Alex McNaughten

Want proof that multi-threading works? Here's our own data: We only win 4% of deals when there's one contact engaged. Scott Tower posted today about this https://lnkd.in/g2y-xjE4 This shows that buying is a team sport, and if there's only one person involved in a buying process it's likely going nowhere fast. One contact usually means they are on an information-gathering tour - typically a person with no decision-making authority - talking to vendors to collect pricing and present it to an executive team. This is the dumbest way to buy anything. People need to stop trying to avoid talking to sales reps. Great sales reps don't pressure prospects to buy products they don't need - they are there to help them buy and ensure their needs fit the solution. They can't do that if they aren't talking to the person with the pain and who has the authority to make the deal happen.

32

6 Comments

Do you know what a Sales Performance Improvement Plan refers to? Do you know how to craft a Sales PIP properly to boost sales results? You can find answers to these questions in the article below. The ability to detect a sales representative's performance gap is just the first step. The more important goal is how to design a sales performance improvement plan to eliminate this gap. Do you use Sales PIPs in your company? #b2bsales #salesperformance #salesleader #pip #salestips

8

Hey #RevOps I have 2️⃣ questions for you First = what IS RevOps in your organization? 🤔 Second = what SHOULD RevOps be in your organization? 🤨 We're getting 25+ RevOps leaders together in San Francisco in a few weeks to help answer this question, and a whole lot more. Intrigued? Of course you are. 😏 This is part of a broader event series for us called 👇 RevOpsAF Executive Think Tank 🧠 Where we are getting RevOps leaders together in a variety of cities across the US for a roundtable discussion on: What RevOps should look like in every organization 🪞 What's standing in the way of a truly unified RevOps function 🚧 How to convince CEOs to respond and adapt to evolving market conditions by adopting a comprehensive RevOps charter 🗺️ A RevOps path to the C-suite 🧑‍⚕️ Current problems and issues faced by RevOps teams today and how to solve them 🛠️ This event will have two parts: 🧠 Part 1 is a 90-minute roundtable session on the above topics 🥂 Part 2 is a networking and cocktail reception Event details: 📌 Proper Hotel in San Francisco ⏰ Starts at 2pm PT ✅ Register here → https://hubs.ly/Q02Hvfj40 If you're a RevOps leader in #SanFrancisco and want to help shape the future of RevOps, join us in August. PS - in addition to San Francisco, we'll be holding these think tank events in #Chicago and #NewYorkCity ...registration for those will be open soon PPS - shout out to our friends at Subskribe for sponsoring this event. 🫶 #revops #revenueoperations #salesops #salesoperations #marketingops #marketingoperations #sops #mops #csops #cxops #gtmops #alltheops

12

Hey RevOps - ever wonder if that “competitive salary” of yours is actually competitive? 🤔 Or maybe you're feeling overworked - curious how your workload and responsibilities compare to your peers? We're answering these questions and then some with the The 2024 RevOps Compensation & Workload Report 📖 Being delivered through partnership by BoostUp.ai and RevOps Co-op, Our plan is to dive deep into: 💼 Compensation trends in RevOps 📊 Forecasting methodologies and accuracy 📋 The impact of deal reviews and sales methodologies on performance ⏳ Workload distribution and how to optimize for impact But we need your help - the more data we get, the better the report will be. We're about to close things up so we can crunch the numbers, But before we do, would you take the next 5 - 10 minutes to fill out the survey? 🙏🏻 Your input will help shape the future of RevOps, Plus, you'll get early access to the findings - meaning you'll be able to go to your boss and ask for that raise, backed up by data, ASAP 😏 Survey link in the first comment below - thanks in advance y'all 👇🏻 #revops #revenueoperations #salesops #salesoperations #marketingops #marketingoperations #mops #sops #csops #cxops #gtmops #alltheops

