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Podcast: Founder Real Talk
Date: April 19, 2018
Title: How to Build a Winning Sales Team, with Kelly Wright
Length: 37 Minutes
Episode: 11
description:

Kelly Wright tells the story of how selling books door-to-door shaped her approach to start-up sales and how she went from the first salesperson at Tableau to becoming the EVP and scaled the company to nearly $1B in revenue.

Kelly brings 20 years of experience in leadership and sales roles, including ten years at Tableau selling the company’s award-winning applications. She has previously held positions at a number of high-profile companies, including VP positions at At Hoc, a major venture-backed software company in Silicon Valley, and sales and management positions at Southwestern, Inc., Dale Carnegie and Bank of America. With an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an undergraduate degree from Stanford University, Kelly has also spent time at strategic consulting firms Bain & Company and McKinsey & Company, helping executives solve strategic questions about organizational structures, channel conflict, operations, pricing and international expansion.

Highlights:

3:47 Why did you choose a sales role? What attracts you to sales?

4:16 What was it like to be the first salesperson at Tableau and scale it to close to $1B in revenue and become EVP?

9:14 How do you decide between working with advisors vs. hiring experts?

10:23 What advice were you given on how to scale?

12:50 How do you build and maintain a positive culture?

16:06 As the company scaled, how did it change how you managed the team?

20:20 How did you coach the sales team?

26:51 How did you manage your time as a sales leader?

29:58 What were some of the best life lessons you’ve learned?

33:19 Hot Seat Questions

Recent Podcast

SASSY TALKS

Transforming Companies through Culture Driven Sales: The Kelly Breslin Wright Effect

May 2024

Length: 52 Minutes

Kelly Breslin Wright has over 30 years of experience in leadership, sales, operations, and strategy. Kelly has served in multiple executive roles, including as President and Chief Operating Officer at Gong and as Executive Vice President (CRO) at Tableau Software. Kelly is currently Founder and CEO of her own thought leadership platform Culture Driven Sales.

Additionally, Kelly has been a Board Director at public and private companies, including Fastly (NYSE:FSLY), Plum (NASDAQ: PLUMIU), Gong, Lucid, Even, and Amperity. She has advised many technology companies, including Dropbox and Asana. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. Earlier in her career, Kelly spent time at Bain & Company, McKinsey & Company, Bank of America, Dale Carnegie Training, and AtHoc. She earned her BA from Stanford University and MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Episode Summary: In this episode, Kelly Breslin Wright shares her remarkable journey from selling books door-to-door to becoming a key figure at Tableau Software, guiding the company from its inception through to a successful IPO and beyond. With a focus on the critical role of culture in sales and business success, Kelly discusses her transition into board roles and teaching, emphasizing the importance of mission, vision, and alignment in creating effective teams and compelling sales strategies. Highlights include her insights on building a board for startups, prioritizing people in businesses, and her unique perspective on sales as a deeply human and culturally driven process.

Key Takeaways:

Kelly's early experiences in sales and entrepreneurship shaped her passion for helping people and running her own business.

The importance of aligning sales with the overall company strategy and having a clear mission and vision.

The role of culture in driving sales and creating a positive work environment.

The need for companies to rate people and culture as top priorities.

The challenges and considerations in building an effective board and assessing team dynamics during company growth.

Notable Quotes:

“Culture ties back to the overall essence of the company”  - Kelly Breslin Wright

"Every single person in the company is a guardian of the culture." - Kelly Breslin Wright

"The best salespeople have high empathy, are good communicators, and can emotionally connect with others." - Kelly Breslin Wright

“I have always had the same priorities…#1 People, #2 People, #3 People.” - Kelly Breslin Wright

Chapters

00:21 From Selling Books to Executive Roles: Kelly's Career Path

04:50 Teaching the Art of Sales: Kelly's University Course

11:14 The Essence of Company Culture and Its Impact on Sales

14:21 Guardians of Culture: Every Employee's Role

16:27 Balancing Data-Driven Decisions and Maintaining Culture

20:24 Core Values and Operating Principles: The Foundation of Culture

26:25 Mission, Vision, and Values: More Than Just Words

28:24 Navigating Business Challenges and Priorities

28:50 The Three Pillars of Success: People, PIML, and Culture

29:33 The Importance of the Right Team for Growth

31:48 Evaluating Leadership and Team Dynamics for Expansion

34:11 Cultural Fit vs. Experience in Hiring Decisions

39:44 Culture-Driven Sales: Connecting on a Deeper Level

42:46 Effective Board Composition and Its Impact

46:30 Legacy and Personal Reflections

48:25 Quick Fire Round

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