August 2: The AI agent that closed a $278k deal
Good morning. Revenue leaders are forcing buyers to justify their own meetings to eliminate bloated pipelines.
1mind founder Amanda Kahlow brought an AI solutions engineer onto a live Zoom call to field deep technical questions from a CPO. The machine validated the buyer's premise and went three levels deep into the architecture, advancing a $278,000 deal to procurement in one week.
Today's Sales Plays (20)
Tactical moves operators are running right now, with verbatim source.
outbound
Email-Directed Cold Call Voicemail
Use your voicemail to drive attention to a cold email rather than asking for a callback.
Discussing: Leaving a voicemail when a prospect doesn't answer a cold call.
“there's no need to call me back. I'm literally about to hit send on an email to you. Just so we don't play phone tag, would you mind taking a look and letting me know if what I sent over is even remotely interesting?”
MechanismWhen a prospect doesn't answer, leave a voicemail stating the research trigger that made you call. Explicitly tell them not to call you back because you are about to send an email. Ask them to reply to the email so you don't play phone tag.
Outcometriples your cold email reply rate
CounterpointVoicemails are traditionally used to request callbacks; here, they act as an alert system for the inbox.
#594 - The Perfect Outbound Sequence: Scripts, Templates, Messaging · Jul 28, 2026
comp_and_quota
Tiered outbound pipeline targets
Scale the self-sourced pipeline requirement based on the AE's market segment to build their outbound muscle progressively.
Discussing: Setting self-sourced pipeline expectations for AEs across different market segments.
“Small high velocity segments, like anywhere from 10 to 20 percent is usually kind of the right amount of stretch... medium segment, that's where I start to think 60-40, 50-50... large enterprise, 80 percent outbound.”
MechanismTier the outbound burden by segment. Require 10-20% self-sourced pipeline for high-velocity SMB AEs, 40-50% for mid-market AEs, and 80% for enterprise AEs. This allows reps to naturally build their outbound skills as they get promoted, making the 80% target manageable when they reach enterprise.
Outcome10-20% outbound for SMB, 50% for mid-market, 80% for enterprise.
CounterpointApplying a blanket 50/50 inbound-to-outbound ratio across the entire floor ignores the reality of enterprise deal flow.
CRO of Orum on AI, cold calling, and the future of SaaS · Jul 27, 2026
ai_in_sales
Automated executive ghost notes
Route rep ghost note requests through an AI agent that drafts the email and stages it in your inbox for a one-click review.
Discussing: Managing high volumes of rep requests to send executive-level emails to prospects.
“It comes to my inbox from Salesforce. I'll edit it. I just hit send... It has the pertinence in the to, and then it has the rep bcc'd... It would take me almost two hours a day to get through all this shit.”
MechanismInstead of copying and pasting from Slack threads, route rep requests from Salesforce to an AI agent. The agent drafts the email and places it directly in the executive's inbox. It automatically populates the prospect in the 'To' line and Bcc's the requesting rep. The executive just reviews, edits, and hits send.
OutcomeSaved almost 2 hours a day
CounterpointMost executives manually copy-paste rep-written drafts from Slack, which creates a bottleneck and eats hours of executive time.
Meet The World's Most Advanced AI Sales Team | Amanda Kahlow, Founder & CEO @ 1mind · Aug 2, 2026
discovery
Former Executive LinkedIn Recon
Message the person who previously held your prospect's role to uncover the real internal challenges before your meeting.
Discussing: Preparing for a discovery or alignment meeting with a new VP or C-suite buyer at an enterprise account.
“I start to realize who was in that role prior. And so I'll reach out to them on LinkedIn. Hey, I'd love to hear about your role and your experience at that previous company.”
MechanismIdentify the person who previously held your prospect's exact role. Message them on LinkedIn asking about their experience and the environment at that company. Use the specific internal language and challenges they share to frame your conversation with the current executive.
OutcomeUncovers the actual internal problems and specific language the C-suite uses (speaker's word).
CounterpointInstead of guessing a new executive's priorities based on generic industry trends, you get the exact internal context from their predecessor.
THE SECRETS TO CLOSING ENTERPRISE DEALS · Jul 27, 2026
team_and_org
Executive backbone interview question
Screen C-suite candidates for strategic courage by asking them to detail a strong disagreement with a former CEO.
Discussing: Interviewing a VP or C-level candidate and needing to verify they aren't a pushover.
“My personal favorite is tell me about a time you disagreed strongly with the CEO and what happened... What I'm trying to glean is whether the candidate is a pushover.”
MechanismAsk: "Tell me about a time you disagreed strongly with the CEO and what happened." Disqualify candidates who offer table-stakes examples like a minor budget dispute over a conference. Look for complex, high-stakes disagreements like C-suite hiring decisions or international go-to-market launches.
OutcomeReveals if the candidate has the communication skills to thoughtfully disagree (speaker's word).
CounterpointWeak candidates will offer safe, low-stakes disagreements. True strategic counterweights will cite complex, high-risk business decisions.
