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Podcast: Elite Selling Podcast
Date: September 3, 2024
Title: How to Supercharge Your Sales Career with Kelly Breslin Wright
Length: 52 Minutes
Episode: 64
description:

Takeaways: 

  • Personalize your outreach and make it about the recipient, not just your product or company
  • Take the time to research and understand the person you're reaching out to
  • Stand out from the crowd by doing things that don't scale, such as sending personalized notes or videos
  • When seeking promotion, focus on developing the necessary skills for the next role rather than rushing to climb the ladder. Understand the skills needed for the next level and proactively develop them 
  • Take on additional projects and demonstrate your value to the company 
  • Be intentional, focus on the team and the company, and not just yourself 
  • Exceptional founders effectively communicate the company's mission and vision

 

In this episode, Kelly Breslin Wright shares insights on the ingredients of being an elite seller and how to supercharge your sales career. The conversation covers topics such as effective outreach strategies, personalization, and the right approach to getting promoted. Kelly emphasizes the importance of personalizing outreach and standing out from the crowd. She also highlights the need for research and understanding the person you're reaching out to. When it comes to getting promoted, Kelly advises against rushing and emphasizes the importance of developing the necessary skills for the next role. In this conversation, Kelly Breslin Wright shares valuable insights on how to supercharge your career and find the right role. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the skills needed for the next level and proactively developing them. Kelly also highlights the significance of raising your hand and taking on additional projects to demonstrate your value to the company. She advises individuals to be intentional, focus on the team and the company, and not just think about themselves. Additionally, Kelly discusses the qualities of exceptional founders, including their ability to communicate the company's mission and vision effectively.

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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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