MSP Consulting

❝ The best way to make a dream come true is to wake up.❞
― Anna Wintour

For over 10 years, I built and grew exceptional sales teams that propelled companies to acquisition. 

Then, in more ways than one, I decided to take Anna Wintour's advice. I abandoned the day-to-day grind of operations so I could impact exceptional leaders at special companies in ways that mattered.

At MSP, I help founders and sales teams reach their goals in the fastest way possible. In every case, we begin with the most impactful priority and advance from there. I’ve helped dozens of companies unlock their next level of growth, delivering well over $20M in revenue and $100M in value creation.

Founder

Altru

❝ Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.❞ 
          ― Dr. Robert Anthony

✪ Highlights:
    ‣ 5X increase in ACV
    ‣ Successful acquisition at 6X starting valuation in under a year.

I was brought in by Altru’s CEO and VP of Client Strategy with one mission in mind: to get acquired. 

Though the team was capable, their contracts were underpriced, and the perceived value of their product was lacking. To jumpstart growth, we needed to rethink the entire sales process and go deeper with our best clients. 

We turned tiny subscriptions with enterprise companies into true enterprise relationships, and by the time Altru was acquired, the client strategy team had become an unstoppable enterprise growth engine.

VP, Client Strategy 

Skaled

❝ Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.❞ 
          ―  Angela Duckworth

✪ Highlights:
 ‣ 40% increase in revenue from existing clients
 ‣ Built account management function from the ground up
 ‣ Led sales trainings for VCs, accelerators and LinkedIn Sales and Marketing teams

At Skaled, a modern, technology-forward sales-consulting firm, I was recruited as the third musketeer of their executive leadership team, beginning in operations before heading their consulting practice.

I led client strategy across four practice areas and was responsible for retaining and growing the entire existing client portfolio. In doing so, I delivered transformative increases in revenue and efficiency.

Principal 

redIQ

❝ The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.❞
― J.M. Barrie

✪ Highlights:
 ‣ Acquired by Berkadia/Berkshire Hathaway
 ‣ Grew Team by 300%
 ‣ Increased Revenue by 600%

My goal at redIQ was to build a profitable sales org in a highly competitive market. 

More than anything, our team needed confidence. Along with leading a massive shift in mindset, we re-engineered our sales process - resulting in expanded pipeline, higher conversion rates, and dramatically higher contract values.

I grew the team from 2 to 15, and was responsible for $6.5M in revenue. 

Our growth in sales was integral to redIQ's acquisition at 3X our starting valuation, and 80% of the team I hired is still there today.

Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

Trello

❝ Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them.❞ 
― Ann Landers

✪ Highlights:
‣ Trello acquired by Atlassian
‣ Sold to NASA, Hearst, Boeing, JPL

I was Trello evangelist long before joining their team, but even I used the free version of the platform.

So, when I was asked to mentor their team, sell to existing clients, and lead enterprise sales initiatives, I knew we had our work cut out for us. 

It was a journey, but a rewarding one. In bringing on clients like NASA, Hearst Publications, Caterpillar, Boeing, and JPL, we laid the groundwork for Trello's acquisition by Atlassian, and many of those I mentored are leaders of Trello today.

Director, Strategic Account Sales

S&P Global Market Intelligence, Research Division

❝ Find out what you like doing best, and get someone to pay you for doing it.❞ 
— Katharine Whitehorn

✪ Highlights:
‣ Panjiva acquired by S&P
‣ Grew sales team from 4 to 50 employees
‣ Led pivot to Enterprise sales
‣ Closed largest deal in company history 

After noticing significant trends in accounts and client feedback, I proposed a strategic pivot towards launching and implementing of new data analysis SaaS product with a focus on finance, consulting, and logistics sectors. 

As the link between our sales and product/engineering teams, I came to understand the meaning of relationship capital, gaining extensive experience in leading between departments and disciplines.

Director, Enterprise Sales

As the 4th sales hire, I was a core member of the Panjiva (now S&P Global Market Intelligence) GTM team. 

I refined our market positioning and GTM strategy while skyrocketing average contract values. 

Along with all sales and product-related training and development, I was an instrumental part of the leadership team.

Senior Account Executive

20x200 | Jen Bekman Projects, Inc.

❝ Making money is art, and working is art, and good business is the best art. ❞ 
― Andy Warhol
 
The mission of Jen Bekman Projects is making art accessible to everyone.

I worked on partnerships with West Elm, The Knot, Affordable Art Fair, and New York Magazine.

Working between NYC and the UK, I worked to bring B2B partnership strategy to B2C.

Business Development/Marketing

GlobeTax Services

❝ When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.❞ 
―  Walt Disney

At Globetax, I worked in a five-person team selling securities tax withholding recovery services, which was almost as exciting as it sounds.

