Hunters and Unicorns

Hunters + Unicorns: The Presales Edition - Damon Miller #005

In the Presales Edition of The 33 CXOs we explore the crucial role of the presales organisation in what is regarded as the greatest success story in software sales.  

When John McMahon took over as the Head of Sales within BladeLogic, he had a clear vision to create a sales and presales organisation that was in complete unison. What transpired became a sales rhythm which remains the golden standard for best practice within the most successful technology companies in the world.  

The effects of a value-driven, technical sales function transcended the boundaries of presales. The playbook has helped trailblaze best practice within Customer Success, Value Engineering, Professional Services and even Product Management.  

We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most talented technical sales leaders in the industry who are driving the technology companies of the future. 

Episode 5 features Damon Miller, Senior Vice President of Field Technical Operations at Lacework. Originally drawn to a career in tech due to his innate inclination to “tinker” and through a passion for understanding the way things work, Damon started out in the software industry as an IT Administrator. His mindset and unique skillset would pave the way for an upward trajectory in the enterprise software space. He joined the founding team at BladeLogic in 2001 as a Sales Engineering Manager Engineer and has since scaled his career in numerous high profile leadership roles. He has taken key positions in start-ups such as CloudSwitch, Sumo Logic, CloudHealth and is now thrilled to have recently “come home” to Lacework. 

“I've had the good fortune of being in touch with people who have demonstrated an ability to identify growth opportunities, . I’m very fortunate in that regard. It's tough to time the market, but you can take an educated guess, put your trust in people that have succeeded in the past and who are willing to work hard for you and with you. That's what I've always tried to do, and it's worked out well.” 

The unpredictability and excitement of the start-up came as second nature to Damon, whilst his hands-on technical experience enabled him to add value and offer guidance to the dynamic BladeLogic team.  However, in order to increase product sales, the team required further direction. Under the leadership of Steve Strachan and John McMahon, methodologies and processes were created and moulded, that enabled the business to scale at an unprecedented rate. With support from his mentors, Damon was given the freedom to innovate his role, push boundaries and develop his own strategies to evolve as a leader.  

“Lead with compassion and heart as much as fist and operate with urgency. If you feel something is nagging you, don't wait, just take care of it, because this industry is a game of inches and that tiny little difference might will make a huge impact later in ways that you might not realize.” 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• How the MEDDIC methodology enabled Damon to develop as a presales leader 
• The challenges of building a presales team in the early days – Damon’s non-traditional approach to recruitment  
• What key character traits are required for a career in presales 
• Damon’s role at Lacework – a new era with the old team.  

Damon Miller has an innate knowledge of how to drive team success. From the very beginning, he has operated like a shareholder as opposed to an employee.  His success in the industry is a testament to his dedication, passion and instinctive desire to “figure things out”. We discuss Damon’s career progression from BladeLogic to Lacework, his advice for anyone entering the tech industry and find out which area of technology he believes will have the biggest impact on business in the next decade. This insightful discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales and presales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the software industry. 

 

Hunters + Unicorns: The Presales Edition - Sahir Azam #001

In the Presales Edition of The 33 CXOs we explore the crucial role of the presales organisation in what is regarded as the greatest success story in software sales.  

When John McMahon took the reins at BladeLogic, he had a clear vision to create a sales and presales organisation that was in complete unison. What transpired became a sales rhythm which remains the gold standard for best practice within the most successful technology companies in the world.  

The effects of a value-driven, technical sales function transcended the boundaries of presales. The playbook has helped trailblaze best practice within Customer Success, Value Engineering, Professional Services and even Product Management.  

We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most talented technical sales leaders in the industry who are driving the technology companies of the future. 

 

Episode 1 features Sahir Azam, Chief Product Officer at MongoDB.  Sahir has extensive experience in product management, marketing, sales, presales engineering, and corporate strategy.  This has culminated in a remarkable track record of success at both start-ups and PLCs within the enterprise software space.   

Sahir had no experience in presales prior to embarking on a career at BladeLogic in 2006, but his character, coachability and passion for sales methodologies equipped him with the essential skills needed to win.  His mindset enabled him to smoothly integrate with a high energy start-up team, that only accepted the highest standards. Taking on one of the most versatile roles in the business, Sahir mastered the presales skillset early, and since then his career trajectory has been truly remarkable. Sahir is now responsible for product management, product marketing, design, across the MongoDB portfolio and has led MongoDB’s transformation into to a cloud-first company.  

