Zack Hamilton

𝗣𝘂𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗦 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 After an inspiring two days at Gainsight Pulse 2024, I'm amazed at but not surprise by the rapid pace of innovation happening in the Customer Success space. This wasn't just about new tactics or efficiencies - the content pushed us to entirely reimagine how we drive value, empowerment, and human potential in CS. A few themes resonated deeply: 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿 AI was easily one of the hottest topics at Pulse. The AI roadmap session by Shantan Reddy spotlighted Gainsight's vision for an AI-enabled knowledge layer and intelligent assistants to automate workflows and surface insights. IBM's Janine Sneed and her team showcased how generative AI can power meeting assistants to prep for meetings, automate notes, action items, follow-ups, and more. The consistent refrain: This AI transformation will be human-first, not human-free. As the Kobiton team outlined, the power will come from human-AI collaboration where we leverage technology to augment our strategic abilities. 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆𝘀 The most effective organizations mapped out intelligent, hyper-personalized journeys tailored to specific roles, industries, and desired outcomes. Rather than generic messaging, they used predictive intelligence to construct self-guided experiences attuned to each user's current context. Autonomous journeys meet people where they are. 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗧𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 To truly transform, organizations must move beyond incremental CS changes to holistic transformations. They redesigned entire engagement models, created centralized workflow engines, and made CS a catalyst for broader organizational changes around customer obsession. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 Transformations aren't just about datasets and impressive technology - they are about leading and inspiring people to be open to change and to use their skills to transform together. Kate Peter and Nikki Bishop did a fantastic job of detailing how implementing a human-first culture drives both employee and customer satisfaction, leading to collaboration and business excellence. The challenge for many organizations is achieving the clean datasets needed for these transformations. If you've navigated this journey, I'd love to connect. Reflecting on Pulse 2024, I'm excited about the immense opportunities we as an industry have at this time to shape the future of Customer Success. We're in the midst of a CS renaissance, catalyzed by the convergence of human ingenuity and AI. I'm leaning into this era of collaboration, eager to harness the transformative potential of technologies like generative AI while cultivating extraordinary relationships with our customers. #Gainsightpulse2024 #AI #HumanFirst #CustomerSuccess #Leadership

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These are the 5 traps most new/first time CSM's are falling victim to: Mixing up customer support with customer success Ineffective prioritization strategy Not being commercially minded Worrying about QBR's Getting certifications Avoid these at all costs. Share your thoughts mistakes first time CSM's are making in the comments! ------------------------------------------- Think this is valuable for other CS folks? Hit "Repost" ⬇️ #customersuccess #saas #startups #careercoaching  #CS #CSM #SuccessHacks #customersuccessmanager #lessonsfromanewvp

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💊 Pipeline cures all sales ills. How? 💰 As a seller, a robust sales pipeline ensures you focus on the best opportunities - those with genuine pain points, a strong champion, and access to the economic buyer. A strong pipeline eliminates you wasting time on unqualified deals "hoping" something magically happens. 💰 As a GTM executive, fostering a strong pipeline begins with instilling an outbound culture. Prioritize PG as the primary focus for AEs, considering SDR and Marketing leads as additional bonuses. Interested in enhancing your outbound culture? Watch this insightful video montage featuring experienced professionals. Oh ya...I'm in it too. 😀 #sales #salespipeline #CRO #SDR #outbound #selling

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@HBR just posted a great article on sales automation and how to best utilize AI and a myriad of sales technology offerings available in 2024. 💡 Tools and automation are great....they improve and speed your selling process....but only if the sales strategy they are automating is a well-founded winner. So consider: 🤔 Is your current sales and outreach strategy the same as your competitors? 🤔 How can you separate and differentiate in a positive way? 🤔 Are you working your outreach program for "leads" or "relationships"? Sometimes adopting a "Challenger Mentality" @challengersale is best for setting your brand apart from the others.....

