GTM 128: The Death of Demos and Selling What Customers Actually Need with Fred Viet

The GTM Podcast

Fred Viet serves as the Chief Sales Officer at Aircall, overseeing global sales and playing a key role in scaling the company's reach over the last four years. With a background that includes leadership roles at AWS, Microsoft, and Lenovo, Fred brings a wealth of experience in building high-performing teams and driving revenue growth.
Discussed in this Episode:

• The differences between selling in APAC and North America markets
• The evolving role of partnerships and channels in software sales
• Strategies for effective annual revenue planning
• The impact of AI on sales processes and team structures
• The future of SaaS pricing models and their implications for sales organizations

Highlights:
(3:29) Differences between selling in APAC and North America.
(9:10) The importance of understanding your ICP in partnerships.
(15:07) Advice on avoiding job-hopping early in your career.
(19:59) The impact of AI on sales team structures.
(24:34) The potential of AI to level the playing field for SMBs.
(30:10) Mistakes to avoid in annual revenue planning.
(35:46) The shift from demo-centric selling to value-based conversations
(41:38) Strategies for aligning sales and marketing teams.
(31:55) One thing revenue leaders believe to be true that Fred thinks is bull$***.
(43:28) One thing that is working for Fred/Aircall in go-to-market right now.
Guest Speaker Links (Fred Viet):
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredviet/
Host Speaker Links (Scott Barker):
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/
Newsletter: https://gtmnow.com/tag/newsletter/

Where to find GTMnow (GTMfund’s media brand):
Website: https://gtmnow.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gtmnow/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/GTMnow_
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GTM_now
The GTM Podcast (on all major directories): https://gtmnow.com/tag/podcast/

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The GTM Podcast
The GTM Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Scott Barker, GTMfund Partner, featuring interviews with the top 1% GTM executives, VCs, and founders. Conversations reveal the unshared details behind how they have grown companies, and the go-to-market strategies responsible for shaping that growth.
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