27

1 Comment

Congrats to ZoomInfo on their launch of Copilot – a new solution for B2B sellers powered by AI & G2 data. 🎉🎉🎉 I enjoyed chatting with Calen Holbrooks during today’s launch event, discussing the challenges B2B sellers face and how solutions like Copilot are helping to change the game. Here are some of the points we covered: ⚡It's time for B2B selling to catch up to B2C – providing the type of personalization we see with Instagram ads. ⚡Sales teams are often relying on the ineffective spray & pray approach -- wasting time, money & frustrating those being targeted with irrelevant outreach. ⚡With only 5% of a B2B business’ ICP actively in market at a given time, a more tailored, targeted approach is required. ⚡AI-powered solutions like Copilot can help – with accurate data from G2 & ZoomInfo, so sellers can reach the right in-market prospect with the right message at the right time. ⚡This is just one example of how AI will shape the future of go-to-market. Another is connecting software buyers and sellers more seamlessly, pairing up the perfect match. At G2, we are doing this with our #AI assistant Monty. Congrats to our partners Henry Schuck, Bryan Law, & team, and thanks for having me today! If you missed it, you can catch the event on-demand & learn more about Copilot from Henry at the links below. 👇

133

6 Comments

I did an informal poll on CSM vs Sales commission splits. I was pleasantly shocked to see that over 95% of companies do not have Sales take a commission on renewals unless it’s a particularly challenging one; the AE is there to help with it as a “bounty renewal”. in this case, the AE gets a % but is not taken from the CSM. Other interesting data points: "Commission on upsells and renewal made up 30% of the total compensation package. However, the exact commission % was determined by dividing the 30% by $$$ into the total ARR managed by the CSM." What metrics should this be based on? Most followed this model to Typically, companies that are earlier in their CS maturity will base this off a few leading indicators (adoption milestones, EBRs, etc.), and then move to comping on lagging indicators (retention, expansion, NRR, etc.) once their leading indicator activities have been proven. The following are examples of metrics you can use, not an exhaustive list: Leading: QBRs and/or EBRs (attained vs scheduled) Product adoption milestones (product dependent) Lagging: Net Revenue Retention (NRR) - this is likely the most common Retention Expansion Advocacy (hard to make this scale across large teams and mixed portfolios - this is better as a SPIFF or annual metric to Bonus on) From there, you can determine the weight of each metric on the bonus. I'll give an example using a bonus that is achieved by a renewal retention goal and an NRR goal. Criteria for 100% Bonus Attainment: 90% Renewal Retention (50% weight) 125% Net Revenue Retention (50% weight) "This keeps it pretty simple with two priorities. Retain and Expand Revenue. The Retention goal being assessed separately ensures CSMs don't have significant churn masked by massive upsells. In this example, if a CSM had 85% Retention and 115% NRR, they'd end up at 93.22% to goal for their overall commission/variable comp."

24

I did an informal poll on CSM vs Sales commission splits. I was pleasantly shocked to see that over 95% of companies do not have Sales take a commission on renewals unless it’s a particularly challenging one; the AE is there to help with it as a “bounty renewal”. in this case, the AE gets a % but is not taken from the CSM. Other interesting data points: "Commission on upsells and renewal made up 30% of the total compensation package. However, the exact commission % was determined by dividing the 30% by $$$ into the total ARR managed by the CSM." What metrics should this be based on? Most followed this model to Typically, companies that are earlier in their CS maturity will base this off a few leading indicators (adoption milestones, EBRs, etc.), and then move to comping on lagging indicators (retention, expansion, NRR, etc.) once their leading indicator activities have been proven. The following are examples of metrics you can use, not an exhaustive list: Leading: QBRs and/or EBRs (attained vs scheduled) Product adoption milestones (product dependent) Lagging: Net Revenue Retention (NRR) - this is likely the most common Retention Expansion Advocacy (hard to make this scale across large teams and mixed portfolios - this is better as a SPIFF or annual metric to Bonus on) From there, you can determine the weight of each metric on the bonus. I'll give an example using a bonus that is achieved by a renewal retention goal and an NRR goal. Criteria for 100% Bonus Attainment: 90% Renewal Retention (50% weight) 125% Net Revenue Retention (50% weight) "This keeps it pretty simple with two priorities. Retain and Expand Revenue. The Retention goal being assessed separately ensures CSMs don't have significant churn masked by massive upsells. In this example, if a CSM had 85% Retention and 115% NRR, they'd end up at 93.22% to goal for their overall commission/variable comp."

