Stacy David Thurston

Learn the top two qualification methodologies — BANT and MEDDIC — and when to use them so you avoid wasting time on dead-end leads.

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How good is ZoomInfo Copilot? I think these customer reactions say it all. 💪 To see what ZoomInfo Copilot can do for you, head to our landing page to request a demo 👉 http://bit.ly/3UMYe6U #ZoomInfoCopilot

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Jenn Clevenger (Etsy Senior Director of Engineering), Kamilah Taylor (Gusto Head of Financial Products Engineering), Sukrutha Bhadouria (Salesforce Director of Engineering) and Willie Hooykaas-Baldwin (Salesforce VP of Engineering) discuss all things engineering leadership. Learn why they got into management, their favorite parts of their jobs, and how they each work to ensure a sense of fairness, inclusion, and diversity within their teams while also building a culture of psychological safety. They'll discuss the importance of sponsorship, mentoring & growing your personal network and share tips for building a network and nurturing those relationships. They'll also tackle subjects like coping with mounting responsibilities, learning how and when to ask for help, hiring to backfill your weaknesses, recognizing when it's time to change your leadership style, and some of their proudest accomplishments! (video + transcript) https://lnkd.in/eakT2CQX

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Rupert Spira is one of the leading lights of Advaita vedanta in present times. The words he speaks come directly from the source (infinity) and have the potency to lead you to infinity. The simplicity and clarity of the teachings is remarkable. Advaita provides an effective solution to the problem of pain and suffering. Human life is such that pain and suffering can not be avoided altogether. There are ways to get temporary relief but that's not a true solution. Through Advaita one can transcend pain and suffering. It's a paradigm shift because it does nothing to the pain and suffering but alters ones identification with it. This directly reduces the effect pain and suffering has on one. Advaita also addresses the perennial problem of search for happiness in outside things by conclusively showing that you are the source of what you are searching. Understanding this knowledge and living it gives instant peace and access to bliss. Highly recommend this beautiful and subtle piece of work by Rupert. ~S~

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Reminds me of the Pegionhole principle: If there are n items and m containers (where n > m), then at least one container must contain more than one item.

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Great Place To Work® and Fortune magazine have honored Five9 as one of this year's Best Workplaces in the Bay Area. 🌟 This is Five9's second time being named to this prestigious list, coming in at No. 17. Earning a spot means that Five9 has surpassed rigorous benchmarks, establishing itself as one of the best workplaces among companies headquartered in the San Francisco Bay region. Learn more: #Five9 #BestPlacesToWork #CustomerExperience

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Transparency for me but not for thee? This is almost never the issue. The real issue is, WHY?! Why are engineers taking too long? Why do sales people sell things that don't exist? Why don't people understand what the various tools and features do? I always find it interesting that people hate to ask the sales people why they sell stuff that doesn't exist. Or why Support doesn't understand the tools. Or why does engineering take so long. If anything has taught me a harsh truth, it's under cover boss has shown me that top level management, IE the executives, don't see all the facts, or aren't given an understanding of the relevance to those facts. Team: We failed because of "B". Management: Ok, fix "B". Team: We have but it keeps showing up. Management: Why? Team: Because of "C". Management: What is C? I kept that very short, but it is exactly the pattern of what goes on. The small pebble has a ripple that distorts and distracts everything. This leave no one who can see the origin to understand why some of these ripples are small, vs large, vs giant. This is where a root cause analysis (RCA) is needed. The RCA, which is normally a part of Corrective Action Reporting (CAR), clearly digs through all of the layers to find the root cause, in the metaphor above, the pebble. Most people stop on their CARs when they get the RCA, however, the rest of the report is about how to prevent further incursions of disruptions. How many times can a pebble drop into the pool of water until someone finally puts a shelter over the pool to prevent these pebbles? That is where the corrective part of the CAR comes into place. It is designed to outline the actions to be taken to prevent new pebbles, and to create policy if needed. So CARs don't just answer "why", but "how is it resolved", and "who is responsible for permanent or long term resolution." This provides transparency to the problem and the resolution. It also opens the floor for discussion for completeness. This is the glass house part that is rarely implemented. Once the manager of the source of the issue has the report, they need to open for discussion the corrective action, and see if people find it complete, or deficient. If something is onerous in it's correction, the discussion should stop and become an edict, but options for corrections should be made. Once the corrections have been implemented, these reports should have an executive summary attached as a coversheet, and shared with top level management. Then when they hear that something is failing in process, they have the resolution plan on hand, and there is a means to measure for success. In this metaphor, there are no more pebbles dropped into the pool of water. However, this GREATLY improves that glass house transparency that they top level management has wanted and needed, so they can walk in wisdom. See additional notes in comment.