So, to make things interesting (and develop new business), I led an overhaul of our entire marketing strategy by redesigning our brand, rewriting our playbook, and pivoting from feature-focused positioning to a customer-focused approach.

I also went to every hedge fund and banking event that would have me, building a network of clients that were thrilled to work with us.

Business Development Manager

Opal Financial Group

❝ Can I get on the list?❞
― the Icelandic Minister of Finance

✪ Highlights:
‣ Work contributed to 150% division growth over 2 years.
‣ Ate reindeer carpaccio with the President of Iceland

At Opal, I was responsible for garnering attention from the biggest institutional investment managers in the world.

I was a cold-calling machine, researching everything I could about my clients, including their habits, wants, and needs. In the end, my work contributed to 150% division growth over 2 years.

The biggest highlight? When I co-produced a conference in Iceland, the National Minister of Finance asked to speak at our event. Afterward, I shared champagne and reindeer carpaccio with the President of Iceland.

Audience Development Director- Europe

NetAid

Responsible for media outreach and communications. Researched and compiled media calendar. Assisted with press releases. Developed relationships with contacts at New York media outlets.

Public Relations Intern

Founder @MSP Consulting | Enterprise Sales for Startups | $2M => $10M ARR

I specialize in turning stagnation into growth, providing clarity amidst indecisiveness, and eliminating distractions - driving companies to scalable success.

I've worked with industry giants like LinkedIn, Trello (acquired by Atlassian), Panjiva (acquired by S&P), redIQ (acquired by Berkadia/Berkshire Hathaway), and Lean Startup. My role has been pivotal in facilitating acquisitions for five companies, most notably achieving a 6X growth in valuation in under a year. I've sold over $25 million in revenue and contributing to valuations exceeding $200 million. 

I've had the privilege of addressing hundreds of startup founders and sales leaders globally on sales, leadership, effective communication, account growth, and enterprise sales strategy. You can also find me on podcasts like Sales Leadership and Surf & Sales, talking about sales, negotiation, leadership, change management, account-based sales, account growth, and discovery.

Throughout my journey, I've trained and mentored numerous sales professionals and consultants. I've personally sold to over 25% of the Fortune 500 companies including Meta, Target, FedEx, UPS, Maersk Lines, Ralph Lauren, Caterpillar, HBO/Time Warner, Hearst, NASA, and Citibank.

My approach extends beyond immediate results; it's about instilling a sustainable, growth-oriented mindset that transforms both leaders and their businesses. I'm your secret weapon for long-term growth.

You can’t buy a sales process.  
 
Implementing a methodology ≠ a sales process. 
 
BANT and MEDDPICC are not inherently bad, but most people use them wrong. 
 
They are qualification frameworks, not sales frameworks. 
 
You still need to train your team to sell. 
You still need a sales process. 
 
If you’ve ever had a salesperson try to “qualify” you on an outbound discovery call, you know what I’m talking about 😭

Monica Stewart

Getting founders out of survival mode through scalable revenue | $2M - $20M ARR

What are the key components of a successful sales process?

How can a sales team be effectively trained?

What is the difference between a qualification framework and a sales framework?

I started making more than my parents at 27. 
 
I’ve seen people turn <5 years of hard work into millions of dollars.  
 
I’ve seen coworkers become founders because of the security they got from an exit. 
 
A good startup can be life changing.  
 
I want that for you.  
 
That’s literally why I’m here.  
 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
♻️ Repost if someone in your network could use a little inspiration today.

What are some key strategies for building a successful startup?

A few weeks ago I sat down with John Kaplan and John McMahon from Force Management and we. got. into. it.

No stones were unturned, no crumbs were left. This is the real 🫖 on making sales work at a growth stage startup. 

Listen at the link below and tell me what you think! 

What are some key strategies for sustainable B2B sales growth?

What is Force Management and what do they do?

How can I boost net dollar retention for sustainable B2B sales growth?

Monica Stewart from MSP Consulting reveals essential strategies to pinpoint your ideal customer, master your lead channels, and boost your net dollar retention for sustainable B2B sales growth. This is a game-changer for founders and sales leaders ready to elevate their execution.

🎧 Listen On Apple: https://lnkd.in/egMTU_Hu

🎧 Listen On Spotify: https://lnkd.in/empvG4z2

51% of Zendesk's revenue is international
47% of Cloudflare’s revenue is international
46% of HubSpot’s revenue is international
45% of MongoDB's revenue is international
38% of Asana’s revenue is international
34% of Twilio’s revenue is international
22% of Okta’s revenue is international

(Source: SaaStr / Jason M. Lemkin)

If you sell an enterprise product, most of your customers have global teams. How many of them are you working with?

