Trending Articles

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From 0 to 1 Billion Meetings: How Otter.ai Built a Bottom-Up AI SaaS Without a Single Sales Rep

SaaStr

Sam Liang is the co-founder and CEO of Otter.ai. Before Otter.ai, Sam was the founding CEO of Location Labs (acquired for $220M), and the architect behind Google’s blue dot – yes, that blue dot you see every time you open Google Maps. He has a classic Silicon Valley pedigree: Stanford PhD, Google early days, multiple successful exits. The numbers are staggering: they’ve gone from zero to processing billions of conversations, partnered with Zoom as their primary transcription pr

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Mastering Chess Strategy and Sales Conversations: How Openings Win in Both Games

Iannarino

Discover how mastering strategic openings can elevate your sales game. Learn essential techniques to start strong and secure client trust from the very first meeting.

Gaming 227
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How Windsurf / Codeium Built a Billion-Dollar AI Company and a Winning Sales Machine

SaaStr

5 Key Learnings from Scaling from 3 to 75 Go-To-Market Team Members in Less Than 12 Months The latest SaaStr CRO Confidential is out and Sam Blond did a great deep dive with Graham Mareno, VP of Worldwide Sales at Codeium. I really liked this one and wanted to write up a few more learnings. Codeium has emerged as one of the hottest AI startups, growing from 30 to 150 employees in just one year, with a valuation already exceeding $1 billion.

GTM 97
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How to Generate Better B2B Leads That Convert (Ask Jeb)

Sales Gravy

Wes from Flower Mound, Texas, has a familiar challenge: how to attract more qualified B2B leads and convert them before they slip away. Hes already tried a variety of channels, including inside sales, social media, and email, but is struggling to ramp up both volume and quality. Below are the key insights from our conversation, along with practical strategies to multiply your lead count and build a system that secures face-to-face meetings with the right buyers.

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State of AI in Sales & Marketing 2025

AI adoption is reshaping sales and marketing. But is it delivering real results? We surveyed 1,000+ GTM professionals to find out. The data is clear: AI users report 47% higher productivity and an average of 12 hours saved per week. But leaders say mainstream AI tools still fall short on accuracy and business impact. Download the full report today to see how AI is being used — and where go-to-market professionals think there are gaps and opportunities.

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How the event-first approach to marketing can maximize research ROI

Martech

Imagine you’re sitting in a lunchtime webinar that promised “actionable” insights. Those insights are so “actionable” that you’re having trouble keeping your eyes open. Why? The topic isn’t all that fresh, or worse, it’s a disguised sales pitch. Now, imagine the panelists are talking with you instead of at you.

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Exceeding Client Expectations III

Adaptive Business Services

This past winter, I had an issue with my heat pump freezing up. This was a first for me. They worked on it off and on for two to three weeks. They never told me that some amount of ice was normal. My expectation, as I did not know any better, was that no ice was normal. I had to ask to find out. All of this could have been avoided if the company had taken the time to clearly set expectations for me instead of allowing me to set my own.

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Top 5 Sales Improvement Tips From Q1 Podcast Episodes

Sales Gravy

Great advice is everywhere, but most of it is fluff. In sales, you dont need clichsyou need real strategies that help you win more deals. Weve pulled together five of the biggest game-changing sales tips from the Sales Gravy Podcast so far this year. These are proven tactics from top sales pros who know what it takes to close deals, stay sharp, and dominate the competition.

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41% of brands using AI for video, up from 18% last year

Martech

A new report found that 41% of brands now use AI for video creation, up from 18% in 2024. Wistias 2025 State of Video Report data comes from over 14 million videos and surveys of 1,300 professionals. It also addressed video engagement and budget trends. The report attributes the surge in the use of AI for video to the increasing accessibility of AI tools, empowering marketers to streamline production and enhance video quality.

