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Podcast: Not Another Sales Podcast
Date: April 28, 2020
Title: #10 The Power of Storytelling in Sales ft. Kelly Wright
Length: 50 Minutes
Episode: 10
description:

Let me ask you a question; think of your favorite film, how much can you remember? Pretty much all of it back-to-back, right? Now think of a sales meeting that happened 3-6 months ago, how much do you remember? Not too much I'm guessing. One of the reasons for this is that your favorite film is a story, which engages you on an emotional level and is far more memorable. Salespeople are missing so much opportunity by not utilizing stories in their role. Want to find out what, why and how? Then tune in.

To discuss this, I'm joined this week by Kelly Wright, Board Director at Fastly, Lucid, Amperity, & Even. Lecturer at the University of Washington and Former EVP Sales of Tableau.

Kelly will be sharing her wealth of experience on why stories matter so much to us, particularly in the world of sales, how to utilize them into your process and examples of how she's used them throughout her career. If you want to start becoming more memorable to your customers, along with engaging with them far more effectively, then this episode is for you.

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Signals with Gwen Chen

Zero to a billion: Kelly Breslin Wright on sales

January 28, 2026

Length: 48 Minutes

Signals with Gwen Chen Podcast explores the intersection of AI, business, and strategy. In each episode, Gwen Chen (ex-AWS and Google AppSheet, now Co-Founder and CEO of SolCrys AI) sits down with leaders across marketing, sales, and product to unpack how companies are built, how stories are written, and how business are scaled. Conversations span technology breakthroughs, product narratives, customer insights, positioning, decision-making, and career journeys-alongside the latest trends in AI and their impact.

In this episode, Gwen sits down with Kelly Breslin Wright, a renowned sales and go-to-market expert who played a pivotal role in scaling Tableau from zero to nearly a billion-dollar business.

Kelly shares her journey from selling books to leading revenue organizations at Tableau and Gong. Learn about the importance of emotionally connecting with customers in the age of AI, the significance of understanding your company's mission, and the balance between reacting to competitors and staying true to your path.

Whether you are an early-stage founder or a seasoned executive, Kelly's insights on first deals, sales strategy, and building iconic tech companies will provide valuable lessons and inspiration.

00:00     Introduction to Kelly Breslin Wright

00:51      Kelly's Early Career and Sales Journey

03:35      Key Sales and Leadership Lessons

05:12      The Importance of Mission and Vision

07:41      Early Days at Tableau

14:55      Balancing Customer Requests and Mission

18:37      Finding Product-Market Fit

22:09     Aligning Corporate and Go-to-Market Strategies

28:17      The Role of AI in Sales

38:25      Hiring the Right Salespeople for Startups

45:49     Final Thoughts and Advice for Founders

Learn More
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