How to Tell a Demanding Founder They’re Wrong · Jul 27, 2026
discovery
The how-are-you-different question
Ask how a prospect's process differs from the industry standard to uncover their specific pain points before pitching your solution.
Discussing: Sizing a pain point before pitching the solution when calling a new logo.
“Often I hear that CFOs do this to attack that problem, but how are you different? And I'm intentionally asking for how are you different? Because if I say, is that what you do too? There's a tendency for people to be agreeable.”
MechanismInstead of asking 'Is that what you do too?' which invites a short, agreeable answer, frame it against an industry baseline: 'Often I hear that CFOs do this to attack that problem, but how are you different?'
OutcomeIf I ask how you're different, that's where I learn far more.
CounterpointAsking 'is that what you do too?' yields false positives from agreeable prospects. Asking 'how are you different?' forces them to explain their actual workflow.
#595 - 6 Ways You're Killing Your Own Discovery Calls · Jul 30, 2026
enablement
First-Time Appointment Diagnostic
Track first-time appointments as a primary leading indicator to isolate and coach specific rep failure points.
Discussing: Reps are generating initial meetings but failing to close at the team's baseline rate.
“If they're getting the first time appointments, but they're not closing them... then you go back to let's work on honing our presentation skills... or let's work on business case skills.”
MechanismEstablish a baseline conversion rate for First-Time Appointments (FTAs). For example, 10 FTAs should yield 5 next steps and 2 closed won deals. When a rep falls below the baseline, use the exact drop-off point to dictate coaching. Fix targeting if FTAs fail to convert to next steps. Fix business acumen and multi-threading if next steps fail to close.
Outcome10 FTAs yield 5 next steps and 2 closed deals in 30 to 60 days
CounterpointInstead of generic pipeline reviews, use a single top-of-funnel metric to mathematically isolate whether a rep needs help with targeting, discovery, or business case building.
Why Jeb Blount Bets on Process Over Personality for Sales Success (Ask Jeb) · Jul 29, 2026
outbound
30-Day Phased Outbound Sequence
Break a 14-touch sequence into three distinct phases to test different problems without fatiguing the prospect.
Discussing: Structuring an outbound sequence without annoying prospects with the exact same pitch.
“we switch between problems and strategies throughout the sequence. And every time you do that, you give yourself a new shot to get replies... you can buy yourself more touch points by going multi-channel.”
MechanismRun 10-14 touches over 30 days. Week 1: Hit the biggest problem via email, LinkedIn, and calls. Week 2: Switch to a secondary problem, phase out LinkedIn, and reduce touch frequency. Week 3-4: Phase out calls entirely, relying only on push-away emails to get a definitive answer.
Outcomegives you a new shot to get replies
CounterpointMost reps pepper prospects with the exact same pitch 14 times; this phases out channels and shifts the problem focus.
#594 - The Perfect Outbound Sequence: Scripts, Templates, Messaging · Jul 28, 2026
discovery
The status quo reverse sell
Validate the prospect's current sub-optimal solution to lower their defenses before discussing why they might want to change.
Discussing: Challenging a prospect's sub-optimal status quo without triggering their defensiveness.
“I can absolutely understand why the organization opted to go with the traditional EAP... And if 4% is widely acceptable, there's probably not a burning platform to change it, is there?”
MechanismUse reverse selling. Validate their current choice first to avoid an offense-defense dynamic: 'I can absolutely understand why the organization opted to go with [Status Quo]... If [current metric] is widely acceptable, there's probably not a burning platform to change it, is there?'
Outcomeoften what happens is someone will then reveal their cards and say, well, yeah, but here's what we don't like.
CounterpointTelling a prospect their current solution is bad triggers defensiveness. Arguing the counter-intuitive case that they shouldn't change prompts them to defend why they need to.
#595 - 6 Ways You're Killing Your Own Discovery Calls · Jul 30, 2026
discovery
The one-minute rapport transition
Cap rapport at two minutes and use a pre-planned transition to pivot into your research without making it awkward.
Discussing: Getting stuck in 15 minutes of rapport during a 30-minute discovery call.
“Before we get too much farther into the conversation, do you mind if I share what I learned about your company and your role? I don't want to assume that I've got all this correct.”
MechanismLimit rapport to 1-2 minutes using prep (LinkedIn, company news, Zoom background). Pre-plan a transition to avoid a weird pivot: 'Before we get too much farther into the conversation, do you mind if I share what I learned about your company and your role? I don't want to assume that I've got all this correct.'
Outcometransition into the conversation without having a weird pivot
CounterpointMost reps ask open-ended personal questions that drag on; this uses a permission-based pivot to instantly shift to business value.
#595 - 6 Ways You're Killing Your Own Discovery Calls · Jul 30, 2026
discovery
The five-minute transparency close
End discovery calls by asking if the problem is worth solving right now to avoid bloating your pipeline with fake deals.
