mParticle – Leading Sales Teams Through Change

Shownotes

How do we navigate change with alignment? In today’s episode, we welcome Kyle Robinson. Listen in as he discusses keeping operations aligned with sales goals and ensuring a seamless transition between sales and customer interactions. He also discusses how to approach change from a customer’s perspective and ensure that the focus on a product is aligned with business outcomes.

About the Guest

Kyle is the Senior Vice President of Sales for mParticle, a leading Customer Data Platform. Kyle has been in technology sales for 15 years, spending the last 10 in marketing technology SaaS, working for companies Responsys (acquired by Oracle), Marketo (acquired by Adobe), and Segment (acquired by Twilio).

Connect with Kyle Robinson

Key Takeaways

• When leading the sales team through an acquisition, aligning the company’s strategy with its new market is essential.
• Acquisitions can lead to an increase in opportunities for sellers and changes in leadership and operations. It is vital to focus on the customer’s best interests during these changes.
• Focus is critical when managing change. Communicating changes with the stakeholders effectively is important.
• Reach out to prospects early in the process, during off-peak hours, and understand their company and situation.

Quote

“Especially in sales, as opposed to other roles, being able to be adaptable and not necessarily be emotionally connected to the routine and the daily rigor, those types of people, I do tend to think have had more success and have better results.” – Kyle Robinson

Highlights from the Episode

How do we keep one’s focus on navigating uncertainty and keep teams aligned?

Each acquisition brings a lot of change, and it is crucial to embrace change and not resist it. Learn about the new company culture and go-to-market strategy. Focus on the team and ensure they know what is happening.

Amid an acquisition, how do we keep sales teams motivated, positive, and focused on meeting their sales goals?

Managers should encourage them to take advantage of the increased opportunities that come with being acquired by a larger company. The new credibility of being part of a more prominent brand can open up doors to new business, and the increased market buzz can lead to more sales.

With change management, what are some things that can go badly that you want to look out for and prepare for to minimize disruption and friction?

The key things to look out for during a change management process are a disruption to systems and operations, changes in executive leadership, and changes in how sales territories are managed. Time management is key to minimizing the impact of these changes.

What would you say are some best practices or examples you can share when making sure that operational change management goes well?

It is vital to have clear communication between all involved parties to ensure the change is successful. Additionally, ensuring alignment between individual goals and the business’ larger strategy is key to a smooth transition. If any adverse outcomes occur, it must have a process to address them.

From your sales executive perspective, how do you approach change from a customer’s perspective? How do you help them navigate the change?

A sales executive approaches change from a customer’s perspective by ensuring that the right people are in place to facilitate the change, having clear communications, and creating a sense of buy-in.

What measures have you taken as a team leader to make sure that alignment takes place as much as possible?

Team leaders must ensure alignment as much as possible between sales and other departments within the business, including marketing and product management. This is done by incorporating executive team members, fostering cross-functional communication, and ensuring everyone understands the company’s goals.

What are your top 10 words to help you close a deal?

Every deal requires alignment with the budget owner or final decision-maker. At the later stages of the transaction, be focused on the customer’s point of view by employing risk mitigation, ensuring their confidence in the return on investment on the product, and concentrating on its features and capabilities. Initiating these conversations allows for executive alignment.

When are the best times of the day to reach out to a prospect?

The best time of day to reach out to a prospect is typically in the morning or late in the day when they’re less busy.

Is there a book, blog, newsletter, website, or video that you would recommend to our listeners?

• Thinking in Systems by Donella H. Meadows
• The Qualified Sales Leader by John McMahon

Shout-Outs

Jan Zeman – SVP, Worldwide Sales at Iterable

Matthew Heinz – Chief Revenue Officer at Amplitude

Mark Ebert – Head of Sales at 6sense