Guest: Mike Manzy, a five-time VP of Sales with over $100 million in sales under his leadership.
Topics covered include sales hiring, retaining high performers, building sales teams, trends in outbound sales, leveraging AI, and Mike's mission to eliminate the SDR role.
Also discussed: Mike's growth to 300,000 followers in the last 12 months and content creation strategies.
Mike's Sales Background
Varied Experience: Worked in turnarounds, startups, and various types of companies (SaaS, Enterprise, Services) in multiple locations.
**Early Career: ** Sold international trips, taught English abroad, then worked at CareerBuilder.
Management Path: Promoted to management roles early, including growing the Canadian market and managing multiple teams with diverse sales models.
**Key Roles: ** Maintained and grew teams at startups and larger companies, including CareerBuilder, Workable, and TimeDoctor.
Consulting: Now consults startups to implement lead systems, sales systems, and management systems in a short amount of time.
Leadership Evolution
Initial Leadership Style: Started as a friendly manager, became friends with team members, which had drawbacks.
, shifted to a more number-focused approach, but it took time to regain team trust.
Current Leadership Approach: Balance between being a friend and a boss.
Three Key Environment Points:
Trust: Create a safe space for vulnerability.
Hard Work: Show you're working as hard as your team.
Help: Be genuinely helpful, but avoid constantly giving answers outright.
Sales Hiring Tips
Hiring Scorecard: Use to hold yourself accountable.
Grit Assessment: Ask questions about past experiences to gauge resilience.
Expectation Setting: Be upfront about high performance culture in job descriptions and interviews.
Retaining High Performers
Regular One-on-Ones: Weekly check-ins are crucial.
Nine-Box Matrix: Monthly assessment of potential vs. performance.
Regular Team Check: Monthly gut feel and performance assessment to identify potential leavers.
Outbound Sales Today
Tools: Leverage tools like Apollo for contact info and email sequences.
AI Personalization: Use AI for personalizing outreach, but relevance over personalization is key.
Deliverability: Use multiple domains and email accounts with tools like Instantly or Smartlead to avoid spam filters.
Segmentation: Break down ICPs into smaller, more relevant segments for targeted outreach.
Future of Outbound Sales
**Impact of AI: ** While AI enhances current methods, it will likely lead to the decline of traditional outbound sales.
Shift to Content: Future sales will rely more on content creation and product-led growth.
Decreased Email Usage: As outbound becomes saturated, alternative communication channels will grow.
Content Creation Journey
TikTok and Instagram: Grew to 300k followers through consistent posting.
Starting Out: Did 3 posts/day for 30 days, using hooks and engagement strategies.
Evolving Approach: Shifted from trying to mimic popular styles to being authentic and vulnerable.
Engaging Content: Tactical tips, top 10 lists, controversial hooks, and Easter eggs.
Advice for New Content Creators
Be True to Yourself: Authenticity is key.
Provide Tactical Value: Ensure content offers practical steps viewers can implement immediately.
Content Optimization: Use b-roll, text overlays, and short clips.
Engagement Tactics: Keep videos under 20 seconds or over a minute for better platform performance.
Key Takeaways
Balance in Leadership: Combining empathy and performance-focused management works best.
Outbound Sales: Use current tools to maximize relevance and personalization, but prepare for a future shift to content-driven strategies.
Content Creation: Consistency and authenticity are crucial. Provide real, actionable value.
Personal and Professional Growth: Aim to help others by sharing knowledge and experiences, which also contributes to personal fulfillment.