Shows
Sales Talk for CEOsEp190 Win High-Stakes Sales Presentations. Yvonne Lines on Messaging That ClosesWin more high stakes deals. In this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman sits down with Yvonne Lines, a strategic presentation expert, to unpack exactly how B2B sales teams can win their most important, high-stakes sales presentations, the ones that make or break deals.Yvonne shares her proven process for creating audience-centric, story-driven presentations that drive decisions and close business. This episode is packed with actionable strategies for CEOs, founders, and sales leaders who want their teams to win by making customer centric presentations. Connect WithYvonne Lines: LinkedIn | WebsiteAlice He...
2025-12-2945 minSales Talk for CEOsEp189 How Accelevents Grew with Inbound Sales, Customer Focus & Events That Close DealsEvents create demand. In this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman sits down with Jonathan Kazarian, Founder & CEO of Accelevents, the all‑in‑one event management platform that’s redefining how organizations run events from 20‑person dinners to 30,000‑attendee conferences.Jonathan didn’t start in events tech, he came from finance. But when he couldn’t find software powerful enough to run a 900‑person fundraiser for his cousin, he built his own. That event was a smash success and the demand for the tool he created sparked the beginning of Accelevents.Want to get better resul...
2025-12-2331 minSales Talk for CEOsEp188 Trust‑Based Selling: How Ari Galper Accelerated Complex B2B Deals by Earning Trust - Not Chasing ThemIn this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman sits down with trust‑selling pioneer Ari Galper to reveal why traditional sales techniques are failing in today’s climate and what CEOs, Founders, and Sales Leaders must do instead. Ari argues that trust isn’t a byproduct of selling; it’s the core of it.Actionable takeaways for leaders:Train your team to lead with questions, listen until they share the full context of their problem.Replace “follow up” emails with “feedback” outreach.Always end meetings by scheduling the next appointment, don’t leave it t...
2025-12-1638 minSales Talk for CEOsEp187 From Founder Chaos to Scalable Sales: Adi Klevit’s System to Turn Sales Know‑How Into Company GrowthIn this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman sits down with Adi Klevit, founder and visionary behind Business Success Consulting Group, to expose a powerful truth many CEOs and Founders don’t face, your sales success often lives in someone’s head instead of in a scalable, repeatable system.Adi walks through her proven approach of documenting, optimizing, and implementing processes so companies can finally scale sales reliably, empower their teams, and free the founder to work on the business, not in it. By the end of this episode, CEOs will have a clear roadmap to tur...
2025-12-0932 minSales Talk for CEOsEp186 From Cafe Marketplace to Commercial Art Powerhouse, Gavi Wolf’s Sales JourneyIn this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman talks with Gavi Wolf, CEO and Founder of IndieWalls, about how he scaled a creative business, turning an art marketplace into a commercial art consultancy serving major brands. Gavi discusses founder‑led sales, when and how he realized it was time to build a sales leadership function, and the hard lesson about motivating and compensating a high‑performing sales team.Rapid‑fire picksBook: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara.Podcast: Freakonomics with Stephen Dubner.CEO Advice: If you want top sales talent, they...
2025-11-2536 minSales Talk for CEOsEp185 Stop Burning Your Budget: Modern Lead Gen Tactics Every CEO Should KnowStop wasting money on lead generation that doesn’t work. In this solo episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman delivers a powerful, no-nonsense rant every B2B CEO needs to hear. She challenges the outdated playbook of cold calling and SDR-driven outreach, revealing why it's costing you more than it’s delivering and what to do about it.Alice shares real examples and modern strategies to generate high-quality leads that fill your pipeline without burning out your sales team. From leveraging marketing properly, to holding the right kind of events, to mining your customer base for...
2025-11-1826 minSales Talk for CEOsEp184 Cracking the Sales Code: How Ryan Reisert Built a System That Outsells Entire TeamsWhat happens when a math major turned cold-caller gets frustrated with broken sales systems? He builds a better one, then builds a company around it.In this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman sits down with Ryan Reisert, the co- founder of Outbound Operators and CallBlitz, to trace his journey from burned-out rep to process-driven founder. Ryan reveals how years of trial, error, and dialing taught him that sales doesn’t scale on brute force, it scales with math, process, and precision.This is the inside story of how a rep-turned-CEO rebuilt outbound fr...
2025-11-1152 minSales Talk for CEOsEp181 From “Disruptive Influence” to CEO Storytelling Coach: How Jeff Abracen Helps Founders Sell with StoriesWhen CEOs struggle to connect with customers, teams, or investors, it's rarely a strategy problem, it’s a storytelling problem. In this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman sits down with Jeff Abracen, Founder of Disruptive Influence and storytelling coach to tech leaders, to uncover why a great story is a terrible thing to waste.Jeff shares how he turned a high school “disruptive influence” label into a superpower for transforming leaders into magnetic storytellers. With a focus on the Disruptive DNA framework, Jeff teaches CEOs how to own the stage, captivate their audience, and get re...
2025-10-1448 minSales Talk for CEOsEp180 How to Get in Front of the People Who Can Buy From YouThere are two key ways to get in front of the people most likely to buy from you and Alice believes you may be overlooking them. The first is something she talks about all the time. So if you haven’t started expecting your team to do it, now is the time. Referral selling. Yes, you get a few referrals here and there but why not make it a regular occurrence. Alice explains briefly in this episode but for more details listen to episode 147 For more on this listen to episode 147 https://aliceheiman.com/use-the-power-of-referrals-to-close-more-deals/ You...
2025-10-0723 minSales Talk for CEOsEp179 Turn Sales Training into Strategy with AI-Powered GamesImagine if your sales team could rehearse complex deals before ever meeting the buyer, just like elite athletes pre-game. That’s exactly what Daveed Gartenstein-Ross (CEO) and Alix Berry (COO) of ExpertTheory make possible.In this episode, Alice Heiman dives into how ExpertTheory helps companies simulate real-world sales situations through AI-powered, custom-built games. These immersive experiences go far beyond traditional training, replacing static roleplay with dynamic, scenario-based learning that strengthens team performance, decision-making, and competitive strategy.Connect withDaveed Gartenstein-Ross: LinkedIn Alix Berry: LinkedInExpertTheory: WebsiteAlice Heiman: LinkedIn | Website
2025-09-3044 minSales Talk for CEOsEp178 How Brittany Trafis Rode the AI Wave to Reinvent the Agency Model (and Grow Sales Fast)What happens when a seasoned marketer reimagines everything she knows about agencies, on a beach, notebook in hand, while her kids play nearby? Brittany Trafis, CEO and co-founder of Soarion Digital, shares how she built an AI-powered agency that challenges everything about traditional marketing models.In this episode, Brittany walks Alice Heiman through the rapid sales growth of Soarion: from early experiments to real client results, through founder-led sales and how boldly saying “the agency model is broken” helped them break into a noisy market as they prepare to scale.Rapid-Fire Picks:Book: Multipliers by L...
2025-09-2334 minSales Talk for CEOsEp177 How CEOs Hire A‑Players: Mindset, Bench Strength & the End of Post-and-Pray HiringIf you’re still posting jobs and hoping A-players apply, you’re already behind.In this high-impact episode, Alice Heiman sits down with Jamie Crosbie, founder of ProActivate and TEDx speaker with over 1 million views on The Power of Your Mindset, to reveal what every CEO needs to know to hire top revenue-generating talent.Most hiring processes are built for convenience, not performance. That’s why companies end up with B-players or worse, just to fill a seat. Jamie shares exactly how CEOs can stop mis-hires before they happen and build bench strength that supports real g...
