Jake Sorofman

The path to $10MM ARR is about finding your repeatable, scalable sales motion. The formula is simple, but not easy. It looks like this: Effort + Enthusiasm + Messaging + Lead Quality = Results When you are scaling a sales team, your job is to manage the inputs. Those are the things on the left side of this equation. If you can reduce the variability of the inputs, you will have more consistent results. Put another way. Consistent inputs leads to consistent outputs. Let's break it down... 1. Effort is the driver for your sales performance. You cannot scale without consistent effort. Effort includes the velocity of sales activity (phone calls, emails, meetings, etc.). Effort also includes the way that you execute your sales activity. This is your sales process and sales playbook. You can improve the quality of your effort with learning and development. 2. Enthusiasm is an amplifier for your effort. You have to act like you want to earn the business. A little enthusiasm goes a long way in closing more business. I've found that you can't teach enthusiasm. You must hire for it. 3. Messaging is how you get prospects to believe what you believe. Your messaging is your value prop. It's how you approach your ICP. It's the way that you convince customers that their current version of the world is no longer acceptable and they must make a chance. The best messaging illustrates the consequences of inaction. 4. Lead quality drives your conversion rate You have to stay focused on your ICP. The more variable your lead quality, the more inconsistent your sales results. The best effort, enthusiasm, and messaging are helpless if you are focused on the wrong accounts. This is the formula for predictable, repeatable, scalable sales. Manage the consistency of your inputs and you will have consistent outputs. What about you? What's your formula for repeatable results?

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Revenue Operations (RevOps) stands out as the most desired strategic approach that delivers long-term value in today’s SaaS world.   RevOps was never about just about short-term gains; it’s a holistic, data-driven approach that aligns sales, marketing/content, and customer success/growth teams to drive revenue growth by improving the ratio of customer acquisition cost to total lifetime value. If you’re opting for this approach as a sales/revenue manager you also need to train/hire the right people who demonstrate the following:   1.   Your team needs to navigate changing market dynamics, adopt new technologies (e.g. making personalized videos to make onboarding or sales reach outs easier) and make their peace with the fact that all departments have the same end goal (can be instilled by have a collective incentive) 2.   You need people who will breakdown silos between departments. Seek out individuals who not only excel in their specific role but also thrive in cross-functional environments. 3.   Your hiring strategy should reflect your long term focused will to invest in talent that not only meets current needs but also has the potential to grow with the organization. Consider candidates/training regimes that will instill passion for continuous improvement and professional development.   No sales/revenue manager can do this on their own. They need their team to be on their back supporting their ideas and that can only be achieved if constant feedback is being taken from them otherwise there will never be any ownership of the changing policies. Keep the following points in mind:   1.   Your team members have valuable insights into what’s working and what’s not especially sales and onboarding. You can only learn the ground reality by encouraging an open feedback culture where everyone feels safe to share their ideas and concerns. 2.   The feedback needs to be regular so that it allows you to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to optimize processes and strategies. 3.   As Daniel Pink says when employees feel heard and valued, they’re more likely to be engaged and showcase ownership towards the organization’s success. Actively giving feedback fosters a culture of trust and accountability.   RevOps is a long-term approach that requires a strategic approach to hiring/training and a commitment to continuous feedback and improvement. Invest in adaptable talent and leverage key and valuable insights of your team. #SaaS #RevOps #Sales #B2BSaas  

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CS teams NEED to start "managing up" with execs and the board by talking about REVENUE. Yes, you can keep talking about sentiment and feelings, but start with the $. Don't lead with churn- Bottom-line-focused execs don't like that headline, so you need to tell the story better. An informal poll had CS teams owning over 50% of the revenue of many SaaS companies. Lead with this and have it be your first talking point. From there you will be able to get more things done with other departments, as your requests will be revenue-focused Need to get a Customer Success Platform as you scale? Point to revenue and the potential to lose revenue without efficiencies Need to hire more to prevent burnout? Point to Revenue potential with renewals and upsells Talk in the language your execs and board want to hear.

