Revenue Today

#118 - David Maxey - Head of Revenue Operations, US at XM Cyber - Execute a Sound Revenue Model

In this episode of Revenue Today, Jared Robin and David Maxey, a GTM leader and the head of rev ops of the Americas at XM cyber, talks about the importance of having a transparent and comprehensive revenue model that connects leads to revenue. David explains how to avoid overhiring, over indexing on the wrong metrics, and wasting money on ineffective marketing programs. He also shares his favorite tools and resources for building and analyzing revenue models, such as SaaSGrid, Segment, and Heap. David shares his wisdom and expertise on how to measure and improve your revenue performance using key metrics and KPIs. He also gives practical advice on how to socialize and align your revenue model with your entire organization, and how to deal with the challenges of change management. You will learn how to create a profitable and scalable SaaS business that delivers value to your customers and stakeholders. Tune in to hear David’s tips and tricks for creating a sound revenue model that works for your company. KEY TAKEAWAYS * A sound revenue model connects leads to revenue transparently and comprehensively, addressing diverse stakeholder needs. * Understanding market nuances, adjusting conversion rates, sales cycles, and pricing is crucial for go-to-market success. * Focus on key KPIs like payback period, lifetime value, customer acquisition costs, retention, and expansion rates for revenue model health. * Accurately attribute marketing efforts to revenue, with a clear lead capture process and ROI reporting for budget justification. * Utilize tools like SaaSGrid, Segment, Heap, Growblocks, and BurnRate for streamlined data collection, integration, visualization, and optimization. * A sound revenue model aligns your teams around generating revenue and value for your customers. * Track and improve your average selling price, conversion rates, sales cycle, and ramp time to increase your revenue performance. * Socialize and align your revenue model with your organization by presenting, communicating, and building relationships with the people involved. QUOTES * “When you over index on one particular metric, you end up looking at a system and thinking you’ve improved it when it’s not.” * “When you have a fully transparent plan that has that all laid out to say this event produces these leads in the pipeline. Then when you go to cut it it’s a very easy conversation to say is this small savings here worth putting this amount of revenue at risk?” * “Every single person that goes to a conference that’s running a booth is better off scanning 13 badges of people, that, they’ll start the sales process with six of them then scanning 300 badges and getting two out of it.” * “If you mistreat your employees in the restaurant business, they will steal from you.” * “Spend the extra time with the people, make sure that everyone is as comfortable as they possibly can be as they move forward.” Connect with David Maxey in the link below: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-maxey/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-maxey/] Ways to tune in: * Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/40b665df-1a4f-455a-a514-ef599fd1a106 [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/40b665df-1a4f-455a-a514-ef599fd1a106] * Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revenue-today/id1626063261 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revenue-today/id1626063261] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38z3wZIAcpoAYF5LQ65xON [https://open.spotify.com/show/38z3wZIAcpoAYF5LQ65xON] * Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZXRvZGF5LmxpdmUvZmVlZC54bWw [https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZXRvZGF5LmxpdmUvZmVlZC54bWw] * YouTube: https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs [https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs]

#117 - Leslie Greenwood - Founder & CEO of Chief Evangelist Consulting - Evangelist-Led Growth

