As we near the end of Q3, we thought it would be a great time to re-listen to "Transforming an Enterprise Sales Organization - with Cathy Minter, CRO at R3"

Cathy shares her experiences in taking over the role of the CRO in an early stage pioneer in applying Block Chain to enterprise level application development.

The need for transformation was initially based upon the original formation of R3, which was founded as a consortium of large financial service companies exploring how Block Chain could impact and be leveraged in the banking industry. Initially, R3 was more a consulting company and think tank comprised of investment banking professionals and not an enterprise software platform, with an enterprise sales organization.

Cathy's initial challenge was to build the processes, infrastructure and organization required to evangelize the opportunity that Block Chain provides to application development of the future.

Becoming a "Customer First" company started by getting the executive team aligned on building a customer centric culture that would serve them well over the long haul. It was then translated into the sales process that transitioned from product/feature/function to a solution, business value centric methodology. The use of "Proof of Technology" phase "0" programs to ensure both the business benefit and technical fit was used while embracing a "land and expand" customer acquisition and expansion strategy.

Marketing and Sales alignment was discussed as a key responsibility of a CRO. When marketing and sales became part of the same reporting structure to Cathy at R3, that was when alignment became integration. A critical inflection point happened when marketing made all of their "goals" yet sales and the company missed their revenue goals...it was time to align marketing and sales to the same outcome based goals and integrate the processes, platforms and organizations to the end to end customer buying journey.

Lastly, Cathy shared how to identify enterprise sales candidates for the traits of resilience. In fact, she linked the candidate question "tell me about the last five deals you lost and what did you learn from those" as a way to understand both resilience and a candidates ability to accept responsibility and learn from those experiences.

If you want to become a Chief Revenue officer in an enterprise sales environment, and especially one where the need is to transform the company to a customer first, solution sales methodology, this is a great listen.

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In this timeless episode of the Selling the Cloud podcast, we revisit a conversation with Greg Holmes, the former Chief Revenue Officer at Zoom Video Communications from 2013 to 2020. This inaugural episode remains as relevant today as it was when first recorded, offering deep insights into the factors that fueled Zoom's meteoric rise.

Join our co-hosts, Mark Petruzzi, and Ray Rike as they delve into the unique "happiness culture" that Zoom cultivated from its early days. Greg shares how Zoom's commitment to customer and employee happiness became a cornerstone of its success, from establishing "happiness crews" in every global office to having a Chief Happiness Officer.

Zoom's innovative approach to video communications was purpose-built for the collaborative, mobile age, setting it apart from traditional solutions. Greg also discusses how Zoom's sales team acted as the "voice of the customer," constantly feeding insights back to product development to ensure the platform met user needs.

Authenticity and resilience were key traits Zoom looked for in its sales hires. Greg shares how these qualities were assessed during interviews, including unique methods like hiring someone who had previously delivered happiness to Zoom employees as a server at a local restaurant. He also explores the importance of resilience in sales, built through life experiences and the ability to overcome challenges.

Finally, Greg talks about the power of humility and mastering the art of praise—both giving and receiving it—as essential elements of Zoom's company culture.

Co- Hosts: Mark Petruzzi and Ray Rike

Guest: Greg Holmes

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In this episode of the “Selling the Cloud” Podcast, we are excited to welcome Neetha Ratakonda, CEO of BigLittle.ai. Neetha discusses her journey from engineering to entrepreneurship and explores how to bridge the marketing-to-sales disconnect. She delves into revenue leaks, process inefficiencies, and how RevOps acts as the connective tissue that empowers an effective go-to-market process. Tune in to learn about emerging technologies and how they are transforming RevOps to optimize revenue and drive business success.

Co-hosts: Mark Petruzzi and Katerina Ostrovsky

Guest: Nivedita (Neetha) Ratakonda, CEO of BigLittle

Show mentions:

Books Neetha recommends:

Sales Acceleration Formula, by Mark Roberge

The Hard Thing about Hard Things, by Ben Horowitz

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and the Untethered Soul by Michael Singer

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In Part 2 of this episode of the “Selling the Cloud” Podcast, RevOps edition, we continue our conversation with Joseph Zito, founder of (X)Form. We explore the vital role of RevOps in ensuring successful strategy execution, addressing the common pitfalls that occur post-strategic offsite, and how an Operating Partner can help the C-suite stay ahead of the game.

Joseph delves into the misconception that CEOs and executives can execute a company's strategic vision on their own, highlighting the importance of external support for achieving high performance. We discuss how an Operating Partner facilitates growth amidst "business as usual", helps unpack conflicting internal narratives, and ensures the organization remains focused on its strategic goals. Additionally, we examine the critical role of having a strong Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) to avoid inefficiencies and drive targeted success.

Show Notes:

Co-hosts: Mark Petruzzi and Katerina Ostrovsky

Guest: Joseph Zito, CEO of (X)FORM

Show Notes:

What is a bowling chart? Bowling Chart is a visual performance measurement tool for the KPIs of an organization, department or a person.

Strategic Planning process: Hoshin Kanri

What makes an effective executive: The Effective Executive by Peter F. Drucker

The book: To Sell is Human by Daniel L.Pink

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In Part 1 of this 2-part episode of the “Selling the Cloud” Podcast, RevOps edition, we are joined by Joseph Zito, founder of (X)Form, a company that partners with C-level executives to tackle ambitious goals amidst challenging revenue, profit, and operations dynamics. In this episode, we discuss executing effective company strategies, mobilization techniques to unite teams, and the impact of having an Operating Partner for the C-suite.

Joseph shares his journey from coder to executive, his experience across various roles in startups and large enterprises, and the founding of (X)Form. We delve into defining strategy, the challenges organizations face in strategy development, and how refining strategy can significantly impact operations.

Show Notes:

Co-hosts: Mark Petruzzi and Katerina Ostrovsky

Guest: Joseph Zito, CEO of (X)FORM

Mentions: Rumelt Strategy Chain

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In the second part of this engaging conversation, Rob Schilling addresses the common challenges companies face when transitioning to a data-centric sales model. He shares candid experiences where a data-driven approach may fall short and offers his perspective on how AI is reshaping the “art of sales.” With a keen eye on the future, Rob discusses the evolving role of AI and data-driven sales, the risks of over-reliance on AI, and the lessons he has learned from selling abroad, particularly in Japan. Wrapping up, Rob provides invaluable guidance for emerging Chief Revenue Officers (CROs) in the AI era, emphasizing the importance of cultivating skills akin to those of a "sales data scientist."

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Show Notes:

Co-Hosts: Mark Petruzzi and Cathy Minter

Guest: Rob Schilling, SVP, ERP Sales NA, Services Industries at Oracle

Mark talks about the book: Challenger Sale

Rob mentions the book: The Coming Wave, Mustafa Suleyman

Essential tool for every CRO: ChatGPT

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In this episode of Selling the Cloud, co-hosts Mark and Cathy sit down with Rob Schilling, SVP ERP Cloud at Oracle, to delve into the pivotal moments that have shaped his career in enterprise sales. Rob shares insights into the fundamentals of sales, emphasizing the importance of being the "CEO of your own territory," focusing on the customer, and selling business value. Additionally, Rob explores today's access to data and metrics and the balance between a customer-centric buyer's perspective and data-driven sales strategies, offering practical advice on encouraging teams to adopt this two-sided approach.

Co-Hosts: Mark Petruzzi and Cathy Minter

Guest: Rob Schilling, SVP, ERP Sales NA, Services Industries at Oracle

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