If the answer is “a lot less than we should be”....worry not! There’s some really simple questions you can use to find opportunities. 

If you’re in sales: 

“I noticed that you’re based in Chicago but GlobalCorp also has sales teams in LatAm, Europe and APAC. 
- How do you work with those teams? 
- How are they approaching this problem today? 
- What tools/resources do you share?
- What is different about the way your team works?”

If you’re in CS: 

“It’s great to see so much adoption from your team in our first year working together. 

I saw that GlobalCorp’s European sales team has grown by almost 20% in the last year - do you think they might be interested in using this also? 

Would you mind connecting me with their VP Britta?”

Try these and let me know how it goes 🙂

What strategies does Zendesk use to generate revenue from international markets?

How does Cloudflare approach international sales?

How does MongoDB's international revenue compare to its competitors?

When I was an AE, I spent 9 months trying to get a deal with a verrrry well known retailer/fashion brand.  
 
They had never tried anything like what I was selling. But I was very persistent, and I made it all the way to the final meeting with 17 VPs and the CFO, who would approve the deal. 
 
I arrived at their office and set up in a conference room with no windows and no wifi. Everyone starts filing in. No CFO.  
 
After a few minutes of intros and small talk, I start my presentation. Still no CFO. Everyone else is really engaged so I just keep going. 
 
30 minutes into the meeting, the CFO walks in, stands near the door for a few minutes, then simply says, “We’re going to do it.” 
 
Me: “Um...really???” 
 
Two weeks later, I had a signed 6-figure contract. 
 
I didn’t say anything in that conference room that got me the deal.  
 
It was everything that I did in the 9 months before.  
 
90% of that big meeting is decided before you walk in the room. Don’t skip any steps.  
 
—------------------------------------- 
If this post resonated with you, hit follow +

How can persistence help in achieving business goals?

What are some key steps in preparing for a big meeting?

What are some key factors in achieving a successful business deal?

Big company rep: Before I make a call, I check my CRM, SEP, ABM tool, 3 lead data sources, and 5 intent data tools.

Startup rep: We have a spreadsheet.

Somewhere in the middle lies the golden sales productivity zone (emoji????)

So when Leslie Venetz and Taylor Corr challenged me to come up with my dream sales tech stack under $500/month per rep…I figured I should share it with y’all (this is assuming you already have a CRM!).

Here’s what I’d choose for a growing sales team:

1. Sybill - Conversational intelligence: $64/month

If you’re not using conversational intelligence in 2024 I don’t know what to tell you. Sybill has the BEST summaries for sales calls and their AI followup emails need minimal editing to send off after a meeting.

2. Apollo - Lead data/Sales Engagement/Intent data: $49/month

The best value in this category. You don’t need the CERN Large Hadron Collider of sales tech at this stage. You need a tool that will give you good data, campaign management and actionable intelligence that your team will actually use. Apollo is that tool.

3. LinkedIn Premium - Social Selling/Go To Network: $60/month

Hot take - if you’re paying for Apollo, you can get away with not paying for Sales Nav at this stage. Apollo has many of the same search/alert functions and you’ll be syncing everything with your sequences there anyway. Feel free to debate me in the comments on this one.

Total: $173

I’d give each rep the remaining budget to spend on Sendoso for personalized gifting to their mid-funnel prospects.

I’m sure everyone has opinions on this - what tools have been most helpful for you?

P.S. If you’re not using Apollo or Sendoso yet check them out here:

Apollo: https://lnkd.in/gaWFFjcg
Sendoso: https://lnkd.in/g6pCiCNB

How does Sybill's conversational intelligence work?

What are the benefits of LinkedIn Premium for social selling?

How does Apollo's lead data/sales engagement/intent data work?

The worst sales advice I have heard, in no particular order: 
 
1. Only show a demo if a “decision maker” is on the call 
2. Sales is a numbers game - focus on activity  
3. Always be closing  
4. Never give up on a deal 
5. "It’s all about relationships - people buy from people they like." 
6. “The customer is always right” 
7. Never give without getting something in return 
8. The more meetings you do with a prospect, the more likely they are to buy 
9. Don’t try to sell, try to help and sales will follow 
10. “Do you have 27 seconds to hear why I called?” 
11. You don’t need to know the product to sell it  
12. Just focus on your inner game  
13. Focus on finding pain to sell 
14. Stick to the script 
 
It’s been real. What advice will you NOT be following in Q2?

The strategy that made today’s biggest companies successful won’t work for your startup.  
 