2025-09-1654 minSales Talk for CEOsEp176 How Base Grew Beyond Referrals with Thoughtful Outbound, Storytelling & the Perfect EA MatchIn this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman sits down with Paige McPheely, CEO of Base, to explore how she turned a niche remote executive assistant service into a tech-enabled platform that now supports top leaders across the country.When Paige and her co-founder first launched, they were fueled by referrals, so much so that they had a waiting list of eager clients. But as demand surged, they hit a breaking point: the referrals kept coming, but they weren’t the right fit. It forced a strategic shift from a referral-dependent business to a focused ou...
2025-09-0937 minSales Talk for CEOsEp175 What Sales Used to Get Right and Why CEOs Should Bring It BackIn this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman sits down with Todd Caponi, sales historian and author of The Transparency Sale, to explore the forgotten history of sales and why understanding it could completely change how your company grows revenue.We’ve moved from serving buyers to selling at all costs and it’s hurting your sales team, your customer relationships, and your bottom line. Todd takes us back to the early 1900s, when trust, service, and even high school sales classes were the norm.What CEOs will learn:How sales was once...
2025-09-0347 minSales Talk for CEOsEp174 Turning Expertise Into Growth: Building a Top B2B Pharma AgencyWhen Wesley Portegies left the pharmaceutical world to work in automotive, he didn’t expect it to lead him back, but it did. Armed with a new perspective, he returned with a mission, disrupt how pharma companies communicate with doctors.In this episode, Wesley shares how he co-founded MedComms Experts with no outside funding, no traditional sales team and still built a multi-million dollar agency. He reveals how they landed their first client (Baxter), grew through inbound leads and referrals, and structured the business so sales happens through trust, not tactics.Bio: "Wesley is an en...
2025-08-2644 minSales Talk for CEOsEp173 No Trust, No Sales: Fix Your Message Fast with Brian MillerPeople don’t trust ads. Or brands. Or even experts.Brian Miller joins Alice Heiman to explain how CEOs can cut through the noise and earn trust, fast.In this episode:Why the trust recession is killing your pipelineThe 3-part message that builds instant engagementHow to make your talk (or pitch) follow the hero’s journeyThe #1 reason your message doesn’t spread and how to fix itKey takeaway: If people can’t repeat what you do, they won’t talk about you.Sh...
2025-08-1942 minSales Talk for CEOsEp172 Vibe Selling? Cut the Hype: What Really Drives SalesVibe selling. AI hype. New sales buzzwords. Alice Heiman isn’t buying it.In this candid solo episode, she calls out the noise and brings the focus back to what matters most for B2B CEOs: knowing your customer, building the right team, and aligning sales to how your buyers buy.Looking for clarity in a world of sales chaos? This episode is for you.Advice to CEOs: “Slow down and think deeply about how your buyers want to buy, then align your entire sales effort to that.”🤝 Connect with Alice:
2025-08-1217 minSales Talk for CEOsEp171 Future-Led Strategy: Elatia Abate on How CEOs Must Think Differently to ThriveElatia Abate left a successful corporate career to answer one bold question: What do I really want to create? Now a leading futurist, she helps CEOs shift from outdated, past-anchored strategy to future-led leadership that thrives in a world of quantum change.In this episode, Elatia joins Alice Heiman to share how CEOs can design strategy around what they truly want to build, run simultaneous approaches that balance today’s execution with tomorrow’s vision, and use AI with purpose, not pressure.📚 Book: Mastering Change by Ichak Adizes 🎧 Podcast: The Telepathy Tapes and...
2025-08-0535 minSales Talk for CEOsEp170 Niche Down to Scale Up: How Propensity’s CEO Ignited GrowthSumner Vanderhoof, CEO & Co‑Founder of Propensity, shares how he transformed an idea into a nimble, niche-focused account-based marketing platform. In just two years, Propensity achieved remarkable growth and retention by combining founder-led sales, month-to-month agreements, and an “opt‑in” SDR outreach model.His approach shifted the sales game, targeting only in-market buyers with verified contact data and it’s something any CEO can learn from, especially those navigating a crowded SaaS space.Key action items:Find a growing gap and own that nicheBuild trust first with opt-in engagement...
2025-07-2939 minSales Talk for CEOsEp168 Stop Selling, Start Helping: Alice Heiman on how CEOs should Completely Rethink SalesIs your sales team struggling to hit quota? Feeling like your entire sales approach is broken? In this solo episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman calls out the outdated tactics holding B2B companies back and reveals how CEOs can completely rethink sales for today's complex buying environment.🔗 Connect with Alice Heiman: LinkedIn: Alice Heiman Website: aliceheiman.com
2025-07-0838 minSales Talk for CEOsEp167 From Startup to Scale: Jim Weldon’s Playbook for Leveraging Sales Revenue Without FundingIn this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Prospect Desk CEO Jim Weldon shares how he grew his latest venture by applying lessons from decades of experience, without relying on VC funding.Jim unpacks the leverage strategies, founder-led sales tactics, and innovation models that drive results. His approach? Build from insight, match customers with value, and use early wins to open doors. This conversation is packed with actionable strategies for B2B SaaS leaders navigating today’s fast-moving landscape.💡 Learn from a CEO who’s built and rebuilt, smarter every time.🔗 Connect with Jim Weldon...
2025-06-3050 minSales Talk for CEOsEp166 Relationships Before Revenue: Barb Betts’ System to Scale Sales Through TrustFrom rookie agent to revenue powerhouse, Barb Betts built her business on one thing—relationships. In this episode, she shares with Alice Heiman the exact system CEOs can use to turn their network into a sales engine. Stop chasing leads and start building trust that scales.📚 Barb's Book Recommendation: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie 🎧 Podcast Pick: The Ed Mylett Show and The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes 💡 Advice to CEOs: “Relationships before revenue. Always.”About BarbBarb Betts is a sought-after keynote speaker, CEO and relentl...
2025-06-2448 minSales Talk for CEOsEp163 The Social Selling Mistake Killing Your Sales Team’s Credibility with Alice HeimanShould your B2B sales team be using social media to sell? Alice Heiman says - no. The “Connect and Pitch Slap” needs to die a sudden death. In this episode, Alice Heiman breaks down why LinkedIn outreach is failing and what CEOs must change now.Stop the pitch. Start building real connections. Alice shares how to equip your sales team to engage authentically, spark real conversations, and earn buyer trust.If you’re a CEO or sales leader wondering why your “social selling” isn’t working, start here.Connect with...
2025-06-0412 minSales Talk for CEOsEp162 From Bottleneck to Breakthrough: Manuj Aggarwal’s AI Scaling StrategyManuj Aggarwal hit a wall: too much work, too little time, and no content writer who could capture his vision. That’s when he turned to OpenAI—and everything changed.In this episode, hear how the founder of TetraNoodle Technologies used AI not just to scale, but to differentiate. Drawing on his backgrounds in neuroscience and cybersecurity, Manuj created a private, secure AI platform focused on storytelling, content synthesis, and control.This is the episode for CEOs ready to scale smarter and use AI not just to keep up—but to lead.Connect with M...