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Celebrating Juan Carlos Niebles: Colombia’s Top 100 in AI

Salesforce

We are thrilled to announce that Juan Carlos Niebles , one of our talented researchers, has been named one of the top 100 in AI by the Artificial Intelligence Observatory in Colombia. This recognition is a testament to his groundbreaking work and significant contributions to the field of computer vision and artificial intelligence. About Juan Carlos Niebles Juan Carlos is a prominent researcher of Colombian origin who currently holds the position of Director of Research at Salesforce AI Research

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In-Person Sales Generate 3x Higher Conversions Per The CROs of Toast, Splunk, Brex and Slice

SaaStr

In SaaS, its easy to assume that virtual selling has completely taken over. After all, Zoom is efficient, email is scalable. Hyrid and work-from-home made it the default paradigm for many in B2B sales. But if you listen to many top CROs in SaaSlike Jonathan Vassil of Toast, Christian Smith of Splunk, Loren Padelford of Slice, and Sam Blond CRO emeritus of Brextheyll tell you that in-person selling is far from dead.

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The Intersection of AI and Sales: Personalization Without Compromise

Speaker: Jesse Hunter and Brynn Chadwick

Today’s buyers expect more than generic outreach–they want relevant, personalized interactions that address their specific needs. For sales teams managing hundreds or thousands of prospects, however, delivering this level of personalization without automation is nearly impossible. The key is integrating AI in a way that enhances customer engagement rather than making it feel robotic.

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GTM 139: AI Agents Are Changing Everything — Microsoft’s VP of AI Agents on the New Era of Work and Software | Ray Smith

Sales Hacker

The GTM Podcast is available on any major directory, including: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Ray Smith is the VP of AI Agents at Microsoft. Previously, he was the Global VP of Product for SAP, CRM and Sales Cloud. Before that, he was the CEO and Co-Founder of DataHug, which was acquired by Calidus Cloud in 2016. Ray breaks down why the rise of AI agents is a tectonic shift, how businesses are already seeing ROI, and what it means for SaaS, team structure, and go-to-market strategies.

GTM 69
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George Foreman’s Masterclass on Resilience (Money Monday)

Sales Gravy

George Foreman, gave us a masterclass in resilience, on never giving up. His pivots and comebacks from defeat were legendary. He was a force of nature and one of the greatest boxers, salesmen and personalities the world has ever known.His inspirational story matters to us because one of the most critical mental disciplines for sales professionals is resilience.

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What is cross-selling? Everything you need to know to increase sales and customer value

PandaDoc

If youre looking to increase revenue without acquiring new customers, cross-selling is one of the best ways you can do that. Its all about offering complementary products or services so you can maximize every transactionall while improving the customer experience. Sounds like a win-win, right? Effective cross-selling helps customers find new products they genuinely need, so theyll leave more satisfied with your business and remain more loyal, too.

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When Is “Making Big Bets” a Really Bad Idea

The Advantexe Advisor

I have a prediction: one of the biggest business acumen trends of 2025 will be large companies instructing their mid- and upper-level managers to stop being so passive and start making significant bets. Why do I make this prediction? Because five out of the last six business acumen programs I have delivered for clients across various industries, including pharmaceuticals, high tech, chemicals, and consumer products, have requested that I develop business simulations to help participants learn ab

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AI Strategies for Sales Managers: How to Cut Down on Tedious Admin Work

What if you could help your sellers stop wasting 72% of their day on non-selling activities and focus on bringing in revenue? Incorporating AI in your enablement workflows can help you cut down on busy work, get projects done faster, and let your team (and you!) focus on making a bigger impact. We put together this guide to show you how to use AI to cut time and costs for projects, including collateral creation, development of training videos, and automating tedious processes.

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Join 200+ of the Top CFOs and VP Finance at 2025 SaaStr CFO Summit on May 13!

SaaStr

CFOs, VP Finance and Finance Leaders: Be Our VIP Guest at the 2nd Annual CFO Summit at 2025 SaaStrAnnual on May 13 with top speakers from: Andreessen Horowitz Emergence Capital OpenAI SnapLogic and more! “The Rise of the AI-Driven Finance Org” THE 2025 SaaStr Annual CFO SUMMIT hosted by Lloyed Lobo and in partnership with Carta and Grant Thornton The role of the CFO is being redefined.

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Does Context Matter? Introducing ContextualJudgeBench for RAG and Summarization Evaluation

Salesforce

AI is rapidly transforming industries, empowering businesses to enhance customer experiences, improve efficiency, and make smarter decisions. But an essential question arises: How can we ensure that AI is creating accurate and grounded answers? Recently, automatic methods for evaluating model responses, like using Large Language Models (LLMs) as judge models have been deployed to assess and critique model responses on-demand.

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5 Best Sales Enablement Platforms of 2025

Hubspot

I hate to break it to you, but having a great product or service alone is not enough to succeed in todays marketplace. Sales teams need the right tools, content, and data to talk to customers and close deals faster. Thats where sales enablement platforms help. Ive worked with businesses that spend thousands on software that sales teams end up barely using.

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Complex sales CPQ: Accelerating sales cycles and eliminating bottlenecks

PandaDoc

The sales process varies greatly depending on the purchase. If youre selling a cup of coffee, the options are relatively simple. You choose a price based on size, add any extras, and send your customers on their way. But what happens when the purchase isnt as straightforward? Take buying a CRM, for example. You cant just pick it off a menu. You need to evaluate pricing, implementation, features, integrations, and ongoing support.

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Prepare Now: 2025s Must-Know Trends For Product And Data Leaders

Speaker: Jay Allardyce, Deepak Vittal, Terrence Sheflin, and Mahyar Ghasemali

As we look ahead to 2025, business intelligence and data analytics are set to play pivotal roles in shaping success. Organizations are already starting to face a host of transformative trends as the year comes to a close, including the integration of AI in data analytics, an increased emphasis on real-time data insights, and the growing importance of user experience in BI solutions.

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Tariffs, Pricing Pressure, and the Future of eCommerce: How Brands Can Win in a Shifting Landscape

TrackStreet

The global trade landscape is shifting, and brands that rely on eCommerce and omnichannel distribution are feeling the pressure. Tariffs and trade policies are raising costs, squeezing margins, and adding new layers of complexity to supply chains. But heres the reality: market disruption always presents opportunity. For brand executives and eCommerce leaders, this is a moment of strategic decision-making.

Price 52
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How to Transition From Founder-Led Sales to Your First Sales Team: 9 Top Tips

SaaStr

Dear SaaStr: What Are The Best Ways to Transition From The Founder-Led Sales Stage? Transitioning from founder-led sales to a commissioned sales team is one of the most criticaland trickysteps in scaling a SaaS business. Its where many startups hit roadblocks, but if you do it right, its a game-changer. Heres how to approach it: 1. Dont Rush the Transition.

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Tips to Optimize Your Ecommerce Store with AI

Salesforce

When you’re running an ecommerce store, the chances are that you keep track of thousands of moving pieces every single day. You have to maintain inventory, help customers, and stay on top of trends all at once. Luckily, with artificial intelligence (AI) , you got this. AI offers an equal footing for small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners competing with big retailers through diverse tools and resources.

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How AI Knowledge Bases Enhance Self-Service, Support, and Retention

G2

Imagine standing in a queue to order a burger, and by the time you reach the counter, the store is out of burgers. You know that sinking feeling, right? But what if you could use a self-order kiosk to skip the queue and get your burger? Wouldnt it be great to self-serve, save time, and have easy access to what you need? Now, imagine that same convenience in a B2B setup.

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Don't Let AI Pass You By: The New Era of Personalized Sales Coaching & Development

Speaker: Brendan Sweeney, VP of Sales & Devyn Blume, Sr. Account Executive

Are you curious about how artificial intelligence is reshaping sales coaching, learning, and development? Join Brendan Sweeney and Devyn Blume of Allego for an engaging new webinar exploring AI's transformative role in sales coaching and performance improvement! Brendan and Devyn will share actionable insights and strategies for integrating AI into coaching and development - ensuring personalized, effective, and scalable training!

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How SMB RevOps leaders can compete with enterprise sales teams

PandaDoc

Big-budget enterprise sales teams arent out-selling you because they have deeper pocketstheyre winning because they have better systems. While small and mid-market businesses (SMBs) represent 43.5% of the United States gross domestic product (GDP) , according to the most recent data from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, yet sales tech providers often leave smaller businesses hanging.

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Is your email platform built for today’s email challenges?

Martech

Despite the widespread adoption of social media and the rise in SMS and RCS messaging, email remains a vitally important channel for reaching customers and prospects. Research by SAP Emarsys and Deloitte found email was the preferred channel for consumers to interact with brands (chosen by 40% of respondents), well ahead of brand websites (28%), mobile apps (24%) and SMS (21%).

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AI is Driving Up Churn Across The Board. Because It Puts Every Renewal Into Play.

SaaStr

AI is driving up churn all across the board. Why? In many cases, its not because vendors fail their customers, or that the solution wasnt good enough. In previous years, customers might have just renewed out of intertia. But things are different now. Today churn is often simply because looking at how AI changes a category put the customer / renewal into play.

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The Insight Engine Will Bring AI to Membrain

Membrain

For some time now, our sales teams have increasingly fielded questions about Membrains AI capabilities. Consistently, our answer has been: It does not have any. As AI tools became more and more common as enhancements to software applications, the questions became more insistent, and our answer remained the same: No, Membrain does not have AI capabilities yet.

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The GTM Intelligence Era: ZoomInfo 2025 Customer Impact Report

ZoomInfo customers aren’t just selling — they’re winning. Revenue teams using our Go-To-Market Intelligence platform grew pipeline by 32%, increased deal sizes by 40%, and booked 55% more meetings. Download this report to see what 11,000+ customers say about our Go-To-Market Intelligence platform and how it impacts their bottom line. The data speaks for itself!

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Sales Success Is a Bracket, Not a Bet

Salesfolks

Over the past week, my NCAA March Madness bracket ranked as high as 7th place nationally out of millions. It wasnt luck. Ive been filling out brackets for years, and each year I learned something small, adapted, and improved. It struck me how much this mirrors what separates good salespeople from great ones: consistent learning, calculated risk, and fine-tuning strategy over time.

Sales 59
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SEO in the Age of AI: Expert Insights from Kevin Indig [+ Video]

G2

Explore Kevin Indig's insights on navigating SEO in the AI era, tackling industry shifts, and future-proofing strategies for startups and enterprises.

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Move Fast and Steal Things: Meta Pirated 53 of My Books and Stories to Train Their AI

David Meerman Scott

A fabulous analysis in The Atlantic by Alex Reisner The Unbelievable Scale of AIs Pirated-Books Problem shows how employees at Meta, all the way up to MZ (presumably Zuckerberg), chose to steal 7.5 million books and 81 million research papers to train its flagship AI model, Llama 3.

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Dear SaaStr: What “Quotas” Should My VP of Customer Success and VP of Product Have?

SaaStr

Dear SaaStr: What “Quotas” Should My VP of Customer Success and VP of Product Have? For a VP of Customer Success (VPCS), their “quota” or ownership should revolve around two key metrics: Net Revenue Retention (NRR) and Gross Retention Rate (GRR). NRR is the North Star metric for customer successit measures how much revenue youre retaining and expanding from your existing customer base.

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AI in Marketing & Sales: Today’s Tools, Tomorrow’s Potential

Speaker: Kevin Burke

AI is reshaping marketing and sales, empowering professionals to work smarter, faster, and more effectively. This webinar will provide a practical introduction to AI, focusing on its current applications, transformative potential, and strategies for successful implementation in your organization. Using real-world examples and actionable insights, we’ll examine how businesses are leveraging AI to increase efficiency, enhance personalization, and drive measurable results.