Rev-n-u Unplugged

What Does A CRO Really Do!

The conversation delves into the demystification of the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) role, the assessment of readiness for a CRO role, the profile of a CRO, and the potential of Rev Ops professionals as CRO candidates. The conversation delves into the mindset of sales leaders, the role of a CRO, the significance of marketing in B2B, and the process of preparing the board for a CRO. It emphasizes the need for sales leaders to think like data scientists and highlights the CRO's role in unifying the organization's functions.TakeawaysDemystifying the role of the CROAssessing the readiness for a CRO role Sales leaders need to think like data scientistsThe role of a CRO is to build an engine where everyone is unifiedChapters00:00 Demystifying the Role of the CRO08:00 The Profile of a CRO15:46 Rev Ops as Potential CRO Candidates24:30 The Mindset of Sales Leaders31:09 The Role of Marketing in B2B36:24 Preparing the Board for a CRO

The Real Reason Sales Hire Fail

The conversation delves into the art of hiring sales leaders, exploring hiring philosophy and success metrics. Ed Lane shares insights on measuring success, identifying key traits, and the importance of proactive hiring. The discussion also emphasizes the significance of onboarding and the role of sales enablement in nurturing sales talent.TakeawaysHiring PhilosophySuccess MetricsChapters00:00 The Art of Hiring Sales Leaders

Navigating Revenue Growth Pressure

The conversation covers the importance of revenue quality, growth strategy, pipeline management, product-market fit, customer success, AI in sales enablement, and the human element in business growth. It emphasizes the dynamic nature of product-market fit and the need to balance data with human experience. The discussion also highlights the significance of the human element in customer interactions and the limitations of AI in replacing human wisdom and experience.TakeawaysQuality of revenue mattersBalancing data with human experienceProduct market fit is dynamicChapters00:00 Introduction and Background11:29 Pipeline Management and Revenue Balancing16:41 Product Market Fit and Customer Success32:11 AI in Sales Enablement and Customer Success44:14 Human Element in Business Growth

AI amplifies

The conversation delves into the evolution of sales leadership, emphasizing the need for sales leaders to transcend into executive leadership. It explores the dynamics of power within a business, highlighting the influence of customer success and the importance of understanding where the power really sits. Additionally, it discusses the challenges and strategies for sales leaders to step into the power vacuum within a business. The conversation delves into the importance of adaptability in navigating power dynamics, adapting to different environments, and hiring for adaptability. It also explores the role of AI in scaling sales efforts and enablement, as well as the implementation of AI in sales processes.TakeawaysSales leaders need to transcend from being just sales leaders to becoming executive leadersUnderstanding where the power really sits within a business is crucial for sales leadersCustomer success is equal to sales in terms of power and influence in today's business landscape Adaptability is crucial for success in different industriesAI can be used to scale sales efforts and improve efficiencyChapters00:00 The Evolution of Sales Leadership05:38 The Power Dynamics in Business14:04 Understanding Where the Power Really Sits19:56 The Influence of Customer Success28:19 Adapting to Different Environments34:57 AI in Sales and Enablement47:16 Implementing AI in Sales

Raphaël Boukris, co-founder and CRO of Didomi, shares insights on the role of a CRO, M&A as a revenue strategy, and the challenges of scaling in different geographies. He emphasises the importance of sticking to what works in the go-to-market approach and the need for patience in managing acquisitions.TakeawaysCRO as Co-founderM&A as Revenue StrategyChapters00:00 The Role of a CRO and Co-founder17:33 Challenges of M&A and Integration32:34 Scaling in Different Geographies38:08 Go-to-Market Advice for Founders

You It's Fatal To Not Start With The Foundations

Stuart Whyte, CRO at RealVNC, shares insights on building the foundation before chasing growth, the revenue bow tie, and managing churn proactively. He emphasizes the importance of aligning with the board, customer-centric revenue strategies, and the role of a CRO in driving customer success and revenue growth. The conversation covers the role of a CRO in managing sales teams, forecasting, cross-functional trust, and proactive churn management. It also delves into the use of technology, AI, and data in customer support and renewal strategies.TakeawaysFoundation before growthCustomer-centric revenue strategies Cross-functional trust is vital for a CRO, who must focus on strategic aspects and trust the sales team to execute effectively.Proactive churn management involves tiered customer support, AI-driven insights, and data-led communication strategies.The use of technology, AI, and data is crucial in improving customer experience, increasing ARR, and maintaining the quality of customers.Forecasting transparency and cross-functional collaboration are essential for business growth and decision-making.