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Screw It, Lets Do it by Richard Branson an English Business Magnate  A very short and excellent weekend read, full of the author’s life lessons. He is focusing mentioning his life lessons and how he sailed through life and made it big. It was never easy but it always looked like he was lucky.  While he did not leave any stone unturned to execute his idea, his family having FIRM Belief in him made him Get Going. It feels extremely happy when you can reflect so many values with a Business Magnet 😉 (My reflection at the end) 1. JUST DO IT! Have Goals– as early as a 9-year-old. The goals can be as small as possble Prepare Well– brainstorm and start Believing It Can Be Done- Be “Dr YES” Have Faith in Yourself– Don’t let the silly rules or limiting beliefs stop you ever Help Each Other- create an ecosystem.   2. HAVE FUN  Have Fun, Work Hard and Money Will Come even if your goal is not to earn money. Have a Positive Outlook On Life- Focus on good things Most importantly When it's Not Fun, Move On 'Live life to the full. Enjoy every minute. Everyone has diff definition of fun, Find your own.   3. BE BOLD Calculate the Risks and Take Them Do not play blind ever as that is uncontrollable. Most importantly- Keep Your Word   4. CHALLENGE YOURSELF Aim high Try New Things - come out of your comfort zone Always Try- Never Give Up Challenge Yourself -   5. STAND ON YOUR OWN FEET Rely on Yourself Chase your Dreams but Live in the Real World. Work Together- create an ecosystem. As a system lasts longer than an individual   6. LIVE THE MOMENT Love Life and Live It To The Full Enjoy the Moment Reflect on your Life Make Every Second Count towards your goal Don't Have Regrets   7.  VALUE FAMILY AND FRIENDS Put the Family, Team and People First - A dispute with a friend or a colleague can be sorted in a friendly way. Be Loyal Face Problems Head On – don’t put it under the rug Money is for Making Things Happen and it might not be the Sole goal Pick the Right People and Reward Talent Always   8. HAVE RESPECT Be Polite and Respectful – no matter what is the financial status the person Do the Right Thing – even if it costs something Keep Your Good Name Be Fair in All Your Dealings   9.  DO SOME GOOD Change the World, even if in a Small Way - have some purpose in life. Make a Difference and Help Others Do No Harm no matter how beneficial it seems Always Think What You Can Do To Help My reflection:   As a mother of an 11-year-old, I also have never said that it is impossible, or you “Can’t” do it. “Of course, You can do it if you try” 😊 (Before I mentioned it here, I confirmed with him, and he NODDED with a hug and smile.)   I am also happy with my life purpose: To help as many people as possible achieve their life goals by empowering them through their rock-solid mental health. When I look back, I have a good number of people to mention who dared to sign up for self-work, empower themselves and move on to their life goals. Their sweet note on the phone makes my day.  

