In this podcast episode, Alex and Mark discuss the importance of creating B2B content that converts. They explore the evolution of B2B marketing over time and the channels that modern companies should focus on. They emphasize the value of building a newsletter audience and leveraging LinkedIn as a distribution channel. They also discuss the concept of programmatic SEO and the power of thought leadership content. While YouTube and podcasts can be effective channels, they may not always be the best fit for B2B SaaS businesses. Overall, the key is to create content that addresses different time horizons and provides value to the audience.
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Questions?
Alex:
alexander@sellabl.co

Alex´s LinkedIn

Mark:
Mark's LinkedIn

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:46 Guest Introduction and Background

07:23 Evolution of B2B Marketing and Content Creation

12:20 Choosing the Right Channels for B2B Companies

18:21 Building a Newsletter Audience

20:26 Leveraging LinkedIn as a Distribution Channel

27:39 Creating Content for Reach and Conversion

31:18 Categories of Content and Channel Selection

38:22 YouTube and Podcasts as Channels

44:12 Conclusion and Closing Remarks

In this episode, Alexander and Markus dive deep into the world of Customer Success Management (CSM) and its potential as a growth engine for businesses, particularly in the SaaS sector. The discussion explores the common pitfalls organizations face when implementing CSM, emphasizing the need for a customer-centric approach. Markus, a veteran in customer success, shares his journey into the field and highlights the importance of understanding customer goals and delivering real value.
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Questions?
Alex:
alexander@sellabl.co

Alex´s LinkedIn

Markus:
Markus's LinkedIn

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Timestamps:

00:00 - 04:30 Introduction

04:30 - 08:00 Markus introduces himself and shares his unexpected journey into Customer Success Management, emphasizing the importance of delivering on promises to customers.

08:00 - 12:00 Discussion on common mistakes organizations make in CSM, particularly the tendency to prioritize internal metrics over genuine customer value, leading to potential churn.

12:00 - 16:00 Exploration of how changing economic conditions are shifting customer expectations, necessitating a stronger focus on delivering real value in CSM.

16:00 - 20:00 Markus emphasizes the need for understanding customer goals and problems, advocating for a tailored approach to meet varying customer needs.

20:00 - 24:00 Insights into the role of technology and AI in CSM, stressing that while they can enhance processes, they cannot replace the foundational human element required for effective customer engagement.

24:00 - 28:00 Discussion on the proactive versus reactive nature of CSM, with Markus explaining how a proactive approach can drive customer success and retention.

28:00 - 32:00 The importance of demonstrating the value of CSM to organizational leadership is highlighted, with a focus on aligning CSM efforts with revenue impact.

32:00 - 36:00 Markus differentiates between the roles of Customer Success Managers and Account Managers, emphasizing the proactive, strategic nature of CSM.

36:00 - 40:00 Strategies for effectively showcasing customer value during Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) are discussed, along with methods for communicating progress to stakeholders.

40:00 - 42:54 Closing thoughts from Markus on the ideal traits of a successful Customer Success Manager and the importance of competitive compensation based on the value they create for the company.

42:54 - 44:00 Final remarks from Alexander, encouraging listeners to connect with Markus for further insights and thanking them for tuning in.

In this conversation, Alex interviews Dominik Klingberg, co-founder of AI Artist Circus, about building a successful sales organization from scratch. They discuss the stages of a seller's life cycle, the importance of mentorship, effective onboarding strategies for junior reps, and the qualities of top-performing account executives. They also explore how to create a culture that values both SDRs and AEs, and how to retain and develop sales talent. Dominik shares insights from his experience as a sales manager and offers advice on balancing mentorship and managerial responsibilities.
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Questions?
Alex:
alexander@sellabl.co

