Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) isn’t something you define once and forget. It’s a living, breathing strategy that evolves with your customers, your data, and your frontline experience.

In this episode of the B2B Sales Trends Podcast, host Harry Kendlbacher speaks with Shaun Scott, Chief Revenue Officer at Aptia Group, about how great sales leaders make their ICP dynamic, actionable, and relevant — and how to turn that clarity into consistent team performance.

Shaun shares how Aptia’s team keeps its ICP grounded through constant feedback loops with sellers, clients, and broker partners — turning market insight into day-to-day sales behavior.

🔗 Explore more insights: www.globalperformancegroup.com

You’ll learn:
• How to align your ICP with real buyer behavior, not internal assumptions
• Why top sellers treat their ICP as a guide, not a gate
• The mindset shift from “strategy decks” to frontline execution
• How discipline, urgency, and self-reflection define elite performers
• The three traits Shaun looks for in every top sales hire

💡 Key Takeaways

- Your ICP is a living strategy — keep refining it as customers evolve.
- Coaching with clarity builds stronger, more autonomous teams.
- Urgency and discipline drive consistent sales results.
- Sales leadership isn’t about control; it’s about alignment and trust.
- The best sellers reflect, learn, and adapt constantly.

👤 About Guest

Shaun Scott is the Chief Revenue Officer at Aptia Group, a global provider of benefits administration and pension solutions serving over 7 million lives across the US and UK. With more than 25 years in B2B sales and leadership, Shaun helps organizations operationalize strategy, build high-performing teams, and stay relentlessly focused on customer outcomes.

78. How to Keep Your ICP Alive | Shaun Scott on Building a Living Sales Strategy

What does it take to lead with clarity inside one of the world’s most successful sales organizations?

In this episode of the B2B Sales Trends Podcast, host Harry Kendlbacher speaks with Jake Mannino, Global Sales Director at Microsoft, about how today’s leaders can stay grounded, consistent, and emotionally intelligent in a rapidly changing world.

Jake shares how Microsoft’s sales culture emphasizes discipline, presence, and clarity — helping teams perform at their best while staying connected to purpose and people.

🔗 Explore more insights: www.globalperformancegroup.com

You’ll learn:
• How clarity builds confidence and alignment across global teams
• Why daily routines and presence matter more than ever
• How emotional intelligence drives better results
• What keeps Microsoft’s sales culture resilient under pressure
• The top habits of high-performing sales leaders

⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome + Meet Jake Mannino, Global Sales Director at Microsoft
03:15 – What clarity really means in leadership
07:10 – Staying grounded through routine and reflection
12:00 – Emotional intelligence and leading through change
17:45 – Building consistency in Microsoft’s global sales culture
24:30 – Jake’s top 3 traits of elite sales professionals

💡 Key Takeaways
- Clarity is the anchor of great leadership.
- Grounded routines create calm in fast-paced environments.
- Emotional intelligence is a performance multiplier.
- Consistency and transparency build trust across teams.
- Leadership starts with self-management and awareness.

👤 About Guest
Jake Mannino is the Global Sales Director at Microsoft, where he leads enterprise sales and transformation initiatives across global markets. With a background that spans Microsoft, Cisco, and entrepreneurship, Jake helps teams achieve clarity, alignment, and consistent performance through grounded leadership.

Connect with Jake on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakemannino/

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🔗 Explore more at www.globalperformancegroup.com

79. Leading with Clarity: Inside Microsoft’s Sales Culture with Jake Mannino

Forecasting accuracy isn’t just a numbers game — it’s a people game. In this episode of B2B Sales Trends, Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Katharina Bucerius-Rauch, VP Global Sales & Customer Operations at Renesas Electronics, to explore how aligning sales and operations creates predictable performance and trusted customer relationships.

🔗 Explore more insights: www.globalperformancegroup.com

You’ll learn:
– Why cross-functional collaboration is key to accurate forecasting
– How Renesas turns raw data into meaningful, actionable insights
– The habits that make elite salespeople transparent and predictable
– What “Plan B thinking” looks like in global operations
– How trust and communication drive both sales and forecasting success

⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – Weekly risk reviews and Plan B thinking at Renesas
03:10 – Forecasting challenges in complex supply chains
04:40 – How sales and operations align to improve forecasting accuracy
09:15 – Turning data into insightful sales decisions
12:30 – Cross-functional communication and execution in action
14:55 – Building trust through transparency and delivery

💡 Key Takeaways

- Better forecasting starts with alignment between sales and operations.
- Transparency and communication build predictability across teams.
- Data matters only when translated into meaningful action.
- Trust is earned through consistency and clear communication.
- Elite salespeople balance technical expertise with emotional intelligence and follow-through.