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I’m incredibly proud to announce the introduction of ZoomInfo Copilot, our AI-powered solution that turns every seller into your best seller. ✨ For many years, Sales AI has promised the world and delivered disappointment. But with ZoomInfo Copilot, we’ve changed the game. 🚀 Thanks to our powerful AI, thousands of data points across customers’ CRMs and Marketing Automation Platforms are instantly unified with our world-class B2B insights and analyzed in real time. This means we can provide sellers with precise, actionable, up to the minute recommendations for engaging their buyers rather than a jumble of confusing signals. Advanced features like integrated AI-powered chat and a GPT function to craft personalized emails make ZoomInfo Copilot a revolution in B2B SaaS. We can do this because we have the best possible data foundation to work from. I want to extend my thanks and congratulations to all my colleagues in R&D and beyond who have worked tirelessly on this platform. To learn more, read this blog post by our Founder and CEO, Henry Schuck 👉 bit.ly/3K6EfLj #ZoomInfoCopilot

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🚀 Should Customer Success Managers be Technical? 🤔 In the ever-evolving landscape of customer success, there's an ongoing debate: should Customer Success Managers (CSMs) be technical? On the latest podcast with Lizzy Rosen, we dive into this topic and explore the value of technical expertise in driving exceptional customer experiences. 💼💡 Lizzy and I worked together managing a very technical team at Brightcove, and we drew upon our time together and learnings through the years. According to the AI, we discussed: The delicate balance between technical expertise and soft skills, the significance of understanding customer needs, and the potential of hiring internally. Here, we highlight the key topics discussed in this enlightening episode. 1. Understanding both the product and the customer's needs and challenges: CSMs are critical in bridging the gap between the product and the customer. They must possess a deep understanding of the product's features and benefits, while also empathizing with the challenges and objectives of the customer. By aligning these two aspects, CSMs can provide effective solutions and drive customer success. 2. Leveraging technical experts for complex customer queries: Rather than expecting CSMs to possess a wide range of technical and customer service skills, the podcast explores the potential of employing technical experts to handle more complex customer queries. This approach allows CSMs to focus on building strong relationships and ensuring overall customer satisfaction. 3. Building a "farm team" of future CSMs from within: The conversation delves into the idea of hiring from within the organization, particularly from the support team, to create a "farm team" of individuals who have a deep understanding of the product and its customers. By nurturing and developing talent internally, companies can cultivate a pool of future CSMs who are already acquainted with the organization's values and processes. 4. Balancing immediate premium staff hiring with long-term training: The podcast explores whether to hire premium staff immediately or invest in long-term training for existing employees. While immediate hiring may bring in external expertise, investing in the training and development of current employees can foster loyalty and a deeper understanding of the organization's goals. The conversation between us sheds light on the multifaceted skills necessary for Customer Success Managers. By understanding both the product and customer needs, leveraging technical expertise when needed, considering internal hiring strategies, and balancing immediate hiring with long-term training, organizations can empower their CSMs to drive customer success and achieve sustainable growth. Listen here: https://buff.ly/3QNuzJk And how technical should they be? Let me know in the comments?

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Another day, another new, faster #LLM. Meet Claude 3.5 Sonnet from #Anthropic. "Claude 3.5 Sonnet operates at twice the speed of Claude 3 Opus. This performance boost, combined with cost-effective pricing, makes Claude 3.5 Sonnet ideal for complex tasks such as context-sensitive customer support and orchestrating multi-step workflows." https://lnkd.in/ecXUMhKE #AI #genAI #CX #AIorchestration

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"Sometimes you have to take a step back, smaller role, company, comp, to amass learnings and growth so that you can move ahead with greater momentum." This advice comes from Amit Fulay, VP of Product at Microsoft. In a Fireside PM interview, he shared how his own step back to join a startup, though it involved a pay cut and losing his team, armed him with invaluable experience that ultimately fast-tracked his career. Amit's insight on "catapult opportunities" is just one of 10 powerful lessons he offered on navigating product management careers. Read the full blog post for more of his counterintuitive yet transformative advice, covering everything from focusing on customer problems to finding sponsors to enjoying the journey. Read the entire post here: https://lnkd.in/gdy2dn6D #ProductManagement #CareerAdvice #Microsoft

