Sales Rewritten

She spent years as a seller sceptical of sales enablement's impact. Now she manages it for 250+ sellers at HubSpot.In Episode 7 of Sales Rewritten, Ally Kavanagh - Lead Enablement Partner (EMEA) at HubSpot, and a sales professional who's worked in Boston, New York and London - shares what 15+ years in the sales game has taught her.We cover:◼️ Starting out in radio - with a phone book, a laptop, and all of Massachusetts as your territory◼️ What HubSpot has taught her about mindset, competition and consistency◼️ Why selling in Europe is harder than the US◼️ The making of a successful enterprise deal◼️ MEDDIC: why it works + why it keeps everyone honest◼️ AI in sales: what HubSpot is experimenting with right now + where we need to draw the line◼️ Sales enablement: why does it get such a bad rep?Chapters:00:00-01:01 Intro01:01-01:58 Welcome to Ally01:58-02:52 What is field sales enablement?02:52-04:26 Ally’s first job in radio!04:26-05:15 Falling into sales and the start of a career05:15-07:36 Mock sales calls are TERRIFYING07:36-10:33 Early sales wins at HubSpot10:33-12:32 The competitive culture12:32-15:45 The mindset of a top salesperson15:45-18:17 Moving from the US to EMEA18:17-20:40 Why selling in Europe is harder than the US20:40-23:45 Building strong relationships with buyers23:45-27:17 Let’s talk about enterprise deals27:17-28:19 Progression to sales enablement28:19-31:48 Value of the MEDDPICC framework31:48-35:20 The buyer's perspective and follow-ups35:20-36:44 A typical week in field enablement36:44-38:22 AI in sales38:22-42:39 Where to draw the line: AI versus the seller42:39-45:12 Quick-fire questions45:12-46:09 Ally’s future plans46:09-47:40 OutroSales Rewritten is an honest conversation about sales - by salespeople, for salespeople. Brought to you by Surfe, the high-quality data platform that makes prospecting simpler and smarter.Follow Ally: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-kavanagh/Sales Rewritten: 📺 Watch on YouTube: @surfehq🎙 Listen on Spotify, Apple Music & all major platformsSponsored by: Surfe - https://tinyurl.com/bdhu9t3pStart your 14-day free trial today.

Most people think high performance is about motivation.Roberto Forzoni has spent 30+ years inside elite sport - and he’ll tell you it’s about process, preparation, and what you do when something goes wrong.In Episode 6 of Sales Rewritten, Roberto (sports psychologist and keynote speaker) shares lessons from working with Premier League clubs, Olympic athletes, and world-class individuals - including tennis player Andy Murray and boxer Derek Chisora.In this episode, we cover:◼️ Outcome vs performance vs process goals (and why sellers get this wrong)◼️ “What’s important now?” - staying calm under pressure◼️ Rejection, resets, and why the best don’t dwell◼️ Language, mindset, and words that add pressure◼️ Team dynamics: what leaders can do to lift performance fast◼️ The habits Roberto sees in high performersChapters:00:00-01:01 Trailer01:01-02:03 Intro02:03-02:46 What do you do for a living?02:46-04:32 Starting out in football04:32-07:58 The 'spark' for psychology07:58-09:09 Working with different teams + athletes09:09-11:14 Bringing psychology to the Premier League!11:14-12:35 Being challenged by Razor Ruddock12.35-15:00 The key to goal-setting15:00-17:34 Dealing with 'No' and rejection17:34-18:43 Release, review, reset18:43-20:23 Setting up Team Murray20:23-22:03 Applying lessons from football to tennis22:03-22:40 Get started with Surfe today!22:40-23:37 Andy Murray's 'obsessive' personality23:37-25:26 Don't call it unlucky!25:26-27:28 Not every game is must-win27:28-28:28 Setting the wrong goals at Brentford28:28-29:43 Why feedback is so important29:43-30:22 '99 things out of 100 you tell me, I'll ignore!'30:22-31:40 Working with Alan Curbishley at West Ham in 2006/0731:40-32:39 Crisis meeting with Dean Ashton, Lee Bowyer and Carlos Tevez32:39-34:00 Free-kick training with Carlos Tevez and scoring against Tottenham34:00-35:51 West Ham's unlikely survival and how psychology helped35:51-37:00 Three athletes you'd most like to work with!37:00-38:19 Dealing with targets and pressure38:19-39:53 The time Derek Chisora's wife called me39:53-41-45 The showbiz personality of Chisora41:45-42:27 Should salespeople have personas?42:27-45:34 Applying the 'fish' philosophy to sales45:34-45:59 What's next for you?45:59-47:30 OutroSales Rewritten is an honest conversation about sales - by salespeople, for salespeople. Brought to you by Surfe, the high-quality data platform that makes prospecting simpler and smarter.Follow Roberto:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertoforzoni/Sales Rewritten:📺 Watch on YouTube: @surfehq🎙 Listen on Spotify, Apple Music & all major platformsSponsored by:Surfe - https://tinyurl.com/vm5y9rs2Start your 14-day free trial today.