2025-05-2841 minSales Talk for CEOsEp161 How to Win Complex Deals Using Real Buyer Insights with Expert Tim RiestererSales teams keep losing deals not because of product—it's how they frame value. Messaging expert Tim Riesterer shares research-backed insights on how today’s B2B buyers make decisions, and how CEOs can guide their teams to win more by reducing risk and aligning with real buying behavior.Connect with Tim Riestererhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/Learn more about Tim's Podcast, The Emblazers Show here https://www.emblazegrowth.com/podcastConnect with Alice Heimanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceheiman/https://www.linkedin.com/company/alice-heiman-llc/
2025-05-2041 minSales Talk for CEOsEp160 Show Me You Know Me®, How Samantha McKenna Built #samsales Before Day OneSamantha McKenna didn’t just start a sales consultancy—she launched it with customers waiting in line. In this episode, she reveals how building an authentic presence on LinkedIn before starting #samsales set her up for immediate success. Learn how she transitioned from being a top rep at LinkedIn to bootstrapping a fast-growing company and how CEOs can do the same.Listen to how one founder defied convention, ditched traditional sales tactics, and built a business on human connection, one LinkedIn post at a time.🔗 Connect with Samantha McKenna:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sams...
2025-05-1438 minSales Talk for CEOsEp159 The Go-to-Market Mistake Most CEOs Make—and How to Fix it with Expert Garrett MehrguthMost GTM strategies miss the mark—and CEOs are often the reason why. In this episode, Garrett Mehrguth reveals the critical mistake leaders make and how to align sales, marketing, and messaging around the right buyers.Connect with Garrett Mehrguthhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettmehrguth/ (25) Directive: Posts | LinkedInConnect with Alice HeimanLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceheiman/Alice’s Website: https://aliceheiman.com/
2025-05-0646 minSales Talk for CEOsEp158 Coaching Is the Missing Link Between Training & Sales Success with Alice HeimanSales training alone isn’t enough. In this solo episode, Alice Heiman explains why coaching is the missing link that turns average sellers into top performers—and what CEOs must do to fix the gap.Connect with Alice Heiman LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceheiman/Alice’s Website: https://aliceheiman.com/
2025-04-2918 minSales Talk for CEOsEp 157 When the Exit Isn’t the End: Reinvention, Resilience, and Motherhood with Amanda KahlowAmanda Kahlow shares her story of stepping away from her company, navigating IVF and adoption, and launching her new venture, 1mind. A candid look at reinvention, leadership, and what really matters. About Guest Amanda Kahlow is a confident, brave, positive, passionate, and spiritual individual with an abundance of energy, love, empathy, and enthusiasm for life. Amanda is a serial entrepreneur. She is the founder and former CEO of 6sense. She started her first company at 21 and is now working on her next AI venture. Amanda is an eternal optimist with a heal...
2025-04-1134 minSales Talk for CEOsEp157 What Stepping Away from a $5B Company Taught Amanda Kahlow About Leadership and LifeAfter scaling 6sense to a $5.2B valuation, Amanda Kahlow stepped away to focus on family and rediscover what mattered most. She shares her IVF and adoption journey, lessons in leadership, and why she’s building her new company, 1mind, with a completely different approach.Social Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandakahlow/https://www.linkedin.com/company/1mindai/Connect with Alice HeimanLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceheiman/Alice’s Website: https://aliceheiman.com/
2025-04-0935 minSales Talk for CEOsEp156 Crack the C-Suite Code: 5 Sales Meeting Strategies with Caryn KoppEvery CEO wants their sales team talking to decision-makers — but getting in front of the C-suite isn’t easy. Caryn Kopp has been opening high-level doors for 26+ years, and in this episode, she reveals her 5-plank framework for landing executive meetings.You’ll learn how to build smarter prospect lists, craft messaging that gets noticed, and develop an outreach rhythm that actually works. If you're tired of cold calls and email blasts falling flat, don’t miss this conversation.Social Links https://koppconsultingusa.com/https://koppconsultingusa.com/blog...
2025-03-2143 minSales Talk for CEOsEp155 The One-Hour-a-Week LinkedIn Strategy Every CEO Needs with Expert Brandon LeeMost CEOs are missing out on millions in potential revenue simply because they’re invisible online. In this episode, branding and LinkedIn expert Brandon Lee joins Alice Heiman to reveal how CEOs can build their reputation, attract sales opportunities, and grow their business in just one hour a week.Brandon shares how he learned—through failure—that traditional sales methods no longer work, and why personal branding is the new demand generation. Learn the five biggest myths CEOs believe about LinkedIn, why neglecting your online presence is costing your company, and exactly what to do to fix it.
2025-03-1142 minSales Talk for CEOsEp154 How to Fix Your Go-to-Market Workflow for Faster Sales with Alice HeimanYour go-to-market workflow might be costing you sales without you even realizing it. Many companies still rely on outdated workflows that don’t align with the way customers buy today—creating friction instead of closing deals. In this episode, Alice Heiman breaks down what’s broken in most GTM workflows and how to fix it so your sales team can move faster and convert more leads. If you want to streamline your marketing-to-sales handoff, eliminate bottlenecks, and boost revenue, this episode is for you.Connect with Alice HeimanLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in...
2025-03-0420 minSales Talk for CEOsEp153 Chocolate in Space? How This CEO is Innovating Food, AI & Human Performance with Shahreen RezaCould chocolate and AI hold the key to peak human performance? Shahreen Reza, founder of Astreas, explains how a chance conversation about pizza with an astronaut led to space-approved chocolate truffles infused with nutrients designed to boost mental clarity and endurance. Now she's taking performance coaching to the next level by combining wearable tech data with AI-driven insights. Shahreen shares how CEOs can use these cutting-edge approaches to stay at the top of their game.Connect with ShahreenLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahreen-reza-2824a125/https://www.linkedin...
2025-02-2526 minSales Talk for CEOsEp150 Why Most CEOs Fail at Thought Leadership (and How to Fix It) with Alice HeimanMost CEOs think they’re doing thought leadership, but the truth? They’re doing it wrong—if they’re doing it at all.In this solo episode, Alice Heiman breaks down the biggest mistakes CEOs make when it comes to thought leadership and why those missteps are costing them sales. She reveals why most CEOs struggle to build their personal brand, how it impacts their sales team, and what they should be doing instead to drive revenue.If you’re a CEO who wants to make sales easier, attract high-value customers, and become the go-to leader in...
2025-02-0514 minSales Talk for CEOsEp149 Building a $1.2 Billion Enterprise: Katherine Kostereva on Scaling and SalesHow does a CEO turn a passion for solving business challenges into a billion-dollar company? Katherine Kostereva, CEO of Creatio, shares her inspiring entrepreneurial journey, from her beginnings at IBM to building a globally recognized no-code platform. Discover how she bootstrapped her company for six years, secured $200 million in funding, and created a collaborative culture that fuels growth. Learn actionable strategies on prioritization, building strong sales teams, and leveraging partnerships to scale efficiently. About GuestKatherine Kostereva is the Founder and CEO of Creatio, a global vendor of an AI-native platform designed to automate...
2025-01-2929 minSales Talk for CEOsEp148 From Beer to Idea and How the Accelerator and a Network Made the Difference with Ivan Barajas VargasWhat happens when two QA professionals turn their frustrations with the industry into a groundbreaking solution? In this episode, Alice Heiman sits down with Ivan Barajas Vargas, co-founder of MuukTest, to explore how he and his partner transformed the QA automation process using AI. Ivan shares his journey from bootstrapping to landing funding, his pivot to a top-down sales strategy, and the lessons learned from building a thriving startup. If you’re a CEO looking to scale smarter, embrace innovation, or rethink your sales strategy, this conversation is packed with actionable insights you won’t want to miss....