“I was lucky, because of mentors, I was able to realize what my strength was relatively early in my career and put emphasis and energy into making that stronger. In my case, it's the combination of business and technical.” 

Sahir thrived in an environment that enabled him to have a strategic impact and leverage his rare blend of technical and business skills. Historically, the presales function had been primarily technical, but BladeLogic’s integrated approach brought teams together through culture, methodology, accountability and most importantly, a united competitiveness and determination to be incredibly successful. A new era was born; one that would set global standards and impact the future landscape of SaaS sales forever. 

“Presales was a partner as opposed to just a resource you use for technical help, and that culture was foundational because of how complicated the product was. There was a mutual respect going on there, and you needed both sides of the coin, the technical sellers and the business sellers together to make a really amazing deal happen.” 

 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• The essential skills required for a career in presales 
• The importance of MEDDIC and the role of presales in the sales process  

• The vital link between technology and business fluidity 
• How to scale your career in presales 

Sahir is now as much a business leader as a technical leader. His ambition and ability to combine these two skillsets have propelled his career forward and reflect his innate ability to stay focussed, impact business value and constantly evaluate how to elevate to the next level. We discuss Sahir’s experiences in this constantly evolving industry, his playbook, and the core ingredients needed to succeed in SaaS presales. This thought-provoking discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space. 

 

Hunters + Unicorns: The Presales Edition - James Hollinger #003

In the Presales Edition of The 33 CXOs we explore the crucial role of the presales organisation in what is regarded as the greatest success story in software sales.  

When John McMahon took the reins at BladeLogic, he had a clear vision to create a sales and presales organisation that was in complete unison. What transpired became a sales rhythm which remains the gold standard for best practice within the most successful technology companies in the world.  

The effects of a value-driven, technical sales function transcended the boundaries of presales. The playbook has helped trailblaze best practice within Customer Success, Value Engineering, Professional Services and even Product Management.  

We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most talented technical sales leaders in the industry who are driving the technology companies of the future. 

Episode 3 features James Hollinger, VP of Pre-Sales Engineering at Domino Data Labs. James was one of the founding members of the BladeLogic software engineering team. He joined the company in 2001 during the early start-up phase and was instrumental in designing and building their product from the ground up. He then transitioned into pre-sales, and at this point, James’ career began to scale at an extraordinary pace. Positioned at the forefront of the SaaS world, his increasing expertise and ability to communicate value, led him to senior management roles at the likes of BMC, Sumo Logic and Mesosphere. This exposed him to systems and people that continuously expanded his focus and presented opportunities that have enabled his progression from sales engineer through to leader and mentor. 

“People might think of the sales engineers as just geeks who want to be doing technology and that's actually not the case. Sales engineers want to win. We want to close business and we want to make money. We are salespeople first and foremost.” 

As a skilled software developer with a natural talent for articulating technology and value, James transitioned smoothly into the notoriously competitive SaaS sales arena, surrounded by intelligent A-Player “Bulldogs.” His background in building automation tools for operations and data centres gave him a unique insight into problems that needed to be solved in the industry, but the leadership and mentoring he received at BladeLogic enabled him to excel in his role. He became an integral cog in the BladeLogic sales machine and used ground-breaking methodology and processes to close deals at an enviable rate.  

“I think of the playbook like a golf swing. The more unnatural it feels, the more it's actually going to work. It's not intuitive, you're going to have to fight your instincts and there's nothing harder for a salesperson to do than “qual out a deal”. You have to make unnatural decisions and that comes down to your coach. If you have a swing coach who is showing you when to make changes, it might feel unnatural, but if you do 70 swings, then another 70 tomorrow etc, the next thing you know, it starts feeling more and more natural. It’s the same thing from the sales methodology perspective.” 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• How to scale you career in presales 
• How MEDDIC enabled James to transition from sales engineer to manager, director and beyond 
• What raw materials are needed to make a great presales engineer 
• James’ playbook - how presales plugs in to the sales organization as a whole 

 

Programmed to win, James is an exceptional leader with a unique ability to define and execute growth strategy. He has a maniacal focus on developing the right processes, behaviours and methodologies to drive revenue and customer value. His enthusiasm to continue to learn and remain at the forefront of cutting-edge technology is inspirational for anyone aspiring to succeed in this ever-advancing industry. We discuss the role and potential prospects for presales engineers, past, present and future and ask James what area of innovation he thinks is going to have the biggest impact on business in the next 10 years. This motivating discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in a presales career, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space. 