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‼️ Hiring Alert ‼️ LifeLoop is hiring for an Enterprise CSM! Application 👇🏻 Geo: Central US ACV: $80k-$100k # of customers: 15-25 parents + their communities Required: Prior SaaS CS experience Bonus: Senior living experience NOTE: This role requires regular onsite travel to your customers communities. The role IS remote eligible for US applicants only (NO international opportunities available). Perference may be given to candidates who more closely locate to the territory Success looks like: - partnering with account management for growth opportunities - understand and communicate the customers’ desired outcomes and goals - create maintain a mutual success plan with every customer - proactively communicate barriers and risk to success - taking initiative to solution internal and customer challenges - loves customer feedback and conducting additional discovery to ensure proper alignment between our organizations Next steps: 1) Check out the Job description 2) Apply! The rest of the position details and the hiring process is outlined in the job description. Thank you for taking the time to read, review, and hopefully apply! Please note, if you send a LinkedIn DM, I will likely not be able to respond quickly. Your best course of action is to apply. Thank you for your understanding. *Not eligible for agency/external recruitment hires. #CustomerSuccess #LifeLoop #Hiring

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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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Are you falling into the trap of measuring all of your success off of educational training attendance and course completion rates? There might be a better way! Come listen to Dave Derington and find out!

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Misaligned Onboarding with partners business and capabilities READ POST HERE: Partner Enablement: Glaring Gap or Shocking Shortfall? - Starting in Partnering: What most Tech CEOs get wrong #7 https://rb.gy/tug2xz #SalesChannels #PartnerEnablement

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After speaking with 100’s of Rev Ops Leaders over the past few weeks, a few key issue stuck out. Here are 3 of the areas I heard over and over: 1.   Aligning Sales and Marketing 2. Data Silos and Visibility 3. Resistance to Change What are you hearing? Comment Below Here is an article that address other issues Rev Ops Leaders are experiencing.  https://lnkd.in/ewhKQGJA.

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Thorough discovery is the unsung hero of the software sales cycle. Understanding your prospect's needs is the foundation for a successful deal. It enables you to unlock hidden opportunities and challenges as you dig deeper into the client's situation. Establishing a deeper understanding of their business also helps to demonstrate your credibility as a trusted advisor and strengthen your relationship. More than that, a thorough discovery allows you to tailor your pitch to their unique needs. You're able to showcase how your software directly addresses their pain points and drives desired outcomes, making it a compelling offer they can't refuse. This is why you should always work on evaluating and improving your discovery process and technique. Do you have any tips or best practices to share for conducting effective discovery? Let us know in the comments!

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Balancing Demand and Supply One of our Salesforce customer was grappling with a common yet critical challenge. Their sales team was performing exceptionally well, hitting targets consistently. However, during special occasions and peak seasons, demand would skyrocket While this is great news for sales, it posed significant challenges for the factory, which struggled to prepare orders promptly, ultimately impacting customer satisfaction (CSAT) Recognizing the importance of accurate forecasting, we leveraged Salesforce’s Sales Agreement feature. This capability seamlessly links what customers intend to purchase (forecast) with what is actually delivered (order) This integration with SAP 4/HANA enabling our client to manage fluctuations in demand more effectively, ensuring timely order fulfillment Interested in learning more about this capability? Read more about this in the first comment Curious to know how our Salesforce team can transform your operations? Let’s chat! #salesforce #manufacturingcloud #forecasting #customerstories

