Sales Transformation Lab

In this episode of the SaaS Sales Performance Podcast, host Matt Milligan sits down with Tanvir Bhangoo and former college football player turned commercial leader, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Pro Business Mindset. Tanvir is the Founder of TBX Digital, where he helps organizations unlock elite performance under pressure by applying principles from sports to business. Together, they explore how sales and revenue leaders can build resilience, sharpen execution, and lead teams through market turbulence by focusing on process, mindset, and fundamentals, not just pipeline velocity. Expect a grounded, practical conversation on how to perform when conditions are tough and how to lead with grit, discipline, and clarity when your team needs it most. You’ll learn: ✅ Why "training camp" fundamentals matter more than ever in tough markets ✅ How to reset your mindset and team habits during a downturn ✅ What true leading indicators of enterprise performance look like ✅ Why in-person connection is becoming a competitive advantage again ✅ How EQ, consistency, and discipline outperform over-activity 🎧 A must-listen for CROs, VPs of Sales, and leaders navigating uncertainty in 2025. 00:00 – 00:15 | Protecting the Core in Downturns Why companies are cutting costs, consolidating tech, and focusing on essentials. 00:15 – 01:34 | Meet Tanvir Bhangoo From football field to boardroom — how sports shaped Tanvir’s leadership philosophy. 01:34 – 03:43 | Market Mindset: Grit Over Growth Hacking Navigating instability by focusing on fundamentals, not just outbound acceleration. 03:43 – 06:55 | Back to Training Camp Reassessing what works, cutting what doesn’t, and rebuilding habits that drive performance. 06:55 – 08:48 | The Sniper Approach to Pipeline Why fewer, more targeted deals outperform high-volume outreach in slow markets. 08:48 – 10:56 | Resetting Boardroom Expectations How leaders can proactively communicate and reforecast during tough quarters. 10:57 – 13:20 | Managing Process, Not Just Results Why the best leaders focus on consistency, not outcome dependency. 13:21 – 15:14 | Mindset Under Pressure High performers master what they can control — habits, routines, and focus. 15:14 – 17:29 | KPIs That Matter in Enterprise Sales Measuring stakeholder engagement, collaboration, and true customer understanding. 17:30 – 19:51 | Reading the Right Leading Indicators Early signals of success: relationships, collaboration, and customer depth. 19:52 – 22:42 | Why In-Person Still Wins The trust dividend of face-to-face meetings in an AI-driven world. 22:42 – 24:01 | Doing the Hard, Inconvenient Work The mindset of elite performers — doing what most avoid. 24:01 – 25:38 | The Power of Restraint Knowing when to slow down and rebuild strength before pushing forward. 25:38 – 27:38 | Owning the Pipeline Why top performers source their own deals and lead by initiative. 27:38 – 29:06 | AI’s Role: Automate the Transactional, Humanize the Strategic EQ, trust, and relationships will define the winners in high-value sales. 29:06 – End | Growth, Fulfillment & What’s Next for Tanvir A look at Tanvir’s upcoming book and where to connect for more insights.

