SASSY TALKS
Podcast: SaaSy Talk
Date: May 28, 2024
Title: Transforming Companies through Culture Driven Sales: The Kelly Breslin Wright Effect
Length: 52 Minutes
Episode: 10
description:

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

Recent Podcast

ValuePros Show

How to Improve Sales Performance through Stories with Bruce Scheer and Kelly Breslin Wright

December 17, 2024

Length: 55 Minutes

Discover how the power of storytelling can revolutionize your sales performance! Join Bruce Scheer and Kelly Breslin Wright as they delve into the critical role of narratives in aligning company missions, engaging customers, and driving business success.

- Crafting unique value propositions and integrating them into a compelling company narrative.

- Strategic priority of company storytelling with executive and board alignment.

- Importance of conveying the "why" behind a company to emotionally engage customers.

- Consistency and alignment in storytelling across the organization.

- Real-life examples of effective storytelling, including personal anecdotes and the Tableau story.

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share for more insights on enhancing sales through storytelling!

 

Chapters:

00:00Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:21Kelly Wright's Journey in Sales

05:35Founding Culture Driven Sales

09:00The Importance of Company Mission and Vision

12:13The Power of Storytelling in Sales

15:29Examples of Effective Storytelling

23:59Customer Stories and Emotional Connection

28:24The Power of Personal Stories in Sales

30:01Integrating Storytelling into Sales Training

31:10The Impact of Storytelling Workshops

35:39Evolving Sales Strategies in the Information Age

37:49Crafting Thought Leadership Narratives

44:28Avoiding Pitfalls in Storytelling

50:22Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Learn More