#312 Steve Gielda - Why Your Sales Pipeline Isn't as Healthy as You Think

#312 Steve Gielda - Why Your Sales Pipeline Isn't as Healthy as You Think

Most CEOs think their sales pipeline is healthy, but the real story is hiding in stalled and quietly lost deals. We unpack why processes always beat skills for predictability and how top sales teams are winning bigger in a tougher market. In this episode, Janice B Gordon sits down with Steve Gielda to reveal the pitfalls of sales assumptions and the strategic moves that accelerate revenue and increase deal velocity. What you'll learn: a) Why understanding your buyer's real metrics is the secret to beating lower-cost competitors b) The critical difference between stages and milestones in sales processes c) How assumptions, especially by experienced reps, kill deals Steve Gielda has spent 30 years at the forefront of global sales performance, co-founding Ignite Selling and helping world-class organisations like Boston Scientific, Siemens, and Mastercard drive faster, more strategic revenue growth. Timestamps: 00:00 Understanding buyer priorities and metrics 04:53 Understanding the buyer's perspective 08:42 Identifying and leveraging key stakeholders 13:30 Improving sales processes 16:27 Defining and leveraging stakeholders 19:00 Win-loss analysis findings 23:23 Engaging sales rep conversations 27:18 Strategic sales approach boosts revenue 31:36 AI tools for sales strategies 32:58 Defining product advocates Connect with Steve LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgielda/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgielda/] Connect with Janice Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event: https://janicebgordon.com [https://janicebgordon.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/ [https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon [https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon] Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast [https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast] Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.

#311 Maria Boulden - Why Most Go-To-Market Strategies Crash Before Take-off

AI is transforming sales organizations faster than ever, but most leaders are still leaving revenue on the table by outsourcing too much judgment to technology. In this episode, Janice B Gordon explores with her guest how rapid market shifts, generational diversity, and the rush to deploy AI are disrupting commercial models. What you'll learn: a) Why scenario planning is essential for leaders facing unpredictable market change b) How to balance human judgment with the adoption of AI in go-to-market strategies c) The biggest revenue mistakes companies make with premature (or hesitant) AI deployment Today, Janice B Gordon is joined by Maria Bolden, a C-suite advisor specializing in profitable revenue generation and leading world-class commercial teams. Timestamps: 04:17 Discussing scenario planning and pre-mortems 08:02 Addressing AI concerns and workforce adaptation 12:27 Comparing ChatGPT with Beyonce launch 14:53 Decision-making frameworks and considerations 21:04 Discussing current sales challenges 22:58 Importance of change management in AI 24:44 Focusing on AI impact measurement 28:58 Reverse mentoring for leadership growth 33:45 Importance of diverse perspectives 37:21 Embracing servant leadership and balance 39:41 Reflecting on true motivations Connect with Maria https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-boulden-8a778b11/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-boulden-8a778b11/] Connect with Janice Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event: https://janicebgordon.com [https://janicebgordon.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/ [https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon [https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon] Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast [https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast] Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.

#310 Sandy Yu - Is your sales team missing 50% of revenue

In this episode, we reveal why upsell and cross-sell are your secret weapons for scalable, efficient revenue growth. This conversation strips back the myths around expansion revenue as Janice B Gordon and Sandy Yu uncover practical ways CEOs can turn customer relationships into predictable, repeatable revenue. What you'll learn: a) Why acquiring new customers costs twice as much as expanding existing ones b) The biggest mistakes CEOs make when operationalizing upsell and cross-sell c) How to build a clear operating system for expansion revenue Today, Janice B Gordon is joined by Sandy Yu, a cross-sell and upsell expert who's advised CEOs across North America, Europe, and Asia after leading GTM teams at PwC, Cisco, and Oracle. Timestamps: 05:24 Challenges with cross selling and upselling 07:00 Importance of customer research 10:25 Clarifying sales metrics and goals 15:56 Investor expectations for CEOs 16:52 Building customer trust and advocacy 20:03 Focusing on key business metrics 23:14 Discussing cross-sell and upsell strategies Connect with Sandy Yu https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandysyu/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandysyu/] www.revenuecco.com [http://www.revenuecco.com] Connect with Janice Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event: https://janicebgordon.com [https://janicebgordon.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/ [https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon [https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon] Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast [https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast] Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.