4 Essential Questions For GTM

The conversation covers the importance of a narrow Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) in enterprise sales, the comparison between Product-Led Growth (PLG) and Enterprise Sales, and the success of hiring D1 athletes in sales roles. Bob Moore shares insights on ICP discipline, the challenges of broad ICP, and the transition from enterprise to PLG. Additionally, he discusses the value of hiring D1 athletes and their success in sales roles. The conversation delves into the DNA of successful enterprise sellers, highlighting the complexity of enterprise sales and the core attributes required for success. It explores the competitive nature, resilience, and communication skills essential for enterprise sales, as well as the challenges in onboarding and skill development. Additionally, it discusses the attributes of athletes and military personnel, the transition of military experience to sales, and the importance of hiring based on personal attributes. The advice for sales leaders emphasizes the value of networking and benchmarking with others in the field.TakeawaysNarrow ICP is crucialPLG vs Enterprise SalesHiring D1 Athletes Athletic DNA for enterprise salesAttributes of successful enterprise sellersChapters00:00 The Importance of Narrow ICP14:16 PLG vs Enterprise Sales28:09 Hiring D1 Athletes34:06 Onboarding and Skill Development43:01 Attributes of Athletes and Military Personnel49:20 Hiring Based on Personal Attributes

Customer Value Creation

The conversation delves into the impact of revenue growth obsession, the importance of customer value creation, and the role of churn in businesses. It also explores the alignment of sales compensation with customer retention, the significance of accountability in sales, and the need for a strong explanation behind sales compensation. Additionally, the conversation highlights the critical nature of product market fit in the early stages of a business. The conversation delves into the misconceptions surrounding product-market fit and the influence of VCs on growth strategy. It also explores the challenges of aggressive growth strategies, the stress associated with them, and the importance of balancing growth and sustainability. Additionally, it covers the significance of sales leadership and coaching, the hiring process for scaling success, and the leading indicator of retention as a metric. Finally, it discusses the potential impact of the framework on startup success.TakeawaysRevenue growth obsessionImportance of customer value creationThe impact of churn on businessesAligning sales compensation with customer retentionThe role of accountability in salesThe need for a strong explanation behind sales compensationThe significance of product market fit Product Market Fit MisconceptionsThe Role of VCs in Growth StrategyChapters00:00 Mitigating Cultural Issues and Accountabilities36:12 VC Influence on Growth Strategy41:28 Challenges of Aggressive Growth Strategies49:35 Balancing Growth and Sustainability57:09 Hiring for Scaling Success

Going From Startup to Scale Up - Listen, Learn, Observe

The conversation with Andrew Barker, CRO at ClearBank, covers his sales journey, challenges in scaling a business, and the modern B2B revenue engine. Andrew shares insights on implementing sales methodology, avoiding over-engineering, and the importance of understanding data without a rev ops presence. He also discusses the challenges of avoiding custom builds in scale-ups and the integration of marketing, channel, sales, and client success under one integrated function. The conversation covers the importance of early customer engagement and value provision, the role of the CRO in managing the revenue engine, the integration of AI into business processes, stakeholder management and expectations, team dynamics and scaling, and the role of RevOps in scaling a business.TakeawaysSales LeadershipScaling a Business Early engagement and value provision are crucial in modern B2B sales.RevOps plays a critical role in enforcing infrastructure, systems, processes, and technology.AI should be integrated into business processes and problems, with a focus on targeted solutions.Talent management, energy management, and mindset matter significantly in sales organizations.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Value of Revenue Unplugged05:05 Building a Revenue Engine11:30 Understanding Data Without Rev Ops18:05 Getting Buy-In for Sales Methodology27:00 Modern B2B Revenue Engine32:51 The Role of the CRO and Revenue Engine43:00 Stakeholder Management and Expectations51:43 RevOps and its Role in Scaling

