I am in the first phase of the execution of my strategy and we hired a new sales leader who wants to make big changes to our tech stack and rev strategy. What’s the best way to handle this situation?

I would recommend closely partnering with and advising this new individual to start with a listening tour of sales managers, sales reps, prospects, customers and partners to develop a deep understanding and appreciation of the current state of affairs before making any pivots to the strategy or tech stack. It is important to understand 'what you are solving for' before making changes to strategy and a tech stack that may have worked at a previous company.  If you do this together, you will both ...Read More

Start with listening. The number 1 advocate and driver of a revenue strategy is the sales leadership team. Take the time to listen to this new sales leader and understand their underlying objectives while trying to keep the conversation agnostic of technology. Understand how they want to orient the team and where they want reps to focus. In my experience in this scenario, the most critical thing to do is NOT come with an agenda to pitch your plan with this new sales leader first. The majority of ...Read More

In this case of having a new leader want a different tech stack and strategy, I would stop or severely slow down the execution of your strategy until you can get on the same page as the new leader. Continuing on a path they have not bought into is not going to end well, especially since they seem to have a strong perspective and vision. The first thing I would do is get a large block of time with the new leader to review your strategy and make sure they understand it completely. You should get f ...Read More

This applies to most new LT relationships in some way. I usually think of situation this as having 3 necessary steps: establishing a positive dialogue, problem solving together and rigorously agreeing on roles and responsibilities – as well as the path forward. For some more color:  Positive dialogue: it is easy for a “change bias” vs. “status quo bias” game to emerge in this setup, so first acknowledge this and be radically transparent. Sounds obvious but your success in role is now intertwined ...Read More

Take this opportunity to sit with the new leader and walk them through your current strategy, why it was developed what your expectations are, etc. Seek to understand their feedback, and perspective and determine a good path forward. You must have an aligned revenue strategy with shared accountability. Start here first. Then once you have alignment determine the proper timeline for execution and technical support. What strategy and technology at one company might not work for another, as humans ...Read More

I believe it would be a misstep to view this as a situation "to handle" rather than an opportunity to collaborate with a new thought partner in crafting a fresh strategy that likely brings advantageous perspectives not previously considered. Welcoming a new sales leader to the organization presents a fantastic opportunity for all teams involved. Each new leader brings their own insights into what works, what doesn't, areas for improvement, and opportunities to capitalize on. Engaging with this n ...Read More

In this situation, it is important to bring people together and avoid friction, so harmony prevails :) If I was in your situation, I would start with arranging a meeting with the new sales leader to ask what his/her thoughts are on change and why he/she feels these changes must come about. Present the existing strategy's core components, timeline and rationale for decisions made in your current technology stack. Work towards a combined approach in which both perspectives may be incorporated/mast ...Read More