2025-01-2245 minSales Talk for CEOsEp147 Use the Power of Referrals to Close More Deals with Alice HeimanReferrals are an often-overlooked yet highly effective way to boost sales. In this episode, Alice Heiman dives into the transformative impact of a formal referral selling process. Learn why referrals outperform cold outreach, how they lead to higher-quality leads, and why they drive stronger customer retention. With real-world statistics and practical advice, you’ll gain the tools to build a referral system that consistently delivers results for your sales team.Connect with Alice HeimanLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceheiman/Alice’s Website: https://aliceheiman.com/...
2025-01-1514 minSales Talk for CEOsEp146 How CEOs Can Build Better Workplaces with Dan PontefractDan Pontefract, author of Work-Life Bloom, joins Sales Talk for CEOs to share a groundbreaking approach to leadership. Key takeaways include redefining CEO responsibilities to include care, balancing humanity with execution, and fostering engagement through positive reinforcement. Dan also introduces a unique framework for navigating work-life cycles, offering practical advice for CEOs to inspire their teams and drive sustainable success. About GuestMy new book, WORK-LIFE BLOOM is a Thinkers50 Top New Management Book for 2024 and won the Gold Medal - Axiom Business Book Awards. Otherwise, I'm a leadership strategist, author, consultant, a...
2025-01-0745 minSales Talk for CEOsEp145 Lessons in Founder-Led Sales and the Power of Specialization with Jamon HolmgrenMeta DescriptionDiscover the journey of a CTO turned co-founder who mastered founder-led sales and embraced the power of niche specialization to scale a thriving business. Learn how strategic focus and teamwork drive success.About GuestJamon is a software developer, business owner, husband, father of four, and new grandpa, located in southwest Washington state. He is co-founder of Infinite Red, Inc., a fully remote React Native app consultancy located across the USA and Canada. He learned to code at age twelve in order to make games and that led to...
2025-01-0245 minSales Talk for CEOsEp144 How the CEO can insure their team wins Mega Deals with Jamal ReimerDiscover how CEOs can lead their teams to secure larger corporate deals, transition upmarket, and build strategies for landing transformative accounts with expert insights from Jamal Reimer.About GuestJamal Reimer is an experienced coach, best-selling author, product developer, and ambitious multi-million-dollar Enterprise Seller with more than 2 decades of experience in the field. After closing three 50-million-dollar deals at Oracle, he found his passion in helping others achieve the same. He’s coached hundreds of B2B sellers, teaching them the art of closing mega deals. Jamal has also cultivated a thriving community of more th...
2024-12-2035 minSales Talk for CEOsEp143 Before You Hire More Salespeople, Check This FirstAlice Heiman reveals critical strategies to ensure your sales team is at peak performance before expanding your team.Connect with Alice HeimanLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceheiman/Alice’s Website: https://aliceheiman.com/Alice Blog: https://aliceheiman.com/want-more-sales-hiring-more-salespeople-may-not-be-the-answer/
2024-12-1116 min
Sales Talk for CEOsThe Dakota Way: Why it Matters with Gui CostinChapters01:06 Guest Introduction01:13 Dakota's Dual Business Model02:39 Origin Story of Dakota03:10 Transition from Employee to Entrepreneur05:06 Early Days and Initial Client Acquisition06:37 Growing the Company and Sales Team Development07:42 Implementing the 'Dakota Way'09:01 CEO's Role in Sales Process10:32 Sales Team Expansion and Developing Leadership12:07 Introducing AI in Sales13:14 Utilizing AI for Enhanced Customer Targeting16:03 Cold Outreach Strategies18:50 Building a Sales Culture Focused on Belief and Persistence20:28 Importance of the Human Element...
2024-11-1928 min
Sales Talk for CEOsStreamline, Personalize, Grow: How AI is Transforming Sales TeamsImagine freeing up hours in your day while boosting your team’s productivity and engagement. With the right AI tools, that’s possible. In this Sales Talk for CEOs episode, Alice Heiman speaks with Gillian Utesch, CEO of Broken Glass Ceiling Marketing, about how AI-driven tools can help your team to streamline marketing, personalize engagement, and tackle sales in a whole new way. Here’s what you need to know about AI to enhance your go-to-market strategy without stretching your team to the limit.From Pharmacist to Marketing Innovator: Gillian’s JourneyGillian’s story starts in...
2024-10-2939 min
Sales Talk for CEOsHow to Integrate AI into Your Sales StrategyImagine your sales team leveraging tools that analyze data, predict trends, and create personalized messages in real-time. This isn’t some futuristic fantasy—it’s happening now in today’s AI-driven sales landscape. As Alice Heiman puts it, “Salespeople who don’t use AI will be replaced by those who do.”In this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice explores how AI can reshape your go-to-market (GTM) strategy. Let’s dive into the key takeaways and action steps every CEO should consider.AI’s Impact on Customer Success and MarketingBefore tackling sales, let’s look...
2024-10-0818 min
Sales Talk for CEOsIs a Chief Revenue Officer Right for Your Business? When to Consider a CROIn the complex world of company leadership structures, the role of the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) has sparked debates on its necessity and timing. In this episode of "Sales Talk for CEOs," Alice Heiman dives into the nuances of the CRO role, helping CEOs determine if and when it might be essential for their company.Deciphering the CRO Role:The emergence of the CRO role aims to bridge the gaps between sales, marketing, and customer success. Alice Heiman discusses the strategic integration these departments require, emphasizing that alignment is key to fostering growth and customer...
2024-07-2312 min
Sales Talk for CEOsUnlocking Growth: Why Every CEO Needs a Team of A-PlayersImagine this: every person reporting directly to you is not just competent, but an A-player, fully aligned with your vision and driving your company's growth. Sounds ideal, right? This is not just a dream—it's an achievable reality that can transform the way you lead. Today on "Sales Talk for CEOs," Alice Heiman delves into why having the right people in the right roles is not just beneficial but essential for your company's success.Key TakeawaysEvaluate Your Team: It's crucial to assess if each team member is an A-player who contributes positively to your company’s pe...
2024-06-2513 min
Sales Talk for CEOsFrom Silos to Synergy: Transforming Your Team with a Go-to-Market FrameworkDid you know that collaborative team selling has become a fundamental approach for modern businesses? According to Forrester, nearly 60% of sales leaders now emphasize team collaboration over individual efforts to secure significant deals. In this compelling solo episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman explores why moving away from traditional sales and marketing silos to a unified go-to-market (GTM) strategy is crucial for thriving in today’s competitive landscape.Key Insights for CEOs:Team-Based Selling is Essential: "The days of the lone wolf seller are long gone," Alice explains, highlighting the importance of team collaboration in...
2024-05-2110 min
Sales Talk for CEOsFrom NASA to CEO: Lessons in Leadership, Storytelling and CuriosityThis week’s episode of "Sales Talk for CEOs" is out of this world, literally! Alice Heiman was joined by Beth Mund, whose journey from NASA to entrepreneurial space storyteller is rich with insights for business leaders. Not only that, we found out Alice is a bit of a space geek and she’s a huge fan of Beth’s having discovered her when she began her podcast Casual Space. Beth's story from navigating NASA’s communication strategies to starting her podcast and founding a nonprofit called Stories of Space underscores the essence of curiosity, the imperative of adapta...