Team Will Never Out Perform It's Culture

The conversation covers three primary themes: Evolution of the Revenue Leader, Winning the Talent War, and Building Cultures that Multiply Revenue. Each theme is explored in depth, highlighting the changing role of revenue leaders, the importance of winning the talent war, and the impact of culture on revenue multiplication. The conversation covers the importance of setting clear expectations for candidates, the varying interview processes based on the role, the significance of peer-level interviews, the need for transparency in the interview process, the lack of investment in interview training, the impact of culture on revenue, and the role of accountability in leadership.TakeawaysRevenue leaders have evolved from focusing solely on sales to orchestrating the entire revenue ecosystem.Winning the talent war requires a focus on employee engagement from the very first interview.Culture plays a critical role in multiplying revenue and requires the involvement of all functional leaders.The role of the CRO has expanded to include influence across functions and a deep understanding of data and messaging. Clear expectations are crucial for candidatesInterview processes should be tailored to the roleTransparency in the interview process is valued by candidatesInvestment in interview training is lackingCulture has a significant impact on revenueAccountability is essential in leadership

Different not Better

The conversation delves into the importance of positioning and messaging in sales, the impact of selling the problem vs. selling the product, the role of ICP in sales strategy, the significance of sales enablement and technology, and the analysis of sales strategy and its impact. The conversation delves into the critical importance of execution in sales methodology, the implementation and impact of the SPICED sales methodology, the process of choosing the right sales methodology for a business, the role and impact of sales enablement in business growth, and the significance of leveraging data and consultative approaches in sales leadership.TakeawaysSelling the problem vs. selling the productImportance of positioning and messaging in salesThe impact of ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) on sales strategy Execution is keySales enablement is about consistent execution and repeatabilityChapters00:00 Positioning and Messaging in Sales05:34 ICP and Sales Strategy12:05 Sales Enablement and Technology20:55 The Importance of Execution in Sales Methodology30:08 The Role and Impact of Sales Enablement in Business Growth36:08 Leveraging Data and Consultative Approaches in Sales Leadership

Winning Culture

In this conversation, Joe Marcin discusses the critical aspects of negotiation, building a winning culture, and selecting top talent in sales. He emphasizes that negotiation begins from the first interaction with a customer and highlights the importance of establishing a give-get framework. Joe also shares insights on creating a culture of accountability and mutual success within sales teams. Furthermore, he outlines the key traits to look for when selecting winners in sales, including curiosity, creativity, and grit. The discussion also touches on the significance of structured onboarding processes and competency frameworks to ensure sales reps are set up for success.

Unblocking Issue My Team Has

Culture is a never-ending journey. And accountability starts with figuring out what you're being accountable to."Ron Gupta, CRO at Vendavo, has spent 15 years taking mid-to-late stage startups through their messiest inflection points. In this episode, he pulls back the curtain on what actually works when scaling sales teams.The brutal truth? Your A-players don't leave after 3 years. They leave in the first 6 months if you get the onboarding wrong.In this conversation, we break down:→ Why culture falls flat in the second and third layer of leadership (not at exec level where you think it does)→ The difference between accountability and fear - and why managing by spreadsheets kills both→ How to interview A-players who are "master chameleons" - Ron's 3-stage process that actually works→ Why the first 6 months are make-or-break for top talent (and what you must do in that window)→ The nuances of vertical SaaS when your entire TAM is 60 companies and 300 people - you can't afford a single bad conversationPlus, Ron shares the story of hiring an "A-player" who had zero success for 10 months... then became number one by a mile at his next company. Context is everything.If you're hiring senior sales talent, scaling a team, or trying to build accountability without toxicity - this episode will save you from expensive mistakes.