Old way:  
- Get to $10M ARR by any means necessary 
- Most important metrics = leads + revenue  
- Hire AEs + SDRs to generate demand 
- Defend your valuation by expanding your TAM 
 
New way: 
- Get to $10M ARR through laser focus on your ICP and most efficient channels 
- Most important metric = NRR 
- Hire behind demand 
- Get to a strong valuation through strong traction in your core market 
 
You can’t hide behind scale anymore - you need foundational competencies. Drop a comment if you’ve seen this in your business.

“Get to power”
“Only do demos for decision makers”
“You have to learn to sell to the CXO to hit your quota in 2024”

Yes, we need executive sponsors to close enterprise deals. 

AND here’s 4 reasons your obsessive focus on CXOs is hurting your close rates….

1. That exec sponsor might be <1 year in the role and lacking political capital

2. They might be pushing a pet project that doesn’t have broad support yet

3. They might not have bought a solution like yours before and don’t know how it works at their org

4. They might be several steps removed from the day-to-day reality and needs of their team.

The best teams are building strong business cases by building coalitions of 5-7 contacts at all different levels.

If your team is still closing enterprise deals with 1-2 contacts…let’s talk, I got you.

How can building coalitions help close enterprise deals?

How can an obsessive focus on CXOs hurt close rates?

What are the benefits of having executive sponsors for enterprise deals?

Two truths of startup land:  
 
1. Growth is not linear (all parts of your business will not trend up and to the right at once) 
2. You can only do a few things well at a time.  
 
How do you make sure you’re working on the right things, at the right time?  
 
Have a framework for what good, great, and *danger zone* look like across your business.  
 
Regularly assess your progress in each functional area.  
 
Adjust accordingly.  
 
I’ve developed an assessment tool you can use to see how you stack up in 5 core GTM categories.  
 
DM me if you want it.

Why is having a framework important for startups?

How can the assessment tool help startups?

What are some tips for regularly assessing progress in each functional area?

Anyone will tell you that nailing your ICP is one of the most important parts of building a successful startup.  
 
What they won’t tell you is that *it changes over time*.  
 
Founder sales:  
You have a general idea of who your 1-2 ICPs are, and have a few paying customers in each profile.  
 
Founder-led:  
Your ICP (and non-ICP) is well defined and you have messaging for each group. 
 
Founder-less:  
You've identified 2-3 adjacent verticals you can sell into. You might also be getting requests for new use cases from your core ICP. 
 
Scaleup:  
ACV in your core ICP has gone up because you’re communicating your value better and you’re seeing traction with adjacent verticals.  
 
Your product changes, the market changes, your buyer’s businesses change...and all of this changes your ICP.  
 
Keep learning, keep growing.

Energy is infinite, but yours is not.  
 
Anything you say “yes” to implies saying “no” to something else. Even if you’re not doing it consciously.  
 
Here’s a super easy way to see what you’re prioritizing right now: 
 
1. Write down your top 3 priorities (work and life) 
2. Open up your calendar 
 
What are you explicitly saying yes to (people, projects, intensity of your schedule)? 
 
What are you explicitly saying no to? 
 
What are you implicitly saying yes, and no, to? That standing customer call with no agenda might mean saying yes to maintaining the relationship, and no to setting boundaries with legacy customers. 
 
What are you prioritizing right now?

If you’ve ever invested time and $$ in training for your sales team...but seen no tangible changes…you’re not alone.  
 
Bad sales training is like a bad demo - the presenter talks 80% of the time, there are no clear takeaways, and everyone in the room is secretly thinking this doesn’t apply to them.  
 
The result is lots of talk, no action.  
 
The consequences? 
- Wasted time  
- Missed opportunities to improve revenue  
- Loss of trust from your team  
 
Team trainings can be incredibly effective. If you do it right, your team will be inspired, engaged and more effective.  
 
All you have to do is focus on four things:  
1. Create training content that addresses the WHY, WHAT and HOW 
2. Include outcomes your team can benchmark against  
3. Make it interactive with pre-work, in-training exercises and post-training assignments 
4. Build in accountability  
 
Send me a DM if you’re wondering how to do this for your team.

How can you make team trainings effective?

What are the consequences of bad sales training?

What are the four things to focus on for effective team training?

Execution = knowledge + coached practice.  
 
But there are a few things everyone seems to get wrong about coaching: 
 
- You only need it when you’re struggling  
- Training and coaching are basically the same thing  
- The best coaches are subject matter experts 
- Sharing your own success motivates others to do the same  
 
The truth is... 
 
- The people at the top of their game (in every field) invest in coaching 
- Training is showing people what to do and why; coaching is enabling them to do it 
- The best coaches are change experts 
- Helping people find their own internal drivers and remove blocks is the most powerful form of motivation  
 
What has worked for you?

What makes the best coaches change experts?

Why is coaching an investment for top performers?

Why are internal drivers the most powerful form of motivation?

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