👤 About the Guest

Katharina Bucerius-Rauch is the VP Global Sales & Customer Operations at Renesas Electronics, where she leads a global team responsible for revenue management, demand planning, and forecasting excellence. Known for bridging sales and operations through data-driven decision making and transparent leadership, she helps Renesas achieve predictable performance in an unpredictable market.

Connect with Katharina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katharina-bucerius-rauch-18304913/

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with your team.

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🔗 Explore more at www.globalperformancegroup.com

80. How Renesas Drives Predictable Growth Through Data & Trust

Breaking out of commodity selling is now a leadership challenge - not a pricing one. In this episode, we explore how modern sales teams reframe connectivity from a cost line item into a mission-critical value driver across the Internet of Things (IoT).

🔗 Explore more insights: www.globalperformancegroup.com

Timestamps
00:00 – Why connectivity is no longer “just a commodity” in IoT
03:45 – Reframing from gigabytes to business outcomes
07:20 – Sales leadership behaviors that break commodity selling
12:40 – Global scalability, connectivity, and long-term value
18:10 – Incentives, culture, and leadership accountability
24:30 – The top traits of elite sellers in modern IoT markets

The future of B2B selling belongs to those who can shift the conversation from features to impact. In this episode, Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Benjamin Bastians, Chief Commercial Officer at Deutsche Telekom IoT, to unpack how global sales teams can transform the way they sell connectivity, create customer outcomes, and build a culture that scales.

You’ll learn:
– How salespeople reframe connectivity from commodity to value
– Why incentives, coaching, and culture drive real behavior change
– How global collaboration strengthens enterprise IoT deals
– The top traits elite sales professionals need right now

💡 Key Takeaways
• Connectivity becomes mission-critical in IoT - but only if sellers position it that way.
• Sales leadership must model outcome-based conversations, not technical specs.
• Incentives shape culture: you can’t expect new behavior with old compensation.
• Collaboration across global teams is now a core sales advantage.
• Curiosity, resilience, and an ecosystem mindset define elite sellers today.

📘 About Guest
Benjamin Bastians is the Chief Commercial Officer at Deutsche Telekom IoT (DTIoT), leading global sales for one of the world’s most advanced connectivity organizations. Known for transforming how teams sell mission-critical IoT solutions, he focuses on outcome-based engagement, global scale, and cross-team collaboration.
Connect with Benjamin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminbastians/

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with your team.
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🔗 Explore more at www.globalperformancegroup.com

81. IoT: Breaking Out of Commodity Selling

Informed buyers believe they don’t need sellers - and in many cases, they’re right. In this episode, Sarah Branfman, Global VP of ISV Sales & GTM at Databricks, explains how buying behavior has fundamentally shifted, why traditional selling fails in complex B2B sales, and what elite sellers must do to create value buyers can’t get on their own.

Explore more insights: www.globalperformancegroup.com

Timestamps:
00:00 – “We don’t need a rep anymore.” The hard truth
02:45 – From ballerina to VP: Sarah’s nonlinear career path
06:18 – The rise of the informed buyer in complex B2B sales
09:40 – How modern buyers want to buy (and why sellers resist it)
12:52 – Comfort-zone selling and losing deals you could have won
18:10 – Value-based selling, decision-making psychology, and the cost of inaction
20:55 – Ruthless qualification vs. the hope-based pipeline
26:30 – Discovery never ends: re-qualifying through the buying journey
29:02 – Provocative questioning and generating unconsidered needs
33:40 – The 3 traits of elite sellers: drive, curiosity, coachability

Modern selling isn’t about pressure — it’s about enabling informed decision-making through sharper sales discovery, stronger sales enablement, and real business insight. In this episode, Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Sarah, to explore the mindsets and behaviors top sellers use to stay relevant and win in today’s complex B2B landscape.

You’ll learn:
– Why buyers feel they don’t need sellers
– How to win them back with insight-driven conversations
– How elite sellers qualify and re-qualify throughout the buying journey
– How decision-making psychology and cost of inaction shape urgency

Key Takeaways:
• Buyers aren’t distrustful — they’re independent. Sellers must add value beyond what buyers can research or ask AI.
• In complex B2B sales, discovery and qualification never end — every new stakeholder resets the process.
• The cost of inaction is often a stronger driver of urgency than ROI.
• Value-based selling works only when sellers provoke new insights buyers haven’t considered.
• Elite sellers share three traits: relentless drive, deep curiosity, and coachability.