In this episode of the SaaS Sales Performance Podcast, we sit down with Frank Sondors, Co-Founder and CEO of SalesForge. With a career spanning Google, high-growth SaaS startups, and now building cutting-edge AI-driven sales automation, Frank shares his unique perspective on the future of outbound sales, pipeline generation, and sales efficiency. We explore how traditional outbound models—built on ever-growing headcount—are breaking down, and how AI, automation, and smarter processes can drive predictable growth with leaner teams. Frank also highlights the market realities shaping sales today: talent shortages, buyer saturation, and the rise of AI-to-AI communication. You’ll learn: * Why sales software needs to evolve away from “big-team” assumptions * How to increase productivity per rep using AI and automation * Why outbound channels like cold email and cold calls are declining—and what’s next * The future role of AI SDRs, and when they do and don’t make sense * What leaner, AI-augmented revenue teams of the future will look like 00:00 - 02:00 Introduction of the episode, guest Frank Sondors, and the topic—outbound sales and pipeline efficiency 02:00 - 04:00 Frank’s background: Google, SaaS, founding SalesForge, and rapid $0–$3M growth in 22 months 04:00 - 07:00 Inefficiencies in traditional sales models: reliance on headcount and dissatisfaction with old approaches 07:00 - 10:00 Building software ecosystems that reduce reliance on large teams; addressing deadwood in sales 10:00 - 13:00 Attrition challenges and the high cost of acquiring top sales talent 13:00 - 16:00 Increasing individual productivity with automation, AI, and smarter processes 16:00 - 19:00 Market saturation: overwhelmed buyers, AI filtering, and the rise of AI-to-AI communication 19:00 - 22:00 Adapting continuously: testing channels like direct mail, offline events, and content sharing 22:00 - 25:00 Decline of cold calls/emails; need for experimentation and integrated touchpoints 25:00 - 28:00 Leveraging automation platforms and integrating humans with AI 28:00 - 31:00 Follow-up automation strategies and handling high meeting volumes 31:00 - 34:00 Future of AI agents in sales; when AI SDRs make sense 34:00 - 37:00 Criteria for AI SDR adoption: large account pools, mid-market deals, shorter cycles 37:00 - 40:00 Pitfalls of over-relying on AI without product-market fit; need for iteration 40:00 - 43:00 Testing AI solutions effectively: 3-month cycles and embracing failure 43:00 - 45:00 Future team structures: lean, technical GTM engineers and RevOps specialists 45:00 - 47:00 Augmentation, not replacement: humans + AI for better margins and efficiency 47:00 - 48:00 Closing remarks: salesforge.ai, upcoming events, and advice to adopt AI and automation

In this episode of the SaaS Sales Performance Podcast, Matt sits down with Roee Hartov (Berlin) to unpack how revenue leaders can drive productivity and profitability in today’s tighter market. Roee maps a simple but powerful approach: standardise processes, deploy the right tools, and upskill teams—then measure everything through a clear data model. Expect candid takes on AI’s real impact (today vs. hype), why many SaaS unicorns face hard choices, and how to sequence change so it sticks. You’ll learn * Why the 2021–2025 shift demands efficient growth and pre-IPO profitability * How to implement process fixes that compound (e.g., closing next steps to stop ghosting) * The role of a data model (e.g., bowtie) to track stage conversions and diagnose gaps * Where AI helps now: coaching, call insights, early forecasting—and where it’s headed * Why the frozen middle (50–100% to target) is the highest-ROI cohort for upskilling 00:00 — Intro & Context: From growth-at-all-costs to efficient GTM 01:03 — Market Reset: Cost discipline, profitability before IPO, and the Docusign watershed 03:07 — Unicorn Math: 1,200 private SaaS unicorns vs. ~346 public—what happens next 06:46 — AI & Deflationary Pressure: How disruption reshapes SaaS buying 08:26 — The Framework: Productivity via Processes, Tools, Skills 09:37 — Process Wins: Small changes with compound effect (close, summary, next steps) 14:21 — Measure What Matters: Data models (bowtie), stage conversion, trend tracking 17:14 — ICP is a Moving Target: Why benchmarks must evolve with the market 20:00 — Tools & AI: Coaching, call analysis, forecasting; the self-serve frontier 23:10 — Team of the Future: Fewer heads, deeper skills; the SDR role transforms 28:37 — Upskilling Strategy: Focus on the middle performers; will vs. skill 29:28 — Wrap & Connect: Reach Roee on LinkedIn for models/resources