2024-04-1048 min
Sales Talk for CEOsThe Power of Exceptional ExperienceDo you know that exceptional customer and employee experiences can be the game-changer for your business? In a recent episode of "Sales Talk for CEOs," Alice Heiman explores this dynamic duo's profound impact. Here's a sneak peek:🌟 Customer Experience MattersDive deep into the customer journey.Identify areas for improvement.Create a seamless path to customer success.🌟 The Employee Experience ConnectionDon't underestimate the power of a positive workplace.Engaged employees naturally provide better customer service.A happy workforce drives exceptional customer experiences.🌟 Where Success ConvergesThe sweet spot where customer and employee...
2024-03-2210 min
Sales Talk for CEOsScaling to $22 Million ARR: Sales Insights from Retention.com's CEOAnother company that scaled to over $20M in ARR. How does Alice Heiman keep finding them?In another insightful episode of "Sales Talk for CEOs" Alice Heiman was joined by Adam Robinson, CEO of Retention.com, who shared his remarkable journey of bootstrapping his company to a $22 million ARR in just four years. Not unlike “G” Guillaume Moubeche, from a few episodes ago, Adam is willing to put himself out there and share the good, the bad and the ugly.This episode offers CEOs actionable insights on leveraging technology for sales success, the importance of trans...
2024-03-1933 min
Sales Talk for CEOsCEOs on Social Media: A Direct Correlation to Increased RevenueIn the engaging world of social media, CEOs find themselves at a crossroads between opportunity and caution. A recent conversation between Alice Heiman and Scott Gillum on "Sales Talk for CEOs" podcast sheds light on this very issue, offering a blend of strategies, insights, and anecdotes that CEOs can't afford to ignore. The discussion delves into the transformative power of social media for personal branding and the pivotal role CEOs play in this dynamic landscape.The CEO's Role in Social Media: A Strategic ImperativeThe conversation with Scott Gillum reveals a critical insight: "There is...
2024-03-1244 min
Sales Talk for CEOsThe Transformative Power of AppreciationIn a world driven by results and constant hustle, we often forget to pause and appreciate our achievements. Alice Heiman, in her recent podcast, emphasizes the importance of appreciation in business success. Here are the key takeaways:Appreciation Builds Momentum: Taking a moment to truly appreciate our accomplishments can create great momentum. It instills confidence and encourages us to plan for a successful future.Greatness Breeds Success: Acknowledging past achievements is the true measure of success. Reflecting on the times when you've outdone yourself helps predict future success.Leadership and Appreciation: As leaders, appreciating ourselves and our teams...
2024-02-2012 min
Sales Talk for CEOsThe Importance of Sales Leadership in a Changing Economy with Gretchen GordonIn a world where sales strategies are swiftly evolving, CEOs can no longer afford to overlook the critical role of exceptional sales leadership. Alice Heiman’s latest guest, Gretchen Gordon, author of "Happy Sales Manager" and President of Braveheart Sales Performance, shares her profound insights on empowering sales teams to excel in any economic climate.Episode’s Key Takeaways:Adaptability: With predictions of a fluctuating 2024 economy, CEOs must ensure their sales leaders have robust plans to adapt and thrive regardless of market conditions.Strategic Sales Planning: It's not just about the numbers; it's abou...
2024-01-3043 min
Sales Talk for CEOsUsing My Time: Drink Your Coffee While it's Hot!This week Alice shares her reflections after having time to think during the holidays. In this podcast she considers how CEOs should use their time to do what is most important to them and that are things only they can do.She talks about how CEOs need to stay in their genius zone and find others to do the rest. It’s tempting to continue doing so many things, just because you can, when someone else could do them better and leave you to do what you do best. As CEOs you always have...
2024-01-1606 min
Sales Talk for CEOsBootstrapping to $20 Million ARR in Just 5 Years with Guillaume MoubecheIn the ever-evolving world of B2B sales, few stories are as compelling as that of Guillaume Moubeche, CEO of Lempire. Guillaume or “G” as his friends call him is one of the happiest, most friendly CEOs you will come across. But don’t let that fool you, he’s one determined founder. When he realized how hard it was going to be to raise money he completely changed his focus to the customer and it worked. But that’s not all, he got out there and made himself known. Using a live show on Facebook and his LinkedI...
2024-01-0249 min
Sales Talk for CEOsTurning Startup Challenges into Triumphs: William Gilchrist's CEO JourneyEvery CEO's journey is unique, but few are as eye-opening as moving from the structured world of corporate to the unpredictable realm of startups. This is the path William Gilchrist, CEO of Konsyg, shares on Sales Talk for CEOs with Alice Heiman. His experience unveils not just the challenges but also the vital strategies he learned for thriving in a startup environment.In this episode, you’ll learn:Adaptability: Gilchrist's shift from corporate to startup highlights the need for flexibility and a diverse skill set.Honesty in Sales: A straightforward approach to client communication builds trust an...
2023-12-2734 min
Sales Talk for CEOsCEO's Roadmap to Data-Driven Success: Lessons from Jonathan SilverImagine harnessing the power of 140 million credit card swipes to reshape your business strategy. That's exactly what Jonathan Silver of Affinity Solutions does, and he’s here to share his groundbreaking journey with us. In a dynamic conversation with Alice Heiman on Sales Talk for CEOs, Jonathan delves into the art of transforming consumer data into powerful business insights. This episode is a treasure trove for CEOs looking to navigate the complexities of data-driven decision-making and innovative business growth.Why CEOs Should Listen:Strategic Utilization of Consumer Data: Embrace the transformative power of c...
2023-12-1947 min
Sales Talk for CEOsIs Your Product Obviously Awesome? with Expert April DunfordHave you ever wondered why, despite having amazing products, customers still struggle to understand your company's value?April Dunford, an authority on product positioning, discusses the critical role of positioning in sales and marketing. Known for her first book "Obviously Awesome" and her expertise in positioning, April shares her insights on why companies often struggle with positioning their products. She emphasizes that most companies have positioning, but it's not deliberate, leading to misalignment and missed opportunities. April highlights the transformative power of effective positioning, using an illustrative story from her early career where repositioning a p...
2023-12-1249 min
Sales Talk for CEOsGabriella DeFlorio on Being First to Market: How She Started PrelayGabriella enjoyed working with technical and operationally focused people tackling complex problems. She always worked in a team to do sales but didn’t like the lack of transparency to the team members as the deal progressed. She saw a need for a team selling tool. “I really didn’t have any other option than starting this business and seeing where I could go with it.”The team selling space had a huge need and Gabriella DeFlorio of Prelay knew she had to fill that need. Even with all her Go To Market experience, it’s different...
2023-12-0530 min
Sales Talk for CEOsSuccessful Growth through Acquisition with Jessica FialkovichHow do you wind up being a business broker after a luxurious career in the high-end wine business?Funny story. After working in the corporate world around 2008 and 2009 Jessica Fialkovich and her husband saw her friend who had a luxurious wine business brokering really high-end wines around the world. They thought how fun it would be to taste wine and travel for a living so with the help of their friend started their own wine business. Three years later, it turns out that tasting wine all day was exhausting and they decided to re...