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Speed to lead might sound simple, but the architecture behind it is anything but. ZoomInfo's demo routing is powered by Zoominfo Enrich, which we used to create a system of models and workflows for SDRs to connect prospects with closers (AEs). As always, our goal is to optimize outcomes while maintaining equitability for reps. Let's break it down: ⚖️ Balancing Model: Designed within Salesforce, this system prioritizes demo allocation by evaluating the number of eligible events over their event quota over a rolling period to ensure a fair distribution of leads among AE cohorts. 📏 5 Tier Prospect Scoring Model: Dynamically assesses and assigns prospects to a tier based on channel, segment, win rate model, and title department rating collected and enriched at the time a prospect fills out a form via ZI form complete.. 🏆 Win Rate Model: Leveraging ZI enriched data points, this model refines demo allocation by categorizing prospects and accounts into win rate cohorts based on thousands of ZoomInfo’s industry-specific and title data points, such as # of sales employees and recent funding activity all help pinpoint the best meeting. ✅ AE Tiering Eligibility: Based on segment and ACV quota, AEs are eligible from anywhere from 1 to 4 tiers of demos. The demo router matches eligible AEs to a prospect tier to determine whether or not an AE is best suited for this particular meeting. 🗓️ Availability Integration: Through direct integration with Google Free/Busy API, we prioritize speed to lead by matching AE availability with the time the SDR coordinated with the prospect. This way we can book more same-day and next day meetings. The magic is that an SDR simply has to hit a button to initiate this process and schedule a meeting, making the handoff and tracking practically seamless We're continuously refining our model to adapt to nuances like PTO, market changes, and shifting demands to keep our leads flowing as quickly and smoothly as possible. See what Steven Bryerton, our SVP of New Sales has to say about Speed to Lead 👉 https://lnkd.in/gSQ5JyrD 

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Great dinner and discussion on the cutting edge of outbound automation and signals. Two nuggets from the discussion: 1) Email deliverability is especially critical for GTM motions with large scale outbound automation (usually selling to SMBs and wide TAM). There doesn’t seem to be a silver bullet, and banking on one deliverability vendor / approach is risky. 2) Bulllish on signals and automation for up-market GTM motions, but needs to be done thoughtfully. Likely keeping reps in the driver’s seat and less end-to-end automation.

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A wave of consolidation is sweeping through the sales tech industry. I recently listened to a brilliant episode from the Topline podcast, featuring Salesloft CEO David Obrand, that shed light on the current state of the GTM tech landscape. As highlighted in the episode, key players like Clari, Gong and Outreach are expanding their offering to boost their TAM and offer more comprehensive solutions. Whilst the trend is understandable, the danger is long-standing partnerships start to fray as overlapping functionalities emerge - partnerships that were once the lifeblood of the sales tech ecosystem. For us, it begs the question. In a world of all-encompassing GTM suites, is there still a place for specialized, best-in-breed solutions? I believe the answer is a resounding yes - but only if they can offer extraordinary value. To thrive in this new era, point solutions must not only deliver great results but also seamlessly integrate into a company’s core tech stack and existing workflows. At MultiplyGTM, we’re laser-focused on providing planning intelligence that complements rather than competes with the everyday solutions revenue teams rely on, and goes deep in addressing a critical need - empowering revenue leaders with the confidence and clarity to achieve their goals. Whilst we may lack the resources of larger players, our goal is to provide unparalleled planning intelligence and insights that drive revenue, while growing sustainably and delivering immense value to our customers with our domain expertise. We're on the cusp of announcing some game-changing partnerships too that will extend our reach and impact, while maintaining our focus on delivering the revenue planning capabilities that drive profitable efficient growth. Stay tuned! 🚀

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Popular Sales Prediction vs. My Prediction: Popular: In the age of AI - RevOps will be the competitive advantage for sales teams My Prediction? In the age of AI - Sales Enablement will be the competitive advantage to stand above the sea of sameness

