Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.
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Leslie Venetz is a respected B2B sales strategist, keynote speaker, and the founder of The Sales-Led GTM Agency. With 15+ years of experience as a top-performing B2B sales professional and three-time Head of Sales, Leslie has established herself as an authority on outbound sales, email strategy, and creating buyer-centric sales experiences.
Here’s some of my takeaways from this week’s episode…
1/ 🎯 The Money Myth: Top sellers aren't primarily motivated by commission
• Once basic financial needs are met, money drops to 3rd-5th priority
• Recognition, meaningful work, and team culture rank higher
• Key insight: Build incentive structures around more than just cash
2/ 🎧 Active Listening > Passive Silence
• It's not just about not interrupting
• Resist the urge to pre-plan your response
• Focus on understanding vs. sharing your "similar story"
• Use the 4R framework (including Resist) to improve listening skills
3/ 💪 Earn The Right Before You Sell
• Start by providing value before asking for attention
• Apply this mindset to every interaction (emails, calls, meetings)
• Test: "What have I done to earn the right to make this ask?"
4/ 📊 Quality > Quantity for Account Load
• Enterprise/ABM: ~50 accounts per rep
• Transactional sales: 400-500 accounts
• Work backward from revenue goals to determine actual needs
5/ 🎯 Incentive Design Drives Behavior
• Make quota attainment feel achievable
• Structure bigger payouts at higher performance tiers
• Allow reps breathing room for strategic territory management
6/ 🤝 Marketing vs Sales: Partners Not Nemeses
• Both face rejection and campaign failures
• Attribution battles usually stem from executive pressure
• Best results come from true cross-functional collaboration
7/ 📝 Cold Email Excellence = Reduced Cognitive Load
• Write at 3rd-5th grade reading level
• Create visual space in messages
• Make calls-to-action crystal clear
• Focus on relevance to recipient
8/ 📈 Product Led vs Sales Led: Choose Based on Price
• PLG works best for products <$200/month
• Higher price points justify full sales motion
• Consider hybrid approach as you scale
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Where to find Leslie Venetz:
The Sales-Led GTM Agency: https://salesledgtm.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslievenetz/
X: https://x.com/B2B_SalesCoach
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In this episode, we cover:
00:00 Leslie Venetz: Journey to Sales Leadership
01:46 Understanding Sales as a Helping Profession
06:45 Lessons from Early Sales Jobs
10:55 Navigating Product-Market Fit Challenges
16:46 Sales Strategies for Growth
19:51 Finding Product-Market Fit
24:36 The Art of Cold Outreach
32:35 Multi-Channel Sales Outreach Strategies
36:18 Multi-Channel Outreach Strategy
38:09 The Importance of Data Providers
39:43 Understanding Customer Acquisition Costs
42:41 Sales Development Rep Workload
46:25 Backtracking to Revenue Goals
48:05 The Misconceptions of Sales Motivation
51:17 Motivating Sales Teams Beyond Money
53:10 The Power of Active Listening
57:48 Incentive Design for Sales Teams
01:02:51 Earning the Right to Ask
01:06:55 The Role of MQLs in Sales
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Obligatory disclaimer: I've worked at YouTube and Google for about a decade in various marketing teams. Nothing I say in my personal spaces is necessarily endorsed by them.
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