Episode Summary:

Welcome to Sales Tech, the show that talks about sales technology, what's working, what's not, and where the industry is going. In this episode, Nick Capozzi joins the show to share his extensive background in B2C sales and why he recently chose to enter into a B2B role as Vice President of Sales at Smile Virtual. Nick brings people together, he engages them and attempts to make genuine connections and relationships. This has served him incredibly well throughout his career and has given him a unique perspective on the human element of sales technology. Today, Thom and Nick share a discussion on what B2B sales professionals can learn from those who work in B2C. Nick speaks to the importance of building trust in sales, major hot spots in sales tech and what he would like to see in the evolution of sales tech. Finally, Nick shares best practices on how to utilize video to engage with prospective clients.

Clips:

What B2B sales professionals can learn from B2C sales professionals

The human element of sales tech

Best practices for building trust in sales

Using video to engage sales prospects

How technology sometimes gets in the way of sales

What We Covered:

00:37 – Thom introduces today's guest, Nick Capozzi who joins the show to share his eclectic background in B2C sales as well as the work he's doing in his new B2B role at Smile Virtual

03:26 – What B2B sales professionals can learn from B2C sales professionals

04:25 – The human element of sales tech

06:06 – Nick provides best practices for building trust in sales

10:02 – Major hot spots in the sales tech space that Nick has noticed

11:42 – Nick speaks to the work he's doing in sales tech and onboarding

12:54 – How to get sales professionals who are averse to sales tech to actually utilize the sales tech stack that companies are incorporating into their day-to-day

15:25 – How Nick utilizes video to engage with sales prospects

19:29 – What excites Nick the most about the future of sales tech

20:30 – How technology sometimes gets in the way of sales

21:22 – A futuristic technology that Nick wishes was already invented

22:38 – Final words of wisdom from Nick

23:48 – Thom thanks Nick for joining the show today

Tweetables:

"I think that there's opportunities for B2B to be more human. And I think coming from B2C that's what we were was human." (03:56)

"To me, the only way I know how to build trust is to just engage with people and have genuine relationships." (06:18)

"I think we get lost in the day-to-day of what we do and how great our product or service is and we forget that we actually have to explain what it is." (11:01)

"Sales professionals are so worried about getting their calls in or hitting their number, and we have to take a step back and ask, 'How do we train them to get there?'" (14:01)

"Painting with a broad brush, my point is that if someone isn't willing to adapt or doesn't have a growth mindset, they're probably not the right person to be on my team at least." (15:16)

"What can B2B learn from B2C? Be more human. It's not hard to be human; it's stuff we do every day in our social lives. But how do you do it without coming across the wrong way in business. I think that's the only way you gotta think about it." (22:53)

Links Mentioned:

Nick Capozzi on LinkedIn

Smile Virtual Website

Zoom

Clubhouse

Episode Summary:

Welcome to Sales Tech, the show that talks about sales technology, what's working, what's not, and where the industry is going. In this episode, Mary Shea joins the show to share the origin story of how she got involved in sales technology, trends she's noticed, and where she sees the industry going in the future. Mary is the Global Innovation Evangelist for Outreach, the leading B2B sales engagement platform. Mary is an idea generator who is constantly looking towards the future. She's a market influencer, content creator, connection maker, author, researcher, and keynote speaker. Today. Thom and Mary discuss how organizations can use technology to deliver better experiences for both their salespeople and their customers. Mary provides a detailed description of what the 'thoroughly modern' sales professional should look like. She also expounds on the importance of collaboration, understanding data, and how our ever-growing digital world will impact sales and sales technology.

Clips:

What people really need to pay attention to in the world of sales tech

Mary Shea on Outreach Kaia

Utilizing Sales Technology

Characteristics a modern sales professional needs to have

Mary Shea on Collaboration

What We Covered:

00:40 – Thom introduces today's guest, Mary Shea who joins the show to discuss her background as a professional oboist and academic and shares her sales tech origin story

03:47 – Mary speaks to the trends she's noticed in sale technology and business initiatives she's working towards at Outreach

07:25 – Mary talks about the work she's doing to open sellers minds to the opportunities that new sales technology can provide to be more efficient and more effective

09:28 – Mary speaks to how sales professionals can better utilize sales tech

11:06 – Mary describes her vision for the thoroughly modern sales professional and what skills they must have

