Most CROs reach for the growth plan first, but the real work starts with earning trust and understanding the people behind the numbers.

In this episode, the conversation examines how transparency, buyer empathy, peer proof, and disciplined listening shape revenue leadership in high-risk markets.

The conversation focused on how CROs can prepare before day one, listen beyond the data, and build a go-to-market plan around real customer and team insight.

What your audience will learn:
a) Why data alone can't explain sales performance
b) How discovery beats scripted product pitches
c) Why peer proof matters when buyers face serious risk

Today's conversation features Kelly Hippler, CRO at IANS, a practitioner-sourced intelligent engine helping CISOs and security teams make faster, better-informed decisions. Previously, Kelly led revenue at Briefly Legal and served five years as Chief Sales Officer at Forrester, where revenue grew 51% to a company-high $538 million.

Timestamps:

03:57 Building Trust with Sales Team

09:33 Assessing individual strengths in teams

11:06 Understanding individual differences

14:57 Understanding Client Pain Points

18:02 Improving client relationships

20:45 Buyer decision process and budgeting

26:38 Balancing AI benefits and risks

29:47 People-centered leadership and agility

34:12 Strategic growth and innovation challenges

Connect with Kelley Hippler

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelley-hippler/

Connect with Janice

Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event: https://janicebgordon.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon

Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast

Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.

Most leaders think a bigger role requires a completely different leadership style. Erica Baird explains why trusting your team, investing in people, and staying true to who you are can drive growth at scale.

In this episode, Janice B Gordon and Erica Baird discuss what changes, and what should stay the same, when a leader moves into a larger role. They explore servant leadership, empowering 1,300 employees, reducing costs without sacrificing customer satisfaction, and using AI alongside human judgment.

What you'll learn:
a) Why successful leadership doesn't require changing who you are
b) How to empower teams instead of micromanaging them
c) Why cost savings often come from the people closest to the work

Today, Janice B Gordon is joined by Erica Baird, VP of Global Sales and Service at one of the world's largest engine and power solutions companies. Erica oversees $4.9 billion in data centre installations and aftermarket business, alongside $700 million in parts sales.

Timestamps:

03:55 Discussing imposter syndrome and leadership

09:24 Leadership and personal growth insights

12:13 Balancing personal life and work

14:59 Breaking down business silos

16:53 Importance of Inclusion and Communication

20:47 Empowering leaders and delegating tasks

25:53 Impact of AI on Employment

28:28 Fostering a Collaborative Leadership Style

Connect with Erica Baird

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-k-baird/

Connect with Janice

Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event: https://janicebgordon.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon

Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast

Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.

Most companies don't have an AI problem. They have a data problem, and it's quietly weakening their revenue decisions.

The real cost of building in-house isn't the prototype. It's the ongoing burden of integrations, governance, maintenance, adoption, and support.

In this episode, Janice B Gordon speaks with Martin Garvey about building an enterprise sales function from scratch and scaling the team threefold in three years. They explore how better data, outcome-led selling, cross-functional alignment, and early implementation support can improve sales execution.

What you'll learn:

a) Why AI strategy must start with a reliable data strategy
b) How to identify builders and hunters during the hiring process
c) Why implementation teams should enter complex deals before the contract is signed

Martin Garvey built Gong's enterprise sales function in EMEA from nothing, growing the team threefold in three years. He also helped the team beat its targets in its first and second years.

Timestamps:

00:00 Building a Strong Team Connection

06:11 Company growth and adapting to AI

08:07 Assessing and Building Successful Teams

11:29 Importance of Data for AI Strategy

17:05 Understanding Customer Needs and Outcomes

18:47 Co-creating sales strategies

24:24 Timing for involving post-sales team

26:37 Considering total costs for buy vs. build

29:09 Improving team productivity and AI strategy

Connect with Martin Garvey

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-garvey-9375b415/

Connect with Janice

Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event: https://janicebgordon.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon

Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast

Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.

Most revenue gaps aren't tactical problems. They're leadership problems hiding inside inaccurate data, weak processes, missed account growth, and unclear judgment.

Across 15 recent conversations, Janice B Gordon identifies four patterns that leaders can't afford to overlook. From pipeline truth and expansion revenue to AI and leadership discipline, she explores what it takes to build more predictable, scalable growth.

What you'll learn:
a) Why a healthy-looking pipeline can hide stalled deals and customer misalignment
b) How poor data, unclear processes, and weak revenue operations quietly damage growth
c) Why expansion revenue from existing customers may be the fastest growth opportunity

Timestamps:

00:00 Reflecting on podcasting milestones

04:16 Examining sales pipeline accuracy

06:25 Misalignment in B2B Sales Strategy

11:36 Understanding deal management challenges

14:51 Scaling SaaS Businesses and Retention

16:05 Importance of local market understanding

20:08 Focus on existing customer revenue

25:56 Discussing AI in personal applications

26:54 Balancing AI and human judgment

33:05 The importance of people leadership

35:21 Leadership and evolving market dynamics

38:29 Building a North Star Leadership

41:49 Supporting the podcast community

Connect with Janice

Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event: https://janicebgordon.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon

Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast

Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.