Hunters + Unicorns: The Presales Edition - Mike Lupiani #006

In the Presales Edition of The 33 CXOs we explore the crucial role of the presales organisation in what is regarded as the greatest success story in software sales.  

When John McMahon took over as the Head of Sales within BladeLogic, he had a clear vision to create a sales and presales organisation that was in complete unison. What transpired became a sales rhythm which remains the golden standard for best practice within the most successful technology companies in the world.  

The effects of a value-driven, technical sales function transcended the boundaries of presales. The playbook has helped trailblaze best practice within Customer Success, Value Engineering, Professional Services and even Product Management.  

We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most talented technical sales leaders in the industry who are driving the technology companies of the future. 

Episode 6 features Mike Lupiani, Director of Enterprise Sales Engineering at Sumo Logic. After spending his childhood learning about technology and helping customers with their IT problems at his family’s computer businesses in New York, Mike began his professional career in technology as a Senior Consultant at IBM. After honing his business skills and gaining insight into large company operations, Mike was sought out by the industry pioneers at BladeLogic and transitioned to become a member of their “well-oiled” pre-sales machine in 2007. With the knowledge and experience required to withstand the BMC acquisition, and subsequently thrive in a growing organisation, Mike’s career took an upward trajectory. He left BMC as a Principal Software Consultant in 2015 and joined Sumo Logic to fulfil his aspirations to build teams of his own and become the diverse and talented leader he is today.  

“One of the things that I learned very early was, if there's a job that needs to be done to make the POC successful, to make the demo work, to make the product better, and you sit around and wait for somebody else to do it, you might not win. You're not going to get where you need to go if you rely on somebody else for aspects that are within your control.”  

During his time at BladeLogic and BMC, Mike discovered the methodologies and processes that he needed to succeed in a hugely competitive industry. With John McMahon at the helm, he learnt how to sell value to customers and become an all-purpose technical solution to problems in an environment that was innovating at lightning speed. Mike’s unique combination of skills and hands-on experience have allowed him to transition through the ranks and become a mentor who leads from a position of credibility.  

“First you had to be able to explain the product, then you needed to be able to demonstrate it, then you needed to be able to prove that it worked to the customer. I've seen people try to teach others how to do something that they haven't done enough of themselves and it never clicks the same as talking to somebody that you know has truly done it already and is speaking from their experience.” 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• The raw materials needed to make a great presales engineer 
• What key skills are required to move into management from a presales position 
• How MEDDIC can help you develop your skills and move up the career ladder 
• The future of presales - Mike’s playbook and advice for anyone considering a career in this industry 

Mike Lupiani’s career sets the precedent for a new generation of presales engineers. His accomplishments in this industry are a testament to his work ethic, technical expertise and ability to evolve to meet clients’ ever-changing needs. We discuss his experiences in different roles at BladeLogic, BMC and Sumo Logic and ask him what technology or area of innovation he thinks will have the biggest impact on business over the next decade. This extensive discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space. 

 

Hunters + Unicorns: The Presales Edition - Seong Park #009

In the Presales Edition of The 33 CXOs we explore the crucial role of the presales organisation in what is regarded as the greatest success story in software sales.  

When John McMahon took the reins at BladeLogic, he had a clear vision to create a sales and presales organisation that was in complete unison. What transpired became a sales rhythm which remains the gold standard for best practice within the most successful technology companies in the world.  

The effects of a value-driven, technical sales function transcended the boundaries of presales. The playbook has helped trailblaze best practice within Customer Success, Value Engineering, Professional Services and even Product Management.  

We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most talented technical sales leaders in the industry who are driving the technology companies of the future. 

 

Episode 9 features Seong Park, Senior Vice President, Customer Success & Field Engineering at ThoughtSpot. Seong first embarked on a career in tech in the early 90’s, taking a position at The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones, where he proudly built their first career site. From there he developed his technical skillset in Developer and DBA roles, established himself in the field and joined BladeLogic in 2004 as their 10th Application Engineer. Having mastered the art of presales, Seong went on to play an instrumental role in growing revenue from $30 million to $300+ million at MongoDB, building out their technical presales, business value consulting, product marketing and developer teams and is now leading ThoughtSpot’s global Presales, Customer Success, Professional Services and Business Value Consulting functions to help organizations get the most value from search and AI-driven analytics. 