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Want to know the exact playbook for finishing #1 in sales in your first year at a new company? For this month’s Fireside Chat, I spoke with Nitin Mehta, who has been a coaching client for over a year. Nitin joined my program after getting hired at Mulesoft, and he wanted to hit the ground running. In his first full fiscal year, he finished #1 of 20 mid-market AEs for most ACV closed in Technology, Media, & Telecommunications vertical, was awarded New Logo Champion for closing most new logos out of 50 account executives, and was recognized on the list of top performing AEs worldwide from the Chief Revenue Officer of MuleSoft. All this earned him a promotion to Enterprise AE after his first fiscal year, which typically takes 5+ years. Nitin put into practice everything that I taught him, including prioritizing time on larger deals, practicing Stoicism to stay grounded, meditating and exercising regularly, and having a ton of fun in the process. It’s a playbook we all can learn from in the highly competitive and stressful world of sales, especially now! In this chat, Nitin shares how he finished #1 in his first year. We cover several of his best practices, including: Why he decided to move into SaaS sales after previously co-founding a business Using Yo-Yo selling to get to Senior Executives quickly in his top accounts Why focusing on fewer, but bigger deals helped him sell more How he used PREDICT selling to only work with qualified opportunities. How he got promoted to Enterprise so quickly Nitin’s story is inspiring for anybody looking to perform to their full potential, even at a new role or company. You can find the full interview here: https://buff.ly/3V7TRVa

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🏋️ Imagine someone saying that they have 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑑 their health and fitness goals and they can now stop dieting and exercising. There is a major misconception about RevOps that sounds just as naive, and two apparent ✨𝕔𝕠𝕘𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕓𝕚𝕒𝕤𝕖𝕤✨ at play that are causing this to happen. Many are treating RevOps as a pathway to some idea of a steady state, or even worse, as a project to be completed. Here are a few reasons why, and a different way to think about it. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐚𝐬 - people tend to want to mark something as 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 even in contexts where it’s an ongoing process. People want to say their GTM function is "operationalized" and consider it a done job. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐐𝐮𝐨 𝐁𝐢𝐚𝐬 - there is strong inertia to maintain the status quo, and for most of the high performing innovative people who I tend to connect with here, the trap we fall into is not maintaining the current status quo, yet yearning for an idea when there can be a status quo. It's equally as dangerous and limiting, it's simply hitting the snooze button on stagnation. Many people treat RevOps as a project or have an idea of an end state when everything is “operationalized” - but that’s simply not true. RevOps is not a project, it’s a business function to be served. Just like accounting and finance, the work is never finished. It may ebb and flow with the business needs, but it is a process of continual improvement. Yes, there are often major transformations that have to take place and for many early stage companies there is a front loaded amount of work, but that doesn’t mean you are done, it means you now have the opportunity to get started with the real work of leveraging data to make decisions. At LeanScale, we think of RevOps as a 𝒇𝒍𝒚𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒍, and it’s four simple steps that always connect and complement each other. Check out the video to dive deeper 👇 1. Adjust your growth plan (or create one if you don’t have one)  2. Augment your growth infrastructure 3. Analyze your performance to the growth plan 4. Align on growth drivers, and then back to step one to adjust your plan https://lnkd.in/gPT-8MpR

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As customer expectations continue to evolve, staying ahead of the curve is essential for retail success. One trend that we're particularly excited about is hyper-personalization. By leveraging advanced data analytics and AI technologies, retailers can tailor their offerings to individual customer preferences, delivering a truly personalized shopping experience. 🛍️💻 From personalized product recommendations to targeted marketing campaigns, hyper-personalization allows retailers to create meaningful connections with their customers. Another trend to watch is the rise of omnichannel customer service. With consumers increasingly interacting with brands across multiple channels, retailers need to ensure a seamless and consistent experience across all touchpoints. Whether it's through social media, live chat, or traditional phone support, providing omnichannel customer service ensures that customers can engage with your brand whenever and wherever they choose. 📱💬 Additionally, we're keeping an eye on the growing importance of sustainability in customer experience. Today's consumers are more environmentally conscious than ever before, and they expect retailers to share their values. By incorporating sustainable practices into their operations, such as eco-friendly packaging and responsibly sourced products, retailers can attract environmentally conscious customers and build brand loyalty. 🌱🌍 At RetailForce Solutions, we're committed to helping retailers stay ahead of the curve and deliver exceptional customer experiences. By embracing these customer experience and customer service trends, retailers can delight their customers, drive loyalty, and ultimately, grow their businesses in 2024 and beyond. ✨ #CustomerExperience #CustomerService #RetailTrends #RetailForceSolutions