About Guest:
Sarah Branfman is the Global VP of ISV Sales & Go-To-Market at Databricks, where she leads strategic partnerships with the world’s leading software and data companies. With deep experience in hyper-growth environments like MongoDB and Databricks, Sarah brings a modern, practical perspective on selling to the informed buyer in complex B2B environments.
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbranfman/

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with your team.
Subscribe for weekly insights on modern selling, leadership, and performance.
Explore more at www.globalperformancegroup.com

82. Why Buyers Don’t Need Sellers - And How to Win Them Back in Complex B2B Sales

Most sales leaders start with the comp plan - but the smartest start with strategy.
In this episode of the B2B Sales Trends Podcast, host Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Jahangir Iqbal, VP of Central Operations and Sales Compensation at Palo Alto Networks, to unpack how strategic sales compensation can activate your GTM strategy, drive the right behaviors, and inspire sales teams to perform with clarity and purpose.

🔗 Explore more insights: globalperformancegroup.com
Timestamps:
 00:00 – Why GTM strategy should come before comp design
 03:45 – How Microsoft and AWS aligned compensation with transformation
 07:20 – The power of simplicity and focus in sales compensation
 11:35 – Using data and strategic thinking to refine comp plans
 16:00 – Rewarding outcomes, not activities, to boost sales team performance
 19:45 – How AI is reshaping compensation and go-to-market strategy

Jahangir shares lessons from leading global sales organizations at Microsoft, AWS, and Palo Alto Networks - showing how a well-designed comp plan can transform how companies execute their go-to-market strategy. From data-driven decision-making to AI-powered comp design, this episode offers a masterclass in strategic thinking and modern sales leadership.

You’ll learn:
 – Why every great GTM strategy begins with clear behavioral alignment
 – How to use comp plans to reinforce long-term goals, not short-term activity
 – What data and feedback loops reveal about comp plan effectiveness
 – How strategic thinking drives simplicity and high performance in sales teams

💡 Key Takeaways
– Great GTM strategies start with focus - then comp plans bring them to life.
 – Simplicity in sales compensation drives clarity and results.
 – Rewarding outcomes over activities creates elite sales teams.
 – AI will revolutionize how companies design and test comp plans.
 – Strategic thinking bridges leadership vision and front-line motivation.

👤 About Guest
Jahangir Iqbal is the VP of Central Operations and Sales Compensation at Palo Alto Networks. With leadership experience at Microsoft and AWS, he’s recognized for transforming sales organizations through data-driven compensation strategy and operational excellence. His work combines analytics, behavioral design, and strategic thinking to power global sales success.
 Connect with Jahangir on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahangiriqbal/

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with your team.
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 🔗 Explore more at www.globalperformancegroup.com


83. How a Smart Comp Plan Powers Your GTM Strategy

A strong coaching culture doesn’t just improve performance - it rewires how your teams think, sell, and serve customers. In this episode of the B2B Sales Trends Podcast, we explore how sales coaching, autonomy, and cultural alignment become the foundation for customer centricity and truly value based selling. Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Andre Schindler, GM EMEA & SVP Global Sales at NinjaOne, to reveal how modern sales leadership builds resilient, high-performing teams in fast-scaling environments.
🔗 Explore more insights: www.globalperformancegroup.com

Timestamps:
 00:00 – Building a coaching culture inside global sales teams
 03:45 – Culture as a foundation for scaling sales teams
 07:20 – Why sales coaching builds critical thinking & autonomy
 11:35 – Leadership development during hyper-growth
 16:00 – Customer centricity as a cultural outcome
 19:45 – The link between value based selling & curious conversations

A coaching-first culture unlocks stronger conversations, better qualification, and more meaningful customer outcomes. In this episode, Andre explains how sales coaching fuels cross-functional collaboration, strengthens customer relationships, and prepares new leaders to scale. It’s a masterclass in leadership development, emotional intelligence, and building sales teams that win through understanding - not pressure.

You’ll learn:
 – Why coaching empowers better decisions across sales teams
 – How culture enables customer centricity at scale
 – Why curiosity is the engine of value based selling
 – What leaders must do to accelerate leadership development
 – How to avoid the pitfalls that limit sales leadership and growth

💡 Key Takeaways
– Coaching creates autonomy; telling creates dependency.
 – Culture is the ultimate performance multiplier for sales teams.
 – Customer centricity starts with how you support your employees.
 – Value based selling requires curiosity, not assumptions.
 – Leadership development must include space to fail, learn, and grow.

