73. Staying Coherent in Complex Deals

In this episode of the B2B Sales Trends Podcast, Harry Kendlbacher speaks with Olga Traskova, VP of Revenue Operations at Birdeye, about why coherence makes or breaks complex deals — and how to keep opportunities from drifting as buying groups and priorities shift. Olga shares how she rebuilt core go-to-market mechanics at Birdeye — from forecast hygiene to AI-assisted call intelligence — with one goal: ensuring sales processes stay consistent and trustworthy from first call to close. Inside the conversation: - Why deals slip as stakeholders change — and how to keep stories, pain points, and success metrics aligned. - How tight stage criteria and system enforcement ensure reps actually follow the process. - The role of weekly big deal reviews in revisiting assumptions, uncovering risks, and pulling in cross-functional support. - Balancing outcome-based conversations with fundamentals like champion-building, pain discovery, and compelling events. - Why mutual action plans are Olga’s “ultimate source of truth” for deal progress and customer accountability. - How leadership and culture — not just checklists — turn coherence into a daily habit. If you want to understand how to keep large, complex deals on track and build a sales culture around consistency and outcomes, this episode is full of practical insights.