Engineer-turned-founder Sriharsha “Sai” Guduguntla, CEO of Hyperbound, joins the SaaS Sales Performance Podcast to unpack how voice AI roleplay is reshaping sales enablement. We cover de-risking AI initiatives, why practice beats pipeline obsession, and why the top reps are the hungriest users of coaching tech. Plus: the wild go-to-market behind Hyperbound’s viral launch and what the future holds for enablement teams. In this episode, Matt sits down with Sai Guduguntla, co-founder & CEO at Hyperbound, an AI platform that lets enterprise sales teams practise real conversations through intelligent voice roleplay and coaching. Sai shares the founder journey from YC acceptance to a hard pivot, why “inbox-only selling” is fading, and how reinforcement—not one-off training—wins. You’ll learn: * The research sprint behind Hyperbound: 25k LinkedIn messages, 10k cold emails, 2k user interviews * Why Hyperbound pivoted from AI SDR to AI coaching—and why realism is everything * How to de-risk AI in GTM (start with the problem, not the tool) * The enablement reboot: reinforcement, measurement, and coordination at scale * Why top reps adopt practice tools fastest—and how laggards get found out * Tech notes: going from 15s latency to ~800ms; voice first, avatars later 00:00 — Intro: Welcome & guest setup (Sai, CEO & co-founder, Hyperbound) 01:20 — Founder Journey: Engineer → Salesforce → 20-month build; YC entry; 17+ ideas 07:00 — The Pivot: CROs react to AI roleplay; moving from AI SDR to enablement 10:30 — Viral Traction: Launch (22 Jan 2024), influencer wave, fully inbound growth 13:00 — YC & Conviction: Why YC backed the team over any single idea 14:30 — AI in GTM: Signal orchestration, account research, AI coaching at scale 17:00 — De-risking AI: Start with the business problem, not the shiny tool 20:00 — Change Management: Why enterprise; accelerating rollouts with AI 22:00 — Sellers & Tech: Curiosity vs ROI; looking beyond “more pipeline” 25:00 — Practice Works: A-players use it most; turning Cs into As with reinforcement 28:00 — Enablement 2.0: From events to ongoing reinforcement & measurement 31:00 — Mediums & UX: Voice AI today; avatars/AR/VR when realism arrives 33:30 — Latency Leap: 15s → ~0.8s responses; what the next year could bring 36:00 — Closer: Are great sellers made or born? (Made.)

In this episode of the SaaS Sales Performance Podcast, host Matt Milligan is joined by Raouf Mhenni, Chief Commercial Officer at Sopra Banking Software (SBS). Ralph brings 25+ years of commercial leadership experience and shares powerful, actionable insights from his global career in sales, marketing, and product strategy. Introduction & Guest Background (0:00 - 1:20) Raouf shares his journey from pre-sales to sales leadership, highlighting his passion for customer interaction and continuous learning, especially in banking. Overview of SBS and Market Context (1:20 - 2:40) SBS provides core banking and digital banking solutions across Europe and North America, focusing on retail banking and specialized finance. Building Resilient & Productive Teams (2:40 - 4:50) Raouf emphasizes the fundamentals of hiring, onboarding, and engagement—adapting these processes for today’s talent market and technological environment. Evolving Recruitment & Onboarding (4:50 - 8:20) Shift from traditional hiring and onboarding to digital tools, e-learning, and leveraging internal referrals to attract motivated talent; importance of meeting with product teams and creating a sense of safety. Motivating Salespeople Beyond Money (8:20 - 10:50) Focus on learning, joy, and career growth, including aspirational paths to leadership, to retain top talent and foster engagement. Fostering Team Solidarity & Collaboration (10:50 - 14:00) Encourages creating spaces for sales teams to share experiences, work together on win-loss analyses without managers, and build peer leadership. Leadership During Tough Moments (14:00 - 16:20) Leaders should actively support and reassure their teams during challenging times through one-on-one conversations and human connection. Impact of AI & Digital Transformation (16:20 - 23:00) Raouf discusses AI's transformative potential across marketing, sales, and customer insights—speeding up processes, reducing time-to-market, and enabling smarter decision-making. Emphasizes the importance of change management and human-AI balance. Human Element & Balance (23:00 - 24:30) Despite technological advances, Ralph underscores the need to prioritize human connection, interaction, and wellbeing in the workplace. Closing & Contact (24:30 - End) Raouf invites listeners to connect via LinkedIn, emphasizing ongoing learning and adaptation in sales.