Jake Reni’s Post

"Your pipeline is inflated and nowhere near what you think." I had to drop this in an Executive Leadership Team meeting last week 😬 You could hear a pin drop. Then, slight chaos erupted. This scene? It plays out with virtually EVERY new client: 1. Reset founder expectations 2. Re-align board expectations (they're often facing the same learning curve alongside their portcos) 3. Manage expectations daily with the Executive Leadership Team 4. Win trust quickly to earn the right to time Why? Because most startups are free-falling into the GTM Gap - that chasm between having a product and scaling revenue. It's not a speed bump. It's a startup graveyard. The solution? 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: • Pipeline Integrity • Team Capability Alignment • Process Flexibility • Product-Market Fit Recalibration • Data & Experience-Driven Decisions Stabilization isn't a one-time event. It's ongoing reality checks and strategic pivots. Get this right, and you're building a launchpad for category dominance. Curious where you stand in bridging the GTM Gap? 👉 Take our free GTM Gap Assessment: https://lnkd.in/gCBKj__z

I like conflict. I even encourage it. Not petty squabbles, but the "productive ideological conflict" Patrick Lencioni champions. Without it, we settle for artificial harmony and mediocre results. When was your team's last heated, respectful debate that led to a breakthrough? If you can't recall, you're likely impeding growth. I've seen conflict transform organizations and teams. Adam Jay, Dale Zwizinski, and I have our own conflicts on the regular and the conversations between us are so easy. I love it! Conflict, done right, builds trust and commitment. It shows respect for your colleagues' intellect. Challenge: Foster an environment where team members feel safe to disagree. Encourage open, honest dialogue about ideas, not personalities. Model vulnerability by inviting others to challenge your views.

𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 I recently watched an interview between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman where they share profound insights on anxiety and fatherhood. Ryan talks about how fatherhood has helped him embrace and harness his anxiety. He described anxiety as a constant companion, fueling his drive and fostering empathy, making him an even better father. Equally impactful was Hugh Jackman's emphasis on the critical need for safe spaces in mental health discussions and watching him proceed to create this very space for Ryan in the interview. Men often face immense pressure to appear invulnerable. However, true strength lies in vulnerability. The degree of difficulty of anxiety is no greater for men than it is for women. Men and women alike, we all have things we're working on in our journey through life. You're not alone. At certain points in my life, I've grappled with severe anxiety, and it still surfaces at times, particularly due to the pressures of work, fatherhood, and striving to be an awesome husband and equal partner in the home. Communicating openly with my wife, children, and, at times, even with co-workers, has been crucial to helping them understand that my anxiety is not directed at them. I've found this to create a supportive environment at times when needed. Remember that your vulnerability can uplift others. 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: https://lnkd.in/gt_MpWZk

Most discovery calls I hear are terrible. I don’t blame the reps. I’m frustrated with their leaders because it’s the leaders who aren’t coaching them properly on how to run great discovery calls. Coach your sellers on how to listen for emotional clues from buyers. Trust me, if they’re talking to you, they’re frustrated with something going on and they’re expressing it. It sounds like: "It takes way too long to…" "We can’t figure out how to…" "My team is drowning in…" "We're losing so much time because…" "Our current system is just not…" "We're constantly running into issues with…" "I can't believe we're still struggling with…" "This process is so inefficient, it's driving me crazy…" "Our customers are getting frustrated because…" "We're spending too much money trying to…" By tuning into these cues, sellers can pause, slow down the conversation and ask context based discovery questions like: “Wow, you mentioned how frustrating this is for you. I can imagine it must be draining on your team too. Tell me, how is this impacting their ability to effectively achieve x ?” Listening to actually understand and suss out the buyer's pain must be used uncover the actual business problems and technical problems. Being great at discovery is being great at listening with the intention to understand. Questions come easily once you understand.

I've observed that leaders who inspire me are guided by a set of core principles that define them more than any title, salary, or professional accomplishment. How they embody these principles is what truly sets them apart because their self-worth comes from within. For the past 2.5 years, I have dedicated myself to following these principles:  1. Wisdom  2. Self-control  3. Courage  4. Integrity  5. Optimism  6. Humility  7. Gratitude  8. Hard-work  9. Love 10. Justice 11. Liberty      Have you put thought into what your core principles are?

📣 Attention Utah Customer Success Professionals! 📣 Come join me for lunch with Utah's top Customer Success Leaders at the upcoming Q2 Utah Customer Success Meetup this Friday, May 10, from 11:30AM - 1:30PM. I'll be sharing my experience and insights on aligning Customer Success with revenue to focus on Net Revenue Retention (NRR) growth. As the Chief Growth Officer at Revenue Reimagined, I've seen firsthand the impact that well-aligned CS and sales teams can have on driving revenue and maximizing customer lifetime value. This event is an excellent opportunity to: • Network with fellow CS professionals • Learn from industry experts • Gain actionable strategies to take your CS game to the next level A big thank you to my friend Dave Blake, CEO at ClientSuccess, and our friends at BrainStorm Inc. for hosting this event at their amazing office in American Fork. Don't miss out on this chance to elevate your CS skills and network with the best in the business. Spread the word to your customer success friends and colleagues here in Utah! Register now via the Eventbrite link in the comments below👇👇👇 I look forward to seeing you there!