Sales Talk for CEOs

This week’s episode of "Sales Talk for CEOs" is out of this world, literally! Alice Heiman was joined by Beth Mund , whose journey from NASA to entrepreneurial space storyteller is rich with insights for business leaders. Not only that, we found out Alice is a bit of a space geek and she’s a huge fan of Beth’s having discovered her when she began her podcast Casual Space.  Beth's story from n...

"We help sellers consistently execute a Michelin star experience for their buyers instead of a fast food experience." And isn’t this what every buyer wants today.  On "Sales Talk for CEOs," Alice Heiman was joined by Mark Fershteyn of Recapped, whose journey from sales struggles to CEO offers a roadmap for innovation in sales strategies. His focus on the customer journey always in the forefro...

Do you know that exceptional customer and employee experiences can be the game-changer for your business? In a recent episode of "Sales Talk for CEOs," Alice Heiman explores this dynamic duo's profound impact. Here's a sneak peek: 🌟 Customer Experience Matters Dive deep into the customer journey. Identify areas for improvement. Create a seamless path to customer success. 🌟 The Employee Experienc...

Another company that scaled to over $20M in ARR. How does Alice Heiman keep finding them? In another insightful episode of "Sales Talk for CEOs" Alice Heiman was joined by Adam Robinson, CEO of Retention.com, who shared his remarkable journey of bootstrapping his company to a $22 million ARR in just four years. Not unlike “G” Guillaume Moubeche ,  from a few episodes ago, Adam is willing to p...

In the engaging world of social media, CEOs find themselves at a crossroads between opportunity and caution. A recent conversation between Alice Heiman and Scott Gillum on "Sales Talk for CEOs" podcast sheds light on this very issue, offering a blend of strategies, insights, and anecdotes that CEOs can't afford to ignore. The discussion delves into the transformative power of social media for pers...

In an enlightening episode of the Sales Talk for CEOs Podcast, Alice Heiman engages with Malin Schmidt, not just as the CEO of Kodiak Hub, a pioneer in supplier relationship management software, but as a visionary leader whose journey epitomizes the fusion of sustainability and technology in business. Schmidt's transition from a sustainability advocate to a tech entrepreneur offers invaluable less...

In an insightful episode, Alice welcomed influence expert Matt Brown to explore how CEOs can leverage their influence for meaningful change. Having founded 14 companies and hosted over 850 podcast episodes, Brown shared his profound insights on leveraging influence to drive positive change within and beyond your organization. The True Essence of Influence " Influence is the current and future curr...

In a world driven by results and constant hustle, we often forget to pause and appreciate our achievements. Alice Heiman, in her recent podcast, emphasizes the importance of appreciation in business success. Here are the key takeaways: Appreciation Builds Momentum: Taking a moment to truly appreciate our accomplishments can create great momentum. It instills confidence and encourages us to plan fo...

Imagine taking over the CEO role of a company just as COVID hit. Alice Heiman sat down with Andee Harris, the dynamic CEO of Challenger Inc., who did just that. Harris shared her riveting journey of steering the company through the COVID-19 pandemic and moving from 100% in-person training to 100% online training basically overnight, revealing not only the challenges faced but also the exact strate...

Growing your business by doing an exceptional job is something that Alice’s guest Justin Rende knows well. This may be overlooked by those companies with a race to land new logos. Having referenceable customers can help you grow your sales. In fact when you do an exceptional job, without prompting, your customers will tell others. But that won’t fuel all the growth you need. You might have to beco...

In a world where sales strategies are swiftly evolving, CEOs can no longer afford to overlook the critical role of exceptional sales leadership. Alice Heiman’s latest guest, Gretchen Gordon, author of "Happy Sales Manager" and President of Braveheart Sales Performance, shares her profound insights on empowering sales teams to excel in any economic climate. Episode’s Key Takeaways: Adaptability: Wi...

Forget the traditional sales pitch; it's all about relationships and networks. This was the sage advice from Eduardo Coll, when he talked with Alice on "Sales Talk for CEOs." His innovative approach to business growth, focusing on conversational selling and leveraging networks, provides a fresh perspective for CEOs and entrepreneurs. Embrace Conversational Selling Relationships Over Sales Pitches:...