Alex´s LinkedIn

Dominic:
Dominic's LinkedIn

ARRtist Circus Tickets: https://www.arrtist-circus.com/#Tickets-2025

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Topic Overview

02:59 Building a Successful Sales Organization

08:17 Onboarding Strategies for Junior Reps

12:43 Qualities of Top-Performing Account Executives

20:25 Creating a Culture that Values SDRs and AEs

28:36 Retaining and Developing Sales Talent

This GTM Mastery Episode dives into the entrepreneurial journey of Alan Zhao, co-founder of Warmly, exploring his transition from a math major to AI startup ventures. The conversation covers insights on market differentiation, strategies for entering competitive markets, and the importance of identifying bottlenecks in business growth. Alan shares valuable lessons on market saturation, copying strategies, and the significance of brand positioning in building a successful go-to-market approach. The discussion also highlights the role of inbound marketing, leveraging LinkedIn for brand visibility, and the development of a signal-based orchestration platform for future growth.
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Questions?
Alex:
alexander@sellabl.co

Alex´s LinkedIn

Alan:

Alan's LinkedIn

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00:00 - 04:43 Introduction

01:14 - 02:55 Career Journey and Entrepreneurship Insights

03:01 - 04:08 Company Acquisition and Market Differentiation

04:09 - 05:59 Identifying Bottlenecks and Market Strategies

06:04 - 07:21 Market Saturation and Copying Strategies

07:28 - 08:34 Market Differentiation and Product Development

08:52 - 10:55 Growth Strategies and Competitive Markets

11:11 - 15:21 Market Competition and Brand Positioning

15:33 - 18:19 Market Entry Strategies and Long-Term Success

18:52 - 22:26 Key Growth Engines and Customer Acquisition

22:27 - 25:36 Marketing Channel Effectiveness and Brand Differentiation

25:36 - 29:18 Inbound Marketing Insights and Market Entry

29:47 - 33:17 LinkedIn Marketing and Branding Strategies

33:28 - 35:03 Elevator Pitch of Warmly and Future Plans

In this episode, Alexander Kohler and Kevin discuss the challenges of building and managing sales teams with limited resources. Kevin shares his journey from selling beer mugs to leading sales teams, emphasizing the value of hiring motivated young reps. He describes turning a minimal operation into a successful team, highlighting the importance of managing remote teams and fostering a supportive culture. Kevin also touches on people management, pressures from upper management, incentivizing quality over quantity, and the need for proper delegation. The episode offers valuable insights and practical advice for startups on creating effective and motivated sales teams with few resources.
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Questions?

Alexander Kohler:

alexander@sellabl.co

Alex´s LinkedIn

Kevin Meyer:
Kevin´s LinkedIn

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00:00 - 01:07 Introduction and technical difficulties with the podcasting tool.

01:07 - 02:36 Kevin introduces himself and his background in sales.

02:36 - 04:41 Kevin shares his early experiences in sales and how he started.

04:41 - 07:25 Kevin's first job in tech sales and how he transitioned into the role.

07:25 - 08:45 Discussion about building a sales team with limited resources.

08:45 - 11:06 Kevin's experience building sales teams in Berlin and Barcelona.

11:06 - 13:20 Challenges and successes of training and managing working students.

13:20 - 15:10 Comparison of hiring junior reps vs. working students.

15:10 - 17:22 Insights on managing a remote sales team and maintaining motivation.

17:22 - 19:10 Tools and methods Kevin used to manage and train his team.

19:10 - 21:26 Kevin's daily routine managing the sales team and generating leads.

21:26 - 23:39 Importance of call shadowing and providing feedback to junior reps.

23:39 - 25:06 Handling feedback and training junior reps effectively.

27:45 - 30:06 Kevin discusses challenges in hiring junior sales reps under time pressure.

30:44 - 33:51 Kevin shares strategies for managing pressure from senior leadership.

34:00 - 40:15 Kevin reflects on the benefits of hiring senior sales staff to support team growth and outlines effective commission models for junior sales reps based on meeting and deal outcomes.

40:23 - 44:31 Kevin concludes with insights on learning through hands-on experience and the importance of early delegation in managing workload and team dynamics effectively.

In this podcast episode, Alexander interviews Josephine Wichmann about her career transition from chef to corporate roles, now leading sales at Fuji, a food startup in Munich. Josephine discusses Fuji's mission to offer fresh, nutritious food via advanced vending machines, particularly for SMEs. She highlights the challenges of selling a physical product and the importance of building client trust. The discussion also covers the sales process, expectation management, and using machine learning for food customization. Josephine stresses the importance of aligning with operational teams to ensure customer satisfaction and reduce churn during trials.

