Most hiring failures aren't about skills, they're about behaviours. In this Best Bits episode, Richard Washington, Founder of Tick Talent and creator of The Multiplier Scorecard™, breaks down the CORE4 framework: the four behaviours that separate a Multiplier from an Adder, Subtractor, or Divider, and why the old models are failing modern startups.If you're building a team and making hiring decisions right now, this one will change how you think about it.🔑 Key Takeaways:– 89% of mis-hires fail due to attitude and cultural misalignment (Sequoia data)– Only 15% of businesses have defined what a top performer actually looks like in their company– The 4 types of hires: Multiplier, Adder, Subtractor, Divider– CORE4: Collaborative, Ownership, Resourcefulness, Execution– Why "A player" is meaningless without a shared definitionHeath Barnett — VP Revenue, MixmaxConnect with Heath: https://www.linkedin.com/in/builtgtm/Richard Washington — Founder, Tick TalentConnect with Rich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/Tick Talent: https://www.tick-talent.com/👉 Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBorRCk8apg🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode---What Makes You Tick is the podcast for ambitious professionals who want to understand what separates the best from the rest. New episodes every Wednesday. Best Bits every Sunday.

Why do enterprise deals stall even when the buyer likes your product?

Why do great sales calls lead to “let me think about it”?

And why do so many B2B buyers disappear after showing genuine interest?

In this Best Bits episode of Making Revenue Tick, Brent Adamson — co-author of The Challenger Sale and author of The Framemaking Sale — breaks down the psychology behind modern enterprise buying decisions, why complex B2B sales feel increasingly difficult, and what elite sellers do differently.

Watch the Full Episode:

E.131 - Sell More by Boosting Customer Confidence (from Challenger to Framemaking)

https://youtu.be/-QJaJvzXSV4?si=1i-YzCjwPvC91ois

One of the biggest ideas in this conversation:

Customers rarely need more information.

They need more confidence.

Brent explains why the real blocker in enterprise sales is often not your competitor, your pricing, or your product.

It is the buyer’s confidence in:

- their decision

- their internal alignment

- their ability to navigate risk

- their organisation’s readiness for change

This episode explores:

- Why enterprise deals stall

- Why B2B buyers ghost sales teams

- The psychology behind complex sales

- How top enterprise sellers build buyer confidence

- Why customers freeze on high-stakes decisions

- How to improve win rates in B2B sales

- The evolution from Challenger Sale to Framemaking

- Why customer uncertainty kills momentum

- How elite sellers help buyers make sense of complexity

- Why modern sales is shifting from persuasion to guidance

If you work in:

- Enterprise Sales

- SaaS Sales

- Revenue Leadership

- B2B Sales

- Sales Enablement

- Go-To-Market

- Customer Success

- Founder-led Sales

…this conversation will completely change how you think about buying behaviour.

About Brent Adamson

Brent Adamson is one of the most influential thinkers in modern B2B sales.

He is the co-author of:

- The Challenger Sale

- The Challenger Customer

and author of:

- The Framemaking Sale

His work focuses on:

- enterprise buying psychology

- customer decision-making

- commercial leadership

- sales strategy

- buyer confidence

- complex B2B sales

Brent regularly advises executive teams and revenue leaders around the world and is also a contributor to Harvard Business Review.

Connect with Brent:

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentadamson/

Framemaking Sale YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheFramemakingSale

Brent’s YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@BrentAdamson-m2f

Connect with Richard Washington:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/

Read the Growth Magnet newsletter:

https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7083793079794556928

Subscribe for more conversations with elite founders, CROs, sales leaders, and operators:

@whatmakesyoutick

Two topics. Against the clock.James opens with something he sees constantly, deals that look live and aren't. He gets into why champions burn out mid-process, why buyers go dark on the people they like most, and what the research says is the single biggest factor in whether a deal closes or dies.Rich follows with a metric most businesses aren't tracking, even though it takes five minutes to measure and will tell you more about the health of your culture than any employee survey ever will.

New episodes every week with James Bissell and Rich Washington.Set the chicken. We're on the clock.Learn more  @fieldnotespodcast  Field Notes is sponsored by Tick Talent and The Revenue Enabler.If your sales team is missing quota and you're not sure why, The Revenue Enabler works with sales organisations to fix the fundamentals — from sales stage design through to seller capability. Find out more at therevenueenabler.comIf you're looking to hire exceptional sales and revenue talent across the tech sector, from your first AE hire through to VP level, get in touch with the team at tick-talent.com#FieldNotes #ChampionSales #SalesGhosting #ChampionBurnout #BusinessCase #CustomerConfidence #MEDDIC #ChallengerSale #SalesDiscovery #B2BSales #TechSales #SalesLeadership #CompanyCulture #InternalReferrals #EmployeeReferral #TalentAcquisition #SalesHiring #StartupCulture #ScaleUp #SalesEnablement #RevenueGrowth #GoToMarket #SalesTips #SalesCoaching #B2BPodcast #salespodcast

Startups think they’ve found product-market fit because the graph went up for a few quarters.

Mike Peroni explains why that false sense of PMF is exactly what causes so many SaaS companies to stall before $10M ARR.

- Messaging confusion.

- Founder-led growth.

- Feature creep.

- ICP drift.

the stuff that quietly kills scale.

when you know what the difference is, you're much more likely to have a system that can sail past $10M ARR.

In this episode of What Makes You Tick, Richard Washington sits down with Mike Peroni to unpack one of the biggest questions in SaaS growth:

How do you know if you really have product-market fit?

Together, they break down:

why so many SaaS companies plateau after early growth

the difference between traction and true product-market fit

why founder-led sales eventually stop scaling

how ICP drift quietly kills momentum

why adding more features can actually slow growth

what happens between $5M and $25M ARR when messaging becomes unclear

how scaling companies lose narrative clarity as products expand

If you’re a SaaS founder, CRO, VP Sales, GTM leader, or startup operator trying to scale from Series A to Series B, this conversation is packed with practical insight on:

SaaS growth strategy

scaling product-market fit

startup positioning

founder-led sales

go-to-market alignment

ICP strategy

SaaS messaging

scaling revenue teams

startup growth challenges

why SaaS growth stalls

Mike shares real-world lessons from working with scaling SaaS companies, including why many businesses mistake early momentum for sustainable repeatability — and how to diagnose the warning signs before growth plateaus.

This episode also explores:

why feature-led messaging creates confusion

how startups become “feature catalogues”

the hidden risks of expanding beyond your core ICP

why clarity is often the real competitive advantage

how the best SaaS companies scale without losing focus

In This Episode:

What product-market fit actually looks like

Why startups plateau between $5M and $25M ARR

How to know when your GTM motion is breaking

Why messaging complexity kills growth

How founder intuition must evolve into scalable systems

Why ICP clarity matters more as you scale

The biggest scaling mistakes SaaS founders make

Who This Episode Is For

SaaS founders

Startup CEOs

Revenue leaders

CROs and VP Sales

Series A and Series B companies

GTM and product leaders

Startup operators scaling revenue

Connect With Mike Peroni

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeperoni/

Connect with Richard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/

Read Growth Magnet newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7083793079794556928/

Subscribe to @whatmakesyoutick

Conversations with founders, operators, and revenue leaders exploring:

startup growth

hiring

scaling

leadership

GTM strategy

and what really makes high-performing companies tick

#ProductMarketFit #SaaSGrowth #StartupGrowth #FounderLedSales #SeriesA #SeriesB #GTMStrategy #SaaS #RevenueGrowth #StartupScaling

Two topics. Against the clock.

James opens with something he's seeing across almost every sales org he works with right now — pipelines that look healthy and aren't. He gets into why it keeps happening, and what needs to change before you spend another penny on training.

Rich follows with something two of the most elite EMEA Sales VPs he's ever interviewed both said, word for word, about how they ran their teams. One phrase. Two completely different companies. And a hiring insight that most sales leaders are missing entirely.

New episodes every week with James Bissell and Rich Washington.

Set the chicken. We're on the clock.

--

Field Notes is sponsored by Tick Talent and The Revenue Enabler.

If your sales team is missing quota and you're not sure why, The Revenue Enabler works with sales organisations to fix the fundamentals — from sales stage design through to seller capability. Find out more at therevenueenabler.com

If you're looking to hire exceptional sales and revenue talent across the tech sector, from your first AE hire through to VP level, get in touch with the team at tick-talent.com

USEFUL LINKS

James Bissell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-bissell1/Rich Washington on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/The Revenue Enabler: https://therevenueenabler.com/Tick Talent: https://www.tick-talent.com/

#FieldNotes #SalesPipeline #SalesLeadership #B2BSales #SalesEnablement #PipelineManagement #SalesHiring #QuotaAttainment #TechSales #GoToMarket #SalesProcess #CRMTips #SalesTraining #RevenueGrowth #SalesCoaching #StartupSales #SalesTips #DiscoveryCall #DealSlippage #SalesForecasting #VPofSales #SalesManagement #SDR #AccountExecutive #SalesPerformance #RevenueEnablement #B2BPodcast #SalesPodcast

What does it actually take to build a revenue team that scales without you?In this episode of What Makes You Tick, we sit down with Rob Wellner — C-suite revenue leader and operator who has helped scale high-growth tech businesses across SaaS, HR tech, fintech, and education into multibillion-dollar companies.From helping scale Velocity Global through hypergrowth and international expansion, to building commercial systems across multiple industries, Rob has spent his career building teams, cultures, and revenue engines designed to last.This wasn’t a conversation about sales hacks or “growth at all costs”.It was a conversation about building things that compound.Rob shares:* Why the best leaders eventually make themselves redundant* Why culture beats product* Why he hires for hunger and business acumen over industry experience* How elite operators build systems instead of relying on hero performers* Why discomfort is usually a sign of growth* How vulnerability became one of his biggest strengths as a leader* The difference between managing people and truly leading themOne of the most interesting parts of the conversation was Rob describing the moment his leadership team started running the business better than he could himself — and why that was the clearest sign they’d built something durable.At What Makes You Tick, we sit down with high-performing founders, CROs, operators, and leaders to understand the mindset, experiences, and philosophies behind scaling modern companies.If you're a founder, CRO, CEO, investor, or operator trying to build a company that actually scales — this episode is packed with lessons.Enjoy.Connect with Rob:https://www.linkedin.com/in/robwellnercro/Connect with Richard:https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/#WhatMakesYouTick #Leadership #CRO #StartupGrowth #SalesLeadership #Culture #SaaS #RevenueLeadership

Why do so many startup hires fail — even when they look perfect on paper?

In this Best Bits episode of What Makes You Tick, Alina Vandenberghe (Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Chili Piper) breaks down the real reason most hiring decisions go wrong — and what separates high-impact “multiplier” talent from costly mis-hires.

Most companies hire based on experience, CVs, and past success.

But as Alina explains, that’s not what actually drives performance inside startups.

👉 The real difference comes down to ownership, mindset, and behaviour under pressure.

🔍 What You’ll Learn

Why most startup hires fail due to attitude, not experience

The difference between multipliers, adders, subtractors, and dividers

Why “blame is a cancer” in high-performing teams

How to identify extreme ownership vs victim mentality

The core traits every startup should hire for:

Ownership

Collaboration

Resourcefulness

Execution

Why psychological safety drives performance (not weakens it)

⚠️ The Hidden Hiring Problem

Most founders think they have a hiring problem.

In reality, they have an evaluation problem.

They optimise for:

Experience

Background

Past results

But miss:

Behaviour

mindset

cultural impact

That’s how you end up with:

High performers who break teams

“Great hires” who fail in 6 months

Cultures destroyed by blame and misalignment

🧠 The Tick Talent Perspective

At Tick Talent, we call this:

👉 The Multiplier Matrix

The best hires don’t just perform.

They multiply the impact of everyone around them.

This episode shows you how to spot them — before you hire.

🎧 Who This Is For

Startup founders hiring their first team

CROs and revenue leaders scaling teams

Anyone struggling with mis-hires

Leaders who want high-performance cultures (without burnout or politics)

💬 Join the Conversation

Are you hiring for experience — or impact?

Comment below:

👉 What’s been your biggest hiring mistake?

🔗 Connect & Learn More

Follow Alina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alinav/

Follow Richard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/

Read the Growth Magnet newsletter for weekly insights on hiring, leadership, and scaling revenue teams.

🔔 Subscribe to What Makes You Tick

Conversations with founders and operators on:

Hiring

Leadership

Startup growth

What actually drives high performance

#StartupHiring #HiringStrategy #SaaSGrowth #Leadership #StartupCulture #TickTalent #WMYT

Truth: Your SaaS company doesn’t stall because of product capability… it stalls because you’ve lost clarity in your messaging when you've invested in making your product do more, for more people.

Scaling from $5M to $25M ARR is where most startups hit a wall. Not because they don’t have product-market fit—but because as they grow, their messaging shifts from clear problem-solving to a confusing list of features.

And when that happens? Growth slows. Pipeline drops. Teams lose direction.

In this episode of Making Revenue Tick, Richard Washington sits down with Paul Wingfield to break down why SaaS companies plateau after early success—and how to fix it.

This is a follow-up to their original ICP masterclass—but this time, they go deeper into what happens after you’ve defined your ICP… and still get stuck.

Paul shares real-world examples of companies that:

Nailed their ICP

Scaled successfully

Then lost momentum due to messaging dilution

No theory. Just patterns seen across 15+ years scaling SaaS companies.