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“Growth and comfort do not coexist.” – Ginni Rometty I’ve spent a ton of time this week reflecting on my journey from Account Executive ➡️ Team Lead ➡️ Sales Manager ➡️ Head of Sales for an entire revenue organization at RingCentral in such a short amount of time and the lessons I've learned along the way.... 🌱 Transitioning to Indirect Leadership ➡️ When managing a small team, it was possible to maintain personal relationships and have a detailed understanding of each individual's work. However, as the team expands, directly managing everyone in the same way becomes impractical. Empowering others and trusting their decisions without my constant input is challenging but essential for scalable growth. This transition allows innovation and autonomy to flourish within the team. 🌟 💬 Navigating Changes in Perception ➡️ As the team and my leadership role grow, I've noticed that my presence in meetings has a different impact. Feedback isn't always met with immediate dissent, sometimes due to hierarchical intimidation or the mentality of "If Jordan says it’s true, then it must be true". To counteract this, I emphasize welcoming dissenting opinions, wait to speak last in meetings to avoid influencing others, and use language that invites discussion. Creating a culture where every voice is valued is crucial for our success. 🤝 🗂️ Mastering the Art of Context Switching ➡️ Managing a larger team means less time for deep, focused work and more time for quick context switching between topics. I have developed techniques like the Pomodoro technique for time management, task batching, time blocking, and mindfulness practices to ensure I can properly manage all issues and projects under my purview. This adaptability is key to maintaining productivity and mental clarity amidst the constant whirlwind of activities. 🧘‍♂️ 🎯 Prioritizing for Impact ➡️ With increased responsibilities, it became impossible to clear my to-do list every day. Prioritization is essential. I often have to decide which areas need my attention the most and accept that perfectionism is not an option. This shift required a significant mindset change but was crucial for effective management at scale. Focusing on what truly matters ensures that we can achieve our long-term goals. 🔍 👥 Elevating People-Centric Leadership ➡️ As the team continues to grow, focusing on people-centric skills has become mission-critical to the long-term success of our team and our business. Helping mold exceptional future leaders, building self-reliant teams, establishing a clear vision, and communicating effectively have become key pillars of how I measure success within my business unit. The human element is at the heart of everything we do, and nurturing these relationships drives our collective progress. 🌟

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Onboarding in NWM should be coaching, not teaching. Those basic actions are what matters. ROI. Period. I don’t need my personal trainer to explain the science of what vitamins effect at the cellular level … my coach says “get on the treadmill and give me 20” 😂 It’s truly that simple. 🎯💯 Spot on NWM Onboarding advice from industry powerhouse Janet Metzger with Ben Dixon #dsef #directselling #onbaording #networkmarketing #directsales2.0

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My new book, "Above Quota Sales Management" has been published by Armin Lear Press. It is available for pre-order now from Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. This book was written to help sales managers achieve their sales quotas by focusing on staffing, better organization, understanding personalities, selling to Millennials, negotiating better contracts, and supporting their sales pros with deal pursuits. There is also a chapter on addressing the mental health needs of your staff.

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Last evening Thomas Gibson A-CSM, SASM, CSaSP, CSPO, ICP and I interviewed Deshana Cabasan, CSPO, CSM on her experience pivoting into Product Management and it was 🔥 Some takeaways: Don’t be afraid to make a pivot Don’t be afraid to reframe your situation Stop getting emotionally attached to positions. Your job does not define you It is not your purpose. It is a vehicle to deliver your purpose and remember vehicles 🚗 can change. Give yourself permission to shift, pivot and grow! These are just some of things we talk about in the welcome to the Dojo series. Our goal is for product folks at any level to shift, pivot and grow in the space product management. Just an fyi, editing video ain’t easy 😂

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