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Heck yeah, we are all hyped!! It was incredible to see how the entire company was laser-focused on delivering ZoomInfo Copilot: the AI-powered go-to-market platform that achieved what Sales AI promised for years but failed to deliver. We are also excited because we've run an extensive beta with over 500 customers, and 20K+ users, learning from the feedback they've given us and feeding the improvements right back into the product. What customers are saying is very satisfying. Today, every seller becomes your best seller!! #ZoomInfoCopilot

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Capitalism needs a conscience. We are that conscience. https://lnkd.in/gTNqRA9U

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How good is ZoomInfo Copilot? I think these customer reactions say it all. 💪 To see what ZoomInfo Copilot can do for you, head to our landing page to request a demo 👉 http://bit.ly/3UMYe6U #ZoomInfoCopilot

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Tomorrow, we finally get to celebrate the launch of our most ground-breaking innovation to date. ZoomInfo Copilot will be released to the market. Our R&D teams have worked tirelessly crafting this AI-powered solution that provides frontline sellers with the real-time, accurate, personalized insights and recommendations they need to close deals faster and more efficiently. And the amazing news is we already know ZoomInfo Copilot works. 20K early users across 500 different companies have created nearly 2x as many sales opportunities and reduced time spent on account research and manual tasks by 10 hours per week. 💪 Stay tuned – tomorrow, every seller becomes your best seller. #ZoomInfoCopilot

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I’m incredibly proud to announce the introduction of ZoomInfo Copilot, our AI-powered solution that turns every seller into your best seller. ✨ For many years, Sales AI has promised the world and delivered disappointment. But with ZoomInfo Copilot, we’ve changed the game. 🚀 Thanks to our powerful AI, thousands of data points across customers’ CRMs and Marketing Automation Platforms are instantly unified with our world-class B2B insights and analyzed in real-time. This means we can provide sellers with precise, actionable, up-to-the-minute recommendations for engaging their buyers rather than a jumble of confusing signals. Advanced features like integrated AI-powered chat and a GPT function to craft personalized emails make ZoomInfo Copilot a revolution in B2B SaaS. We can do this because we have the best possible data foundation to work from. I want to extend my thanks and congratulations to all my colleagues in R&D and beyond who have worked tirelessly on this platform. Request a demo here 🔗 http://bit.ly/3UMYe6U  #ZoomInfoCopilot

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I’m incredibly proud to announce the introduction of ZoomInfo Copilot, our AI-powered solution that turns every seller into your best seller. ✨ For many years, Sales AI has promised the world and delivered disappointment. But with ZoomInfo Copilot, we’ve changed the game. 🚀 Thanks to our powerful AI, thousands of data points across customers’ CRMs and Marketing Automation Platforms are instantly unified with our world-class B2B insights and analyzed in real time. This means we can provide sellers with precise, actionable, up to the minute recommendations for engaging their buyers rather than a jumble of confusing signals. Advanced features like integrated AI-powered chat and a GPT function to craft personalized emails make ZoomInfo Copilot a revolution in B2B SaaS. We can do this because we have the best possible data foundation to work from. I want to extend my thanks and congratulations to all my colleagues in R&D and beyond who have worked tirelessly on this platform. Request a demo here 🔗 http://bit.ly/3UMYe6U  #ZoomInfoCopilot

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If you are in #sales or #presales and you are going international for business, it pays to avoid the tourist traps. And I don't only mean you will be getting better food. Well... that too. But not only. A central part of our craft is to relate to people. To establish connections, so we can build trust. People do business with other people before they do so with corporations. "Going local" enables you to better understand the vibe of the country you are in. To understand why things work the way they work. Take #Japan. Going local involves you going to local restaurants, taking local metros and trains. And you see it. Lots of people crammed in relatively small places. May explain in part why politeness is a refined art - it sure is useful to be able to live in close proximity. Something that my latest trip to the Land of the Rising Sun inspired.

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