“You need to be able to shut up and listen. There is also a core skill around being able to story tell through a demo and whether you're presenting, doing a demonstration, a proof of concept or some type of validation, you're weaving a story. It took me time to really understand that there's an art and science to these things.” 

Seong had a passion for learning and a high degree of curiosity with the concept of an “interconnected mesh of computers and people”. His innate ability to marry technology and business made him an ideal candidate to execute BladeLogic’s pioneering methodology-driven sales strategy and with John McMahon at the helm, galvanizing the sales team and setting forward with discipline, accountability, and a playbook that worked, Seong learnt the core concepts and philosophies that he needed to scale his career. His ability to evolve, intuitively adapt and learn from his colleagues and mentors as their “partner in crime” led to continual professional recognition and subsequent advancement into high-octane management and leadership roles. 

“ThoughtSpot is a great opportunity for me to be able to craft the customer journey and own it end to end. Ultimately, we want to make sure we can live true to the promise of what we've sold a customer because if we talk about champions, they will fight for us and sell for us when we're not there. It's our duty and obligation to give them the evidence of the return on their investment on what they've championed us for.” 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• Defining the presales playbook at BladeLogic and its influence over the SaaS world that we live in today 
• How to build a successful presales organization 
• The criteria needed to transition from presales into leadership  
• The secrets to Seong’s continual career progression and advice for aspiring presales individuals   

Seong Park is a phenomenal communicator with a unique ability to articulate a vision that resonates both internally within a company as well as externally with customers. Motivated by a “fear of failure” and a determination to excel at his craft, Seong leads with integrity and has spent his career continuously setting the bar higher for execution excellence. We discuss Seong’s remarkable career progression in the SaaS industry, gain insight into the presales landscape past and present and find out which area of innovation Seong believes will have the biggest impact on business in the next decade. A thoroughly enjoyable, eye-opening insight into the world of pre-sales, this episode is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space. 

Hunters + Unicorns: The Presales Edition - Ben Cefalo #008

In the Presales Edition of The 33 CXOs we explore the crucial role of the presales organisation in what is regarded as the greatest success story in software sales.  

When John McMahon took the reins at BladeLogic, he had a clear vision to create a sales and presales organisation that was in complete unison. What transpired became a sales rhythm which remains the gold standard for best practice within the most successful technology companies in the world.  

The effects of a value-driven, technical sales function transcended the boundaries of presales. The playbook has helped trailblaze best practice within Customer Success, Value Engineering, Professional Services and even Product Management.  

We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most talented technical sales leaders in the industry who are driving the technology companies of the future. 

Episode 10 features Benjamin Cefalo, Director of Product Management at MongoDB. Ben’s career in IT began in the late 90’s when his passion for technology and “fixing people’s problems” led him to take a job at a local manufacturing company in his hometown of Arlington Vermont. Gaining vast experience in SaaS, Database, and Automation roles since then, Ben’s career has taken an upward trajectory. He joined BladeLogic as a Senior Consultant in 2006 and continued his development following the BMC acquisition, becoming the Lead Product Manager for Server and Database Automation. Prior to joining MongoDB, Ben spent 5 years at VMware and launched the first organically developed SaaS application in the company’s history. He has developed skills in a diverse spectrum of roles from System Administrator to Engineer, Technical Support to Software Consultant, Post-sales to Pre-sales, and is now responsible for Product Management across the entire MongoDB portfolio.  

“You have to have customer empathy to be able to design good products. You can do all the research you want; you can get the metrics, know what the success criteria is, but until you can really put yourself into the customer's shoes and feel their pain, you're not going to develop a good product. I think we do a really good job of that at MongoDB.” 

After joining BladeLogic, Ben knew that building and selling software was where he wanted to be. He was determined to grow his career and recognised the value in experiencing different points of view across the organisation.  This helped him learn, pivot and advance into leadership roles. Whether it was working hands-on to support customers, implementing a product, or articulating value and solving pain, Ben realised that the key to success was learning the language of MEDDIC and using it as an internal communication tool. Once he had mastered the methodology, Ben became a vital component in the BladeLogic sales engine and quickly made a smooth transition into product management. This allowed him to explore a more creative role and make a huge impact in the industry. He went on to direct teams at world leading tech organisations from a position of experience and credibility.  