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Outbound is moving in a new direction and revenue teams must keep up or get left behind. UserGems 💎 asked 100+ SaaS revenue leaders to weigh in on what's fueling their pipeline generation, what's breaking down, and how to navigate the road ahead. #marketingops #saasfounders #ceo #entrepreneurs #startupfounders #ai #playbook #techstack #bestpractices #expertadvice #b2bmarketing #saasmarketing #softwareindustry #softwarecompanies #outboundmarketing #saas #marketingtactics #marketingstrategies #cmo #marketingadvice #personalisation #marketingstrategy #marketingtips #growthmarketing #marketingdata #marketingpersonalization #martech #marketing2024 #marketingai #aipowered #aienabled #outboundstrategy #marketinginsights #saasbusiness #saasstartups #saasproduct #customervaluecreation #productvalue #valuecreation #successstrategy #gtmomentum #gotomarket #earlystagestartup #revenueboost #monetization #revenuegeneration #productgrowth #customerengagement #customeracquisition #gtmmotion #gtmplays #customerintelligence #marketingintelligence #gtmstack #revops #revenueoperations #revenueenablement #salesenablement #signalbasedselling #revops #revenueteams

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Are you building an SDR/BDR function? Stop what you are doing and read this. Megan Hardy is some you need to learn from - I’m stoke I get to learn from her EVERYDAY She’s really brilliant. She’s freaking cool. She’s got a fire to win like no other. She’s a builder. She’s a wife and mother with an awesomely cool family……..ask Chester Hardy….he’ll agree 😁 She cares about her people……..but doesn’t put up with nonsense. She done this multiple times….. She’s been an SDR (multiple times), AE (multiple times), run enablement (multiple times)…… Built a kickbutt SDR/BDR organization multiple times……… Read the dang thing….. She knows her stuff……. https://lnkd.in/gFG7qSem. #sdr #bdr #sales #saas #enablement #rockstar #leadership #restauranttech #wfm #leader

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The most underrated role on Go-To-Market teams: Revenue Operations A great Rev Ops leader gives your revenue team leverage. I waited too long to hire for this role, instead choosing to do the job off the side of my desk. I was being lazy. I didn’t fully understand what “sales operations” or “revenue operations” meant. I hadn’t taken the time to sit down and write out the job description. But once I found the right person, it was like the world opened before my eyes. Our Rev Ops leader was my partner in running the revenue team. They were involved at the strategic level and at the tactical level. They knew where all the bodies were buried. So what does Rev Ops do? I’ll do my best to list some of the key responsibilities: - build the revenue model - weekly sales forecast - select, implement, and maintain the tech stack (CRM, sales engagement tools, etc) - design sales compensation plan - run the sales compensation report monthly - own the TAM data in the CRM (super important!!) - analyze sales team performance - manage lead distribution The list goes on. If you have 3 or more sales people on your team and you are planning to scale, hire a Rev ops leader ASAP. Who is your favorite Rev ops leader? Tag them!

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Enterprise sales reps, hear me out -- you've got to stop thinking that "Proficient with Microsoft Word" is a differentiated selling skill. What I mean: Ten years ago, you could build a really unique account plan by doing google+social sleuthing because it was (a) relatively hard work that (b) not everyone would do even if they could. Today, I'm still seeing Enterprise sellers stand out from the pack by doing hard work that their peers won't — specifically, by going hard after primary sources instead of using the web. In other words, they're not settling for "Proficient with Microsoft Word." 3 approaches I've heard in the last month of discussing this with leaders of enterprise sales teams: 1. Sales rep using their 1st+2nd degree network to contact and interview literally anyone with recent work experience at the target company. Doesn't matter if they have to start below the line in the wrong department — they turn one referral into another and eventually have account insights that no competitor does. For penetrating a huge org this is invaluable. 2. Having the sales rep and SDR pair up on calling into the Sales organization of the target company, and just nicely ask for insights "sales rep to sales rep". The advantages of calling the sales org, despite not being your actual persona, are that (a) they pick up the phone more than other depts and (b) as sales reps they know how to be helpful if they want to be. I didn't personally expect this to work that well and was surprised how well it did when we tried it. 3. Hiring former employees of the target company as consultants for building account plans and/or designing RFP responses. This is harder work than sending out AirPods, champagne bottles, or gift cards in exchange for meeting — but you get a willing coach, maybe even a former executive, helping you sell. That's huge. (Obviously I'm biased toward using Emissary.io to simplify this.) There are no shortcuts in sales but there is always "doing what others won't." Would love to hear other under-utilized, hard-to-do tactics!