Most CROs are preparing themselves for obsolescence by relying on fixed playbooks in a market that changes every three months.

In this episode, Janice B Gordon and Justin Shriber explore why agile, signal-driven sales leadership is replacing rigid execution.

Janice B Gordon and Justin Shriber unpack how AI, complete revenue context, and frontline signals can help leaders understand not only what is happening, but why. They also examine how to turn strategy into daily behaviors, move beyond short-term thinking, and build a sales organization that adapts as quickly as the market.

What you'll learn:

a) Why the traditional CRO model is becoming obsolete
b) How sales leaders can replace fixed playbooks with agile frameworks
c) Why AI needs complete revenue context to produce useful insights

Today, Janice B Gordon is joined by Justin Shriber, co-founder and CEO of an AI-native revenue platform trusted by companies including Cloudflare and Minstrel. He began his career at McKinsey before leading large-scale enterprise sales organizations at Oracle.

Timestamps:

03:21 Adapting Sales Leadership Styles

07:47 AI needs context to analyse data

12:41 Working with sceptical CFOs

14:07 Analysing lost deals and competition

17:58 Enhancing Sales Reps' Performance

20:49 Identifying and addressing competition

24:39 Focusing on quarterly performance goals

27:11 Adapting to Market Trends

Connect with Justin Shriber

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinshriber/

Connect with Janice

Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event: https://janicebgordon.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon

Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast

Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.

Most CEOs think their sales problems are tactical but they're leadership challenges hiding in plain sight.

What you'll learn:
a) Why most "closed won" deals aren't truly wins and how this tanks customer retention
b) The surprising reason 61% of buyers now prefer a rep-free experience
c) How outdated funnel thinking sabotages account growth in today's looping buyer journeys

Today, Janice B Gordon, the Customer Growth Expert, explains why sales underperformance is a leadership issue and how visionary CEOs can fix it to deliver predictable, scalable growth. She reveals the real reasons deal stall, buyers disconnect, and revenue growth flatlines in modern B2B sales.

Timestamps:

00:00 Uncomfortable truths about sales 2026

04:12 Message for CEOs and Founders

08:55 Rethinking the sales process

11:29 Improving sales approach strategy

13:16 Quarterly focus over long-term growth

17:26 Addressing structural issues in sales

20:58 Evaluating Leadership Capabilities

23:34 Addressing Leadership and Capability Gaps

27:34 Sales issues and leadership discussion

Connect with Janice

Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event: https://janicebgordon.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon

Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast

Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.

Most deals aren't lost at the end they're lost in the moment you miss what buyers really need.

In this conversation, Janice B Gordon sits down with Cheryl Parks, a revenue growth advisor and fractional CRO, to reveal how leaders can eliminate revenue leaks, build buyer confidence, and layer authenticity into go-to-market strategy.

What you'll learn:
a) Why "inspect what you expect" is the essential motto for sales-focused CEOs
b) How to spot and recover deals that stall in real time
c) Practical ways to strengthen buyer confidence and clarify ROI

Today, Janice B Gordon is joined by Cheryl Parks, a fractional CRO with 25 years of enterprise B2B sales experience and over $25 million in closed revenue, known for pinpointing team misalignment and restoring sales momentum.

Timestamps:

05:15 Converting inbound leads to meetings

07:52 Understanding and meeting buyer expectations

11:19 Understanding branding and market perception

17:12 Using social media platforms effectively

19:33 Building an Online Presence

21:21 Staying focused in meetings

25:11 Respect for the sales role

Connect with Cheryl Parks

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ai-value-advisor/

Connect with Janice

Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event: https://janicebgordon.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon

Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast

Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.

Hiring more sales heads won't fix your revenue problems and it might be your most expensive mistake.

In this episode, you'll hear why building the right sales system first is key to scaling sustainably.

Janice B Gordon sits down with Jacek Dukat, unpacking why the traditional sales leadership playbook is broken and what works now.

What you'll learn:
a) Why evidence-based, risk-shared commercial execution outperforms traditional hiring
b) The steps to build, test, and validate outbound sales models before scaling
c) How to win complex enterprise deals cold, even against bigger competitors

Jacek Dukat is a fractional sales director and new business specialist with over 25 years' experience scaling B2B tech revenue across European markets, winning over €80 million in complex enterprise IT engagements, all without warm introductions or inherited relationships.

Timestamps:
05:09 Hiring challenges in scaling businesses
10:12 Customer experience and market testing
11:57 Interim sales director role dynamics
16:28 Working as a contractor
19:33 Discussing broken sales systems
24:03 Challenges in improving conversion rates
25:24 Measuring client engagement and sales
28:45 Understanding the client business environment
33:58 Starting a proof of concept
35:39 Winning a deal with a client

Connect with Jacek Dukat

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacekdukat/

Connect with Janice

Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event: https://janicebgordon.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon

Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast

Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.