Leslie Greenwood is the founder and CEO of Chief Evangelist Consulting, a company that helps businesses and communities build and revamp their communities. She is also the co-founder of Wednesday Women, a platform that features and amplifies the profiles of women leaders. In this episode of Revenue Today, Leslie Greenwood joins Jared Robin to discuss the power of unscalable activities in go-to-market strategies. She debunks the myth that everything needs to be scalable and shares examples of unscalable tactics that have had tremendous success. Leslie emphasizes the importance of human connection and intentionality in building relationships and creating evangelists. She also highlights the need for a holistic view of the community beyond demand gen and customer success. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Not everything needs to be scalable; unscalable activities can have a significant impact on building relationships and creating evangelists. * Personalized gestures, such as sending gifts or acknowledging life moments, can turn customers into evangelists who promote your brand. * Identifying internal evangelists, leveraging product usage data, and listening to customer feedback can help identify potential evangelists. * Benchmarking referral data and tracking social mentions can provide insights into the impact of unscalable activities. * The future of the community is promising, with a growing focus on strategy, intentionality, and creating meaningful connections. QUOTES * "Not everything needs to be scalable. We don't need to talk about scalability before even trying something." - Leslie Greenwood * "We would find little nuggets about people, send them a t-shirt or a bottle of wine. Totally not scalable, but it drove so much business." - Leslie Greenwood * "Creating evangelists is like a brand. It's going to take a while, but if you start there, you can see incremental improvements over time." - Leslie Greenwood * "The human connection and being intentional are key in building relationships and creating evangelists." - Leslie Greenwood Connect with Leslie in the link below: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-greenwood/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-greenwood/] Ways to tune in: * Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/40b665df-1a4f-455a-a514-ef599fd1a106 [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/40b665df-1a4f-455a-a514-ef599fd1a106] * Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revenue-today/id1626063261 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revenue-today/id1626063261] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38z3wZIAcpoAYF5LQ65xON [https://open.spotify.com/show/38z3wZIAcpoAYF5LQ65xON] * Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZXRvZGF5LmxpdmUvZmVlZC54bWw [https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZXRvZGF5LmxpdmUvZmVlZC54bWw] * YouTube: https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs [https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs]

#116 - Rebecca Marshburn - Head of Community at Common Room - Building a Community Product 101

Rebecca Marshburn is the Head of Community at Common Room. She has previously worked at Airbnb and AWS in content and community roles. In this episode of Revenue Today, Rebecca debunks the myth that community and go-to-market (GTM) strategies should be kept separate. She believes that community and GTM should intersect and work together to achieve better outcomes for both community members and business goals. By bringing community and GTM closer together, companies can build stronger partnerships and improve user experiences. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Community and GTM should not be kept separate; they should intersect and work together. * Community can contribute to GTM goals by providing support, generating awareness, and increasing engagement. * Key metrics for measuring the success of a community include community responsiveness, time to responsiveness, and the quality of answers provided. * The dark funnel refers to unattributable community interactions and conversations that can influence GTM strategies. * Building a community requires understanding the purpose of the community, identifying the target audience, and creating a value exchange for community members. QUOTES * "Community and GTM should intersect and come together for better outcomes." - Rebecca Marshburn * "Don't build a community for someone, build a community with someone." - Rebecca Marshburn Connect with Rebecca in the link below: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccamarshburn/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccamarshburn/] Ways to tune in: * Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/40b665df-1a4f-455a-a514-ef599fd1a106 [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/40b665df-1a4f-455a-a514-ef599fd1a106] * Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revenue-today/id1626063261 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revenue-today/id1626063261] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38z3wZIAcpoAYF5LQ65xON [https://open.spotify.com/show/38z3wZIAcpoAYF5LQ65xON] * Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZXRvZGF5LmxpdmUvZmVlZC54bWw [https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZXRvZGF5LmxpdmUvZmVlZC54bWw] * YouTube: https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs [https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs]

#115 - Adam Jay - Founder and CEO of Adam Jay Consulting - Redefining Startup Success