27

2 Comments

"You can't invest in RevOps early enough." That's a direct quote from Mark Kosoglow, CEO and Co-Founder at Operator. So why does Mark believe this? 5 main reasons 👇🏻 1️⃣ Connection 2️⃣ Automation 3️⃣ Unbiased 4️⃣ Diversity 5️⃣ Technical Oh and you know what else Mark believes? "There will be NO more important role in GTM than RevOps in 5 (3?) years." 🤩 Speaking our language, which is why we're so excited to have him speak at RevOpsAF 2025 USA in New Orleans 🙌🏻 Mark was the first sales hire and former SVP of Sales at Outreach. He was also the first CRO at Catalyst Software, a leading customer success platform. And now he's building Operator, a revenue technology company. To say he's got some experience to pull from is, well, an understatement 🤯 And he'll be joined by some other incredible folks, including: Cristina De Martini, VP and Research Director at Forrester Darrell Alfonso, Director of Marketing Strategy and Ops at Indeed Ryan Milligan, VP of RevOps at QuotaPath Wanna see what these folks have to say when they hit the stage in May 2025? 🎫 Learn more and claim your ticket at the website - link in first comment 👇🏻 #revops #revenueoperations #salesops #salesoperations #marketingops #marketingoperations #csops #cxops #gtmops #alltheops #revopsAF

30

7 Comments

Analyzing Churn- do you know what metrics to look at? How often are you looking at this and being proactive to prevent it? What metrics should you be looking at if you do not have CS Ops? The Infinite Renewals team recommends looking at these first: % Churn # of accounts $$ churned % calculated churn (12 MONTH) $$ renewed # accounts renewed $$ upsold # accounts upsold $$ booked # account booked The above monthly and quarterly It would be best if you also had the ability to drill down on the numbers above to be able to see which accounts made up the $$, #, %

11

4 Comments

The AEs and SDRs from 5 years ago are the CROs and VPs today. This may sound somewhat self-serving, but here it goes. It’s been cool to see the goodwill I created with those AEs and SDRs over the years turn into meaningful opportunities, pipeline, and revenue for Copy.ai. This has never been the primary intent of my presence or content here. But I will say, it’s a nice benefit. Build trust, provide value, be kind, build your network. It’s worth it for many reasons. #sales #sdr #gtmai

176

12 Comments

Struggling to get your sales team to embrace new messaging? 🗣️📈 In the latest episode of Building Elite Sales Teams, guest Ed Lynes, Managing Partner at Woden, shares his playbook for successfully rolling out new sales narratives that stick. In this clip, Ed talks about celebrating early wins with your team. Ed recommends collaborating with a small group of reps who are either top performers or those who will see the most meaningful impact from the new messaging. Work with them closely to land some initial wins, then spotlight those successes to show the rest of the team what's possible. This approach can ignite a wave of motivation and success within your team. For more of Ed's advice on crafting sales messaging that resonates and motivates your team, check out the full episode via the link below! 🎧 #SalesMessaging #SalesLeadership #RevenueGrowth #Podcast

14

6 Comments

Renewals are the lifeblood of every SaaS company. However, we don’t talk enough about what makes a great AM/CSM who handles renewals. Since there are so many lists on what makes a great AE, I thought I’d take a stab at what makes a great AM/CSM who handles renewals: 1/ They prioritize the renewals that move the needle Renewal rate comes down to simple math. What renewals are going to move the needle for them? Great AMs/CSMs spend their time where they’ll get the most bang for their buck. 2/ They prepare 6 months in advance Average AMs/CSMs prep 3 months in advance. Great ones plan 6 months in advance. This includes asking hard questions well ahead of time during a mid-year QBR, so they know where to spend their time. 3/ They can re-sell the product Stakeholders change. Priorities change. Competitors try to break in. Great AMs/CSMs can sell the product as well as their AEs and know how to position their value props and handle objections. 4/ They know how to negotiate I don’t know any procurement person in the post-ZIRP era who doesn’t try to negotiate their contracts. A great AM/CSM knows how to turn negotiations into win-wins. 5/ They know the difference between procurement and decision-makers Similar to point four, they know how to negotiate and with whom. Negotiating with procurement is much different than negotiating with a key stakeholder. Each party wants something different, and it’s important to recognize what that is. 6/ They know how to rope in their AEs or extended teams Just like the best AEs know how to “quarterback” deals, a great AM/CSM knows how to rally resources to help with renewals. AEs, Execs, SEs, and Professional Services can all be brought in to help show the customer extra love. 7/ They develop a renewal champion We always talk about champions in the presales process, but not enough about champions during renewals. A great AM/CSM knows how to develop champions to help push renewals through. An AM/CSM who knows how to do these things is worth their weight in gold. Keep them happy as long as you can!

