In this article, we delve deeply into a fascinating conversation with a prominent figure in the sales and start-up landscape, Robert Slayton. He navigates us through his expertise, which primarily revolves around driving start-up companies' "go-to-market" strategies, encompassing sales-led, channel-focused, and Product Led Growth (PLG). Slayton also sheds light on his motivations for being an advisor, while continuously seeking opportunities to contribute to young businesses that can benefit from a seasoned sales leader like him. He reflects on scenarios he can advise upon, disruptive industry trends he anticipates, and shares some hypothetical situations showcasing his executive decision-making prowess in the face of licensing issues. With confidentiality being paramount, he stresses the need to protect the company's reputation while sharing his valuable experience. Dive in to benefit from Robert Slayton's rich insights and understand the driving force behind successful start-ups and sales strategies.

What are your areas of expertise?

My expertise is in driving young start-up companies' "go-to-market" approaches, including sales-led, channel-focused, and Product Led Growth (PLG). In PLG, you give away some capabilities while creating a "pay wall", where to access more advanced features, there is a fee or SaaS license required. Slack and Zoom are good examples of PLG companies. To execute a PLG strategy, there's an infrastructure that is required to track registrations, downloads, number of visits, and all metrics utilized to score leads. Salespeople in PLG focus on these registered free leads and selling the benefits of upgrading to a paid license.

What's your main motivation for being an advisor?

I am actively interviewing and searching for my next role, and I'd like to learn about young companies that can utilize a sales leader such as myself. Deriving some consulting income in the process is a good thing, and having an advisory role on my resume and LinkedIn will help my positioning with hiring companies. To stay up to date regarding the latest trends in sales, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and e-commerce solutions, I figure this is a good place to gain additional insight and keep current with evolving trends.

What types of situations are you capable of advising on?

I can consult and lecture on the modern sales cycle, steps in the sales process, modern sales tools and how to best utilize them, including Sales Intelligence tools (LI Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo), Lead Tracking & Analytics (ElasticSearch), and new AI Powered Sales Tools (Gong, which analyzes sales calls and provides feedback and recommendations). Lastly, I can compare and contrast sales methodologies like Sandler, Challenger, SPIN, Consultative Selling, and MEDDPIC. Each has its benefits and drawbacks, but it's crucial to blend these methodologies effectively to maximize results in the modern sales landscape.

Do you see any disruptive trends on the horizon in your industry or position?

AI will significantly disrupt sales and the Security Operations space that I've been operating in. I can provide examples of how some firms are already using AI to automate Security Operations processes like incident response and SOAR, which require accurate detections of threats or risk dropping legitimate business connections. Many of the highly manual processes in Professional Services can now be automated, and I can illustrate this in context.

Tell me about the most impactful project or decision you’ve been involved in as an executive.

While I can't delve into specifics due to client NDAs, I can discuss two hypothetical situations related to licensing issues faced by early-stage software companies. One situation concerns a significant sale lost due to improper licensing, and the other involves a major deal where I changed the licensing approach to prevent another loss. My experiences underline the importance of flexible licensing to avoid revenue loss or alienated customers. If my example is to be used publicly on social media, I will need to review and suggest edits to protect the company's reputation and maintain confidentiality.

In conclusion, with Robert Slayton's seasoned expertise in tailoring 'go-to-market' initiatives respectively through sales-led, channel-focused, and particularly Product Led Growth (PLG) approaches, he stands as a critical asset to any emerging start-up business. As an authority in executing PLG strategies, which hinge on strategic allocation of limited free capabilities and monetization of premium features, as perfectly exemplified by Slack and Zoom, Slayton has demonstrated acute proficiency in tracking pivotal metrics, scoring leads and converting registered free users to paid licenses.

This unique blend of skills has fashioned him fundamentally instrumental in driving business growth and navigating start-up businesses towards success. To benefit from his vast wealth of knowledge and dynamic acumen, Robert Slayton is available for engagement as an advisor on AdvisoryCloud."