GTM 24: The Power of Pivoting and Verticalization with Ed Calnan

Pivoting and verticalization has the potential to be a  game-changer for many companies. A case in point is the story of Seismic.On the podcast today is Ed Calnan,  the founder and former CRO of Seismic, a company he led through the pandemic. In this episode, you will learn how Ed, as the  company’s first BDR, grew the company to 1,500 people, 2,000 customers, and $300 million in ARR  through successful pivoting and verticalization to financial services.What You Will Learn:The power of pivoting and verticalization and how to do it successfully.The value of vacation, rest, and relaxation.The importance of analyzing and sharing team successes.Highlights:(3:00) Ed’s reflection on founding Seismic and taking a long break after 11 years.(9:30) The value of sales enablement.(13:00)  How to pivot and verticalize successfully: Case study of Seismic.(32:20) The benefits of being a specialist and an expert.(35:50) Why you need to analyze and share team successes.(48:42) Discussion on consistent communication, being open and authentic.(49:42) Strategies for growing a company and harnessing customer stories.(52:20) A strategy founders and revenue leaders should implement to move the needle.(55:30) One common misbelief held by revenue leaders. (57:03) The challenges of being a revenue leader: How to identify and address core issues.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edcalnan/ Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTMnow Podcast The GTMnow Podcast is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with the top 1% GTM executives, VCs, and founders. Conversations reveal the unshared details behind how they have grown companies, and the go-to-market strategies responsible for shaping that growth.Visit gtmnow.com for more episodes and other interesting content.