“One of the key things I look for when I'm interviewing product managers is where they sit today on the spectrum and whether I can get them there. If someone has the willingness to be comfortable with ambiguity, I can mentor them to be successful in that spectrum. It's not so much that I'm looking for that perfect person on day one, it's about, can I get them there?” 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• How a background in Presales laid foundations for Ben’s career in Product Management 
• How to build a symbiotic relationship between Presales and Sales 
• What attracted Ben to Product Management and what key capabilities and attributes the role demands 
• The core pillars of Ben’s Playbook and the evolving role of MEDDIC in world leading software organisations 

The ultimate team player, Ben Cefalo is a skilled leader and communicator with a natural ability to not only pivot between technical and business contexts, but to also constantly adapt to the “moving target” that is software. With a passion and excitement for what the future holds in this ever-evolving landscape, we discuss how a value driven culture of collaboration is the driving force behind MongoDB’s success and how Ben’s experiences have shaped his values as a leader. Providing a unique insight into the SaaS industry from a vast array of perspectives, this extensive discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space. 

 

 

Hunters + Unicorns: The 33 CxOs - Mark Musselman #015

“Going into BMC, that’s a Harvard Business School case study and I would title it, Speed Boat Takes Over Aircraft Carrier.”  - Mark Musselman 

Hunters and Unicorns shares the playbooks from leaders, founders, executives and investors from high growth technology companies.  

In this special edition series The 33 CXOs we investigate the greatest success story in the history of software sales. Discover how thirty-three sales execs from one organisation, BladeLogic, became CXOs in the world’s 100 fastest growing technology companies. We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most prolific sales leaders in the industry. 

Episode 15 features Mark Musselman, Vice President of Sales and Business Development at Vapor IO. With over 20 years of experience at both early stage and mature organisations, Mark is in his element building and leading enterprise sales teams and company partnerships. Referring to himself as a “sucker for bleeding edge,” Mark has seen huge success both inside and outside of the software sales arena. Forever striving to be the best at whatever he puts his mind to, he has achieved some amazing feats from IPOs to becoming an esteemed breakbeat DJ and starting his own record label, Momu. 

“John called me ‘the workhorse’ because he knew I was always out with the customer; I was always out there. Then he started calling me ‘the artist’ because I would come up with interesting ways to try and get deals done or ways to be relevant to the champion and their business.” 

Mark’s success is without doubt a testament to his work ethic and unique personality. He is smart, competitive and gravitates towards problems that need to be solved. These crucial character traits laid a solid foundation when it came to joining the sales team at BladeLogic and learning the playbook from John McMahon. Once he knew the rules of the game, Mark had everything he needed to conquer this notoriously aggressive sales environment. 

“You really need to be thinking about training, training, training, whether it's yourself that needs it or your team that needs it, and it needs to be iterative and constant so that you're audible ready and prepared at all times. It's not just product training, it's training on how to run the methodology and run the playbooks - it's both.” 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

• The early years of tech - behind the scenes of BladeLogic and the BMC takeover 
• How to survive in the technology industry without becoming a robot 

• The importance of good competition amongst your peers 
• Why you should recruit athletes over experience 

 

Mark Musselman understands what it takes to succeed in this industry. He knows the key to increasing revenue and how to build proactive sales teams that dominate with maths and science, but his natural creativity and passion for technology has given him an upper hand. We discuss Mark’s love for this industry, his management style and the unique strategies he uses to help close deals faster. An entertaining insight into the world of a true hunter, this discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space. 

 

Hunters + Unicorns: The 33 CxOs - Paul Cant #012

Available as podcasts on our Spotify and iTunes channel;

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hunters-unicorns/id1535460339

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5DeTa0QE0WZ1OkX3KX82mh?si=foC9FDrbRMGVGjW4MCBocQ

Hunters and Unicorns shares the playbooks from leaders, founders, executives and investors from high growth technology companies.

In this special edition series The 33 CXOs we investigate the greatest success story in the history of software sales. Discover how thirty-three sales execs from one organisation, BladeLogic, became CXOs in the world’s 100 fastest growing technology companies. We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most prolific sales leaders in the industry.

Episode 12 features Paul Cant, Vice President EMEA at BMC Software. Paul has more than 20 years of experience in sales leadership, building and leading high-performance teams and designing and implementing world-class business plans and programmes to drive innovation and sustainable growth.

Paul started his software career in 1996 at PTC. He was seeking a solution that was disrupting the market and with a reputation for setting the bar high, PTC fit his criteria. Since then, Paul has transitioned through the ranks, holding senior sales and management roles at BladeLogic, Ascential Software and, after initially joining BMC as a sales manager in 2008, he has been on quite the journey to earn his current position in leadership.

