Hi Speleos, we’d love to hear about your journey through the years…tell us more about what you’re looking forward to in your role at Nomadix as the new CRO?
My journey in technology began during my summer after the 10th grade. My best friend and I joined his older brother as he started a business telephone sales company in response to the 1980’s divestiture of AT&T. I made two sales during those few months of summer break.
In my 28 years of sales and sales leadership, I always strive to answer the following questions: How will the customer benefit from this purchase; what is in it for them and what do they get? In terms of my last seven years of leading the sales of technology companies focused within the hospitality industry, my approach has focused on how will this hospitality client be able to differentiate their property to their guests and minimize operational costs while maximizing additional revenue.
Fast forward multiple decades to the present, I am honored to be at Nomadix as we bring our expanded solutions to market. Over the past 12 months, Nomadix released a new suite of hotel innovations, strategic integrations and flexible subscription pricing that hoteliers can leverage to re-open safely and cost-effectively, along with robust managed Wi-Fi for multi-tenant communities. My teams will bring these new offerings to market and expand the value proposition to partners and customers around the world.
We’d love to hear about some of your top go-to market plans and strategies that have helped drive business results through the years and how you will fold that experience into your time with Nomadix.
I plan to grow the Nomadix solution delivery “deeper and wider,” a strategy that has driven results in my previous roles.
My reference to “grow deeper” is market penetration. Nomadix currently enables over 2 billion internet connections for hotel guests in more than 150 countries each year via our internet gateways. We’ve focused on building a new suite of hotel solutions to help hotels upgrade and meet the evolving guest expectations. This includes contactless solutions for guest interaction via their personal device or through our patented virtual assistant, along with automatic authentication, TV Casting and cloud phone services.
Market expansion of our sales efforts to include additional venues with visitors is the basis of my “grow wider” plan. Nomadix and its sister company GlobalReach provide internet connectivity to passengers on trains, planes and boats. It also facilitates visitors to conference centers, coffee shops and retail outlets. The various possibilities for our patented technology to transform the internet experience for visitors in public venues are numerous, and I will enjoy working with our teams to further define additional expanded market cases.
What are some top sales technologies that have often reflected as part of your sales tech stack?
Sales is about building relationships, and the most useful technology supports those connections. I tend to use a combination of tools, including a reliable CRM, like Salesforce, that has the ability for multi-platform management (e.g., phone, email, social media). Second, I use multimedia technology for proactive sales, such as email and social media campaigns, as well as web and powerpoint presentations. And third, I leverage communication tools like video conferencing platforms (e.g., Zoom, Webex) and direct messaging (e.g., Slack).
The last year accelerated the adoption of technology that has always been available. Even something as simple as turning video on during a conference call makes a major difference for interpreting facial expressions, body language and engagement. These adjustments can also be more inclusive, allowing people to connect globally without having to meet in person. As we navigate our “new normal,” I think these tools will be especially valuable as virtual, visual meetings continue in a hybrid environment.
How do you feel operations and revenue teams should interact and evolve given today’s largely hybrid / remote work culture?
Whether remote or not, our teams need to be in sync and working toward a common goal. Operations and revenue teams are inherently in conflict, unless they start working together from the beginning to create strategies and goals and have equal say and opportunity for feedback to determine pricing, deliverability and promotions. It’s a greater investment in collaboration at the start, but it leads to a much faster launch trajectory. As CRO, I can help manage both sides of the ops and revenue equation to help bring these two teams closer in sync.
Nomadix actually does this very well; in fact, one of our core company values is “Better Together.” We not only work together across teams but also remotely and globally across time zones. As leaders, we must be empathetic to everyone’s home/work environments (especially now), encourage flexible schedules and understand how to work better as a team. Sometimes that’s early mornings for the U.S. and U.K. to collaborate, but sometimes that’s signing off early for taking kids to soccer practice. At the end of the day, when everyone works together, we can measure success together too.
What are some platforms that you feel every CRO in a new leadership role should be looking to adopt and why?
When starting a new role, it’s important to assess and set a foundation for continual learning and open communication from the start. Slack, Salesforce, Google Workspace, Lead Forensics and an industry-specific data source for finding new customers and new projects are a good start. CROs and teams also need a method of providing constant contact to said audience, whether it’s on social media or via email. My motto: communicate a new service seven times in seven different ways.
Every CRO should be able to have dynamic communication within their department and with sales and revenue groups, especially as individuals and teams determine what their return to the workplace looks like. For quick, unofficial questions and impromptu calls, Slack is great. An email works for more formal direction or approval. When something needs a conversation, video conferencing or, as in-person interactions pick back up, a coffee break or whiteboard session are effective. There are different avenues for different needs.
Can you share a few thoughts on what you feel today’s sales and marketing leaders need to do differently to help them stand out from the crowd?
First, continuous feedback: It’s imperative that we understand the audience and marketplace, not just from our perspective but from our customers’ perspective too. By getting continuous feedback from customers and/or resellers on pricing, features and functionality, we can react and readjust.
Second, constant contact: It’s important to stay in constant contact with the prospect until they reach the end of their buyer’s journey and make a decision. 80% of unqualified leads will eventually buy, but it takes them longer than the intended sales timeline. As the buyer dictates their own journey, the need to stay in touch with leads is paramount.
Third, team alignment: Sales, operations and marketing need to be aligned, and company culture plays a huge role in this. Collaborative culture can and will help you stand out. Many departments tend to work in silos, causing even more tension and disconnected strategies. It’s important for leaders to bridge those gaps and lead by example to effectively work together.
Also, what would you share when it comes to the concept of RevTech and its future?
RevTech brings the pricing piece to SalesTech and MarTech, ensuring that we deliver value in the marketplace. This could be through pricing validation, secret shoppers, or customer surveys. The future of RevTech depends on creating a 360° cycle between pricing, sales effectiveness and marketing in order to constantly reassess and readjust to stay competitive. We can‘t simply depend on the tools and the data; as we respond to feedback and adapt pricing, sales and marketing can realign their messaging as well.
For example, the hospitality industry was hit hard, but this gives hotels the opportunity to reassess priorities, rethink the guest journey and digitally transform operations, sales, the front desk – at every touch point of the guest stay. This includes RevTech, along with onsite tech, to create strong differentiators to build new guest loyalty.
This interview originally appeared on SalesTechStar.