In this episode of Revenue Today, Adam Jay,  the founder and CEO of Adam Jay Consulting and the host of the Revenue Reimagined podcast, discusses the common misconception that hiring a VP of Sales will solve all revenue problems for early-stage startups. He emphasizes the importance of building a solid sales process, understanding the ideal customer profile and buyer persona, and validating product-market fit before scaling the sales team. Adam also shares his insights on the future of fractional leadership and the need for responsible growth in the startup ecosystem. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Hiring a VP of Sales is not a solution to revenue problems without a well-defined sales process and understanding of the ideal customer profile. * Founders should focus on building a solid sales process, validating product-market fit, and understanding their buyer persona before scaling the sales team. * Fractional go-to-market leaders can help founders transition from founder-led sales by building out processes, validating assumptions, and hiring the right talent. * The future of fractional leadership is promising, with more VCs recognizing the value and benefits of bringing in fractional leaders to help early-stage startups. * Responsible growth and consolidation in the B2B tech space are expected, with companies focusing on building strong products and providing value to customers. QUOTES * "Hiring a VP of sales is not going to solve your problem. Hiring people and throwing people at the problem isn't going to solve your problem." - Adam Jay * "You have to have that brain dump from the founder to build out the sales process. What I find happens is a lot of AEs will get hired and it's 'Oh, go sell.' That is not the sales process." - Adam Jay * "If you are not passionate about what you are selling, I think it radiates. I think people can tell. I think it appears as if you're going through the motions." - Adam Jay * "The best sellers genuinely believe in the product and the people they are selling to. There is a reason that I never went to sell paper clips for Office Depot because it would not excite me in the slightest." - Adam Jay * "The future of fractional leadership is promising, with more VCs recognizing the value and benefits of bringing in fractional leaders to help early-stage startups." - Adam Jay Connect with Adam in the link below: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adambjay/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/adambjay/] Ways to tune in: * Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/40b665df-1a4f-455a-a514-ef599fd1a106 [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/40b665df-1a4f-455a-a514-ef599fd1a106] * Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revenue-today/id1626063261 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revenue-today/id1626063261] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38z3wZIAcpoAYF5LQ65xON [https://open.spotify.com/show/38z3wZIAcpoAYF5LQ65xON] * Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZXRvZGF5LmxpdmUvZmVlZC54bWw [https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZXRvZGF5LmxpdmUvZmVlZC54bWw] * YouTube: https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs [https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs]

#114 - Lloyed Lobo - Co-founder of Boast.AI - Building Communities, Connection and Purpose in Business

In this episode of Revenue Today, host Jared Robin interviews Lloyed Lobo, founder of Boast.AI, shares his insights on the power of community in building iconic brands. He debunks the myth that traditional marketing tactics are still effective and emphasizes the importance of building a community around a shared purpose. Lloyed highlights the key traits of successful communities, such as connection, autonomy, mastery, purpose, energy, and recognition. He emphasizes that community is not just a marketing strategy, but a business strategy that serves its members and creates impact beyond the product or service. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Marketing is becoming less effective due to increased costs and consumer fatigue with traditional tactics. * Building a community is a long-term, sustainable strategy for building an iconic brand. * Successful communities are built on connection, autonomy, mastery, purpose, energy, and recognition. * The purpose of a community is to serve its members and create impact beyond the product or service. * The best communities give members autonomy and recognize their unique strengths. QUOTES * "Brands of yesterday were built on what they told the world about themselves. Brands of the future will be built on what the community says about them." * "The best brands know that customers are saying no to the old marketing. It's the same crap over and over again." * "When people feel deeply attached to the purpose and they have autonomy, they do things like saving the company and organizing fundraisers for causes." * "Community is not a marketing strategy. Community is a business strategy." * "The best communities grant freedom and independence while encouraging responsibility." Connect with Lloyed in the link below: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloyedlobo/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloyedlobo/] Ways to tune in: * Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/40b665df-1a4f-455a-a514-ef599fd1a106 [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/40b665df-1a4f-455a-a514-ef599fd1a106] * Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revenue-today/id1626063261 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revenue-today/id1626063261] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38z3wZIAcpoAYF5LQ65xON [https://open.spotify.com/show/38z3wZIAcpoAYF5LQ65xON] * Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZXRvZGF5LmxpdmUvZmVlZC54bWw [https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZXRvZGF5LmxpdmUvZmVlZC54bWw] * YouTube: https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs [https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs]