Podcast: Unlocking B2B Sales: A Conversation with Ed Porter

Join us in this episode of the Art & Science of Complex Sales Podcast with Ed Porter, the owner and Fractional CRO of Blue Chip CRO. Ed’s insights into building and managing a successful inside sales team are invaluable, with a particular focus on the importance of process adherence. 

Building an Inside Sales Team (15:38) 

Ed, reflects on his career trajectory, starting from a call center to joining a software company that developed call recording software. He transitioned to building a channel division, despite initially knowing nothing about channel selling. Ed later built an inside sales team for a field sales organization, significantly contributing to the company's growth from zero to $40 million in eight years. He then became a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) for a company aiming for acquisition, successfully selling the company. Ed is currently a fractional CRO, navigating his niche after these diverse experiences in contact centers, channel sales, and full-cycle selling.

Building Change and Success Culture (23:23)

Paul and Ed discuss the challenges of building a successful team and achieving significant growth. Paul highlights the importance of a strong organizational culture in such a journey. Ed credits the success to individual team members and their commitment, emphasizing the significance of slow and steady progress, celebrating small wins, and creating a positive momentum for change. Ed also notes that building a culture is about the individual people, and he intentionally approached change in a gradual manner, recognizing that overnight transformation is unrealistic. He stresses the need to see the benefits of change to stay committed and shares insights into the deliberate process of achieving hockey stick growth over eight years, with the initial years focused on learning, preparation, and gradual progress before experiencing rapid growth.

The Challenge of Accessing Buyers (31:58) 

Ed identifies two core challenges: the need to generate and close pipeline deals and the struggle to retain existing customers. He observes a significant shift in the business landscape, particularly in the past few years, with access to buyers becoming increasingly difficult. This challenge spans both new and existing buyers, leading to industry layoffs and making it harder for businesses to vie for buyers' attention and time on their calendars. Overall, the quintessential problem Ed identifies is the struggle to access and retain buyers, impacting organizations' ability to secure new business and fortify pipelines amidst economic pressures and downsizing.