Sales Reinvented

Pablo Asirón, Chief Revenue Officer at Remsoft and a sales performance coach with Base Over Apex, joins me to discuss what makes exceptional sales leaders and the keys to building high-performing, results-driven sales teams. He shares the impact of effective coaching, the evolving role of technology and AI in sales, the most meaningful metrics for modern sales leaders, and the real-world lessons he's learned transforming sales organizations for sustainable growth.    Outline of This Episode   [04:31] Building a high-performance culture [07:23] Coaching sales team with call reviews [11:04] Optimizing product and sales strategies [15:11] Analyzing business indicators [18:32] Setting sales targets and strategy [20:50] Transforming Rensoft's Growth Strategy The Habits of High-Impact Sales Leaders   Sales leadership requires soft skills that go well beyond closing deals. Pablo emphasizes that curiosity is essential; top leaders don't assume they know why deals are lost or why a market isn't responding, but instead keep asking questions and listening to uncover the root causes. They prioritize customer engagement, staying close to buyers by listening to calls, joining key meetings, and understanding real objections. As Pablo points out, "You cannot lead successfully entirely from Salesforce and from dashboards."   Their leadership centers on a blend of accountability and trust. While high standards must be set, fear should never be the motivating force. A strong leader creates an environment where team members aren't afraid to raise concerns or communicate bad news early.   The Four Pillars of Building High-Performance Sales Teams   High-performing sales teams don't happen by accident. There are four essentials that underpin lasting sales success. It all begins with clarity—every team member must know their target, their territory, their ideal customer profile (ICP), and what "good" actually looks like. Capability follows, which means having hired, trained, and equipped the right people for the job. Accountability is next: commitments need to be real, and underperformers must be held to account with a balance of empathy and support. The final pillar is trust. Team members must feel secure in admitting problems early, fostering a culture driven by transparency and truth instead of fear.   The shift from an ad-hoc, hero-driven sales approach to a scalable, repeatable commercial system is only possible when there is clarity, strong processes are in place, and the right tools empower the team.   Coaching is About Improving the Salesperson   One of the most common pitfalls in sales leadership is equating pipeline reviews to coaching. Effective coaching involves regular one-on-one sessions to address deals, obstacles, and priorities. It means tactical call reviews using tools like Gong, which let leaders correct mistakes in real time, highlight teachable moments, and reinforce positive behaviors.   Coaching is most effective when it's focused. Development plans that target one or two key skills at a time, ensuring these are truly mastered before moving on, provide the best results 08:09. Spreading efforts across too many areas only dilutes improvement.   Technology & AI Support Sales Leaders   Modern sales organizations rely heavily on technology, but successful leaders see it as a tool, not a replacement for human connection. The essentials start with a CRM that serves as a "single source of commercial truth," not a data graveyard. Conversation intelligence platforms can power onboarding and coaching and fuel product feedback loops by surfacing insights from real customer interactions.   Data-driven prospecting through systems like ZoomInfo and LinkedIn Sales Navigator allows for precise targeting and outreach of ideal customer profiles. The recent explosion of AI creates new opportunities to automate tasks, improve lead generation, and strengthen pipeline health. However, nothing can replace the human aspect of consultative selling. Even with AI's help, business still depends on personal relationships, trust, and authentic connection.   The Metrics That Matter Most   Lagging indicators like revenue, while important, are insufficient on their own because by the time you miss the target, it's already too late. Modern leaders shift their focus to leading indicators: qualified pipeline creation, pipeline coverage, stage conversions, sales velocity, win rates, deal size, and customer churn. As Pablo puts it, "I don't want more pipeline. I want more believable pipeline." This means building quality into the pipeline from the outset, giving the team a true forecast of results rather than an inflated sense of optimism.   A Real-World Transformation   When tasked with accelerating growth at Remsoft, Pablo led a remarkable transformation, moving from generalized roles to a specialized revenue engine. Account managers, customer success, dedicated AEs, and focused BDRs operated within a robust system of updated tools and dashboards. The real change wasn't about working harder—most people already were—but about clarifying roles, improving tools, establishing process discipline, and creating visibility into what was really happening.   The biggest lesson from that journey was to stay open-minded. Breaking down the organization into specialized roles created space for each team member's strengths to shine and dramatically improved results. Resources & People Mentioned   Remsoft  Gong  Salesforce (CRM) HubSpot ZoomInfo  Apollo  LinkedIn Sales Navigator Claude  ChatGPT   Connect with Pablo Asirón   Pablo Asirón on LinkedIn    Connect With Paul Watts    LinkedIn Twitter    Subscribe to SALES REINVENTED Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com  