“I'd had the PTC experience, Ascential experience, BladeLogic experience, so yes, I could have gone and looked for another one of those type of experiences, but I think that investing in my own leadership brand and in creating my own legacy was the opportunity that BMC gave me and has given me. Rather than jumping around, it was important for me to invest in BMC.”

Paul learnt and mastered the playbook at PTC and accredits his outstanding career progression to his beginnings at this iconic company. His thirst for knowledge and determination to succeed saw Paul transition from a Sales Rep to a VP as he witnessed first-hand the fundamental importance of sales methodology, innovation, recruitment and carrying weight as a team in a “hire and fire” environment. He developed an insight into this industry and created a set of career progression criteria for himself that he still depends on and uses to propel the careers of his people at BMC to this day.

“We spend a lot of time here talking about culture and we are committed to the development of great salespeople. If you've got the right makeup of intelligence, character, coachability, experience, then you can be very successful here and build a very, very good career. Around 85% of all of the leaders here come from ICs, so we certainly have a meritocracy and there is opportunity for people to progress their careers - we're investing hundreds of millions of dollars into innovating our solutions which we've done over the past 40 years, but no more so than just recently. There are some really exciting developments.”

In this podcast you will discover:

- What raw materials you need to be recruited by an iconic software company like BMC

- The value of studying the playbooks

- A background in engagement models and how to use MEDDIC to measure and drive analytics

- How to keep progressing in your sales career

Paul is passionate and excited about the future of BMC and the self-development culture that has been established there. He is dedicated to ensuring that his employees can thrive within the company’s framework and is committed to finding and growing the future leaders of this innovative organisation.

Paul’s aim is to make an impact wherever he goes and his loyalty to BMC is a testament to how this company continues to transform and grow. Discussing his journey through the ranks of these world-class sales organisations, we listen to Paul’s view on the topic of what it takes for a company to reach unicorn status as he reveals what he has witnessed to be the key contributing factors to this phenomenon. This wide-ranging discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space.

Hunters + Unicorns: The 33 CxOs - John Kaplan #010

“Once you're a part of a championship team with A-players, great products, great leaders and great cultures, it's very hard to go backwards. We were lucky. We were in the right place at the right time, but we worked hard. Once you’ve been a part of that, you're always trying to build it better. That's what we tried to do it at Force Management. We didn't want to try to do another PTC, we wanted to do something greater than PTC. I'm not saying we've done that, but that was our mentality. - John Kaplan  

  

Hunters and Unicorns shares the playbooks from leaders, founders, executives and investors from high growth technology companies.   

 

In this special edition series The 33 CxOs we investigate the greatest success story in the history of software sales. Discover how thirty-three sales execs from one organisation, BladeLogic, became CXOs in the world’s 100 fastest growing technology companies. We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most prolific sales leaders in the industry.  

 

Episode 12 features John Kaplan, president and co-founder of the most influential sales training organisation in the world - Force Management. John has over 20 years of executive experience in sales, leadership, and execution, specialising in corporate sales strategy and performance management. Before Force Management, John was SVP of International Sales Operations for PTC, the fastest growing software company in the history of the planet that went from zero to a billion dollars in less than 10 years. Today, we are honoured to discuss with John his spectacular career trajectory, including how he left his 10-year role at Xerox in 1996 to “sprint” into a managerial position at PTC and go on to become the inspirational consultant, presenter and facilitator that he is today.   

“I was a college athlete. I did really well at Xerox, and I was really confident in my skills. Then I went to PTC and I was just in awe of the environment. Everybody was an A-player. It reminded me of when I went to Boise State in my freshman year. You show up and you're like, ‘I'm fast, I'm strong, I'm a good hitter’, and then you realise that everybody is fast and strong and a good hitter. The people at PTC  were just incredibly smart, talented, committed, wise beyond their years.”  

 

Recruiting high-potential, driven individuals and indoctrinating them with the proven methodologies is a keystone of the McMahon playbook. John Kaplan and Grant Wilson had an insatiable passion for conceptualising the teachings, with the view of empowering future generations to learn the way. Opportune and essential, this was the genesis of Force Management.  

John Kaplan talks about their continued quest to understand the common traits of successful organisations. They aim to align the vision of the business at the top to the “three-foot conversations” on the field. We explore the best practices that are conducive to the operating rhythm and cadence of hyper-performance.    

