Official thread

Play Hard, Sell Hard: There's No Middle Ground

Sales is a zero sum game.


For every customer you win, another company loses.


For every key hire you poach, another company gets weaker.


For every massive renewal you secure, other companies lose the opportunity to grow.


Sure there's all the collaborative, partner selling, let's all grow the market together bullshit that people throw around at the beginning.


But ultimately, business is war. Sales is the front lines. And there can only be one winner.


Don't believe me? Check out how that "partnership" between Gong and Outreach is going right now ๐Ÿฟ ๐Ÿ‘€


Yeah, exactly.


Play to win.



<SM

๐Ÿฐ War Stories
๐ŸŽค Sahil
27
poweredbycaffeine
WR Lieutenant
6
โ˜•๏ธ
Cannibalizing growth is so hot right now.
Kosta_Konfucius
Politicker
8
Sales Rep
.
butwhy
Politicker
4
Solutions Engineer
Used to work at Outreach - my eyebrows basically shot off my head when I saw some of the latest Gong CEO comments.

Still believe Kaia will be their ultimate downfall instead of building a lite-CRM from scratch.
braintank
Politicker
3
Enterprise Account Executive
Can someone TLDR me the gong/outreach drama?
CuriousFox
WR Officer
2
๐ŸฆŠ
Yes I would like this as well ๐Ÿ‘€๐Ÿฟ
butwhy
Politicker
3
Solutions Engineer
Sure - So Outreach and Gong used to be tied at the hip partners. Each used the other and the CEOs constantly touted the other in their hype bro-ey ways.

But then Outreach decided to effing build their own Gong by spending years building Kaia, a Gong overlap product with "AI". Dumbest decision ever, imo. Outreach actually spent the first six months of launch saying this wasn't a replacement for Gong (because it wasn't at all due to lack of functionality).

Then Gong released their own Outreach competitor, Engage. Looks shiny but I have heard the integration is shit and the AI is not A nor I. They immediately went for the throat and started touting it as an Outreach replacement. No holds barred, even up to the CEO (when he isn't ranting about sheep and wolves and geopolitical crap).
So now Outreach from Manny down is being all passive aggressive about being for Enterprise specifically with everyone coming for them.
I am sure there are a million micro-dramas in between knowing the amount of ego working at both of those companies.

ChumpChange
Politicker
1
Channel Manager
Thank you for the tea. Here's a random internet stranger fist bump.
oldcloser
Arsonist
3
๐Ÿ’€
Gong show continues
Fenderbaum
Politicker
2
Retired Choirboy๐Ÿช•
.
oldcloser
Arsonist
1
๐Ÿ’€
yes!!!!
oldcloser
Arsonist
1
๐Ÿ’€
Just one more
LeadMachine
Opinionated
1
Sr. BDR
It's Mean Gene the Dancing Machine- Stuff!
LeadMachine
Opinionated
1
Sr. BDR
The Wizard of Whoopee, UC
oldcloser
Arsonist
0
๐Ÿ’€
If you recognize the unknown comic, youโ€™re as old as I am. Also, dirt.
jefe
Arsonist
3
๐Ÿ
From LI to the WR...
Pachacuti
Politicker
2
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
Lol
pirate
Big Shot
2
๐Ÿฆœโ˜ ๏ธ Account Executive
Okay
GDO
Politicker
1
BDM
๐Ÿ˜… this pic always gets to me. How many sales kick offs have this picture do you think?
pirate
Big Shot
0
๐Ÿฆœโ˜ ๏ธ Account Executive
Wait what it's used in sales kick offs?
GDO
Politicker
0
BDM
Yeah Iโ€™ve seen it in 2 different companies already
FinanceEngineer
Politicker
1
Sr Director, sales and partnerships
But that makes sense, you need frenemies and target the market in a way to maximize profit.

I disagree, as money moves around, it creates more opportunities. We shall see though.
Diablo
Politicker
1
Sr. AE
The rule is the same even within the company :)
LambyCorn
Arsonist
0
A mfkn E
whats up with gong + outreach? im outta the loop on that one
Maximas
Tycoon
0
Senior Sales Executive
All Ready To Crush It!
kermitthefrog
Catalyst
0
Sales Consultant
So true!
11
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