Did you know that roughly only 2% of professional footballers are financially able to retire after they finish playing?That’s according to Sean Evers, VP of Sales at Pipedrive and a former professional football player for British clubs including Luton Town, Reading and Plymouth Argyle.In the latest episode of Sales Rewritten, the #1 podcast for sellers, Sean reveals his unusual second ‘career’ in sales after hanging up his boots in 2003. From retraining as an estate agent to managing North American sales for an international firm, Sean’s story is a remarkable journey defined by luck, success and opportunity.In this episode, we explore:◼️ Why most footballers still need a second career after they finish playing◼️ Why sales rewards resilience more than confidence◼️ Why great sellers guide buyers instead of persuading themChapters:0:00-1:55 Intro1:55-2:48 How do you describe what you do?2:48-5:43 Did you always dream of becoming a footballer?5:43-9:40 The feeling of signing my first professional contract9:40-11:25 How much I earned as a footballer at the time11:25-12:27 Coming to the end of my football career12:27-14:36 Deciding what to do AFTER football14:36-16:20 Working as an estate agent and the ‘Gordon Ramsey’ manager16:20-18:49 The danger of qualifying OUT a buyer too soon18:49-21:58 Managing a contact center21:58-23:47 A move to America?23:47-24:28 Working for Pitney Bowes…what do they do?24:28-27:01 Progressing from IC to sales manager - FAST27:01-28:10 Building up your network28:10-31:52 What type of manager are you?31:52-33:01 Did football prepare you for the pressure of sales?33:01-34:42 Working in different sectors as a salesperson34:42-36:45 Thinking ‘strategically’ about career progression36:45-39:25 AI in sales…what’s changing?39:25-41:05 Is AI going to replace reps?41:05-42:35 Applying AI to become a better seller42:35-45:07 Defining a modern-day seller45:07-46:18 The importance of having an opinion46:18-47:10 What’s next for you?47:10-48:32 OutroSales Rewritten is an honest conversation about sales - by salespeople, for salespeople. Brought to you by Surfe, the high-quality data platform that makes prospecting simpler and smarter.Follow Sean:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-evers-b56494112/Sales Rewritten:📺 Watch on YouTube: @surfehq🎙 Listen on Spotify, Apple Music & all major platformsSponsored by:Surfe - https://kntn.ly/ca397b8b Start your 14-day free trial today.

Sales Rewritten (S1E4) - Frances Arville, Head of Sales, ZincWhy do salespeople love what they do?In the latest episode of Sales Rewritten, the #1 podcast for sellers, host Alex Wood (Surfe) is joined by Frances Arville (Head of Sales, Zinc) as she reveals the “high” of closing a deal.Frances fell into sales “by coincidence”, fell in love with the profession and admits she spent years believing sales managers were just lazy reps who couldn’t sell. Then the pandemic hit, and Frances moved from the US to London - managing a team while learning to sell into EMEA.In this episode, Frances breaks down:◼️ Why sellers chase the “high” of closing◼️ Why reps hesitate to ask for commitment - even on £100k deals◼️ The biggest difference between US and EMEA sales cultures◼️ Why consistency matters more than being “number one”◼️ How hiring, selling and dating are basically the same thingChapters:0:00-1:03 Trailer1:03-2:02 Introduction2:02-2:42 What do you do for a living?2:42-4:20 Landing my first sales job4:20-5:42 Selling high-end whiskey5:42-6:29 Sales…a job or a career?6:29-7:43 ‘Nothing gets me high like hitting a gong’7:43-8:59 The importance of staying in a first job for 3-4 years8:59-9:31 Progression from rep to AE9:31-11:25 Moving from Chicago to London11:25-12:19 The impact of the pandemic12:19-14:28 Why I NEVER wanted to manage14:28-16:02 Working EMEA hours in the US16:01-17:37 The THREE things I wanted to be as a sales manager17:37-19:37 Gaining the respect of your team as a manager19:37-21:11 Arriving in London and selling EMEA21:1-23:38 Mistakes I’ve made as a manager23:38-25:13 Why some reps won’t ask for a phone number25:13-26:30 The importance of confidence in selling26:30-27:53 Learning the art of cold calling27:53-28:57 Learning from lost deals28:57-32:06 Learning to love being a sales manager32:06-34:41 Helping sales reps reach their potential34:41-36:14 What I’m looking for in a sales rep36:14-38:32 How can someone go from SDR to AE?38:32-41:12 Go and find yourself a mentor!41:12-42:09 What I look for in a mentor42:09-44:59 Deciding to leave G2 for Zinc44:59-46:45 Why SALES and DATING are basically the same thing46:45-47:20 What I’m leaving behind in 202547:20-48:51 Biggest deal WON48:51-50:22 Biggest deal LOST50:22-51:00 What you love most about working in SaaS sales51:00-51:45 What you hate most about working in SaaS sales51:45-52:48 What’s next for you?52:48-53:53 OutroSales Rewritten is an honest look at modern sales - for salespeople, by salespeople. Brought to you by Surfe, the high-quality data platform that makes prospecting simpler and smarter.Follow Frances:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesarville/Sales Rewritten:📺 Watch on YouTube: @surfehq🎙 Listen on Spotify, Apple Music & all major platformsSponsored by:Surfe - https://kntn.ly/cde7a84f Start your 14-day free trial today.