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ZoomInfo Copilot is working 24/7 — surfacing important updates you should know about your top accounts.  With breaking alerts delivered via Slack, you'll never miss when a buying group shifts or a key account spikes on intent. 🔔 Have a question about one of your accounts? Ask Copilot's interactive, AI-powered chat and get answers in seconds.  Ready to give Copilot a try? Request a demo: bit.ly/3Kj4myP #ZoomInfoCopilot

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The Q1 Vendr SaaS Trends Report dropped today with great insights for both buyers and sellers. 3 key takeaways: 1. ACV is increasing, and so are sales cycles. 2. Buyers are less likely to renew if they are surprised by a price increase. 3. Buyers are getting multiple bids before they buy. Check it out for free here - https://lnkd.in/g9GNWwPB

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Should CRO’s even exist? Not if they’re going to be: - Super expensive glorified head of sales - With no marketing or CS experience - Compensated like an account executive  - No focus on ICP or aligning the entire GTM motion - No coordination with peers in cross-functions - No P&L fluency or ability to read a P&L  - Only focused on new business with no understanding of recurring impact - No knowledge of the bowtie or systems designed to deliver ongoing customer value - Have a short term view and only care about the quarter CROs should absolutely exist if they: - Can come from Marketing, CS, or RevOps not just Sales - Have foundational understanding and respect for other functions - Are compensated like all other executives - Are focused on driving tight alignment across the GTM motion - Are focused on collaborating across Sales, Marketing, CS leveraging data generated from RevOps - Are focused on a customer journey that begins when the prospect lands on the website and continues through at least 3 annual renewals - Have a deep knowledge of the bowtie  - Have built expertise as revenue architects - Have a long term view that balances short term urgency with long term enterprise value Revenue generation is a team sport. Recurring revenue is driven by recurring impact. If you’re leading the revenue function, you have to understand that and you have to be an expert at driving tight alignment across the customer journey to deliver that impact. This is the way.

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An enterprise sales kickoff (SKO) is critical for aligning the sales team with the company’s strategic objectives, energizing the team, and setting the stage for a successful sales year. Beyond alignment of company goals, product and service education, motivation and morale boost, skills development, networking and team building, marketing and competitive insights, goal setting and accountability, inspiration and vision, strategic planning, and a feedback loop from the field, there are also several consistent mistakes/NOT-to-do many organizations ignore before, during, and after their SKOs! Here is my latest post on Ten Sales Kickoff Insights shared by GTMnow - https://lnkd.in/eQxQrKuJ GTMfund Sales Community #SKO #SalesKickoff #GlobalKickoff #KeynoteSpeaker #RelationshipEconomics #CoCreate #CurveBenders #ConsequenceOfAI

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Want to elevate your sales game and win over C-suite executives? 📈 Learn from the best with ZoomInfo's top sales tips, including insights from our CEO and Founder, Henry Schuck!  Discover the definitive guide to selling to the C-suite in 2024: bit.ly/4aSCL3i

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There is often considerable overlap between Revenue Operations (RevOps) leadership and the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) roles due to the interconnected nature of strategy and execution in driving revenue growth. This signifies a move toward a transformation in Revenue executives where decision-makers combine strategic foresight with operational expertise that drives sustainable revenue growth. The opportunity for senior RevOps professionals to take on these executive roles is more relevant than ever. Here is my advice on considering this move: https://lnkd.in/eEp263QR

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A good CRO, or Commercial Leader, can indeed come from sales, marketing, or CS - the main thing is that this is a holistic role, not a gloried sales leader with a higher title. Great words of wisdom from Sam - thanks for sharing. #leadership

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