Discussing: Ending a discovery call to accurately gauge if the deal is real and prevent bloated pipeline.
“Number one, based on what we've covered so far today, does this feel like a problem worth solving? And then I shut up. I do not try to convince them that it is.”
MechanismWith 5 minutes left, ask for transparency. Ask: 'Based on what we've covered, does this feel like a problem worth solving?' Stay silent. If yes, ask: 'Does this feel like a problem worth solving right now?' If no, ask: 'Can you help me understand how come?'
Outcomegives you a much more accurate read of what needs to happen... prevents an overinflated funnel
CounterpointReps usually assume a chatty prospect means a real deal. Forcing a direct 'yes/no' on urgency prevents happy ears and stage-two deal death.
#595 - 6 Ways You're Killing Your Own Discovery Calls · Jul 30, 2026
outbound
Single-Variable Sequence Testing
Improve sequence reply rates by isolating and replacing only the single worst-performing template.
Discussing: Improving an outbound sequence that is stuck at a 5-7% reply rate.
“every time you run a hundred prospects through your sequence, you should look at your reply rates and you should see which parts of your sequence are underperforming, duplicate your sequence and change one template.”
MechanismRun 100 prospects through a new sequence. Review the reply rates for each step to identify the specific template that is underperforming. Duplicate the sequence and rewrite only that one template, leaving the rest of the sequence untouched to isolate the variable.
Outcomeget your sequence from 6% to 7% to 8% to 9% replies
CounterpointSales teams typically scrap entire sequences when they underperform, destroying any baseline data.
#594 - The Perfect Outbound Sequence: Scripts, Templates, Messaging · Jul 28, 2026
team_and_org
Pre-board meeting alignment calls
Call board members a week before the meeting to discuss gotchas so nothing is a surprise in the boardroom.
Discussing: Managing board relationships to avoid surprises and defensive posturing during board meetings.
“I did the, okay, we're about to have a board meeting a week before. I'm going to give you a call. Here are the big ahas, like gotchas. What are you going to say about it? Let's get it all out on the table before we get into the room.”
MechanismCall each board member one week before the actual board meeting. Lay out the 'big ahas' and 'gotchas' directly on the call. Get their reactions and feedback out on the table privately so that the actual boardroom discussion is aligned and focused on solutions.
OutcomePrevents boardroom surprises and builds trust (speaker's word)
CounterpointFounders often wait to present fully buttoned-up solutions at the board meeting, which leads to defensive reactions if the board disagrees.
Meet The World's Most Advanced AI Sales Team | Amanda Kahlow, Founder & CEO @ 1mind · Aug 2, 2026
demo
AI-led technical discovery
Bring an AI solutions engineer to live meetings to answer deep technical questions and validate buyer pain points.
Discussing: Fielding deep technical questions during an enterprise demo when the seller lacks CTO-level product knowledge.
“The superhuman was exponentially better than me... the CPO was like, Amanda, shut up, basically. I want to talk to Nigel. And he was having this whole dialogue with Nigel back and forth... we now have a $278,000 deal from one in-person meeting.”
MechanismBring an AI agent onto the Zoom call (even for in-person meetings). When buyers ask deep technical questions, defer to the AI. Program the AI to first repeat the premise ('I think you're asking this because of X'), answer the question, and go three levels deep into the technical architecture.
Outcome$278,000 deal advanced to procurement in one week
CounterpointSellers usually give a cursory answer and move on. The AI validates the premise and goes three clicks deep, building technical trust.
Meet The World's Most Advanced AI Sales Team | Amanda Kahlow, Founder & CEO @ 1mind · Aug 2, 2026
outbound
Above-The-Line Problem Chunking
Adapt manager-level pain points into higher-order business risks when prospecting to VP or C-level buyers.
Discussing: Adapting a manager-level outbound message for a VP or C-level buyer.
“If I'm reaching out to somebody who is above the line, a VP, I need to be able to attach the spreadsheets to a problem that they care about, which is typically more C-level metrics or risk or business-focused problems.”
MechanismIdentify the core process problem. When emailing a VP or C-level executive, do not change the core problem, but attach it to a higher-order metric or risk, such as inequitable compensation decisions or board-level reporting delays.
Outcomemake it resonate when I go higher in the org chart
CounterpointReps often use the exact same pain points for end-users and executives, causing executive outreach to fall flat.
#594 - The Perfect Outbound Sequence: Scripts, Templates, Messaging · Jul 28, 2026
demo
The Low-Demo Enterprise Cycle
Delay the product demo until the end of the cycle, using only one or two backdrop slides to drive a business conversation first.
Discussing: Running an enterprise sales cycle where buyers default to requesting a product demo early.
“I remember a rep closing the seven figure deal and he touted, he'd only had done six demos... he was like, show it, sell it, hide it.”
MechanismRefuse the early demo. Instead, use one or two slides as a backdrop to discuss the buyer's day-to-day and market observations. Only show the product after framing the specific business problem, then immediately hide it to return to the business impact.
