“If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.” -Woody Allen
Meeting the demand for presales resources can be an intractable challenge, and creative leaders are thinking outside the box. Join two of the best, Tony Francetic and Robert Beattie of Thomson Reuters, as they candidly share some of the mistakes made and lessons learned during their quest for scale.
Some topics we’ll cover:
– The multi-role approach and skillset overlap
– The myth of the Generalist
– Engagement with Sales – avoid turnover hell
– Head count tunnel vision
Rob is a visionary leader who defines goals, objectives and directions for the team based on a combination of experience, data and best practices.
He uses his management style, personality and skill set to work towards five goals each day:
1. Meet or exceed “The Number”
2. Enable Customer Excellence
3. Create an Elite Culture in which those on my team can achieve their personal goals and successes
4. Seek ways for my team to increase their effectiveness
5. Develop my staff and put them in position to take their careers to the next level
Rob’s success is demonstrated as his teams continuously exceed their targets and individuals he works with are rewarded financially as well as through promotion and expanded responsibilities.
Tony Francetic (Thomson Reuters) – Tony is the Senior Manager of Solutions Consulting with the Tax Professional Sales department at Thomson Reuters. In this role, Tony oversees a team of 32 solutions consultants that provide web-based and live product demonstrations during the sales process. Additionally, his team includes product trainers and sales coaches. Before moving into his role in presales, he managed a team of trainers in another division. Tony started his career at Thomson Reuters providing technical support to Thomson Reuters products and then transitioned full-time as a technical trainer. He continues to train internally on presentation skills and Crucial Conversations. Tony holds a Cyber Defense degree from Baker College and an Integrated Leadership Studies degree from Central Michigan University.
Garin Hess is a serial entrepreneur with over 18 years of hands-on in-the-trenches experience. Garin has founded two software companies, two industry conferences, and a non-profit organization. He is currently the founder and CEO of Consensus.