13:49 – Mary stresses the importance of collaboration

16:15 – Mary speculates on how sellers and buyers will have to work across all digital platforms in the future

18:05 – The critical role of understanding data

20:24 – Mary discusses the ongoing pursuit of the alignment between sales and marketing and the emergence of Revenue Operations

23:31 – What excites Mary the most about the future of sales technology

24:55 – Thom thanks Mary for joining the show today and let's listeners know where to connect with her

Tweetables:

"Even though it seems not directly related, I find that the right brain and left brain aspects of being a musician serve me very well in the technology space." (03:12)

"I've spent the last two to three years going out to talk to big sales organizations all over the world in Asia, Latin America, North America, Eastern and Western Europe to help expand the hearts and minds of sellers and open up their consciousness to the role that technology can play in enabling them to operate more efficiently and more effectively." (07:54)

"I think salespeople are more than willing to embrace technology or a new initiative if they understand what's in it for them and what's in it for their customers." (09:40)

"I think the thoroughly modern seller is someone who is comfortable and capable in delivering meaningful message and interaction across synchronous and asynchronous video. It's someone who loves to collaborate both internally and externally." (11:38)

"I think as we get more and more digital, the role of the seller changes and becomes more consultative and more collaborative. That's how I see things playing out." (16:04)

"We're starting to see really big growth metrics from companies that are adopting Revenue Operations." (22:56)

Links Mentioned:

Mary Shea on LinkedIn

Mary Shea on Twitter

Outreach

Outreach Kaia

'Death of a (B2B) Salesman'

Episode Summary:

Welcome to Sales Tech, the show that talks about sales technology, what's working, what's not, and where the industry is going. In this episode, Brendan Short joins the show to share his background in B2B Enterprise SaaS, his current role as BDR Operations & Enablement Manager at Zoom, and the major trends he's noticed in sales tech recently. Through his role, Brendan helps sales teams do their jobs more efficiently through systems and enablement. He knows better than most the importance of having an effective sales stack that aids salespeople without taking out the human element of sales. Today, Thom and Brendan discuss Brendan's journey to Zoom and what it was like joining a high-growth company, and the height of the pandemic. Brendan speaks to the ever-evolving digital world we're living in and provides best practices for organizations to adopt different types of sales tech. Finally, Brendan discusses the value of asynchronous communication and what he anticipates for the future of sales tech.

Clips:

Three P's of a successful sales tech stack

Best practices for organizations to maximize their sales tech tools

The concept of 'Champ' roles

How sales tech can help augment the role of a salesperson

The Biggest Changes in Sales Tech

What We Covered:

00:39 – Thom introduces today's guest, Brendan Short who joins the show to discuss his eclectic background in B2B Enterprise SaaS

02:28 – Brendan recalls what it was like joining Zoom in the middle of the pandemic in June of 2020

03:55 – Major trends Brendan has noticed in the sales tech space

04:49 – Brendan breaks down the Three Ps of successful sales stack

06:26 – Best practices for organizations to maximize their sales tech tools through employee adoption

08:10 – Brendan expounds on the 'Champ' roles that his team at Zoom have implemented

10:26 – Brendan talks about the $100 million fund Zoom recently launched

12:01 – How sales tech can help augment the role of a salesperson, especially in today's ever-evolving digital world

13:58 – The biggest changes in sales tech that Brendan has noticed throughout the years

16:03 – Brendan speculates on the future of sales tech and what sales professionals should be preparing for

18:51 – Final words of wisdom from Brendan

20:12 – Brendan speaks to the ascension of audio and the important role it played today

21:20 – Thom thanks Brendan for joining the show today and let's listeners know where they can connect with him

Tweetables:

"It was cool to see Eric, the CEO of Zoom, supporting everything that was happening and trying to help connect folks in such a crazy and chaotic time." (03:05)

"At the end of the day, from my perspective, a sales stack that is successful is one that gets out of the way and one where it's enabling salespeople to reach out to the right accounts with the right message at the right time." (04:38)

"We have about a dozen that we actively use in our tech stack for the BDR team. And then we also have Champ roles for other things like AE/BDR relationship. We have a Champ who owns and oversees that relationship. There's probably about eighteen or twenty Champ roles total that we have." (08:23)