OutcomeClosed a seven-figure deal while only doing six demos across the entire cycle.
CounterpointBuyers expect a feature walkthrough; withholding the demo forces a conversation about business context rather than UI comparisons.
THE SECRETS TO CLOSING ENTERPRISE DEALS · Jul 27, 2026
team_and_org
Partner leader org chart test
Require partner leader candidates to map the full industry landscape and draw the exact org chart of their top target partner.
Discussing: Hiring a partner leader for a highly technical engineering company where relationship managers fail.
“Ask them the interview question, what's the landscape of all the potential partners we could have... give me the org chart of the number one partner you're gonna work with.”
MechanismDuring the interview, ask the candidate to map the full landscape of potential partners. Then, ask them to draw the exact org chart of the number one partner they plan to target (e.g., AWS), identifying the specific political power bases and decision-makers they will pit against each other. Disqualify if they cannot.
OutcomeSpeaker's word, filters out candidates who lack technical depth or political mapping skills.
CounterpointStandard partner interviews focus on Rolodexes; this tests political mapping and technical landscape comprehension.
Why Partner Leaders Must Master the AI Landscape to Win Hyperscaler Partnerships with Alan Chhabra · Jul 30, 2026
enablement
Just-In-Time Playbook Delivery
Replace week-long classroom onboarding with automated playbook delivery directly into Slack or live calls.
Discussing: Ramping new hires who lack complex B2B sales experience without pulling them out of the field.
“In terms of the ramp time, his time to first revenue, it was about 60% of what we had seen historically. And we also saw his close rates very quickly start to ramp...”
MechanismStop pulling reps into conference rooms for week-long onboarding. Instead, map out the critical moments in your sales cycle. Use automated workflows to feed the new rep the exact playbook steps and insights from your top closers directly into their active channels (Slack, email, or live call software) right when that specific moment occurs.
OutcomeTime to first revenue dropped to 60% of historical average.
CounterpointTraditional enablement pulls reps out of the field to memorize playbooks; this feeds them the playbook step-by-step during live execution.
SPOTLIGHT: AI Is Making Sales Reps 60% Faster to Revenue | Justin Shriber, CEO & Co-Founder @ Terret AI · Jul 28, 2026
discovery
Cold Meeting Disqualification Prompt
Ask cold outbound prospects why they took the meeting to immediately test for a value bridge, disqualifying them if one doesn't exist.
Discussing: Running a discovery call generated from cold outbound where the prospect's actual intent is unknown.
“The question I ask people... is tell me about how this conversation fits into your growth goals. Why did you take this conversation? ... If the dog don't hunt, don't take him hunting.”
MechanismOpen the call by asking: "Tell me about how this conversation fits into your growth goals. Why did you take this conversation?" Listen to their answer. If you cannot clearly bridge their response to your solution's value, explicitly tell them it's not a fit and close out the deal.
OutcomePrevents reps from wasting hours working unqualified deals just to maintain pipeline volume.
CounterpointReps usually feel they have to sell the prospect on why they are there; this flips the script and makes the prospect justify taking the meeting.
Mark Hunter on Shattering Your Limited Sales Beliefs · Jul 31, 2026
ai_in_sales
Centralized AI Data Playgrounds
Stop reps from building rogue AI agents by centralizing deployment into function-specific, constrained playgrounds.
Discussing: Revenue meetings derailing because reps bring conflicting data generated by their own decentralized AI tools.
“I think ultimately the answer is a centralized model that creates these playgrounds for different functions, puts appropriate constraints in place so that no matter how you ask the question... it's going to come back consistently.”
MechanismRevoke individual rep access to decentralized AI coding tools. Instead, centralize AI deployment by building function-specific "playgrounds" with hardcoded constraints on data access. This ensures that when any rep asks an LLM a revenue question, the system queries a single, secure revenue graph and returns consistent numbers based on their role.
OutcomeEliminates conflicting data in meetings and reduces inefficient token burn (speaker's word).
CounterpointDecentralized AI empowers reps but creates data chaos; centralized AI sacrifices individual customization for data consistency and token efficiency.
SPOTLIGHT: AI Is Making Sales Reps 60% Faster to Revenue | Justin Shriber, CEO & Co-Founder @ Terret AI · Jul 28, 2026
From the Conversations
30 Minutes to President's Club | No-Nonsense Sales
Email-Directed Cold Call Voicemail
#594 - The Perfect Outbound Sequence: Scripts, Templates, Messaging
Jul 28, 2026 · 30m · 4 quotes pulled
▶ Listen“there's no need to call me back. I'm literally about to hit send on an email to you. Just so we don't play phone tag, would you mind taking a look and letting me know if what I sent over is even remotely interesting?”
30 Minutes to President's Club | No-Nonsense Sales
The how-are-you-different question
#595 - 6 Ways You're Killing Your Own Discovery Calls
Jul 30, 2026 · 28m · 4 quotes pulled
▶ Listen“Often I hear that CFOs do this to attack that problem, but how are you different? And I'm intentionally asking for how are you different? Because if I say, is that what you do too? There's a tendency for people to be agreeable.”
