Articles by Laurabeth Harvey
What we learned moving sales and product upmarket togetherAs Intercom's customer base grew to include larger companies, its sales and product teams realized features for startups did not meet enterprises' needs. To address this, sales collaborated more closely with product to understand upmarket customers' problems rather than propose specific solutions. They learned to focus on the underlying issues customers faced rather than prescribed fixes. This involved gathering input from the field and prioritizing requests by impact. Sales then shared customer stories with product to inspire solutions. Over time, the partnership improved through regular check-ins on solved problems and new ones emerging. Laurabeth offers tips for sales to make effective product requests, such as focusing on problems not solutions and providing granular details ranked by importance. Ultimately, strengthening the sales-product relationship through collaborative problem-solving enabled Intercom to better serve customers and drive more revenue.
- Hiring for Sales in a Product-Led World
Laurabeth discusses the challenges of building a sales function in a start-up and how to do it successfully. She recommends discussing the company's non-negotiables, such as company culture and values, when bringing in the sales team. She also recommends traits to look for in product-led salespeople, including respect for the product, resilience, and a customer-centric mindset. She also emphasizes the importance of creating a sales organization that is culture-additive and that complements the company's existing culture.