As organizations adopt advanced technologies and embrace a data-driven culture, sales leaders' core responsibilities are changing—but the fundamentals of human connection and personal development remain pivotal. This week on the podcast, B2B sales leader and coach Kent Kononoff shares his philosophy for building high-performing sales teams and leveraging modern tools without losing sight of what matters most: people.   Outline of This Episode   [05:45] Building a high-performance team [09:49] Accountability and self-reliance coaching [11:24] Balancing tech and customer relationships [14:50] Importance of leading sales indicators [19:55] Coaching a struggling sales rep [20:52] Improving sales through coaching Understanding the Difference Between Management and Leadership   Sales management is fundamentally about systems and execution. It's about developing territory and account plans, monitoring daily and weekly schedules, and carefully tracking performance metrics. Sales success requires a plan and the discipline to manage it.   Leadership is about far more than planning or metrics. It centers on people—coaching, inspiring, removing obstacles, and creating an environment where each team member wants to perform at their best. True sales leadership involves building trust, strategizing alongside the team, and holding everyone (including the leader) accountable for their part in achieving success. The best organizations recognize that management and leadership are distinct disciplines but equally essential.   Traits of High-Impact Sales Leaders   Through his decades-long career, Kent has observed several defining characteristics of exceptional sales leaders:   Humility: Great leaders direct credit to their teams rather than themselves, creating space for others to flourish.   Genuine Intent: They authentically invest in their teams, clients, and company, with a sincere desire for collective success.   Accountability: High-performing leaders hold themselves and others responsible for results, avoiding blame and excuses.   Consistency: The most impactful leadership is not about grand gestures but about reliably showing up, day in and day out, in both good times and tough ones.   No single motivational speech yields enduring results, it's the leader's daily approach that builds lasting trust and momentum. From Numbers to Behavioral Change   While sales metrics illustrate what's happened, coaching unearths why it happened—and what can be done differently. Effective coaches tailor their cadence to each individual's needs, engage frequently (especially with new hires), and focus on asking questions rather than delivering top-down instructions. The ultimate goal is to foster independent thinkers who can identify and correct issues on their own.   Leveraging Technology with Care   Sales enablement tools, sophisticated CRMs, and rapidly evolving AI present both incredible opportunities and hidden pitfalls. The most valuable technology increases selling time and supports genuine relationship building. Kent cautions against allowing tech to become a "time suck," and urges leaders to ensure new tools really empower their teams. AI, in particular, has become a productivity multiplier but must be checked for accuracy and personalized to retain a human touch.   Leading, Not Lagging   Lagging indicators like revenue and quota attainment reveal past success, but leading indicators—such as customer conversations, opportunity creation, relationship development, and pipeline progression—drive future results. Activity should never become an end in itself. Focus on high-quality conversations that move the business forward.   Sales leadership thrives when rooted in a genuine desire to serve and elevate others. When leaders and teams are driven by authentic concern for customers' success, sales follow naturally.   As sales continues its transformation, leaders like Kent Kononoff remind us that the intersection of technology, data, and heartfelt leadership is where truly world-class teams are built. Connect with Kent Kononoff    Kent Kononoff on LinkedIn    Connect With Paul Watts    LinkedIn Twitter    Subscribe to SALES REINVENTED Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com  

On this episode, I'm joined by acclaimed author, speaker, and sales leader Kelly Riggs, founder of Business Locker Room Inc.  We discuss the key steps to building high-performance sales teams and explore the art of effective coaching and talent development. Kelly also shares candid advice on understanding which metrics really matter, and his top dos and don'ts for leading a thriving sales organization.  Outline of This Episode   [03:12] Mentorship and constructive feedback [07:23] Advocating for one-on-one meetings [10:27] Sales coaching and meeting strategy [16:02] Analyzing and adjusting execution plans [18:26] Importance of role play in sales [22:40] Discussing leadership challenges and growth [24:29] Addressing leadership challenges The Power of Personal Development   Reflecting on his own career, Kelly recalls the impact of leaders who invested in his personal development. When his manager gave honest feedback, genuinely believed in his abilities, and followed through with mentorship and growth opportunities, it was transformative. Nurturing talent matters more than simply executing tasks.   