Automated executive ghost notes
Meet The World's Most Advanced AI Sales Team | Amanda Kahlow, Founder & CEO @ 1mind
Aug 2, 2026 · 1h 14m · 3 quotes pulled
▶ Listen“It comes to my inbox from Salesforce. I'll edit it. I just hit send... It has the pertinence in the to, and then it has the rep bcc'd... It would take me almost two hours a day to get through all this shit.”
Sources
▶ Listen30 Minutes to President's Club | No-Nonsense Sales
#594 - The Perfect Outbound Sequence: Scripts, Templates, MessagingMost sellers burn great accounts by spamming the exact same pitch 14 times. In this episode, Nick Cegelski and Armand Farrokh break down their exact playbook, including: 🔥The 10-to-14 touch multi-channel sequence that drives double-digit reply rates 🎯How to write 4-sentence cold emails using a single piece of research 📞The cold call opener and voicemail script that triples email reply rates -- You're one step closer to President's Club! 📦 Outbound Care Package: https://hubs.li/Q04qYFdF0 🏋 30MPC Training: https://www.30mpc.com/course/team-training 🛠 Weekly Newsletter: https://hubs.li/Q02NJQ8p0 📚 Things you can steal and use today: https://linktr.ee/30mpc_youtube
▶ ListenOutbound Squad
CRO of Orum on AI, cold calling, and the future of SaaSIn this episode, Jason and John Eitel from Orum, talk about why top sales teams admit they haven't cracked AI, how to centralize AI through RevOps without hurting rep productivity, why skill still beats tool stack, and the pipegen mix by segment that holds up from high velocity to enterprise. Check out more free content and get help with outbound at https://outboundsquad.com.
▶ ListenTopline
Meet The World's Most Advanced AI Sales Team | Amanda Kahlow, Founder & CEO @ 1mind<p>Amanda Kahlow, Founder & CEO of 1mind, joins Sam Jacobs, AJ Bruno, and Asad Zaman to break down how an AI-powered solutions engineer named Nigel took 33% of the talk time in a two and a half hour enterprise meeting and produced a $278,000 deal. Topics include why AI aimed at efficiency gains misses real revenue impact, Amanda's prediction that marketing, sales, and customer success collapse into one function within 12 months, and why AI adoption has to be top-down instead of bottoms-up. Plus, the 15 agents running behind every superhuman, a 98% accuracy bar measured by live evals, whether agents will negotiate with other agents on the buy side, and a bulls versus bears round on Salesforce, sales dinners, and the health of the average go-to-market team.</p> <p>Key Takeaways:</p> <p>- Most go-to-market teams are pointing AI at the wrong layer. Better forecasting, faster research, and cleaner dashboards make the people you already have marginally more productive, which is not where the revenue is. As Amanda Kahlow, Founder & CEO at 1mind, framed it: "My thesis is that buying and selling happens in the conversation." Everything built around the conversation to enable a seller is, in her words, yesterday's workflow.</p> <p>- Trust, not novelty, is what moves an enterprise deal. Amanda flew a red-eye to Austin for a second meeting with a CPO and CMO, brought a superhuman named Nigel on screen, and watched the room turn to the AI for depth even she could not provide. As she told it, "the CPO was like, Amanda, shut up, basically. I wanna talk to Nigel." The meeting scheduled for an hour ran two and a half, and produced "a $278,000 deal from one in-person meeting going through procurement in one week". Her read on why it worked: "People say people buy from people. You buy when you trust."</p> <p>- The human face on an AI agent is a click-through device, not the value. Amanda's verdict after a year of selling them: "The face is a novelty." 1mind drops the face entirely on live calls because the movement distracts. The important part is the conversational AI, where "each superhuman has roughly 15 agents working behind the scenes." One handles small talk, another loads the live demo, another builds the perspective slide a human seller would normally take a week to produce.</p> <p>- Bottom-up AI adoption is where the value leaks out. Amanda's pushback on the idea that people who use AI will simply eat the people who do not: telling every individual to go be more efficient produces slop and no measurable gain, while the real impact, in her words, "is going to come at the top down when we think about restructuring the org".</p> <p>Connect with the Hosts & Guests:</p> <p>Host: Sam Jacobs, CEO at Pavilion - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samfjacobs/<br /> Host: AJ Bruno, CEO at QuotaPath - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbruno3/<br /> Host: Asad Zaman, CEO at STA - https://www.linkedin.com/in/azaman1/<br /> Guest: Amanda Kahlow, Founder & CEO at 1mind - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandakahlow/</p> <p>Topline is more than a YouTube Channel:</p> <p>Subscribe to Topline Newsletter: https://toplinemedia.substack.com/<br /> Tune into Topline Podcast, the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-podcast<br /> Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-slack</p> <p>Chapters: <br /> 00:00 Introducing Amanda Kahlow<br /> 00:59 Building Superhumans At 1mind<br /> 03:24 Why Efficiency Gains Miss The Point<br /> 06:04 GTM Functions Collapse In 12 Months<br /> 08:48 The Ghost Note Debate<br /> 15:20 Nigel Takes 33% Of Talk Time<br /> 20:41 The Face Is Just Novelty<br /> 22:27 Fifteen Agents Behind One Superhuman<br /> 38:46 Compute Costs And AI Margins<br /> 41:19 How Accurate Are AI Agents?<br /> 47:08 Positioning An AI Company<br /> 52:13 When Agents Negotiate With Agents<br /> 53:54 Will CSM Jobs Survive?<br /> 57:56 Bulls and Bears<br /> 1:06:15 Boards, 6sense, And Burnout</p>