"I think there's a big opportunity, especially as we continue in this digital world. And I think in the future it will look like some sort of blended approach because I don't think it's gonna stay remote forever, but I don't think that everyone will go back to the office. So, given that reality, there is an opportunity for a lot of companies to plug into Zoom as a platform and make that experience better." (11:17)

"The biggest thing that comes to my mind is being able to do things in the background. So, what are the things that salespeople are doing that technology can augment." (12:39)

"I would say being able to communicate asynchronously within your team but also externally is key." (19:21)

"I think that audio will continue to grow. But really, at the end of the day, people have different preferences. And so being able to create multiple different types of formats is the most important thing." (21:04)

Links Mentioned:

Brendan Short on LinkedIn

The Revenue Engine on LinkedIn

Zoom

Zoom Info

Sales Navigator

DiscoverOrg

Chili Piper

Vendr

Apollo

Mixmax

SalesLoft

Outreach

Clubhouse

Episode Summary:

Welcome to Sales Tech, the show that talks about sales technology, what's working, what's not, and where the industry is going. In this episode, Jake Dunlap joins the show to provide his thoughts on the ever-evolving sales tech industry. Jake is the CEO of Skaled Consulting, a company that helps organizations meet buyer demand through a unique approach that combines modern sales strategy, intentional digital presence, and quality execution. Today, Thom and Jake discuss the sales experience and how it can be a huge differentiator in today's market. Jake expounds on the importance of process, the value of tactical execution, and why it is so critical that sales professionals take control and invest in sales technology tools that can help them hit quota more effectively. They discuss the work Jake and his team do at Skaled, the critical need for collaboration, and what the future holds for the sales industry.

What We Covered:

00:38 – Thom introduces today's guest, Jake Dunlap who joins the show to discuss the current state of the sales tech industry

02:38 – Best practices for dealing with the overwhelming emergence of so many new sales tech tools

05:11 – The most important sales tech tools that Jake has noticed in the market

08:25 – How customer behavior has changed over recent years and why salespeople need to be aware of these changes

10:50 – Jake speaks to trends he's notices where sales tech is not being utilized and maximized the proper way

12:22 – Jake expounds on the difference between quantity and quality as it pertains to sales tech

14:05 – Jake speaks to how sales professionals can better utilize sales tech

16:04 – What excites Jake most about the future of sales tech

18:15 – Jake speaks to how he and his team at Skaled focus on tactical execution

20:03 – Why most of Jake's customers have issues with process above all else

21:16 – Jake speculates on the future of sales tech and what sales professionals should be preparing for

23:48 – Final words of wisdom from Jake

24:40 – Thom thanks Jake for joining the show today and let's listeners know where they can connect with him

Tweetables:

"I think right now we have a bit of a knowledge gap. Meaning, right now people don't really even fathom what is or isn't possible because there's so many new tools and it's always emerging." (01:48)

"Just like marketing goes and hires experts in performance marketing, sales teams need to get comfortable working with outside partners that will help them fill in the gaps of expertise." (04:23)

"As buyers have become more educated – they want a process, they want a helper, they want a guide – a platform where you and the customer and collaborating on the sales process, that to me is the new frontier for sales itself." (07:46)

"The issue with sales tech and how most people are wielding it today, is they're using it to push the 'more' button. Listen to more calls. Do more activities. And we didn't realize that these tools are about 'more' and quality." (11:19)

"If I was an individual, I'd either make sure I went to a company that values sales technology, or I'd buy it myself. And I know that's gonna be controversial, but what are you waiting for? These tools exist." (14:47)

"I'm very bullish that using a beautiful way to talk through and describe and gather information, coupled with a way to interact with customers to get their input in the process, is going to dramatically shrink sales cycles. It's gonna increase trust with prospects. It's gonna make the experience fun." (16:52)

"If you don't know your customer journey, how can you then align an optimal customer path?" (18:53)

"The deployment and implementation is Step Zero. The end goal for any tech is power usage. And so make sure that when you do purchase, you're building a path to get to power usage and reinforcement." (24:25)

Links Mentioned:

Jake Dunlap on LinkedIn

Skaled Consulting's Website

The Goal

Zoom Info

Sales Intel

Sales Navigator

Lusha

Mural

In Accord

Clubhouse