Joe Manuel

Ryan Walsh is spot on. OTE and comp structure matter, but they’re actually secondary. What really determines AE earnings potential is the competitive advantage of the product, the size of the serviceable addressable market (SAM), and customer sentiment about the category and product you sell. And in the current AI hype cycle, it’s worth asking a simple question: is there substance behind the story, or is it a solution looking for a problem?

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7 Comments

AI is changing how we execute - less so what the foundations of great RevOps look like. On a recent Domestique webinar with Alex Biale, we unpacked why the best AI-native teams treat GTM like a product: clear strategy, defined processes, the right tech, ongoing enablement, and clean data - all instrumented in real time. My core takeaways: - Data is the operating system. If inputs are messy, AI just compounds the chaos. Start with a shared data dictionary (MQL/SQL/ICP, stage criteria, ownership, etc). - Orchestration is earned. You don’t get AI co-pilots and shadow agents until the foundation is trustworthy. Focus on your data-layer first to earn your right to orchestration. - Build weekly GTM pulse checks (pipeline movement, inter-stage conversions, leading signals) so there’s still time to act - not just diagnose at the end of the quarter. - Enablement isn’t a QBR slide anymore - it’s real-time feedback from call transcripts into Slack, fueling better discovery, handoffs, forecasts, and coaching. We also touched on a couple other key points like: - The goal posts for greatness are moving and the benchmarks are going up. - Why GTM still wins on the basics done right - now executed with AI. Check out the link in the comments for the full conversation.

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10 Comments

hiring a seller out of hyperscaler might be the wrong move for your startup. let me be clear: there is certainly great sales talent at these companies. but those teams didn’t win because of sales and sales alone. More often than not, the role these sellers had at aws/azure/gcp is simply a different job than what you are hiring for. pulling a top performer from an industry leader tells you almost nothing about whether they can build pipeline from zero. or sell around product gaps. or handle the volatility that defines your world. that’s a different game entirely. more than a decade in this industry and i’ve watched the same pattern repeat: founders optimize for credibility instead of capability.. and then wonder why nothing moves for 6-12 months. the filter is simple: find environments where sales was the engine... where the company grew because of that function, and against the odds. conditions matter more than titles. this is not always the case, but big-company reps may not have that muscle. not because they’re not talented. but because the job they were rewarded for is not the job you need done. so when founders ask me, “how do i know they can actually do it here?” i give them the same test: - ask where they did their best work. - ask what broke around them and how they still hit number. - ask when they had to build something that didn’t exist yet. you’re looking for scar tissue. that’s how you’re going to hone in on people that have done a similar role.

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4 Comments

💭 What really makes a great tech salesperson? (It’s not just about hitting quota.) After years of working with some of the best GTM professionals across SaaS, MSPs, and enterprise tech, one thing’s clear: The best sellers don’t just sell tech, they translate value. Here’s what sets them apart 👇 🧠 1. Curiosity They ask better questions. They dig into how a product actually changes a customer’s business — not just what features it has. 🤝 2. Emotional intelligence They build relationships that outlast deals. They know when to challenge, when to listen, and when to walk away. 💡 3. Commercial awareness They understand margin, pipeline, and profitability. They don’t just close — they close smartly. ⚡ 4. Resilience They keep momentum through long cycles, multiple stakeholders, and the “almost there” deals. Consistency is their edge. ❤️ 5. Integrity They focus on solving problems, not shifting products. Customers remember how you made them feel, not just what you sold. In tech sales, success comes from curiosity, clarity, and credibility. It’s not about being the loudest voice in the room, it’s about being the one people trust to deliver. What do you think separates good GTM talent from great? 👇 #Sales #TechSales #SaaS #BusinessDevelopment #AccountExecutive #GTM #Leadership #CareerGrowth

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17 Comments

SaaS is SO back Salesforce acquiring Fin/Intercom for $3.6B solidifies it. In the past couple of months alone, strategics are scooping SaaS: Autodesk buying MaintainX for $3.6B Salesforce buying Contentful for ~$1.5B Adyen buying Talon.One for €750M Very interested to see when PE hits the public markets.

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6 Comments

I asked a few Salesforce AEs a blunt question last week while visiting the tower: "What partner activations are actually helping you build or mature pipeline right now?" The answer? Not much. The old playbook of World Tours, HH's, and sponsored dinners is losing its impact. They create a lot of activity (and a few hangovers), but they aren't changing account strategy or de-risking deals for the sellers. As Salesforce leans more heavily into GSIs and Venture-backed firms, channel-sourced lead flow for the rest of the ecosystem is becoming harder to come by. We saw the beginning of this shift last year when Salesforce let go of about half of their Alliances team ✋. Many partners pivoted to diversify their lead engine by building deeper ties with ISV partnerships. This year, the shift is accelerating and the next evolution in partner GTM strategy is about building proactive, measurable, direct marketing muscles alongside your channel investments. Partners can no longer rely on channel-led motions as the primary way to hit targets. Speed is everything, and your co-selling strategy is only as fast as the data backing it up. I am learning fast at Operatus when it comes to operations and tools. The questions that matter now are: 🚀 Are we tracking job changes? G4G moves champions fast. Automating CRM updates protects your best leads and saves your sales team hours of manual work. 🎯 Are we enriching CRM data for the ICP? Accurate data allows us to automate nurture sequences and stay top-of-mind without the manual lift. 🧠 Are we helping sellers move deals, or just creating noise? If an activation doesn’t provide a new narrative for the client, it isn’t helping the AE. 📊 Are we tracking our Partner NPS? Knowing which Salesforce teams value your work and which don’t allows you to prioritize investments and stregthen relationships in the right places. The goal is to use automation and cleaner data to try new direct marketing and sales approaches, experiment, fail fast, and evolve. Do it with an operators mindset that I too am learning to flex so you can show up more creatively for the teams you partner with! Where are my alliance veterans and partner marketers at?! How are you innovating your GTM motion this year? What "old playbook" are you finally letting go of? #salesforce #channelstrategy #GTM #partnermarketing #alliances

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15 Comments