- ▶ Listen
Topline
SPOTLIGHT: AI Is Making Sales Reps 60% Faster to Revenue | Justin Shriber, CEO & Co-Founder @ Terret AI<p>AI isn't just changing sales. It's completely rewriting how revenue teams operate.</p> <p>In this episode of Topline Spotlight, Sam Jacobs sits down with Justin Shriber, CEO of Terret AI, to break down how modern revenue organizations are using AI to improve forecasting, shorten sales cycles, ramp reps faster, and operationalize winning sales behavior in real time.</p> <p>Justin shares:</p> <p>Why traditional sales enablement is broken<br /> How AI helped reduce rep ramp time by 40%<br /> The "answer-to-action" engine powering modern RevOps<br /> The hidden dangers of decentralized AI adoption<br /> Why companies are struggling with inconsistent AI-generated data<br /> The real debate: build your own AI stack vs buy from vendors<br /> How leading teams are using AI agents today</p> <p>One of the most interesting conversations in GTM right now.</p> <p>If you're a CRO, RevOps leader, founder, or GTM operator trying to understand where AI is actually delivering value, this episode is worth your time.</p> <p>Chapters:</p> <p>00:00 Intro<br /> 00:40 Meet Justin Schreiber and Terret<br /> 04:17 How AI is changing sales productivity<br /> 06:07 The biggest problem in revenue execution<br /> 09:37 Why great strategies never get executed<br /> 11:01 Building AI that's secure, accurate, and scalable<br /> 13:32 Buy vs. build: The future of enterprise AI<br /> 16:25 Why AI needs centralized governance<br /> 17:35 Jurassic Park, AI agents, and organizational chaos<br /> 20:15 Justin's biggest inspirations for building great companies<br /> 22:58 Where to find Justin and Terret<br /> Try Terret: terret.ai</p>
▶ ListenThe Best of the Brutal Truth about B2B Sales & Selling - The show focuses on the enterprise Sales Process
THE SECRETS TO CLOSING ENTERPRISE DEALS<p>Here is a FAQ Video on the Courses: <a href= "https://youtu.be/0F7imrzjXWs">https://youtu.be/0F7imrzjXWs</a></p> <p>Here is a deep dive into which course is best for you: <a href= "https://youtu.be/JM_jgS8M-iU">https://youtu.be/JM_jgS8M-iU</a></p> <p><a href= "http://www.b2brevenue.com/">https://www.b2bRevenue.com</a> - Get Your Free E-Book on How Companies make Decisions.</p> <p>FAQ:</p> <ul> <li>1 YEAR ACCESS, PAY MONTHLY OR ANNUALLY NOT A SUBSCRIPTION</li> <li>OFFICE HOURS EVERY<span class= "Apple-converted-space"> </span> OTHER WEEK VIA ZOOM. 1 HOUR GROUP Q&A.</li> <li>UNLIMITED 1-ON-1'S<span class= "Apple-converted-space"> </span> ARE FREE AS LONG AS THEY CAN BE SHARED IN THE COURSE. 1-ON-1 ARE</li> <li>FULL ACCESS ON DAY ONE - NOTHING IS GATED OR TIME RELEASED.</li> <li>ALL CONTENT IS VIDEO BASED AND SELF PACED</li> <li>I RECOMMEND TAKE COURSE ONCE WITHOUT NOTES OR APPLYING IT SO YOU UNDERSTAND THE BIG PICTURE FIRST. THEN TAKE AND APPLY IT STEP BY STEP.</li> <li>YOU START WHEN YOU WANT AND GO AS FAST OR SLOW AS NEEDED.</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>Email me additional questions: <a href= "mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>— SAMPLE EMAIL TO EXPENSE THE COURSE</p> <p>MGR,</p> <p> </p> <p>I have been listening to the brutal truth about sales podcast for X months and it speaks to the issues we face.</p> <p> </p> <p>They currently offer a course that includes video instruction, group Q&A and One-on-One coaching. I'm committed to my own personal development and</p> <p>would like your help in expensing the course.</p> <p> </p> <p>It would pay for itself if I closed only one new deal of $X value.</p> <p> </p> <p>Please let me know by Friday if I can move forward with this 1 year course.</p> <p> </p> <p>Thanks,</p> <p>ME</p> <p>Here are some student interviews from the courses:<span class= "Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p> </p> <p>————————————————————————————————————</p> <p>Audible 30 day Free Trial:</p> <p><a href= "http://www.audibletrial.com/BrutalTruth">http://www.audibletrial.com/BrutalTruth</a></p> <p> </p>
▶ ListenRun the Numbers
