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On this episode of the REVolution Podcast...
we're joined by Corporate Bro (aka Ross Pomerantz) where we touch on everything from how he got his start in sales, to a shared love of baseball, what he thinks about marketing, and why getting older is hard.
Listen now, check out the transcript, and subscribe
Read along with the episode transcript here or find and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.
About our guest
Ross Pomerantz is a B2B influencer, founder, investor, and sales tech advisor. If you’re on Instagram or LinkedIn, it’s likely you know him as the Corporate Bro. With over 300,000 followers on Instagram, 73,000 on LinkedIn, and nearly 23,000 on YouTube, he has generated a ton of content since getting his start in sales back in 2013 at Oracle. Check out his work, follow along on these platforms, and stay tuned for an exciting new show he's launching.
Episode takeaways
We learn more about the man behind Corporate Bro
Ross shares background about his job and how each day is different with his various roles as a creator, advisor, investor, and occasional golf player. [3:45]
Alex and Ross talk about baseball and why getting older makes you sore. If you want to hear commentary on the Braves vs. Mets this is the episode for you. [5:10]
We shift the conversation to how Corp gets his start in sales at Oracle [8:38] and how Corp Bro emerged from selling salad dressing and real estate to making home videos. [10:25]
Why you can’t trust pitching speeds when someone actually swings the bat. [13:26]
If revenue is a team sport, who leads the way?
We talk about revenue as a team sport across sales, marketing, and customer success and pivot to basketball stories and which team gets to play point guard [13:45]. Ross says marketing is coming off the bench [14:33] and sales plays point [14:45]. Mary takes it in good spirit, but playfully disagrees.
Ross shares what makes a good seller and the need to collaborate well across teams [15:16], while also talking about the role of marketing and why it’s important if you want to be high-performing. [16:41]
Mary talks about positioning and an interview Ross did with Dave Gerhardt about how critical it is for marketing to understand the broader market dynamics to help lead the company mission. [17:58]
The role of product led growth (PLG) and what it means for sellers
Mary tees up a convo on PLG and how it can complicate handoffs. Ross weighs in on what he thinks it will mean for the future of selling. [18:25]
Alex mentions data and the importance of using it to help coach sellers during the closing process [21:10]. Ross talks about the importance of a player/coach mentality.
We discuss where customer success fits and how companies should organize themselves. [23:25]
Is go to market (GTM) broken?
Alex shares that some people feel like they need to blow everything up and start again [25:52], yet they don’t know what the next evolution of GTM should be.
Corp dives into the evolution of Revenue Operations [26:40] and why unifying sales, marketing, and customer success is popular right now because everything is less linear than it used to be. Layer on the fragmentation that’s happening and we have to be more creative in how we reach other humans. [27:40]
Corp's new show
We get an early preview from Ross about what the show is and how you can check it out [29:00]. The goal is to premiere at SXSW and/or get a second season. The story is about a company called Suckle with a host of engaging characters, except for marketing this time around (Alex gets a commitment for season 2). You have to listen in to hear more about the tagline - it’s a good one! Mary gives Ross props for being a great marketer and we learn more about his advertising background. [35:30]
Circle back to selling and the need to take risks
We talk about how Ross performed in sales and why it wasn’t fulfilling on its own, yet it’s absolutely one of the most critical skills you can have. His desire to learn more about the other functions in a business led him down the path to where he is today. [37:38]
Mary brings up how selling and marketing is great storytelling [39:00]. Corp weighs in on how B2C often takes more risks and has more fun, yet there’s room for more of this in B2B. We can’t be robotic in the approach, a cohesive brand is important, and you also have to be human (not contrived). It’s okay to be imperfect and have fun.
Fastpitch wrap up questions
Alex winds up the conversation with a quick round of questions for Ross [41:59]. They touch on everything from sports psychology, to the best thing Ross learned at Oracle, favorite baseball movies, why lefty pitchers are crazy, and beyond. Ross is excited for more content to come to you soon [48:00]. Follow along, like the content, share it, and let him know what you think. Your thumb is powerful - use it wisely to inform the algorithm.