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Questions?

Alexander Kohler:

alexander@sellabl.co

Alex´s LinkedIn

Josephine Wichmann:

Josie´s LinkedIn

00:00 - 00:28 Introduction and weather chat

00:28 - 02:30 Josephine's background in the food industry, her transition to Fuji, and leading a sales team

02:30 - 03:36 Challenges of being the first sales hire at a startup and Josephine's learning curve

03:36 - 05:32 Hiring insights and the founders' decision to bring Josephine on board

05:32 - 07:10 Introduction to Fuji, its mission, and product offering

07:10 - 09:51 Discussion on Fuji's typical customers, sales process, and demo methods

09:51 - 12:34 Target market focus on SMBs, handling objections, and the significance of subsidizing food costs

12:34 - 15:38 Challenges of selling a physical product and educating customers about Fuji's vending machines

15:38 - 17:16 Managing expectations within the sales process and alignment with operations and food teams

17:16 - 19:35 The importance of B2C satisfaction for B2B sales success and handling food subsidies

19:35 - 22:16 Selecting cuisines and using algorithms for optimal food assortment

22:16 - 23:21 Overview of contract terms and managing customer trials

23:21 - 24:01 Handling issues during trials, customer success involvement, and churn rate

24:01 - 25:00 Proactive communication to mitigate operational hiccups

30:12 - 31:57 Discussion on the main revenue drivers for the business, focusing on selling food over leasing contracts.

31:57 - 32:33 Exploring the importance of qualifying customers to ensure profitability, especially in terms of employee numbers and company subsidies.

32:33 - 34:54 Detailing the process of qualifying potential customers and the impact of employee subsidies on profitability, along with regional expansion plans.

34:54 - 36:00 Addressing the go-to-market strategy and the need for alignment between customer support, marketing, and sales teams.

36:00 - 38:23 Describing the alignment processes within the company, including weekly meetings and monthly business reviews, and discussing the transition to a new CRM system to better scale the business.

38:23 - 38:48 Emphasizing the importance of understanding and meeting customer expectations through feedback and tailored solutions.

38:48 - 39:18 Closing remarks and invitation to the audience to connect with Josie on LinkedIn and learn more about Fuji.

In this episode, hosts Alex King and Alexander discuss the challenges of first-time sales managers. Alex shares his career journey, highlighting the distinct skills needed for sales versus management. They cover hiring, managing talent, and Jeremy Duggan's "three Rs" framework: Recruiting, Retention, and Revenue. Emphasizing growth and independence, they stress the importance of allowing team members to learn from mistakes and develop problem-solving skills. Alex also discusses the transition from player-coach to manager and the need to balance support with autonomy to foster a culture of trust and development.

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Questions?

Alexander Kohler:

alexander@sellabl.co

Alex´s LinkedIn

Alex King:

Alex´s LinkedIn

00:00 - 01:28 Introduction

Alexander and Alex King introduce the topic and share a light-hearted moment about Alex’s last name.

01:28 - 04:09 Alex King’s Career Journey

Alex King discusses his career path from media sales to running his own business, and eventually moving into SaaS and revenue leadership roles.

04:09 - 05:51 Challenges of First-Time Sales Managers**

Alex King reflects on the difficulties he faced as a first-time sales manager and CEO, emphasizing the lack of guidance and resources available at the start of his career.

05:51 - 08:36 Role of a Sales Manager

Alex King explains the critical responsibilities of a sales manager, including recruiting, retention, and revenue, and introduces the “Three Rs” framework by Jeremy Duggan.

08:36 - 10:33 Player-Coach Dynamics

Discussion on the dual role of player-coach in startups, its challenges, and the misalignment of incentives when a manager also has a sales quota.

10:33 - 11:54 Founders and Sales Leadership Transition

Exploration of the transition phase from founder-led sales to establishing a structured sales organization, and the importance of leaders being involved in the sales process.

11:54 - 14:40 Recruiting the Right Salespeople

The significance of hiring the right caliber of individuals at different stages of a company's growth and the impact of having a competent sales leader on securing investments.

