Activity
9K followers
-
Bob Spina posted thisIf your forecast call is always “surprise,” it’s not just a process problem; it’s a trust problem as well. Many VP Sales focus on the obvious levers: • Pipeline coverage • Win rates • Quota setting • Comp plans • Enablement • MEDDICC or your preferred framework While these are necessary, they are not sufficient. Here’s a truth that often goes unspoken: You can’t comp-plan your way out of a low-trust culture. In high-growth organizations I've been part of, the teams that consistently outperformed were not just the most talented; they had the highest internal trust. When trust is high: • Reps bring bad news early, preventing larger issues • Forecasts become accurate • Managers focus on coaching rather than inspecting This correlation shows up in the numbers. Companies with high trust generate 8.5 times more revenue per employee than the average U.S. company. So, if you’re a VP Sales dealing with: — Sandbagging — CRM fiction — Late-stage “mystery losses” — Hero culture — Manager micromanagement Don't just tighten the process. Measure trust as you would measure pipeline. In the long run, trust is a revenue lever. What’s your telltale signal that trust is high (or missing) on a sales team?
-
Bob Spina posted thisI finally did it. I replaced myself with AI. My AI attends all my meetings, responds to emails instantly and says things like “this is a great opportunity to align” and “circling back here” with incredible conviction. My clients have never been happier. They say I’m more responsive, more thoughtful and somehow less human. I also deployed an AI version of myself for my family. He’s fully present, actively listens and never tries to fix the problem too quickly. My wife says she wishes I’d done this years ago. My friends now interact exclusively with my AI. They say I’m funnier, wiser and much easier to get time with. I personally work about 20 minutes per day now. Mostly approving which version of me gets deployed. The rest of the time I’m focused on thought leadership. Comment “changed my life” and my AI agent will send you my free guide on how to automate your personality. He will also follow up consistently. Because he believes in you. Even after you stop believing in him.
-
Bob Spina reposted thisBob Spina reposted thisHumans + agents, working together, is the future. But, most AI sales tools get this wrong. Because they're building for EITHER: a) Full automation (AI does everything, no human required) OR b) The rep driving (with some AI features sprinkled into their product) I think choosing one of these paths misses the mark. The best outcomes in outbound still come from human judgment applied at the right moment. The rep who reads the room on a cold call and pivots the pitch entirely. The one who knows when to go off-script. AI isn't replacing that intuition anytime soon. But reps shouldn't be spending hours on list building, data enrichment, and sequence management just to get to those moments. (I'm incredibly AI-pilled, and think it's completely changing sales) That's the bet Nooks is making with their new AI Sequencing launch this week—what they're calling the "Agent Workspace for Intelligent Outbound." The model: agents reason, prioritize, and draft. Reps make judgment calls, build relationships, and close. Each makes the other better over time. AI agents monitor real-time buying signals—CRM activity, call transcripts, LinkedIn, web data—to surface the right prospects at the right moment. They draft personalized outreach grounded in actual account data (not generic AI slop). Reps review, edit, and send. Speed without sacrificing accuracy or brand control. Nooks is re-architecting outbound around humans and AI in one shared workspace. It's not either/or. It's both. And, I think this is the future. Check out Nooks and decide for yourself: https://bit.ly/4b4NlGGNooks AI Sequencing | The Agent Workspace for OutboundNooks AI Sequencing | The Agent Workspace for Outbound
-
Bob Spina shared thisAI Doesn’t Replace Leadership AI can analyze calls. AI can flag risk. AI can suggest next steps. But it can’t build trust. Technology amplifies culture. It doesn’t replace it. The organizations that win in a post-AI world will be the ones that combine disciplined systems with trust and strong leadership.
-
Bob Spina posted thisThe majority of the best salespeople aren’t posting on LinkedIn. They’re too busy closing. They’re running discovery. Negotiating contracts. Working real pipeline. Meanwhile, LinkedIn is full of “sales experts” with unlimited time to post every day. That should tell you something. The best sellers I’ve worked with, the ones consistently closing the largest deals, weren’t focused on building an audience. They were focused on building trust with customers. There are a few exceptions. A handful of true professionals who share their craft. And when they post, it’s worth reading. Like Brian LaManna. But they’re the minority. Because selling at the highest level requires intensity, focus and time. And you can’t fake quota attainment. The uncomfortable reality is this: It’s easier to build a personal brand than it is to build pipeline. The best sellers don’t need LinkedIn to prove their credibility. Their customers do that for them.
-
Bob Spina posted thisIf your sales team isn’t using the phone, they’re leaving revenue on the table. Email is easy. Email is scalable. Email is also easy to ignore. Data tells a clear story: * Phone conversations convert 2–5x higher than email only outreach * Live calls uncover real urgency, budget and blockers faster * Deals with early phone engagement close faster and at higher ASPs * Open rates on an email increase 30% after leaving a voicemail Email should support the motion, not be the motion. The phone creates: *Real-time discovery *Objection clarity *Trust you can’t automate The teams winning right now aren’t sending more emails. They’re having more conversations. If you want higher conversion rates then pick up the phone. I am sure Hannah Willson and the Nooks team will agree!
-
Bob Spina posted thisCEOs ask me this a lot after ~18 months of fractional work: “How do I pick the right fractional leader?” First, the truth, fractional ≠ full-time. You’re not filling a seat. You’re investing in leverage. What actually matters: 1. Experience with your stage and GTM motion 2. Ability to diagnose fast and execute 3. Influence without authority 4. Proof of durable outcomes 5. Clear working model and strong EQ The right fractional leader compresses time and reduces mistakes. The wrong one just consumes runway. What do you think Dave Rubinstein? DM me if you want a full guide.
-
Bob Spina posted thisNo one gives a f*** about you…. Just read an excellent interview that Asad Zaman had with Matt Braley (CRO at EliseAI) and it hit on something I see every week coaching sales teams: There is entire generation of reps who were never taught the craft of selling. For a decade, product-led growth, inbound, and brand did the heavy lifting. You didn’t need great discovery to win, the demo closed itself. That era is over. Matt nailed the real gap in sales: Discovery. Most reps still do this: Ask 2–3 surface questions Open a deck Talk about themselves for 30 minutes Buyers tune out because they don’t feel understood. As Matt put it (paraphrased from "Gap Selling", one of my favorites of all time, thanks Keenan !): Nobody cares about you. They care if you understand them. The teams winning right now are: Obsessed with customer problems Trained in structured discovery Fluent in business impact Not features. Not logos. Not funding rounds. Sales is going back to being a craft and that’s a good thing. If you’re a CRO, VP Sales, or founder: Are you building sellers… or slide readers?
Experience & Education
-
GroWrk
View Bob’s full experience
By clicking Continue to join or sign in, you agree to LinkedIn’s User Agreement, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Policy.
Other similar profiles
Explore more posts
Explore top content on LinkedIn
Find curated posts and insights for relevant topics all in one place.
View top content