StarZero All shows Try the podcast clipper →

Aug 16, 2024 · 20m · saastr

Mastering the Art of Customer-Focused Sales with Klaviyo's VP of Sales, EMEA

Pia Heilman · 17m spoken
0:00 / 0:00
▶ Watch on YouTube →

gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions

Pia Heilman, VP of Sales at Klaviyo, presents a comprehensive guide to customer-focused sales in SaaS, highlighting the importance of cross-functional alignment, data-driven journey personalization, and agile go-to-market execution.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. How this is scored →

Jason as informed peer 0.0 Guest teaching 0.0 Guest disagreement 0.0 Jason pushing back 0.0
05100:0010:0020:003:03–6:26 · Jason as informed peer 0/10 Evolving Consumer Expectations Across the Customer Lifecycle Solo keynote presentation by Pia Heilman explaining how modern consumer and B2B buyer expectations have shifted across every lifecycle stage. No active host dialogue or pushback occurs.6:29–9:05 · Jason as informed peer 0/10 Internal Alignment and Executive Consensus Through 'Corporate Jail' Pia describes 'corporate jail' where executive leadership is locked in a room to align on ICP and core customer value before cascading it downward. Monologue presentation without host interaction.9:09–12:48 · Jason as informed peer 0/10 Customer Journey Mapping and Data-Driven Insights Presentation detailing the combination of CRM hygiene, quantitative analytics, and direct customer interviews to map out the buyer journey at scale.12:51–14:51 · Jason as informed peer 0/10 Agile GTM Execution and Cross-Functional Deal Reviews Pia explains Klaviyo's cross-functional closed-won and closed-lost weekly review meetings involving finance, product, legal, and executive leadership to break sales silos.14:58–17:20 · Jason as informed peer 0/10 Segmenting GTM Strategy and Sales Competency Matrices The speaker covers segmenting sales competencies from product-led SMB sales to complex enterprise multi-threading and executive peer connects.17:23–20:47 · Jason as informed peer 0/10 Post-Sale Customer Success and ICP Expansion Pia concludes with customer advisory boards, shared upgrade targets between sales and CS, and utilizing post-sale feedback to identify new ICP verticals.3:03–6:26 · Guest teaching 0/10 Evolving Consumer Expectations Across the Customer Lifecycle Solo keynote presentation by Pia Heilman explaining how modern consumer and B2B buyer expectations have shifted across every lifecycle stage. No active host dialogue or pushback occurs.6:29–9:05 · Guest teaching 0/10 Internal Alignment and Executive Consensus Through 'Corporate Jail' Pia describes 'corporate jail' where executive leadership is locked in a room to align on ICP and core customer value before cascading it downward. Monologue presentation without host interaction.9:09–12:48 · Guest teaching 0/10 Customer Journey Mapping and Data-Driven Insights Presentation detailing the combination of CRM hygiene, quantitative analytics, and direct customer interviews to map out the buyer journey at scale.12:51–14:51 · Guest teaching 0/10 Agile GTM Execution and Cross-Functional Deal Reviews Pia explains Klaviyo's cross-functional closed-won and closed-lost weekly review meetings involving finance, product, legal, and executive leadership to break sales silos.14:58–17:20 · Guest teaching 0/10 Segmenting GTM Strategy and Sales Competency Matrices The speaker covers segmenting sales competencies from product-led SMB sales to complex enterprise multi-threading and executive peer connects.17:23–20:47 · Guest teaching 0/10 Post-Sale Customer Success and ICP Expansion Pia concludes with customer advisory boards, shared upgrade targets between sales and CS, and utilizing post-sale feedback to identify new ICP verticals.3:03–6:26 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Evolving Consumer Expectations Across the Customer Lifecycle Solo keynote presentation by Pia Heilman explaining how modern consumer and B2B buyer expectations have shifted across every lifecycle stage. No active host dialogue or pushback occurs.6:29–9:05 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Internal Alignment and Executive Consensus Through 'Corporate Jail' Pia describes 'corporate jail' where executive leadership is locked in a room to align on ICP and core customer value before cascading it downward. Monologue presentation without host interaction.9:09–12:48 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Customer Journey Mapping and Data-Driven Insights Presentation detailing the combination of CRM hygiene, quantitative analytics, and direct customer interviews to map out the buyer journey at scale.12:51–14:51 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Agile GTM Execution and Cross-Functional Deal Reviews Pia explains Klaviyo's cross-functional closed-won and closed-lost weekly review meetings involving finance, product, legal, and executive leadership to break sales silos.14:58–17:20 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Segmenting GTM Strategy and Sales Competency Matrices The speaker covers segmenting sales competencies from product-led SMB sales to complex enterprise multi-threading and executive peer connects.17:23–20:47 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Post-Sale Customer Success and ICP Expansion Pia concludes with customer advisory boards, shared upgrade targets between sales and CS, and utilizing post-sale feedback to identify new ICP verticals.3:03–6:26 · Jason pushing back 0/10 Evolving Consumer Expectations Across the Customer Lifecycle Solo keynote presentation by Pia Heilman explaining how modern consumer and B2B buyer expectations have shifted across every lifecycle stage. No active host dialogue or pushback occurs.6:29–9:05 · Jason pushing back 0/10 Internal Alignment and Executive Consensus Through 'Corporate Jail' Pia describes 'corporate jail' where executive leadership is locked in a room to align on ICP and core customer value before cascading it downward. Monologue presentation without host interaction.9:09–12:48 · Jason pushing back 0/10 Customer Journey Mapping and Data-Driven Insights Presentation detailing the combination of CRM hygiene, quantitative analytics, and direct customer interviews to map out the buyer journey at scale.12:51–14:51 · Jason pushing back 0/10 Agile GTM Execution and Cross-Functional Deal Reviews Pia explains Klaviyo's cross-functional closed-won and closed-lost weekly review meetings involving finance, product, legal, and executive leadership to break sales silos.14:58–17:20 · Jason pushing back 0/10 Segmenting GTM Strategy and Sales Competency Matrices The speaker covers segmenting sales competencies from product-led SMB sales to complex enterprise multi-threading and executive peer connects.17:23–20:47 · Jason pushing back 0/10 Post-Sale Customer Success and ICP Expansion Pia concludes with customer advisory boards, shared upgrade targets between sales and CS, and utilizing post-sale feedback to identify new ICP verticals.