#309 Lindsay Rios - Are you scaling revenue or just creating chaos?

Most CEOs think more pipeline is the answer, but chasing volume without alignment will wreck your revenue engine. In this episode, Janice B Gordon and Lindsay Rios unpack the pipeline myth, share hard-won lessons from scaling high-growth organizations, and reveal why aligning teams on ICP is the secret to scalable, predictable growth. What you'll learn: a) Why most revenue problems aren't sales issues, they're ICP misalignment issues b) How to spot (and fix) the costly "kids are fighting" dynamic across go-to-market teams c) The real downside of prioritizing pipeline volume over quality Janice B Gordon welcomes Lindsay Rios, a fractional CRO and GTM strategist who helps scaling startups and SMBs rebuild revenue foundations for intentional, accelerated growth. Timestamps: 04:00 Discussing gender assumptions and biases 09:30 Discussing gender disparity in careers 12:44 Misleading pipeline growth signals 15:27 Reflecting on company culture fit 18:06 Focusing on meaningful sales metrics 24:03 Challenges with hiring outbound agencies 26:54 Defining the ideal customer 29:40 Evaluating customer acquisition costs 34:29 Creating strong team values Connect with Lindsay LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayrios/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayrios/] Connect with Janice Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event: https://janicebgordon.com [https://janicebgordon.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/ [https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon [https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon] Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast [https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast] Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.

#308 Mirjam Martin - Operational Clarity vs. Revenue Leaks: How RevOps Drives Organizational Growth

In this weeks' Scale Your Sales Podcast episode, my guest is Mirjam Martin. Mirjam Martin has over 15 years of experience in Revenue Operations, encompassing the full spectrum of new business development, upselling and cross-selling, renewals, and marketing reporting. She has previously held positions as a Presales Manager and Lead Generation Manager before founding RevOps Transformation, a Fractional RevOps services & consulting business. Mirjam has played a key role in scaling B2B enterprise SaaS organisations, from a £4 million start-up to multinational public companies. In today's episode of Scale Your Sales podcast, Mirjam brings over 15 years of experience scaling global B2B enterprise SaaS organisations. The conversation explores how a lack of clarity and operational debt such as poor data quality and inefficient processes can hinder performance, and outlines the value of clear definitions, timely RevOps integration, and strategic planning. This episode offers practical guidance for CEOs and revenue leaders on building strong operational foundations and scaling effectively, particularly when introducing new tools and AI. Welcome to Scale Your Sales Podcast, Mirjam Martin. Timestamps: 00:00 Clarity Is Key to Success 03:39 Clarifying Terms in RevOps 06:29 Clear Sales Stages Drive Success 10:49 Streamlining SaaS Contract Management 16:17 Go-To-Market Engineering Evolution 19:07 RevOps: Governance and Empathy 23:49 Manager-Led Change Drives Results 27:05 Address Revenue Leakages Early 31:17 Homework First: AI Needs Strategy 33:04 Validate Process Before Automation https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirjammartin/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirjammartin/] About the Host Janice B Gordon is the award-winning Customer Growth Expert, founder of the Scale Your Sales Framework, and host of the Scale Your Sales Podcast. She helps CEOs, founders and revenue leaders grow sustainable revenue by aligning leadership, sales and customer experience through her North Star Leadership approach. Named one of LinkedIn Sales' Innovating Sales Influencers to Follow and a Top Global Thought Leader on Customer Experience, Janice works with organisations worldwide to rethink how revenue grows. Connect with Janice Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event https://janicebgordon.com [https://janicebgordon.com] LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/ [https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon [https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon] Scale Your Sales Podcast https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast [https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast] Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.