2023-11-2831 min
Sales Talk for CEOsCustomer Success and Culture: 2 Keys to Success with Tom LaveryWhen investors are leaning on you to get “New Logos” you can lose sight of customer success and it can change or damage your culture. For Tom Lavery at Jiminny, compromising on customer success or culture were not options. Tom was a VP of sales before he, his wife and their technical cofounder started the company. He set out to solve some of the problems he faced around coaching as a sales leader. Tom understands that effective sales leadership starts with data. Jiminny's platform records, transcribes, and analyzes video, voice, and email communications, providi...
2023-11-2139 min
Sales Talk for CEOsCEO Jarrod Lopiccolo on Sales Success and Giving BackTwenty years ago, a couple, sat with their laptops at their house and launched a business. It was some uncharted territory, but they dove right in. Who knew where they would be 20 years later. Still happily married, kids grown, business booming, over 60 employees and a strong commitment to community. An absolute success story. Jarrod and Alice explore the very essence of Nobel Studio’s sales success due to Jarrod’s focus and determination emphasizing the pivotal role that networking and relationship-building play in the process. It's not just about closing deals; it's about forging meaningful connections.But t...
2023-11-0843 min
Sales Talk for CEOsThe Easiest Way to Get More Business with Barry TrailerCEOs, do you want to unlock the secret to sky-high sales?Your loyal customers might just have the answers you seek.Barry Trailer from Sales Mastery Advisors highlights a goldmine of opportunity: diving deep into repeat and referral sales. Believe it or not, expanding within your existing customer base can yield better returns than braving new territories.Furthermore, while data is crucial, it's quality over quantity. CEOs should focus on insightful data interpretation, emphasizing process-oriented coaching, adept tech use, and consistent training.Barry's revealing Sales Performance Scorecard survey shows just 53% of...
2023-10-1145 min
Sales Talk for CEOsRevolutionizing Sales Hiring with Lori RichardsonHiring high-performing teams is no easy feat for CEOs, but when it comes to sales teams, the stakes are exponentially higher. Achieving your organization's business objectives hinges on building and scaling a successful sales force that drives predictable revenue growth.But what do you do when sales are stagnant and results fall short of expectations? It's time to examine how we, as CEOs, have supported the growth of our sales teams.In a value-packed conversation with Lori Richardson, a renowned sales strategy expert and founder of Score More Sales, we dive in...
2023-08-2948 min
Sales Talk for CEOsGoing from the Wild Wild West to Sales Structure with Michael KatzFrom youngest CEO on the Nasdaq to an industry he never dreamed he’d be in. You’ll want to dive into this exclusive interview with CEO Michael Katz, founder of mParticle, with a mission to unify and organize customer data, unlocking its untapped potential.mParticle was born from Michael’s triumph at Interclick, where data-driven approaches led to business success. Recognizing the growing significance of mobile and the complexity of customer data, he seized the opportunity to create a platform that could rise to these challenges.Because Michael didn’t know sales his strate...
2023-08-1551 min
Sales Talk for CEOsThe CEO's Role in Sales: 2nd Anniversary Edition with Alice HeimanThe CEO's role in sales is vital to the growth and success of any company. But many are unclear on what that role should be. In this episode, Alice outlines clearly 3 roles the CEO needs to consider.The CEOs role with existing customers and prospects The CEOs role as an evangelist The CEOs role on social media Alice starts by talking about the role with existing customers. Typically, the CEO only gets involved when there is a problem. By focusing on building strong relationships with the customer’s CEO or other high...
2023-08-0823 min
Sales Talk for CEOsThe Danger of CEOs Undermining Sales with Larry MandelbergAre you a CEO perplexed by your company's stagnant sales? The solution may lie within your own actions.According to the insightful Larry Mandelberg, renowned author of "Businesses Don't Fail, They Commit Suicide," CEOs often become detached from the sales process and unknowingly hinder their team.The consequences of this disconnect are substantial, forcing CEOs to look at things differently and shift their attention from driving revenue to providing unparalleled value to their customers.Larry's extensive experience has revealed that by making this shift, CEOs can cultivate satisfied customers who will, i...
2023-08-0153 min
Sales Talk for CEOsCompanies are bought, they are not sold with Tracy YoungBeing a first-time female entrepreneur in a male dominated space is no easy feat, and Tracy Young's journey starting a tech company in the construction industry is truly inspiring. She co-founded PlanGrid after recognizing the inefficiencies of paper blueprints and digitized them with tablet-friendly software that streamlined construction processes. Tracy's innovative solution caught fire and drove massive organic growth for PlanGrid. As the company expanded and shifted to enterprise sales, Tracy's team developed strategic and empathetic approaches to address diverse customer needs. She also built a strong sales team, learning from expe...
2023-07-2546 min
Sales Talk for CEOsNavigating the Future of Partner Selling with Cassandra GholstonCan you imagine saying goodbye to confusing spreadsheets and emails that track partner relationships and sales?Imagine the possibility of your team instantly identifying sales opportunities in your partners' networks? Cassandra Gholston, CEO of PartnerTap, joined me on the podcast to share her journey building a data sharing application that allows companies to leverage the strengths of their partners and expand their reach into new markets. She also shares how she overcame startup challenges in implementation and marketing and built a thriving revenue team.Cassandra recounted those early days saying, "We started to u...
2023-07-1141 min
Sales Talk for CEOsScaling Your Sales Through Customer RetentionWhat if you could keep your customers for years and continue to grow with them? What if everyone in your company was responsible for customer retention? What if everyone in your company sold?When a culture of caring permeates your company everyone takes responsibility for the customer’s success and helps to solve for customers so they buy - sales. If the answer to every question about building a successful sales team came back to the process of delivering successful outcomes for customers, how would that change your company?. Adam Miller recounts his 30 year...
2023-05-2539 min
Sales Talk for CEOsUsings AI To Gain A Competitive Edge In B2B SalesArtificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. Will your sales organization utilize it or will they be left behind?AI is having a big impact on B2B sales by empowering salespeople to focus on what they do best: building meaningful relationships with their prospects. But wait, don't worry about AI replacing human sales reps! Usman Sheikh, Founder and CEO of xiQ, a Silicon Valley-based AI-powered SaaS platform explains how AI can be a game-changer for sales leaders who embrace it as a tool to gain a competitive advantage.In this po...
2023-05-1752 min
Sales Talk for CEOsHow to maximize revenue growth with SalesOpsLeading indicators, lagging indicators, qualitative data, and quantitative data might sound like boring topics for your sales meetings. Quite the contrary, Michael Ingram of SalesOps.io explains the role that each one plays in achieving predictable revenue growth.Sales revenue is a lagging indicator of success. By the time you know it, it’s too late. You need data daily and weekly that tells you what to do before it’s too late. Leading indicators give you a chance to fix problems before you miss the quarter.Chapters:00:00 What Is SalesOps? 08:27 Moving On Fr...
2023-05-0436 min
Sales Talk for CEOsHow Mission-Driven Companies Benefit From Founder-Led SalesIt's not surprising that Bronwyn Spira, after trying many different sales strategies, landed back on the founder-led model. In mission-driven companies, founders often deliver the most compelling pitch.She then set about recruiting a sales and marketing team to support the sales process across the entire customer journey.Stick with us to the end where Bronwyn leaves us with her three growth tips for every CEO.Chapters:00:00 A platform for patients and practitioners04:20 Getting Sales Started08:32 Back to Co-founder Led Sales12:25 The Importance of Strong...
2023-04-2545 min
Sales Talk for CEOsA Customer-Success Driven Sales StrategyLeanData’s sales organization’s head count might seem too costly to some. It was derived out of a constant quest to map internal resources to support customer success - not revenue, yet it is highly profitable. One example, split the customer success manager role into two positions. One checking in to monitor the account health and ensure renewal. The other, a coach to provide ongoing best practice advice to customers.Join us to learn the customer-centric sales enablement process that makes LeanData recession-proof.Chapters:00:00 LeanData - Revenue Orchestration 04...
2023-04-1832 min
Sales Talk for CEOsThe Art Of Scaling A Sales TeamHow do you balance growth with quality service delivery? With no background in sales, Kevin Warner, Co-founder, and CEO, originally decided to hire someone who knew sales and put his focus on delivery. He realized quickly it wasn’t working and took the lead sales role. Once sales picked up, he built a sales team and grew exponentially but he watched the quality of service delivery suffer, and client churn increased. What was the right size for the company where they could serve the clients with excellence, reduce churn and increase profitability? They...
2023-03-2138 min
Sales Talk for CEOsBuilding and Implementing Scalable ProcessesMost CEOs have a hard time running one successful company. Veronica Buitron runs two!Her secrets boil down to simple, hard won lessons. First, you need a process for everything to be successful and to scale. Second, you need to trust and empower your teams.Every CEO can learn from her episode.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction2:26 - Tango Code: Redefining Software Development 003:53 - Automating Process for Scalability 10:02 - Engineering and Sales Are Both Just Solving Problems14:50 - Building Visions Together 16:30 - Shared Suc...
2023-03-1439 min
Sales Talk for CEOsMove Deals Through Your Pipeline With The Centricity ModelSean Doyle applies behavioral science to marketing and the sales funnel. His model is called Centricity and he shares important lessons about alignment between sales, marketing and customer success to move deals through the funnel. Sean says, “Deals stall in the middle of the funnel because we aren’t giving the buyer what they need to make a decision.If you are still feeding them information about your product features and benefits, they are 80% likely to decide to stick with the old, lower risk, status quo.”On the other hand, we know that if you help th...
2023-02-1452 min
Sales Talk for CEOsStrategies To Gain An Unfair AdvantageAlmost every company I know is struggling to bring new business in at the pace required. Why? Well, that is an interesting question but I think by now most of us know that our methods are outdated and simply don’t work. The better questions are how do we keep new business flowing in? What should be done instead of what we continue to do that doesn’t work? I’ve always had a fascination with weeds. They are amazing. Strong, resilient, persistent and they can literally take over an area. My friend...
2023-02-0737 min
Sales Talk for CEOsA Step-By-Step Guide to Setting Up a Successful Channel Strategy with Bruce StuartDo you have a channel strategy in place? You may have channel partners as part of your Go To Market Strategy, but do you have a strategy that includes how you will support your partners’ success? I’ve worked with many companies who sell through the channel and complain that their channel partners aren’t selling enough. In order for channel sales to be successful, your team has to understand how the potential partners are going to make money with the product or service you want them to sell. It’s not up to the partners t...
2022-09-2735 min
Sales Talk for CEOsMarketing That Is Music to Your Buyer’s Ears with Kate Bradley ChernisConnection is everything. When your marketing message resonates with your customers, selling becomes easier, retention becomes easier, and your customers become powerful evangelists who market and sell for you. To achieve this, you have to find the right words that make your customers lean in. You have to create marketing that is music to your buyer’s ears.In this episode of the Sales Talk for CEOs podcast, my guest Kate Bradley Chernis shares advice on how to do just that. A former live radio DJ, Kate is now the CEO of Lately, a software that uses ar...
2021-12-0742 min
Sales Talk for CEOsAligning Your Go-to-Market Team with Pouyan SalehiProduct. Sales. Marketing. Customer Success. If you want to grow your business, your entire go-to-market team has to be in perfect alignment. Providing a seamless experience makes such a huge difference to customers, but it’s often hard to achieve. Luckily, you’ll get plenty of ideas and inspiration in the latest Sales Talk for CEOs podcast.My guest for this interview is Pouyan Salehi, CEO of Scratchpad, a workspace designed specifically for sales and revenue teams. Scratchpad has a unique bottom-up sales model where—on the one hand—the end-users of the software (sales reps) are not the...
2021-11-3042 min
Sales Talk for CEOsBuilding Relationships to Grow Your Business with Amir ReiterIf there is one thing to take away from this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, it’s that CEOs should be making connections. If you’re not reaching out to customers, employees, peers, and mentors, you are missing out on opportunities to learn and grow. I understand that this doesn’t come naturally for everyone, but when you hear about the benefits of networking, evangelizing, and building relationships in today’s interview, I know you’ll be motivated to make it a priority.This episode features Amir Reiter, CEO of CloudTask, a B2B Lead Generation company he...
2021-11-2338 min
Sales Talk for CEOsFinding the Right Sales Leader for Your Company with Elay CohenHiring the right sales leader is something that every CEO has challenges with, so this episode of the Sales Talk for CEOs podcast is a great opportunity to improve your strategy and avoid some common mistakes. By hiring the right sales leader for your company, you’ll be able to build the kind of sales organization that really supports your business, and that allows you, as CEO, to take on the role of strategist, evangelist, and thought leader.The perfect guest for this topic is Elay Cohen, CEO and co-founder of SalesHood, a sales enablement platform. The ro...
2021-11-1645 min
Sales Talk for CEOsGrowth Strategies for Hiring and Organizing Your Sales Team with Jacco van der KooijAs an entrepreneur, when you first launch your company, you often start out doing most of the work yourself. However, at a certain point, it’s time to hire a team so you can focus on the higher-level work required of a CEO and grow your business. But who should you hire first? When should you bring on a sales team? What hiring strategies can help you find the best talent? How should you organize your team for top performance and growth? All these questions (and more!) are answered in my latest Sales Talk for CEOs podcast.Th...
2021-11-0944 min
Sales Talk for CEOsBuilding a Customer-Focused Sales Strategy with Erik FrankThe companies that are succeeding today are the ones that are looking at themselves from their customers’ perspective. How do your customers see your business? Do they understand your products and services? How do they want to buy from you? Whether you have been in business for five years or 100, your customers’ perspective will always play a pivotal role in the success (or failure) of your business. So, are you listening to their valuable feedback?No matter how old your business is, you must constantly change and adapt to what your customers are telling you. That’s the su...
2021-11-0228 min
Sales Talk for CEOsIntegrating Sales and Marketing to Better Serve Customers with Bronwyn AllenHIGHLIGHTS1:20 Changes to hiring during the pandemic8:25 Growth of sales operations during the pandemic11:25 How to integrate roles on your team to serve customers better14:10 The CEO’s unique role in sales18:38 Balancing a CEO’s many responsibilities22:40 Switching your sales strategy when inbound calls increase25:07 Growth opportunities on the horizon “The customer wants it to be seamless. They don’t want to have your services coming from 15 different directions and different messages. They know what they want, and they want...
2021-10-2630 min
Sales Talk for CEOs3 Mindsets Every CEO Must Develop in Their Business with Maria NordstromHIGHLIGHTS3:19 The journey to becoming the CEO of basketball8:24 Knowing CEO skills, playing the sport and understanding the fans10:57 Finding solutions for the first challenges you have to face as a CEO19:10 Holding each member and each department of the organization responsible for revenue and the customer’s experience27:35 The CEO as the spearhead and pivot of the organization30:35 Keeping sports stakeholders engaged during the pandemic through innovative thinking QUOTES3:25 “If I wrote down a piece of advice to myself: specializing in a...
2021-10-1941 min
Sales Talk for CEOsInterviewing for Creativity with Kris RudeegraapHIGHLIGHTS2:50 How Sendoso started - finding creative ways to connect with people5:20 Interviewing for creativity 15:10 Building a strong company culture 20:20 Adapting to modern sales 24:58 Following up with customers27:41 Why stay with named accounts? QUOTES4:57 “Creative thinking is one of those soft skills that are underutilized and undervalued… add creativity or if you want to be more creative that’ll be a skillset that will stand out”5:32 “I think creativity is something that all you CEOs out there - make sure that your s...
2021-10-1338 min
Sales Talk for CEOsEntrepreneurial Enthusiasm with Chris CabreraHIGHLIGHTS1:20 What exactly is Xactly and who are their ideal customers? 7:00 Sales journey to CEO 11:55 Entrepreneurial enthusiasm26:42 Sales organization’s evolution after 16 years30:10 The balance of having partners and direct sellers 38:20 From private company to public, then to private and going back to being public QUOTES11:30 “So many things could go differently, so many startups fail for so many different reasons - but that never entered my mind. Looking back, I didn’t understand that - but at the time the ide...
2021-10-0551 min
Sales Talk for CEOsBenefits of Hiring a Sales Leader with Gary GoerkeHIGHLIGHTS3:30 Before Clarity Voice: how Gary had started as tech support and then trained in sales6:08 The CEO being the first salesperson of the company15:13 Realizing the need for a sales leader 20:18 When the CEO manages his own sales team26:46 Technology doesn’t solve all problems 30:01 The richness of business QUOTES3:30 “With any entrepreneur, when they look back to when they started the company and what led up to it, there were many things that happened that built them to where they ar...
2021-09-2838 min
Sales Talk for CEOsBuilding and Maintaining Partnerships with Jamie CrosbieHIGHLIGHTS2:18 How and why Jamie started Proactivate8:45 Recognizing when to hire people 12:39 Strategically building and maintaining partnerships16:00 Partnerships versus cold-calling 19:23 Mindsets that are helpful for serving clients and growing your business - mindset versus skillset QUOTES5:26 “It was me selling, for sure, in the beginning and doing a lot of it. In the first week I got 25 appointments”9:26 “Adding a salesperson would be worth a million dollars in revenue to my company… I hired some sales team member and then took them throug...
2021-09-2136 min
Sales Talk for CEOsThe Importance of Understanding Sales with Steve BensonHIGHLIGHTS[3:06] Being a business owner with a sales background[6:59] Getting people onboard in your company - what you can do as CEO[10:50] Building the sales organization in your company[20:41] Supporting sales and the CEO's growing role[25:51] Making your customer feel important, secure and happy[31:00] Hiring outside help to communicate more freely in the office QUOTES[6:30] “It's really useful to have a sales background starting a company, at first you are not just selling a product, you're selling for people to join...
2021-09-1440 min
Sales Talk for CEOsStrong Contributors to Sales Success with Jon FerraraHIGHLIGHTS2:00 From Goldmine to Nimble, Jon’s entrepreneurial journey8:20 Be present for your family's growth. Don't let your career get in the way of being with your loved ones. 18:17 The secret sauce to making connections and closing sales - listening more and being human29:24 Integrating more and more communication systems into Nimble 33:04 Making it easy for the buyer to buy from youQUOTES2:02 “It really starts with our first company that I co-founded called GoldMine. I started that company out of a personal need, I struggled as a sales person.” 8:20 “I came to the conclusion that I’m on this planet...
2021-09-0943 min
Sales Talk for CEOsDirecting Sales Profitability with Transparency with Ganesh ShankarHIGHLIGHTS01:46 Starting RFPIO and helping companies respond to RFPs more efficiently10:07 Ganesh's sales experience was a natural progression to CEO 14:01 Trial and error: Changing company goals to figure out behavior19:21 Celebrate sales milestones and recognize the efforts of every team member23:15 Filling the organization structure with the right people at the stages31:45 Future forecast for RFPIO and success with an onboarding specialist38:46 Sales tips for fellow CEOsQUOTES08:27 "We realized salespeople never logged into those system. They have accounts already working o...
2021-07-3143 min
Sales Talk for CEOsReimagining How Salespeople Sell with Melanie FellayHIGHLIGHTS01:47 Innovating the training process with Spekit10:44 Melanie's background in supporting sales and overcoming self-limiting beliefs18:39 Learning how to sell a product and being deliberate with hiring a sales team26:55 Having a clear company vision and hiring the first head of sales37:30 Creating an online presence to evangelize and attract clients40:34 Building up the sales team and adapting to changing buyer behaviors48:32 Sales advice for fellow CEOsQUOTES09:16 "How do we reimagine the way that employees learn at work? And how...
2021-07-3153 min
Sales Talk for CEOsFinding Success by Building a Remote Sales Team With Mario Martinez, Jr.HIGHLIGHTS02:11 Mario's accidental entry into sales and realizing that sales is the art of helping09:44 From accidental salesperson to accidental entrepreneur 12:54 Ask yourself these questions before striking out and becoming an entrepreneur 17:23 Being CEO means you are still involved in sales21:26 Scale your business with remote sellers29:56 CEOs must oversee sales teams and ensure company values are preserved34:15 Future forecast for Vengresso and technologyQUOTES08:51 "We're just focused on, really, sales as human to human. Human to human engagement. That's it. Th...
2021-07-3139 min
Sales Talk for CEOsFinding Success by Building a Remote Sales Team With Mario Martinez, Jr.HIGHLIGHTS02:11 Mario's accidental entry into sales and realizing that sales is the art of helping09:44 From accidental salesperson to accidental entrepreneur 12:54 Ask yourself these questions before striking out and becoming an entrepreneur 17:23 Being CEO means you are still involved in sales21:26 Scale your business with remote sellers29:56 CEOs must oversee sales teams and ensure company values are preserved34:15 Future forecast for Vengresso and technologyQUOTES08:51 "We're just focused on, really, sales as human to human. Human to human engagement. That's it. Th...
2021-07-3139 min
Sales Talk for CEOsFostering Collaboration Between Channels with Julie ThomasHIGHLIGHTS01:27 Julie as an "accidental entrepreneur" and rebuilding the structure of ValueSelling 09:37 Challenges with recruiting passionate people and translating languages14:18 Figuring out the ideal profile for ValueSelling's independent contractors18:37 Company culture has a direct effect on a channel's effectiveness21:18 Strengths and obstacles: Collaboration and adapting to change and technology29:53 Hiring direct sellers alongside independent contractors35:53 Future forecast: Adaptability is the number one skill40:11 Advice for CEOs to get more involved with salesQUOTES11:37 "We also then put in place s...
2021-07-3144 minSales Talk for CEOsGet to Know Your HostOn this inaugural episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, guest host Park Howell interviews Alice Heiman to get the backstory of her career and how this podcast came to be. More about Alice Heimanwebsite: https://AliceHeiman.comFollow Alice on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceheiman/More about Park Howellwebsite: https://businessofstory.com/Follow Park on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parkhowell/
2021-07-1736 min