We Had To Look At Ourselves

Churn isn't just a customer success problem—it's a sales problem. And it's costing you millions.In this episode, Vanessa Brangwyn pulls back the curtain on customer expansion revenue and why most companies are getting it completely wrong. She reveals the uncomfortable truth about early-stage churn, when to split customer success from account management, and how her company jumped gross retention by 5 percentage points using AI.If you're a CRO chasing new logos whilst revenue leaks out the back door, this conversation will change how you think about growth. Vanessa doesn't do corporate fluff—just honest talk about what actually works when your entire company needs to own retention.Key topics:Why 8 out of 10 onboarding churns are sales problems, not CS issuesWhen to specialise customer success roles (and how to comp them without warfare)Using AI to predict churn before renewal conversationsThe difference between CSMs who identify opportunities and account managers who close themHow to build a revenue engine from your install base, not just new logosVanessa Brangwyn is a software executive with two decades in B2B enterprise sales. She went from CSM to CRO over 12 years and has scaled revenue teams across HR tech and fintech.

Words of wisdom from James Bagan.

James Bagan has done due diligence on over 200 B2B tech businesses and doesn't pull punches.In this conversation, he breaks down why most boards misunderstand RevOps, what new CROs must do in their first 30 days to survive, and why promoting your top salesperson usually backfires.We also cover managing board relationships, the death of "growth at all costs," and why you should be interviewing candidates even when you're fully staffed.Straight talk for sales leaders who want to avoid expensive mistakes

Understanding what impact your product or service has on a customer is vital for new business.

Richard Perez from Apax Partners has spent 30 years optimising commercial engines for many portfolio companies within Apax. In this episode, he breaks down exactly why 50% of sales reps may miss target this year, and it's not what you think.You'll learn:Why sales leaders are spending $2+ to acquire every $1 of new revenue (and how to flip this)The four pillars of commercial excellence that actually move the needleHow to spot real buying signals versus reps peddling optimismWhy your install base is your easiest path to growth (and you're probably ignoring it)Richard's honest take on AI in sales what's working now and where to be cautiousThis isn't theory. It's the playbook PE firms use to drive efficient growth in their portfolio companies.Essential watching if you're building your 2026 revenue plan.

You know you can move forward as a leader once you have broken the silence.

Many Revenue Leades don't make it past 18 months. In this episode, Grant breaks down the exact weekly cadences that took Uberall's win rates from 9% to 32%. No theory. Just the playbook he used to win in the first 18 months of his tenure.You'll learn:Why weekly pipeline & forecast calls changed everythingHow to get buy-in from teamsThe difference between performance management and performance prediction

The number one principle of good leadership....

"My job as a leader is to serve the people I lead. They work WITH me, not FOR me."Former British Army officer Andy Champion explains why modern sales leaders must be in the trenches making calls alongside their reps and why Tuesday morning "Out Loud Hour" transformed his team's pipeline generation.In this episode:• Why trust beats hierarchy in modern sales orgs• The 3 principles for scaling US tech companies across Europe• From "grow at all costs" to profitable scale what actually changed

Great CRO's Are Doing This.....

Cutting Through the Noise for Profitable Growth

Adam Crandall is a senior Private Equity executive and the Chief Revenue Officer at Addtronics, he focuses on accelerating growth and maximizing enterprise value for PE-backed portfolio companies.Join as we discuss-1. Operating model evolution the shift from a centralised structure to a decentralised approach.2. Buy-and-build at scale, lessons from driving acquisitions3. Board dynamics managing boards through strategy changes and pivots

Cutting Through The .....

On today's episode well have Steve Davis joining us. Steve started his career as BDR and has climbed the career ladder to now CEO of Provarity.ai. Steve has seen 7 exits as a sales leader and brings within to the episode tow topics he wanted to discuss.1.Doing more with less2.Building GTM function in a new geography

This week we have Anthony Erickson joining James on Rev-n-u Unplugged. We discuss Tech spend for sales leaders, how to understand the true ROI of your enablement tools. Tony also talks in details about winning new logos in todays world. New Logos will play a major role in achieving revenue targets in 2026, get a head start in planning with words from Tony.

In this very first episode of Revenue Unplugged we welcome JD Miller on the show to discuss 3 crucial topic for CRO's to listen to and learn from. JD has had 5 exits and now works closely with 5 Arrows PE as an Operating Partner