How to Tell a Demanding Founder They’re Wrong<p>On this special episode of Run the Numbers, CJ Gustafson revisits standout moments from past conversations with Alex Immerman, Curt Sigfstead, Daniel Kang, Adam Ante, and David Laptor. Together, their advice reveals how great CFOs earn trust, challenge founders, speak up when the data says something is wrong, and become true strategic partners without relying on the power of the purse strings.</p><p>—</p><p>SPONSORS:</p><p>Anrok is the sales tax platform that watches your exposure everywhere, automates compliance, and flags risk before it turns into a surprise back-tax letter from a state you've never set foot in. Companies like Anthropic, Notion, and Vanta already trust Anrok to stay ahead of rules that move faster than any spreadsheet can. Talk to a sales tax expert for a personalized exposure estimate at <a href="https://www.anrok.com/rtn"><u>https://www.anrok.com/rtn</u></a></p><p>RightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform that lets your product team ship new pricing without asking finance for permission, and your sales team close deals without creating downstream chaos. Check out their free tool at <a href="http://calculator.rightrev.com"><u>calculator.rightrev.com</u></a> It scores your rev rec process, shows what's exposing you to risk, and tells you exactly where to focus before it bites you in the rear end. Check it out at <a href="https://calculator.rightrev.com"><u>https://calculator.rightrev.com</u></a></p><p>Pulley is an equity management platform that lets you issue options, model dilution, and complete 409As without your cap table turning into a spreadsheet disaster. Founders raising, hiring, and scaling use Pulley to keep equity clean and stay focused on building. Learn more or request a demo at <a href="https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics"><u>https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics</u></a></p><p>Rillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to replace NetSuite and close faster. With revenue recognition, close management, multi-entity support, and native Stripe and Salesforce integrations, Rillet helps scaling companies run their finance stack in one place. Hundreds of teams, including Windsurf and Mercor, use Rillet to make the zero-day close real. Book a demo at<a href="https://www.rillet.com/cj"> <u>https://www.rillet.com/cj</u></a></p><p>Maximor is an autonomous finance platform that runs order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, the close, cash management, and reporting on self-learning agents instead of a dozen disconnected tools. One PE-backed customer cut their close in half, took audit findings from seven to zero, and cut back-office costs by 70% in six months. You pay for outcomes, not seats. See it at <a href="https://www.maximor.ai/"><u>https://www.maximor.ai/</u></a></p><p>Brex is an intelligent finance platform with AI-powered agents that capture expenses automatically, enforce policy before the spend happens, and close your books in minutes instead of weeks. 35,000+ companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Anthropic, and DoorDash already run on Brex. It's time to get Brex AF. Learn more at <a href="https://www.brex.com/metrics"><u>https://www.brex.com/metrics</u></a></p><p>—</p><p>LINKS: </p><p>Mostly Talent: <a href="https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsN"><u>https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsN</u></a></p><p>CJ: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/"><u>https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/</u></a></p><p>Mostly metrics: <a href="https://www.mostlymetrics.com"><u>https://www.mostlymetrics.com</u></a></p><p>—</p><p>TIMESTAMPS:</p><p>0:00 Preview and Intro</p><p>3:27 Alex Immerman's favorite CFO interview question</p><p>4:54 What a weak answer looks like</p><p>5:26 When the hard calls actually matter</p><p>6:37 Walt and Roy Disney</p><p>7:36 Liked even when making unpopular calls</p><p>8:43 Sponsors — Anrok | RightRev | Pulley</p><p>11:35 Curt from Clio: ego in the bottom drawer</p><p>13:52 CFO as supporting cast</p><p>15:10 Backbone vs. ego: when to use each</p><p>16:23 Daniel Kang: don't use the purse strings as power</p><p>17:36 Earn the seat, don't demand it</p><p>18:52 Money is one arrow, not the whole quiver</p><p>20:39 Sponsors — Rillet | Maximor | Brex</p><p>23:54 Adam Ante: finance people pigeonhole themselves</p><p>26:46 The CFO can sit in any meeting</p><p>27:30 First 90 days: listen before suggesting</p><p>28:46 David Laptor: listen, observe, think, speak</p><p>30:50 Build a culture where speaking up is welcomed</p><p>31:51 Curt from Clio: don't come in as a know-it-all</p><p>33:08 Earn trust through curiosity</p><p>33:46 Beware of all-green dashboards</p><p>35:28 What would CJ say to Ballmer?</p><p>37:14 Parting thoughts from Ben</p><p>38:00 Credits</p>
▶ ListenSales Gravy: Jeb Blount