What You’ll Learn

Why SaaS growth stalls after product-market fit

How feature expansion kills messaging clarity

The difference between pain-led messaging vs feature-led selling

Why early adopters buy differently to mainstream customers

How to realign your entire go-to-market team around a clear narrative

The biggest messaging mistake SDRs, AEs, and leaders make as companies scale

Who This Is For

SaaS founders scaling from Series A → Series B

CROs, VP Sales, and revenue leaders

Startups stuck between $5M–$25M ARR

Anyone dealing with stagnant growth despite a strong product

Key Insight

The best SaaS companies don’t win because they have more features.

They win because they are crystal clear about the problems they solve.

Key Topics

SaaS Growth Strategy

Messaging & Positioning

Product-Market Fit vs Go-To-Market Fit

ICP Evolution

Revenue Stagnation

Sales & Marketing Alignment

Scaling from $5M to $25M ARR

If your growth has plateaued… it’s probably not your product.

Hit play and find out why.

Connect with Paul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-wingfield/

Connect with Richard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/

Read Growth Magnet newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7083793079794556928/

#StartupGrowth #ICPStrategy #ScalingStartups #ARRGrowth #SeriesAtoB #SalesAlignment #RevenueGrowth #MakingRevenueTick #PaulWingfield #RichardWashington #startup #scaleup #techsales #seriesa #seriesb #tech #saas #ticktalent #icp

You can learn more about someone in one question than in an entire CV.

This conversation breaks down the interview approach that reveals personality, character, and long-term fit.

In this special "how to" episode, Richard Washington and James Bissell break down the interview questions that reveal who people really are,

beyond rehearsed answers, polished CVs, and “greatest weakness” clichés.

This isn’t a typical hiring conversation.

It’s a deep discussion about communication, trust, culture fit, sales psychology, leadership, and why most interviews fail to uncover what actually matters.

If you hire people, lead teams, work in sales, recruit talent, or want to become better at reading people — this episode will completely change how you think about interviews.

Richard shares the unconventional interview question he used to hire hundreds of people over a 12-year leadership career, why comfort creates honesty, and how great hiring is more like a sales process than an interrogation.

James and Richard also explore:

The interview questions that reveal personality and character

Why most hiring managers ask the wrong questions

How to make candidates feel comfortable and open up

Why interviews should feel like conversations, not interrogations

The psychology behind trust, honesty, and human connection

How sales skills improve interviewing and hiring decisions

Why culture fit matters more than scripted answers

The hidden mistakes companies make when hiring salespeople

How communication skills shape careers and leadership

Why great interviews are about alignment, not pressure

Whether you’re a founder, sales leader, recruiter, hiring manager, AE, SDR, or someone navigating your next career move, this conversation gives you practical insight into what great hiring actually looks like.

If you enjoy conversations about hiring, leadership, sales psychology, communication, recruiting, startups, culture, and high-performance teams, you’ll love this episode.

Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, hiring, revenue growth, communication, entrepreneurship, sales careers, and building exceptional teams.

#InterviewQuestions #HiringTips #SalesLeadership #Recruitment #HiringManagers #LeadershipPodcast #SalesPodcast #CareerGrowth #InterviewTips #StartupHiring #SalesCareers #CommunicationSkills #CultureFit #RecruitingTips #LeadershipDevelopment

Cold outreach is getting ignored.So why are some sellers still generating endless pipeline?In this Best Bits episode, Stephen Oommen breaks down the referral strategies top performers use to get into rooms, build trust faster, and generate pipeline without relying on cold outreach.If you’re still sending cold emails and hoping for replies… this will change how you sell.🎯 What You’ll LearnWhy most “network sellers” fail after 90 daysThe Referral Effect: how one intro turns into multiple opportunitiesStephen’s COINs Framework (Centers, Connectors, Communities, Coaches & Customers)How to ask for introductions without making it awkwardWhy warm referrals outperform cold outreach (and how to use both properly)The fastest way to get into decision-maker conversations🧠 Who This Is ForFounders struggling to generate pipelineSDRs & AEs tired of low cold outreach conversionSales leaders building scalable GTM motionsAnyone who wants more meetings without more spam👤 About Stephen OommenStephen Oommen is a keynote speaker and GTM leader known for building multi-million-dollar pipelines through referrals.He teaches teams how to turn relationships into revenue — consistently.🎙️ About the ShowWhat Makes You Tick is hosted by Richard Washington, featuring conversations with top revenue leaders on how they actually grow pipeline, close deals, and scale teams.🔗 Connect👉 Stephen Oommen – https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenoommen/👉 Richard Washington – https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/#salestips, #b2bsales, #leadgeneration, #salesstrategy, #networking