👤 About Guest
Andre Schindler is the GM EMEA & SVP Global Sales at NinjaOne, overseeing global SDR, sales, and post-sales functions while driving sales leadership and scaling sales teams across EMEA, APAC, and the U.S. Known for his coaching-centric leadership style, he builds high-performing teams through culture, autonomy, and deep customer focus.
Connect with Andre on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andre-schindler-0a209334/

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with your team.
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 🔗 Explore more at www.globalperformancegroup.com


84. How Coaching Culture Drives Customer Centricity & Value Based Selling

Emotional intelligence in sales isn’t soft - it’s the foundation of ownership, accountability, and how your team shows up when it matters. In this episode of the B2B Sales Trends Podcast, we explore how mindset, self-awareness, and personal responsibility create a deeper, more resilient ownership culture that shapes sales performance far beyond KPIs.

🔗 Explore more insights: www.globalperformancegroup.com

00:00 – Why ownership culture transforms modern sales
03:45 – Emotional intelligence in leadership & daily habits
07:20 – How sales accountability fuels real curiosity
11:35 – Leadership integrity while scaling sales teams
16:00 – Team motivation through humility & self-reflection
19:45 – Growth mindset in sales: the power of consistent practice

In this conversation, Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Amy Spurgeon, VP of Growth at WPP, to unpack how ownership and emotional intelligence shape high-performing sales cultures. Amy shares how curiosity emerges from responsibility, how accountability drives better discovery, and why joy, humility, and self-reflection matter just as much as targets.

You’ll learn:
 – Why emotional intelligence strengthens sales leadership
 – How ownership culture elevates sales accountability
 – Why curiosity is a growth mindset skill - not just a tactic
 – How leadership integrity fuels team motivation
 – What elite salespeople do differently in their daily habits

💡 Key Takeaways
 – Emotional intelligence unlocks accountability and honest self-reflection.
 – Ownership culture creates consistency in how sales teams show up.
 – Curiosity emerges when reps feel responsible for outcomes.
 – Leadership integrity builds trust, not pressure.
 – Growth mindset in sales is a practice, not a personality trait.

👤 About Guest
Amy Spurgeon is the VP of Growth at WPP, with a career spanning sales, enablement, and global commercial leadership. Known for her emotionally intelligent leadership style, she helps organizations build ownership-driven sales cultures rooted in curiosity, accountability, and integrity.
Connect with Amy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-spurgeon-wpp/

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with your team.

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🔗 Explore more at www.globalperformancegroup.com


85. Emotional Intelligence in Sales: How Ownership Culture Changes Everything

Modern selling isn’t about pushing - it’s about problem identifying. In this episode, we break down sales training that actually works, rooted in customer problem identification and ROI selling marketing strategies that help elite sellers win without discounting.

In this conversation, Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Beth Morris, VP of Product Insights at NielsenIQ, to decode the real skills behind high-performing sellers - from insight-driven discovery to value-based selling, negotiation without concessions, and using the cost of inaction to drive urgency. If you’re leading a sales team or selling into complex buying groups, this episode will change how you prepare, position, and influence.

🔗 Explore more insights: www.globalperformancegroup.com

You’ll learn:
 – Why elite sellers “never sell anything” - they solve
 – How to uncover problems buyers can’t see yet
 – When to use ROI selling marketing to hold value
 – Why discovery must generate new insight, not recycle questions
 – How to walk away early to protect pipeline quality

⏱️ Timestamps 
 00:00 – Why the best sellers never “sell” (sales problem solving)
 02:46 – Sales training mistake: “show up and throw up” discovery
 06:18 – How to do real customer problem identification (value-based selling)
 09:50 – Qualifying out fast: a modern sales strategy essential
 13:39 – Using ROI selling marketing to negotiate without concessions
 18:53 – The cost of inaction: when and how to use COI with buyers
 21:54 – Top traits elite sellers share in 2025

💡 Key Takeaways
- Elite sellers are problem identifiers, not product pitchers.
- Insight-led discovery creates value buyers haven’t seen yet.
- Persona-based conversations outperform topic-based selling every time.
- ROI selling marketing protects pricing power and avoids concessions.
- COI (cost of inaction) is a powerful lever for creating urgency.

👤 About the Guest
Beth Morris is the Vice President of Product Insights at NielsenIQ, where she helps companies understand product performance, market dynamics, and customer decision patterns across CPG categories. She is known for transforming complex data into commercial insights that fuel smarter sales strategy and better customer conversations.
Connect with Beth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethamorris/

If this episode sparked new thinking, share it with your team.
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86. Sales Training That Works: Mastering Problem Identification and ROI Selling Marketing

This podcast is dedicated to sales leaders in the B2B space, where we share conversations about innovative and successful sales transformations to keep you up to date on the latest trends that will help you to effectively tackle the challenge of constructing and executing a profitable and sustainable sales process.

86. Sales Training That Works: Mastering Problem Identification and ROI Selling Marketing

B2B Sales Trends

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