At a small company, one or two big deals can significantly inflate the average productivity per rep. This hides the fact that the majority of the team may be underperforming. As the team grows and these outliers have less impact, the true, often flatlining, productivity of the sales force is exposed.
In a remote workforce, scrappy problem-solving is often invisible. Leaders must create a system to surface and publicly celebrate reps who use creativity to overcome blockers. This not only rewards the desired behavior but also transforms individual wins into scalable learning moments for the entire team.
"Mercenaries" are transactional reps who perform well but leave when conditions change. "Patriots" are mission-driven team members who build a winning culture. While startups may need mercenaries for early traction, long-term success requires actively cultivating and hiring for patriot-like qualities.
Instead of a rigid plan, early-stage companies should establish core GTM "tent poles": a defined ICP, answers to the four essential questions of value, and an engagement model. These elements provide structure but can be flexibly adjusted based on market feedback without causing the entire strategy to collapse.
In a scaling company, a CRO must balance hitting immediate targets with building for the future. An effective model is the 70/30 split: 70% of time is focused on closing deals and hitting the quarterly number, while the other 30% is invested in creating the repeatable processes required for the next growth phase.
As companies scale, they shift from inbound to outbound sales. Reps accustomed to a steady flow of leads often lack the desire or skill to build their own pipeline. The CRO guest estimates fewer than half can successfully make this critical career transition, leading to high turnover.
A resilient sales culture is built on pride. This pride doesn't appear organically; it's the result of a specific sequence. Effective training and development equip reps to win. Consistent winning fosters genuine pride in their work, team, and company, which in turn builds a loyal, high-retention culture.
The key to leveraging AI in sales isn't just about learning new tools. It's about embedding AI into the company's culture, making it a natural part of every process from forecasting to customer success. This cultural integration is what unlocks its full potential, moving beyond simple technical usage.