Talent, Culture, and Leadership   To create consistently exceptional sales teams, Kelly advocates a multi-pronged approach:   Acquire Unique Talent: The foundation of any great team is attracting and hiring the right people. Many managers lack effective hiring methods, leading to underperformance.   Develop Leadership: Every problem is a "leader problem,". Leaders are responsible for their team's outcomes, from hiring to training to results.   Establish a Distinctive Culture: Success flows from leadership-driven culture—one that nurtures, challenges, and encourages continuous development.   When you combine those 3 components, you get a unique culture, a unique leader, and unique talent. Having a great team is an afterthought. The results will follow automatically.   The Essentials of Effective Sales Coaching   Sales coaching is frequently misunderstood. People often conflate "Coaching" with pipeline reviews and technical support, activities that don't actually help people grow. Effective coaching builds skills through proximity and presence, like riding along on calls and holding structured one-on-one meetings.   Kelly champions the weekly one-on-one: The typical one-on-one lasts about 30 minutes, and that conversation gives him and the salesperson everything they need to know.  These meetings should follow a consistent structure focused on development, not merely on numbers or activity reviews.   Technology and Its Role in Modern Sales   While tools like AI and advanced CRM systems are valuable, Kelly cautions against treating them as replacements for human connection; they can be phenomenal tools that can be used to augment what a salesperson does. The best use of technology is to enhance efficiency—handling research, organization, and administrative tasks—while leaving the core work of influence and relationship-building to human professionals.   Leading vs. Lagging Indicators   Kelly challenges leaders to look beyond "lagging indicators" like quotas and closed deals, which only reflect the past. Instead, the focus should be on the plan that you have to grow and develop your territory—the actions, strategies, and forward-looking behaviors that actually drive outcomes. Managing these leading indicators lets managers course-correct before frustration and underperformance set in. Resources & People Mentioned   The 5 Power Moves: How Struggling Sales Managers Become Transformational Sales Leaders by Kelly Riggs Dale Carnegie Leadership Development Program   Connect with Kelly Riggs Kelly Riggs on LinkedIn  Kelly Riggs on X    Connect With Paul Watts  LinkedIn Twitter    Subscribe to SALES REINVENTED Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com  

This week on the podcast, revenue leader Santino Pasutto joins me to discuss the core elements that drive high-performing sales organizations. Drawing on his experience leading growth across startups and billion-dollar portfolios, Santino shares his strategies for building accountable, engaged, and results-oriented sales teams.   Outline of This Episode   [04:51] Building team engagement remotely [10:08] Importance of mastering sales basics [12:00] Balancing AI with human work [14:58] Leadership and spans of control [20:33] Standardizing Conversations and KPIs [21:27] Managing and Allocating Resources Sales Leadership vs. Sales Management: Why the Distinction Matters   According to Santino, the main difference between leadership and management is scope and responsibility. Leadership is about building the strategy, designing the playbook, structuring teams, determining the operating cadence, and shaping what internal discussions look like. Management is focused on field execution—coaching, supporting deals, and holding teams accountable on the ground.   While the roles can overlap in some professionals, excelling in both is rare. Leaders are builders, intent on creating and refining systems, whereas managers sustain what's already in place—a clear distinction organizations must respect when assigning roles and responsibilities.   The Hallmarks of Great Sales Leaders   Santino highlights several traits shared by those he admires:   Emotional Evenness: Top-tier leaders are even-keeled, managing their reactions in the high-pressure world of sales. Their steadiness helps teams weather both wins and setbacks.   Field-Proven Credibility: Leaders who have succeeded as individual contributors earn credibility and foster trust among their teams.   Discipline and Routine: Because sales is inherently abstract, it rewards leaders who build structured routines and maintain discipline.   Physical Activity: Staying physically active builds resilience and supports stress management.   Proactive Preparation: Many successful leaders start their week on Sundays, preparing questions and agenda points to set the tone for their teams.   Building and Maintaining High-Performance Sales Teams   A huge challenge in a flexible work environment is fostering engagement and accountability, especially with remote teams. Everything starts with an unwavering operating cadence—the rhythm and structure of team meetings. Whether it's pipeline reviews, forecast calls, or strategy sessions, having these recurring touchpoints ensures collaboration, celebrates wins, and identifies support needs.   Santino stresses that these meetings are non-negotiable priorities and take precedence over almost all other obligations. Clear standards and processes are just as important; without them, even the brightest team members can veer off course, leading to inconsistency and missed goals.   