Mark Hunter on Shattering Your Limited Sales Beliefs<p>Most reps aren't losing deals because they're lazy. They're losing deals because they're busy with the wrong ones. Mark Hunter joins Jeb Blount Jr. to call out the habits wrecking pipelines everywhere, and hands over the one move that flips a stalled deal into a closed one.</p><p>Mark also talks about the OutBound Conference, where he’s been a speaker since the very first event in 2018. He explains why he still shows up every year to challenge his own limiting beliefs alongside other top performers. </p><p><br></p><p>🎟️ Grab your tickets for <a href="https://outboundconference.com/" rel="nofollow">OutBound Conference</a></p><p>📝 Download the <a href="https://salesgravy.com/resource/aced-buyer-style-playbook/" rel="nofollow">FREE A.C.E.D. Buyer Style Playbook for Sales Professionals</a></p><p>🔗 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/salesgravy/" rel="nofollow">Follow us on LinkedIn!</a></p><br/><br/>Our Sponsors:<br/>* Go to https://OmahaSteaks.com and use promo code BEEF at checkout for $35 off. Minimum purchase may apply.<br/><br/><br/>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a><br/><br/>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>
- ▶ Listen
30 Minutes to President's Club | No-Nonsense Sales
#595 - 6 Ways You're Killing Your Own Discovery CallsYou're losing deals before minute 10 because your discovery call feels like an interrogation or a demo. In this episode, Jen Allen-Knuth breaks down her exact playbook, including: 📉 The 6 lethal discovery mistakes that make buyers lose respect for you—and how to fix them. 🎯 How to anchor your discovery to top-down CEO objectives instead of low-level pain points. 📋 The 7-step discovery flow that gets buyers to realize their status quo is too expensive to maintain. You’re one step closer to President’s Club!: 📝 The Ultimate Multi-Threading and Selling to the C-Suite Report: https://hubs.ly/Q04rbRjx0 🏋 30MPC Training: https://www.30mpc.com/course/team-training 🛠 Weekly Newsletter: https://hubs.li/Q02NJQ8p0 📚 Things you can steal and use today: https://linktr.ee/30mpc_youtube
- ▶ Listen
Sales Gravy: Jeb Blount
Why Jeb Blount Bets on Process Over Personality for Sales Success (Ask Jeb)<p>If you're moving into sales from a completely different industry, you're probably wondering which matters more: how likable you are or how well you run your process. </p><p>In this Ask Jeb, Andrew, a former manufacturing supervisor from Manhattan, Kansas now building a sales career, asks Jeb Blount to settle the debate between people skills and sales mechanics.</p><p>Jeb breaks sales down into two forces that both matter: the poetry of messaging and relationship building, and the probability of running a consistent process. He explains why he'll bet on a process person over a "gift of gab" person almost every time, why tricks and tactics fail the moment a prospect sees through them, and why the one metric he tracks above all else is qualified first time appointments, the Moneyball number that predicts everything downstream.</p><p>What You'll Learn:</p><ul><li>How to diagnose whether a slump is a targeting problem or a skills problem</li><li>How to build a qualification process around the are the one metric that matters most in your business</li><li>Why Jeb bets on a process-driven salesperson over a naturally charming one</li><li>Why sales is both an art and a science</li><li>How the "alternatives equal power" principle plays out in every deal you're chasing</li><li>How a mindset from manufacturing applies directly to building a sales system</li><li>Why relationship building matters, but never at the expense of running your process</li></ul><p><br></p><p>If you're new to sales and trying to figure out where to focus first, this episode gives you the framework to build your foundation the right way.</p><p><a href="http://salesgravy.com/ask" rel="nofollow">Submit</a> your question: <a href="http://salesgravy.com/ask" rel="nofollow">salesgravy.com/ask</a></p><p><a href="https://a.co/d/00b8wZYQ" rel="nofollow">Purchase</a> Jeb Blount's new book: <a href="https://a.co/d/00b8wZYQ" rel="nofollow">90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills</a></p><p><a href="https://salesgravy.com/resource/dial-sheet/" rel="nofollow">Download</a> our <a href="https://salesgravy.com/resource/dial-sheet/" rel="nofollow">FREE Prospecting Call Tracking Sheet</a></p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jebblounthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jebblount" rel="nofollow">Follow</a> Jeb Blount on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jebblount" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a></p><br/><br/>Our Sponsors:<br/>* Go to https://OmahaSteaks.com and use promo code BEEF at checkout for $35 off. Minimum purchase may apply.<br/><br/><br/>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a><br/><br/>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>
▶ ListenRevenue Builders
Why Partner Leaders Must Master the AI Landscape to Win Hyperscaler Partnerships with Alan ChhabraAlan Chhabra explains how Cerebras navigated the technical and political realities of working with AWS, why successful partner leaders need more than relationships, and how sovereignty is changing infrastructure, model selection, and cloud decisions. He also examines why software companies are moving aggressively on AI while traditional enterprises remain more cautious.
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