14:40 - 17:58 Promoting Salespeople to Managers

Alex King discusses the common pitfalls of promoting top salespeople to management roles and the differing skill sets required for successful sales management.

17:58 - 20:40 Characteristics of Successful Sales Managers

The necessary attributes and mindset shifts needed for salespeople transitioning into management roles, emphasizing selflessness and team-focused leadership.

20:40 - 24:38 Real-Life Scenario: Promoting the Right Person

A deep dive into a scenario where a VP must decide between promoting a top-performing salesperson or another team member, weighing the impact on team dynamics and respect.

24:38 - 26:20 Supporting Without Selling for AEs

The importance of a VP supporting their team without taking over their sales efforts, ensuring account executives grow and succeed independently.

28:11 - 32:44: Encouraging independent thinking and fostering a culture where team members are allowed to fail in a controlled environment are crucial for team development and scalability.

32:44 - 37:19: Hiring people better than oneself is essential for growth and scalability in a sales team, as it fosters a culture of excellence and self-sufficiency among team members.

37:19 - 42:17: Adapting leadership styles based on individual team members' needs is crucial for effective management and team performance, facilitating the transition from forming to performing stages.

42:17 - 47:08: Managing by numbers involves creating transparency and accountability by outlining clear expectations and performance metrics for team members, supported by coaching and feedback tailored to individual needs.

47:08 - 50:22: Providing feedback effectively requires understanding individual preferences and delivering it with pure intent, while handling difficult situations like termination with transparency, compassion, and support for the individual's next steps.

In this podcast episode, Alexander and Florian discuss the importance of post-qualification in sales discovery calls. Florian, with his background in consulting and aerospace, explains how it ensures alignment and clarity after initial client discussions. They also address handling unresponsive clients, with Florian recommending honest, direct communication and sharing his success with handwritten letters to capture client interest.
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Post Discovery Qualification Template:
Template

Questions?

Alexander Kohler:

alexander@sellabl.co

Alex´s LinkedIn

Florian Godefroy:

Florian´s Linkedin

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00:00 - 03:41 Introduction and background of Florian's experience in sales, including his work in consulting, particularly in the aerospace sector.

03:41 - 06:41 Florian discusses how he unexpectedly transitioned into sales from a background in political science and history, emphasizing his affinity for problem-solving and building relationships.

06:41 - 09:17 Florian explains the concept of post-qualification in the sales process, focusing on understanding customer needs, defining criteria for success, and gaining agreement on proposed solutions.

09:17 - 10:53 Florian discusses the importance of aligning expectations and actions in post-qualification, emphasizing the need for simplicity and prompt follow-up to ensure effective communication and progress.

10:53 - 14:15 Florian elaborates on tools and strategies for building post-qualification frameworks, including mutual action plans and effective communication methods such as emails and follow-up calls.

14:15 - 18:54 Florian addresses challenges in dealing with different types of buyers, including "poker players," and emphasizes the importance of reading people's actions and commitments to gauge genuine interest and progress in the sales process.

18:54 - 24:27 Florian shares strategies for navigating interactions with challenging buyers, including maintaining open communication, setting realistic expectations, and creatively engaging prospects, such as sending handwritten letters to prompt responses.

25:00 - 28:20: Florian emphasizes the importance of closing deals promptly after a prolonged sales process and suggests strategies for determining whether to pursue further or move on to other prospects.

28:20 - 33:23: Florian and Alexander discuss the significance of post-qualification presentations, highlighting the differences in sales approaches between North America and Germany and the importance of tailoring presentations to meet the prospect's needs.

33:23 - 40:12: The conversation shifts to presenting price effectively and addressing objections, including tips for equipping champions to advocate for the product and strategies for convincing stakeholders, such as arranging meetings with advocates and emphasizing ROI.

40:12 - 47:09: The focus turns to handling objections from CFOs and other stakeholders, with Florian suggesting strategies such as engaging in lunch meetings with advocates and exploring alternative pricing models. They conclude by summarizing the key elements of post-qualification presentations and invite listeners to reach out for further discussion and access to templates provided in the show notes.