RevTalks, Episode 4: Inside the Mind of a CRO

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Inside the Mind of a CRO

Cameron Schuette: Welcome to RevTalks Episode 4. Today, we’re diving into the mind of a CRO to understand their perspective and how sellers can make a strong impression when engaging with them. 

Mark, let’s get straight into it. As the CRO of Salesloft, what occupies most of your time?

Mark Niemiec: Most of my time is spent ensuring our teams can operate in a scalable and repeatable manner. This involves identifying the practices of our top performers and sharing those methods across the team. It's crucial to ensure everyone follows our designed processes without skipping steps. This guarantees that all investments are utilized effectively and consistently for our customers' success.

Looking Ahead

Cameron Schuette: Sales has evolved significantly over the past few years. What do you foresee in the next 12 to 18 months?

Mark Niemiec: Buyers are overwhelmed with outreach that often doesn't address their specific concerns or needs. Effective outreach needs to be precise and personalized, showing a clear understanding of the buyer's situation. Successful sellers know their customers well, tailor their messaging, and have done their research. Buyers likely know a lot about you already, so sellers must be equally prepared and informed to deliver the right message at the right time.

Cameron Schuette: That makes sense. We’ve noticed that sales felt more straightforward for a while but seems tougher now. Why do you think that is?

Mark Niemiec: I often discuss this. There are two types of changes in sales: the slow, fundamental changes, like the earth's orbit around the sun, which include thorough discovery, strong business cases, and aligning with champions. These fundamentals evolve but never go out of style. Then, there are quicker changes, like the earth's 24-hour rotation, such as economic shifts or new product disruptions. These can cause short-term stress, but strong sellers excel by focusing on fundamentals regardless of these quick changes. They build solid business cases, align with company goals, and create strategic narratives that help customers achieve their objectives. Our best salespeople consistently perform these basics well, regardless of the market conditions.

Advice for Sellers

Cameron Schuette: So, resilience is key for a seller. If someone feels that sales is becoming increasingly difficult, what should they do?

Mark Niemiec: Go back to the basics. Focus on the fundamentals: build strong business cases, understand your customers’ desired outcomes, and genuinely care about solving their problems. Remember, sales is a measure of how well you’re doing your job, not the job itself. Your job is to help customers solve their problems with your products. Revenue is just a metric of your effectiveness.

Cameron Schuette: One final question for this episode. You’ve probably seen those old-school sales offices with motivational posters everywhere. If you could create one, what would it say?

Mark Niemiec: I’d quote one of my mentors, Larry Satterfield, who used to say, "I’m a sales guy, not a historian." I might modernize it to, "I’m a salesperson, not a historian." It’s a reminder that it’s about what you do today, not what you did yesterday. This quote sits on my desk as a constant reminder.

Cameron Schuette: Thanks for joining us today. In the next episode of RevTalks, we'll discuss how sellers can achieve mutual success with buyers.