speaking balance: gold is Jason, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Jason 0% · guest 100%0:00 · Jason 0% · guest 100%3:00 · Jason 0% · guest 100%3:00 · Jason 0% · guest 100%6:00 · Jason 0% · guest 100%6:00 · Jason 0% · guest 100%9:00 · Jason 0% · guest 100%9:00 · Jason 0% · guest 100%12:00 · Jason 0% · guest 100%12:00 · Jason 0% · guest 100%15:00 · Jason 0% · guest 100%15:00 · Jason 0% · guest 100%18:00 · Jason 0% · guest 100%18:00 · Jason 0% · guest 100%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 6:40 Challenging internal C-suite disconnects

In a non-combative solo presentation, this is Pia's sharpest critique highlighting how misaligned chief product officers and chief revenue officers often are regarding target buyers.

 Hardest push from Jason ▶ 3:38 Solo monologue - no host pushback

This is a solo presentation session without interactive host intervention or pushback.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 13:30 Educating audience on cross-functional deal autopsies

Pia breaks down the tactical benefit of bringing legal, finance, and product into weekly sales deal reviews to prevent isolated sales echo chambers.

 Jason holds their own ▶ 3:38 Solo monologue - no host counter

The episode is a keynote talk without host cross-examination or rebuttal opportunities.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicJason as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementJason pushing backWhy
Evolving Consumer Expectations Across the Customer Lifecycle 0000 Solo keynote presentation by Pia Heilman explaining how modern consumer and B2B buyer expectations have shifted across every lifecycle stage. No active host dialogue or pushback occurs.
Internal Alignment and Executive Consensus Through 'Corporate Jail' 0000 Pia describes 'corporate jail' where executive leadership is locked in a room to align on ICP and core customer value before cascading it downward. Monologue presentation without host interaction.
Customer Journey Mapping and Data-Driven Insights 0000 Presentation detailing the combination of CRM hygiene, quantitative analytics, and direct customer interviews to map out the buyer journey at scale.
Agile GTM Execution and Cross-Functional Deal Reviews 0000 Pia explains Klaviyo's cross-functional closed-won and closed-lost weekly review meetings involving finance, product, legal, and executive leadership to break sales silos.
Segmenting GTM Strategy and Sales Competency Matrices 0000 The speaker covers segmenting sales competencies from product-led SMB sales to complex enterprise multi-threading and executive peer connects.
Post-Sale Customer Success and ICP Expansion 0000 Pia concludes with customer advisory boards, shared upgrade targets between sales and CS, and utilizing post-sale feedback to identify new ICP verticals.

Statements from this episode (5)

Insight
Heilman: C-suites must use 'corporate jail' to align on ICP
“The first and arguably most important is aligning internally, and this starts at the top. In fact, in some organizations I've been a part of, we refer to this as corporate jail. It's where your C-suite is locked in a room for a couple of days, And they have to…”
Pia Heilman Aug 16, 2024 ▶ 6:39
Insight
Heilman: Closed-lost reviews uncover blind spots, closed-won only validates
“Sometimes more valuable are those closed loss conversations than the closed one. Closed one validates something you already knew. Closed loss allows you to identify things maybe you didn't.”
Pia Heilman Aug 16, 2024 ▶ 13:43
Disclosure
Klaviyo includes CMO, CFO, and legal in weekly deal post-mortems
“Within the sales organization at Klaviyo, we have a weekly closed meeting. It changes from week to week. Sometimes it's won, sometimes it's lost, sometimes it's focused on large deals, sometimes it's focused on volume. But that meeting includes our CMO, our CF…”
Pia Heilman Aug 16, 2024 ▶ 13:55
Insight
Heilman: Peer executive alignment creates a differentiated enterprise sales experience
“So CMO to CMO connects. CTO to CTO connects so that they can discuss challenges and goals. That in and of itself is delivering a differentiated experience because you're offering strategy in a way that maybe your peers aren't able to do, particularly not at sc…”
Pia Heilman Aug 16, 2024 ▶ 17:04
Disclosure
Klaviyo shares upgrade quotas across sales and customer success teams
“We share an upgrade number across sales and customer success as well. So we've created a team who sells into our existing customer base, working closely alongside CS, who's responsible for strategy and identifying additional value add within the product.”
Pia Heilman Aug 16, 2024 ▶ 18:17
Made with StarZero

Turn any episode into a week of clips.

This entire site, over 400 episodes transcribed, diarized, checked and made playable, runs on the StarZero media pipeline. Drop in your own episode and the podcast clipper finds the moments worth sharing, cuts them, captions them, and reframes them for every feed.

Try the podcast clipper Learn more