37

4 Comments

Most sales leaders don't understand that sales ramp time is crucial for accurate forecasting. It measures how long new sales reps take to reach full productivity. Accurate data helps align hiring with revenue goals. Integrating CRM and HR data provides better insights. Avoid using only quota attainment to gauge ramp rate. Tailor ramp assumptions to your business for precision. Automating these calculations can save time and improve accuracy. Optimized sales ramp tracking can significantly impact planning.

19

3 Comments

Growing complexity in your GTM calls for solutions that can be tailored to your changing needs. This is how RevOps leaders are overcoming complexity with DealHub.io. #dealhubcustomer

54

7 Comments

Confluent spent $553,000 on sales and marketing for every net new customer added in Q3. That's actually a big improvement on Q3 of last year where they spent $1.5M per customer add. Some other highlights from Q3 for Confluent: - ARR growth of 27% (slowed from 37% ARR growth last year) - Reduced operating loss by 31% (loss of $94M for the quarter) - Magic number improved from 0.40 to 0.45 -CAC payback improved from 39 months down to 33 - NRR dropped from 130% to 117% Trading at about 8X ARR right now

11

1 Comment

Picture a SaaS world where: - The Customer Success org starts with Solutions - There's a Chief Solutions Officer on the board - AEs consult with SEs on all ongoing deals - Customers talk 80% in conversations - Focus is on adoption, not renewals How much retention would go up? I'm guessing by A LOT. P.S: Because customer adoption almost guarantees renewals. #presalesevolution #customersuccess #saas

72

12 Comments

💜 Gainsight + Champion 💜 We just released a killer new eBook together on how to drive growth through your hidden customer champions. With many of us in the midst of 2025 planning, this book dives into the incredible growth engine right in front of us: our customers. The ebook has practical insights on empowering champions and learnings from top brands using Gainsight and Champion. I just re-read it myself, and it's giving me all sorts of light bulb moments (yes my phone just happened to take a 100% organic photo right when I finished reading it. And yes that is my thinking pose.) Check it out 👇

69

17 Comments

Imagine everything you'd learn going from RevOps leader → 2x CRO → Founder (of a company you'll need to eventually shut down) → Podcast Host ? 🤔 Oh and did I mention that time as a Founder, you were building a product for RevOps? 😳 That's been the experience of Toni Hohlbein, and he's going to spill the tea on all the things when he takes stage to speak at RevOpsAF 2025 in Berlin. 🇩🇪 I've also started a company that has pivoted to "not existing" 😏 So I can't wait to see Toni take the stage. He'll be joined by some other pretty incredible folks, like: Andreas Drakos, Sr. Director of RevOps at Superside Daphne Costa Lopes, Global Director of CS at HubSpot Marcus Bening, Founder and Managing Partner at Bening Consulting Among others. And while we've got some 🔥 sessions planned so we can all level up our RevOps game, We'll also have plenty of time to kick back, relax and make some new RevOps friends. Revenue operators from companies like Fonoa and Blink Ops will be there, So what are you waiting for? 👀 Snag your ticket at the link below ⬇️ 🎫 www(.)revopsaf(.)com #revenueoperations #salesoperations #salesops #revops #revenueops #marketingops #marketingoperations #csops #cxops #gtmops #alltheops

19

3 Comments

We're thrilled to introduce Real-Time Integrations with top CRMs like Affinity.co, Attio, Salesforce, HubSpot, Airtable, and many more! 🎉 These integrations will transform your workflow by: 🔄 Syncing Companies and Contacts in Real-Time 🎛️ Offering Fully Customizable Settings 🧠 Automating Data Updates And, with our Push and Pull features, you can enrich your CRM data with Specter's unique growth signals and insights, making your decision-making process faster and more efficient ⚡ Read more in the first comment below 👇

59

1 Comment