This week Alice shares her reflections after having time to think during the holidays.  In this podcast she considers how CEOs should use their time to do what is most important to them and that are things only they can do. She talks about how CEOs need to stay in their genius zone and find others to do the rest. It’s tempting to continue doing so many things, just because you can, when someo...

Summary Laura Gassner Otting, TEDx speaker and author of Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn’t Feel like it Should . . . and What to do About it, had an insightful conversation with Alice. Her career has spanned from a pivotal role in Bill Clinton's White House to achieving entrepreneurial heights. Laura and Alice discussed the concept of "Wonderhell," which most CEOs know well, it’s where the exhilarat...

In the ever-evolving world of B2B sales, few stories are as compelling as that of Guillaume Moubeche, CEO of Lempire. Guillaume or “G” as his friends call him is one of the happiest, most friendly CEOs you will come across. But don’t let that fool you, he’s one determined founder.  When he realized how hard it was going to be to raise money he completely changed his focus to the customer and...

Every CEO's journey is unique, but few are as eye-opening as moving from the structured world of corporate to the unpredictable realm of startups. This is the path William Gilchrist, CEO of Konsyg, shares on Sales Talk for CEOs with Alice Heiman. His experience unveils not just the challenges but also the vital strategies he learned for thriving in a startup environment. In this episode, you’ll le...

Imagine harnessing the power of 140 million credit card swipes to reshape your business strategy. That's exactly what Jonathan Silver of Affinity Solutions does, and he’s here to share his groundbreaking journey with us.  In a dynamic conversation with Alice Heiman on Sales Talk for CEOs, Jonathan delves into the art of transforming consumer data into powerful business insights.  This ep...

Have you ever wondered why, despite having amazing products, customers still struggle to understand your company's value? April Dunford, an authority on product positioning, discusses the critical role of positioning in sales and marketing.  Known for her first book "Obviously Awesome" and her expertise in positioning, April shares her insights on why companies often struggle with positioning...

Gabriella enjoyed working with technical and operationally focused people tackling complex problems. She always worked in a team to do sales but didn’t like the lack of transparency to the team members as the deal progressed. She saw a need for a team selling tool.  “I really didn’t have any other option than starting this business and seeing where I could go with it.” The team selling space...

How do you wind up being a business broker after a luxurious career in the high-end wine business? Funny story.  After working in the corporate world around 2008 and 2009 Jessica Fialkovich and her husband saw her friend who had a luxurious wine business brokering really high-end wines around the world. They thought how fun it would be to taste wine and travel for a living so with the help of...

When investors are leaning on you to get “New Logos” you can lose sight of customer success and it can change or damage your culture. For Tom Lavery at Jiminny, compromising on customer success or culture were not options. Tom was a VP of sales before he, his wife and their technical cofounder started the company. He set out to solve some of the problems he faced around coaching as a sales leader....

In a world where businesses prioritize customer experience, CEOs must grasp the profound impact of employee experience. In a compelling discussion with Tiffani Bova, author of "The Experience Mindset," we explore the importance of elevating the employee experience. Tiffani emphasizes the need for CEOs to understand the link between employee satisfaction and customer success, fostering a cycle of g...

Twenty years ago, a couple, sat with their laptops at their house and launched a business. It was some uncharted territory, but they dove right in.  Who knew where they would be 20 years later. Still happily married, kids grown, business booming, over 60 employees and a strong commitment to community. An absolute success story.  Jarrod and Alice explore the very essence of Nobel Studio’s...

After building and exiting two Blue Ocean startups that, in her own words, were painful, my guest, Melissa Kwan, figured it out. "It's important to know what you want to do, but even more important to know what you don't want to do. And I had two startups, as you mentioned, that were quite painful in the sense that I didn't think I was very smart or very strategic in choosing the actual idea and c...

From mastering conversations to commanding the stage, dive into the mind of communication expert Nancy Duarte. Alice and Nancy’s conversation reveals that, in an era of fleeting attention, CEOs must craft compelling narratives. For these leaders, understanding their audience isn't just a tip - it's a mandate. Nancy stresses the significance of empathy and preparation, urging CEOs to don the shoes...