The Art and Science of Sales Coaching   Coaching is essential, yet leaders often drop it first. Over-coaching, however, can feel like micromanagement. Research and Pasutto's own experience suggest 2–3 targeted coaching interactions per month strike the right balance.   Effective coaching is specific and sequential: focus on one skill at a time (e.g., framing meetings, crafting sharp discovery questions) and use immediate after-action reviews to reinforce learning. By giving feedback in structured "Oreo" format—positive, constructive, positive—leaders can ensure development while maintaining morale.   Technology in Sales   Despite rapid advances in sales technology and AI, Santino cautions leaders not to rely on tools as panaceas. Tech amplifies underlying processes—good or bad. Master the "hand-to-hand combat" of sales fundamentals first (prospecting, cadence, discovery calls, follow-up) before introducing automation. Especially in relationship-driven industries, over-automation can actually erode outcomes.   The blueprint for next-generation sales leadership lies not in charisma alone, but in purposeful design, relentless discipline, and a data-driven approach that empowers teams to consistently excel, whatever the market throws their way.   Resources & People Mentioned   Cracking the Sales Management Code: The Secrets to Measuring and Managing Sales Performance  Boss Class from Economist Podcasts+  How to identify the right 'spans of control' for your organization | McKinsey  Connect with Santino Pasutto   Santino Pasutto - KV Capital Santino Pasutto on LinkedIn     Connect With Paul Watts    LinkedIn Twitter    Subscribe to SALES REINVENTED Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com  

Understanding what sets remarkable sales leaders apart can be the key to consistent, breakthrough results. Industry expert Jamie Crosbie joins me to share her experience on building successful sales teams and harnessing new technology without losing the human touch. We discuss habits that set elite sales leaders apart, and how mindset outshines skill set in driving success. Packed with practical dos and don'ts, and a powerful real-world story of leadership in action, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to elevate their sales team's performance.   Outline of This Episode [00:00] Traits of effective sales leaders [03:28] Building a strong team culture [06:29] Technology should augment, not replace, human connection and leadership [08:22] Focusing on leading indicators [10:35] Managers micromanage, leaders lead by influence [11:39] Addressing salesperson confidence issues The Habits and Traits of High-Performing Sales Leaders   The best leaders don't simply track metrics—they get in the grit with their people. They balance accountability with inspiration, getting to know each team member's underlying motivations and connecting company goals to individual aspirations. While sales skills are important, mindset is what separates average performers from the elite. Leaders who develop both can elevate their teams beyond technical proficiency to genuine confidence and sustained results.   Building High-Performance Culture   High-performing sales teams are created by design, not accident. It starts with intentionally creating an organizational culture and hiring people who align with those core values. After assembling the right team, leaders should establish clear expectations, provide ongoing coaching, celebrate wins, and foster trust through consistent support. Accountability doesn't mean micromanagement; it means being there to support team members, telling the truth, coaching with empathy, and understanding each person's unique motivation. This approach boosts engagement and accelerates overall performance.   Far too often, sales coaching is reduced to reviewing numbers, which can miss the root causes of performance issues. Effective coaching is about consistency—weekly, not just monthly check-ins—and a focus on coaching the person, not just their pipeline. Numbers reflect what happened, and coaching uncovers why. When you change how someone thinks, then you can change how they perform. Behavior follows belief. This mindset-driven approach delivers breakthroughs, not just incremental gains.   Embracing Technology Without Losing Human Connection   With tools such as AI, analytics, and sales enablement platforms rapidly gaining ground, it's tempting to lean heavily on technology. However, technology should enhance—not replace—the leadership relationship. Productivity, assessment, and decision-making can be amplified with digital tools, but excellence still demands human connection, empathy, and influence. Leaders should prioritize continuous learning and look for ways to combine technology's efficiency with the irreplaceable value of authentic interactions.   Choosing the Right Metrics: Leading vs. Lagging Indicators   Not all metrics are created equal. While revenue is a crucial metric, it's a lagging indicator. World-class leaders focus on leading indicators such as pipeline quality, conversion rates, sales cycle velocity, win rates by stage, and customer engagement. These metrics predict future success and allow for course correction before it's too late. Elite leaders focus on the behaviors that generate results rather than dwelling on post-mortem revenue analysis. Connect with Jamie Crosbie Jamie Crosbie on LinkedIn  Jamie Crosbie on X  Connect With Paul Watts    LinkedIn Twitter    Subscribe to SALES REINVENTED Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com