Sales Rewritten (S1E3) - Coralie de Robert, Director of Account Management, G2Coralie de Robert’s sales career didn’t follow a straight line.From reading the news on French radio to selling coffee at Borough Market, Coralie’s path into SaaS was built on curiosity, resilience and learning the hard way. After getting fired in her late twenties, she reset her career, joined tech sales as an SDR and climbed to senior leadership in just four years - 10x’ing her salary along the way.In this episode of Sales Rewritten, the #1 podcast for sellers, Coralie shares:◼️ How her background in journalism HELPED her transition to sales◼️ Why she LOVES selling at markets◼️ Why she got fired◼️ How she went from SDR to sales leadership in four years◼️ What she looks for when hiring salespeople at every levelChapters:0:00-1:12 Trailer1:12-1:53 Introduction1:54-2:30 How do you describe what you do?2:31-4:41 Becoming a journalist4:41-6:01 Working in radio and interviewing politicians6:01-6:56 Transferrable skills between journalism and sales6:56-8:33 Why nerves can be good8:33-9:23 Why I love market selling9:23-11:56 Moving to London in my early 20s11:56-14:37 Learning to sell with no real experience14:37-16:28 Selling coffee for a living16:28-19:50 Admitting I was a terrible manager19:50-22:44 Working in the food industry22:44-27:02 Getting fired and starting in SaaS27:02-28:25 I went from SDR to AE in 4 years and 10x’d my salary!28:25-31:01 What I did to become a top performer31:01-32:48 Cold calling the same prospect every day for 6 months32:48-33:34 Is it harder being an SDR or an AE?33:34-35:55 Managing a team at G235:55-39:30 What NOT to do in a sales interview39:30-43:02 What to do AFTER a sales interview43:02-44:49 Life at G2 and why B2B software reviews matter44:49-47:37 The impact of LLMs on search47:37-49:45 My BIG prediction for sales and marketing teams in 202649:45-51:22 OutroIf you’ve ever had to start again in your career, or wondered whether a non-linear path can work to your advantage, this episode is for you.Sales Rewritten is an honest look at modern sales - for salespeople, by salespeople. Brought to you by Surfe, the high-quality data platform that makes prospecting simpler and smarter.Follow Coralie:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/coralie-de-robert-15b4a550/Sales Rewritten:📺 Watch on YouTube: @surfehq🎙 Listen on Spotify, Apple Music & all major platformsSponsored by:Surfe - https://kntn.ly/b51a5292Start your 14-day free trial today.

Sales Rewritten (S1E2) - Brett Runyan, VP of North American Sales, EZRA Coaching Brett Runyan’s sales career took off fast - from becoming employee #200 at Groupon to leading international teams at LinkedIn and Glassdoor. But behind the rapid rise came burnout, isolation and a need to redefine what success really means. In this episode of Sales Rewritten, a podcast for the sellers, host Alex Wood sits down with Brett Runyan, now VP of North American Sales at EZRA Coaching, to talk about the highs and lows of pursuing a global career - and why personal growth matters just as much as professional.

Sales Rewritten (S1E1) - Evelyn Oluwole, The Follow-Up QueenFrom selling £20 classified ads to closing six-figure global deals, Evelyn Oluwole has lived every side of sales. In this first episode of Sales Rewritten, a podcast by Surfe, host Alex Wood sits down with WeTransfer’s Global Senior Sales Director to talk about the mindset, mistakes and moments that made her The Follow-Up Queen.She explains:◼️ How she started her career in TV◼️ Why she used to cold call HUNDREDS of businesses selling classified ads◼️ Built a global sales career and closed a six-figure deal◼️ Nearly won Spotify as a client◼️ Uses her “follow-up cheat code”If you’ve ever wondered how top performers stay motivated, handle knock-backs and stay sane in sales, this conversation is for you.The Sales Rewritten podcast is a raw, honest account of sales - for salespeople, by salespeople. Brought to you by Surfe, the high quality data platform that makes prospecting easy.Follow Evelyn:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelynoluwole/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thefollowupqueen/Sales Rewritten:📺 Watch on YouTube: @surfehq🎙 Listen on Spotify, Apple Music & all major platformsSponsored by:Surfe - https://tinyurl.com/cxexkrjx, start your 14-day free trial today