What does it take to go from making 500 cold calls a day to leading high-performing sales teams in an AI-driven world? In this episode of Sales Momentum, host Howard Wolpoff sits down with Kevin McLenithan, VP of Sales at RevScale AI, to uncover the hard-earned lessons from his journey—spanning from military discipline to mastering relationship-based sales.

🔹 How AI is transforming franchise sales & lead generation
🔹 Why scripts aren’t the enemy—but sounding robotic is
🔹 The real key to client loyalty (hint: it’s not just closing deals)
🔹 Learning from mistakes & “negative aha moments” in sales
🔹 Transitioning from an individual contributor to a leader—what really changes

This episode is packed with insights on resilience, adaptation, and how technology is shaping the future of sales. Whether you’re on the front lines of cold calling or leading a sales team, Kevin’s journey and leadership philosophy will leave you with valuable takeaways.

Learn more about Kevin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmclenithan12/ and RevScale AI at https://www.revscale.com/

🎧 Listen now and discover how to sell smarter, lead better, and build relationships that last.

We hope you found valuable insights to help you lead smarter, sell better, and build lasting relationships. If you enjoyed today’s conversation, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review! Your feedback helps us bring more game-changing content to elevate your sales game.

Stay connected with me on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwolpoff/, and follow for more updates, tips, and exclusive content from the world of sales leadership.

Click https://www.HowardWolpoffSWC.com to address sales coaching.

👉 Have a topic or guest suggestion? We’d love to hear from you — reach out and let us know how we can make the next episode even better!

Keep pushing forward, keep evolving, and keep making those sales! 💥

In this episode of Sales Momentum, host Howard Wolpoff welcomes Remy Piazza, a seasoned Chief Revenue Officer with 20+ years of experience leading growth in both private and public companies. Remy is also the founder of Powerhouse Consulting, where he helps organizations sharpen their vision and optimize sales strategies.

Remy brings a wealth of insight into what makes a sales organization succeed—not just from the individual contributor level, but at the leadership level as well. He and Howard explore what it takes to evolve from salesperson to sales leader, why leadership development often falls short in sales organizations, and how belief, strategy, and the rise of AI are changing the game.

Key Topics Discussed:

From Salesperson to Sales Leader

• Remy shares his own journey, highlighting the major mindset shift required.
• While individual sales success is about personal performance, leadership is measured by the team's success.
• The transition from self-focused to team-focused is often underestimated—and critical.

Why Sales Leadership Is Undervalued

• Many companies underinvest in developing their frontline and middle-management sales leaders.
• Sales managers are often promoted based on selling skills, yet receive little to no leadership training.
• Without support, micromanagement and burnout follow. Investing in leadership boosts retention and results.

The Power of Belief in Sales

• Top performers often start with an unshakeable belief that they can win.
• Leaders must cultivate this belief across their teams—confidence drives consistency.
• Sharing customer use cases and real-world success stories reinforces belief and product value.

Strategy + Execution = Results

• Great leaders zoom out to see the big picture: setting goals, clarifying ICPs, and aligning sales activities with company goals.
• Strategy means little without focused execution by a trained, motivated team.

AI’s Growing Role in Sales

• AI is automating time-consuming tasks like data entry and account research.
• This frees reps to focus on meaningful conversations and allows managers to better track performance.
• Smart use of AI leads to smarter selling, not just faster processes.

Essential Tools for Sales Leaders

• A reliable CRM is non-negotiable.
• Salespeople also need access to case studies, social proof, and most importantly, a genuine belief in what they’re selling.
• Leaders must equip their teams with both tools and conviction.

Top Takeaways:

• Leadership Requires a Mindset Shift: It’s about your team’s success, not just your own.
• Invest in Your Sales Leaders: Especially at the middle-management level, where real leverage lies.
• Belief Drives Performance: Confidence fuels sales. Leaders should nurture it intentionally.
• AI is a Game-Changer: Embrace it to work smarter, not just faster.
• Strategy Needs Execution: A plan is only as good as the team bringing it to life.

🎧 Listen in for a powerful, practical conversation that offers both inspiration and action steps for today’s sales leaders.

Connect with Howard Wolpoff: linkedin.com/in/howardwolpoff
Connect with Remy Piazza: linkedin.com/in/rpiazza

🎙️ Episode Title: “From the Court to the C-Suite: A Sales Career Built on Relationships and Learning”

🔹 Host:

• Howard Wolpoff, Sales Momentum Host

🔹 Guest:

• Michael Jones, VP of Sales & Marketing at Synoptix Software
• Background in large tech companies, consulting, executive leadership, entrepreneurship
• Currently focused on serving higher education and manufacturing sectors with FP&A software

🔑 Key Topics Covered:

💼 Sales Journey and Career Growth:

• Started at Oracle—a chance opportunity through a basketball game (accidentally broke Larry Ellison’s nose!)
• Learned the value of structured training and technical understanding early in his career
• Grew from individual contributor to sales leader, EVP, CEO, and business owner
• Attributes growth to seizing opportunity, mentorship, and constant learning

🧠 First Sales Role & Learning Curve:

• Entered tech sales with little product knowledge ("couldn’t spell 'relational' at the time")
• Underwent intense training at Oracle and was drawn to the analytical and problem-solving aspects of sales
• Learned the importance of adaptability and continuous development

🏀 Sales & Sports – Parallels in Competitiveness:

• Shared stories illustrating how sports competitiveness translates into sales drive
• Oracle valued his competitive nature—added to his job offer as the guy who "broke the CEO’s nose"

📈 Leadership & Sales Management:

🧩 Transitioning to Management:

• Described moving from individual contributor to manager as a shift from “math to calculus”
• Management = combining strengths of the team rather than relying solely on personal performance
• Compared leadership levels to coaching roles in sports—some are best suited to be position coaches, others head coaches

📚 Developing Sales Teams:

• Emphasized mentorship, reading, ongoing training, and A/B testing
• Encouraged failing fast and learning quickly from mistakes
• Believes everyone in sales, from the rep to the CEO, should be responsible for training and growth
• Today’s “university” is online (YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.)—learning resources are everywhere

🧭 Sales Philosophy:

🗣️ Customer-Centric Selling:

• If the salesperson is talking more than 20% of the time, they’re doing it wrong
• Focus on deep client research before the meeting—understand the business, role, market, and personal background
• Build value through targeted questions and solution alignment

🧠 Sales Preparation:

• Today’s tools (e.g., LinkedIn, Apollo, ZoomInfo) offer a huge advantage—but everyone has access to them
• The real differentiator: who prepares better and uses the tools more effectively

💡 Takeaways:

1. Sales careers can begin in unexpected ways—always be ready to pivot and learn
2. Training matters—intense learning early in a career builds a solid foundation
3. Managing is not just doing—it’s coordinating, developing, and evolving a team
4. Mentorship and constant education are crucial to long-term success
5. Sales success lies in preparation and listening—not in flashy talk or outdated tactics

Howard Wolpoff - https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwolpoff/

Michael Jones - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mzj11/