Scott Schneider is TrueFort's Chief Revenue Officer. Scott highlights the benefits of having a revenue officer who can effectively combine innovative thinking with data-driven insights to support the company's growth in this blog.
Additionally, Scott offers insightful advice on how to add a personalized touch to each sales contact to build strong and long-lasting business relationships. He will also debunk the myth and answer a few questions related to RevOps.
Myth: While it is true that most RevOps staff are mathematicians and data analysts, it is important to realize that their responsibilities go beyond these titles.
Scott clarifies the myth that data analysis and maths are the only aspects of RevOps. He highlights Phil from TrueFolk as an excellent example of a RevOps leader who uses creativity and analytics to increase revenue. Phil finds patterns and converts them into useful information, such as identifying financial services firms that will be open to new rules. His creativity and experience support fresh ideas like focused advertising campaigns.
Phil's ability to combine creativity and analysis makes him valuable in connecting data to practical business requirements. Phil's focus on steady revenue growth matches True Folk's goal of increasing shareholder value.
What technological obstacles keep him awake while managing and generating predictable revenue?
The key component of cybersecurity involves managing complexity. Overcoming challenges can be difficult, particularly for prospective customers who may struggle to understand solutions and define terms. He struggles with this ongoing battle with complexity.
He uses his team's technological knowledge to deliver information in a way that gives prospects the freedom to select their learning path while following his approach of simplicity and analogies.
He strongly emphasizes getting things high level and letting the audience go deeper as needed, depending on their technical experience and context.
Talking about complicated subjects is a tricky thing in his industry. His technical expertise and insightful communication guarantee success even if he does not use what he sells. He may not use the products, but he is an honest and skilled speaker who values truthfulness over misleading customers.
He makes efforts to provide them with clear explanations, technical skills, and true connections in the complicated sector of cybersecurity to empower clients and begin the journey from the top.
What does he think about marketing automation in RevOps and marketing?
Companies such as TrueFort must have a strong inbound strategy in the ever-changing world of buying. He illustrates the advantages of inbound marketing platforms such as HubSpot using his background as a co-founder of CyberGex, a cyber risk company.
He emphasizes how relationships with customers in private Slack channels have become increasingly important to CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers) in the new purchasing process.
Prospective clients arrive prepared, having researched TrueFort's reputation and prices on platforms like G2 Crowd. This means that the sales strategy must change, and it has become critical to comprehend the customer's intent.
He favors giving accounts priority according to whether they intend to buy something or deal with an issue that TrueFort can resolve.
This enables him to prioritize people actively looking for answers, such as containment strategies, and go beyond alphabetical targeting.
He thinks TrueFort can improve the effectiveness of its sales efforts and have more success by utilizing marketing automation and concentrating on intent.
How does Scott measure performance in his team or company?
The sales team at TrueFort needs to understand the buyer’s intent. He makes use of a variety of tools to obtain information and rank possible leads.
Demandbase tracks website visitors and content downloads, while Enchant analyses keywords associated with TrueFort's offers.
Scott stresses the significance of avoiding unwanted outreach and contacting those who genuinely interest you.
Once recognized, LinkedIn Navigator becomes an effective tool for finding possible customers.
He stays clear of contacts who are uninterested or already involved with competitors, emphasizing ethical marketing. He can prioritize accounts according to their purpose and compatibility with TrueFort's products using ZoomInfo and additional tools to improve the scoring process further.
He measures customer intent using a blend of technological instruments and his strong instincts. Sales efforts are ensured to be ethical and efficient by combining human judgment and statistical analysis to find the most promising leads.
What does Scott view as the future of RevOps?
He observes a notable change in the business environment, having noticed the shifting dynamics in consumer behavior and the rise of the digital economy more than ten years ago.
Though he admits his mistakes from the past, he feels lucky to have changed with the times, realizing that many revenue leaders his age continue to use outdated strategies.
He constantly seeks new methods and tools and stresses the importance of engaging prospects innovatively and genuinely.
He raises concerns about the success of techniques such as cold calling and highlights the gap between appropriate actions in one's personal and professional life.
Furthermore, he presents fresh ideas, including a platform wherein Chief Information Security Officers establish donation requirements for meetings and offers substitutes like vendor engagement demo days, illustrating the changing sales and buying process environment.
How did his journey lead him to his current position in RevOps?
Scott’s journey started in a small town in Texas where sports surrounded him. He has a background in golf and first tried to play professionally on minor tours in an attempt to pursue a career in golf.
He realized it was not a career he could stick with, so he spent about five years working as a professional teacher. Later, he moved into sales and joined golf ball and club makers Cobra and Titleist.
After some time there, he went into the software sector at the recommendation of a person he met at a Dallas Stars hockey game.
When he first started working at McAfee, he struggled to understand the complexity of the cybersecurity industry, but after studying customers, he eventually succeeded.
In 2003, he began his professional journey with startups and has worked for many of them. Alongside, he pursued his passions for leadership, sales strategies, and marketing automation.
Despite having a successful career, he shows a genuine interest in his work and treats it more like a hobby than a job. His ability to enhance shareholder value has been linked to his extensive network and team-oriented approach.
Did he have any mentor who guided him in cybersecurity leadership?
John Waters and Howard Nelson were his mentors. His Pineless manager, Howard, made an impression on him with his intelligence and ethical behavior. John, the CEO of Mandiant and a personal friend, has always shown his morality and creativity. These mentors had a big impact on his career path in cybersecurity.
Listen to the full episode here.
