{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Revenue Unscripted","title":"S01 E22 - The Art of Diversifying Your Customer Base | John Van Ness","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2743,"description":"In this episode of Revenue Unscripted, host Jennica Dixon speaks with John Van Ness, VP of Sales at Otto Environmental Systems, about navigating revenue challenges, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. John shares insights on how his company lost a significant portion of revenue but managed to pivot and replace it by diversifying their customer base. The conversation emphasizes the importance of human connection in sales, the challenges of balancing growth with operational capacity, and the necessity of radical honesty in sales conversations. John also offers valuable advice for CEOs on managing sales teams and expectations. In this conversation, Jennica Dixon and John Van Ness explore the complexities of sales, including the impact of territory changes on sales performance, the journey into sales careers, the importance of understanding rejection, and the essential qualities of effective sales leadership. They emphasize the need for respect and kindness in leadership, the significance of understanding customer needs, and the importance of tracking sales behaviors to ensure success. The discussion also touches on the challenges faced by new sales leaders and the need for a long-term perspective on revenue management.\nTakeaways\nIt's not just product, it's not just process, but it's also people.\nLosing a significant portion of revenue can be a wake-up call.\nDiversifying the customer base can lead to increased margins.\nOutbound activity, like phone calls, is crucial for sales success.\nSales is fundamentally a human interaction.\nRadical honesty in sales conversations builds trust.\nSales teams often shy away from delivering bad news.\nLeadership must model the behavior they want to see in their teams.\nGrowth can create capacity challenges that need to be managed.\nCEOs should understand that revenue fluctuations are normal.  Sales territory changes can significantly impact paychecks and performance.\nSales is a rewarding career path with unique challenges.\nDealing...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/o7-QwvKRWeRC1s6Up6A5uYuSDpmxrBVS6KmkceUWXa8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9kMjI5/NzkyNGNhNmZkNGRk/ODM4Y2FjYzVjNTUy/YTAxZC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}