 

Trusted by leading brands such as Snowflake, MongoDB, RSA, Segment, Okta and many more, John provides an insight into the methods they teach which have established them as a trusted enabler for the playbook companies.  

“I was on an airplane commuting and I looked around the plane and thought, “These people look awful, they are hating life.” I'm like, “God, I hope I don't look like that.” I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw my reflection and I'm like, "Oh my God, I look like that!" I took out a napkin and a pen, and thought, “What's missing on this plane?” What was missing was passion. So, I wrote down in a circle in the middle of the cocktail napkin, "Passion." I said, "Okay, what am I passionate about?" I started to write it down, and I was really passionate about coaching and developing people … Force Management was actually sketched out on a napkin!”  

  

In this podcast you will discover:  

•        The inspiration behind Force Management  
•        The four essential questions you need to be aligned with for high-performance 
•        How to build your sales process around your customers buying process.  
•        Natural resting states when assessing suitability  

  

John Kaplan gives a unique account of how to drive organisational alignment, increase revenue, and deliver transformation. Eighteen years ago, Force Management was born out of the passion for growing and developing sales forces. He now works with some of the most influential companies in the world, helping them to understand their business, and stay engaged in the process to ensure their success.   

 

John talks us through his journey from the early days to the present moment and tells us exactly what he thinks it takes to build a modern-day unicorn. This extensive discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, anyone with a passion for the high growth technology space and the MEDDICC playbook.  

 

Hunters + Unicorns: The 33 CxOs - Keith Butler #014

Available as podcasts on our Spotify and iTunes channel;

iTunes:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hunters-unicorns/id1535460339

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/5DeTa0QE0WZ1OkX3KX82mh?si=foC9FDrbRMGVGjW4MCBocQ

“I love doing this. I love building sales teams. What do I want? I want to build a big company so that we can have great customer success and we can go win together, that's what it's about.” - Keith Butler

Hunters and Unicorns shares the playbooks from leaders, founders, executives and investors from high growth technology companies.

In this special edition series The 33 CXOs we investigate the greatest success story in the history of software sales. Discover how thirty-three sales execs from one organisation, BladeLogic, became CXOs in the world’s 100 fastest growing technology companies. We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most prolific sales leaders in the industry.

Episode 14 features Keith Butler, Chief Revenue Officer at Observe, Inc. Keith unintentionally embarked on a career in the sales arena in 1995 when he graduated from college and was offered a job selling copiers at Xerox. This unplanned trajectory soon led him into roles that were well suited to his highly competitive nature and love of winning. After honing his skills in this aggressive sales environment, Keith was recruited by PTC and from there, his career soared. He now has over 20 years of experience building and leading highly effective teams in the SaaS industry and has worked for some of the most iconic companies in the business including BladeLogic and BMC. Prior to his current role at Observe, Keith served as CRO at Perfecto and was also instrumental in the growth of RSA Aveksa as VP Americas Sales.

“You've got to be open to learn new things all the time even though you think you're pretty good. I thought I was good coming into Xerox, and then I thought I was good at PTC, and then I thought I was good at BladeLogic, and every time, I'm learning more, it continues to happen to me now. You've got to dig in, get into details and all of a sudden you'll get a skillset that you can use to help and teach others.”

Surrounded by great leaders, Keith thrived in an environment where he could learn. He had the discipline and desire required to master the playbook and soon came to realize the significance of “the bowels of the details” in terms of sales methodology and processes. He gained vital knowledge and developed essential skills in the early days of his career that would enable him to make a smooth transition to the next level, evolve the playbook in accordance with his own philosophies and make an impact as a leader himself.

I realized that when I led people, I could make sales teams do things they couldn't do before. I didn't really know why; I just knew that that was something I was good at and I got a lot of energy from it.

In this podcast you will discover:

• The fundamental importance of understanding the MEDDIC framework

• The value in being open to learning and developing new skills

• The parallels between sports and sales and the impact of a great leadership

• The key ingredients required to build a winning sales team

 

Motivated and excited by building, leading and working with highly effective sales teams, Keith Butler continues to set standards and make an impact in this challenging and dynamic industry. We discuss his love for leadership, winning and watching people grow as he talks us through his experiences and tells us what he thinks it takes for a business to reach unicorn status and why Sutter Hill is a great company to work for. This wide-ranging discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space