Christian Smith

CRO, Splunk (former CRO, Brex) max 8 words -> CRO, Splunk max 2 words. role: · 1 appearance on the record.

computed by AI from the episodes · how this works → · full disclaimer →

8statements → 3claims → 2claims resolved → 3.88/5average certainty → 1.75/5average debate potential →

1 supported 1 partly supported 0 contradicted 1 not checkable as stated how the 3 claims stand · each chip opens the sources

3 assertions · 3 insights · 2 disclosures · every statement was checked. The predictions and assertions are the 3 claims: statements the public record can support or contradict. 2 are resolved, and 1 names no date, number or outcome precise enough to check. Everything else (opinions, insights, what ifs, disclosures) can never be settled by the record, so it carries no assessment.

The record, in short

What the tape says about how Christian argues and how the claims held up. Everything they said, and everything said about them, is in the tabs below.

Their most notable supported claim

Assertion Supported

Splunk CRO: 80% of new bookings come from existing install base

“80% of our new bookings comes from the install base.”

Christian Smith Jan 31, 2024 ▶ 28:01 What It Really Takes to Be Successful in Enterprise SaaS Sales with Christian Smith, CRO of Splunk

What they said8 Episodes1

Everything Christian Smith said on the Official SaaStr Podcast that made the record, most notable first. Filter by type, assessment or year in the ledger →

Insight

Smith: Standard 3x and 4x sales pipeline targets lack mathematical basis

“You're going to hear three X a lot. You're going to hear four X. Generally there's no math or science behind what they're saying. They're just using whatever their biases are.”

Christian Smith Jan 31, 2024 ▶ 4:19 What It Really Takes to Be Successful in Enterprise SaaS Sales with Christian Smith, CRO of Splunk

Disclosure

Splunk CRO: Sales sources over 65% of pipeline, marketing about 14%

“The source, the majority of it is coming from the sales organization. Over 65% of it. Marketing is present about 14% and channel is the balance.”

Christian Smith Jan 31, 2024 ▶ 9:41 What It Really Takes to Be Successful in Enterprise SaaS Sales with Christian Smith, CRO of Splunk

Insight

Smith: Doubling down on low-quality pipeline generation is the worst shortfall response

“The worst answer, by the way, is to double down on the activities that are creating bad pipeline. That's usually what people do. They go to create pipeline. They just jam everybody. We need pipeline. SDRs, BDRs, RSMs, get out there and create pipeline, marketi…”

Christian Smith Jan 31, 2024 ▶ 13:53 What It Really Takes to Be Successful in Enterprise SaaS Sales with Christian Smith, CRO of Splunk

Insight

Smith: Product-generated pipeline is the most under-invested demand channel

“I think the most under invested area is product generated pipeline. And what I specifically mean by that is once a customer is in your product, even as a trial, but certainly as an existing customer, your product experience has a unique opportunity To put new …”

Christian Smith Jan 31, 2024 ▶ 17:16 What It Really Takes to Be Successful in Enterprise SaaS Sales with Christian Smith, CRO of Splunk

Assertion Not checkable as stated

Splunk's largest customer accounts spend $20M to $30M annually

“A big company back seven years ago was spending a couple of million with us. Today, they're spending 20, thirty million a year with us.”

Christian Smith Jan 31, 2024 ▶ 21:43 What It Really Takes to Be Successful in Enterprise SaaS Sales with Christian Smith, CRO of Splunk

Assertion Supported

Splunk CRO: 80% of new bookings come from existing install base

“80% of our new bookings comes from the install base.”

Christian Smith Jan 31, 2024 ▶ 28:01 What It Really Takes to Be Successful in Enterprise SaaS Sales with Christian Smith, CRO of Splunk

Disclosure

Smith: Splunk first created in-product pipeline last year

“And we're just getting to that at Splunk to be blunt. Like we just had our first one last year and I've been driving for it.”

Christian Smith Jan 31, 2024 ▶ 18:01 What It Really Takes to Be Successful in Enterprise SaaS Sales with Christian Smith, CRO of Splunk

Assertion Partly supported

Splunk CRO: ARR grew from $600M to $4.5B in seven years

“Back when I joined, we were about a six hundred million dollar company. We're four and a half billion right now in ARR.”

Christian Smith Jan 31, 2024 ▶ 21:35 What It Really Takes to Be Successful in Enterprise SaaS Sales with Christian Smith, CRO of Splunk

Appearances (1)

Episode	Date	Speaking time
What It Really Takes to Be Successful in Enterprise SaaS Sales with Christian Smith, CRO o	Jan 31, 2024	13m

Christian Smith

The record, in short

Their most notable supported claim

Appearances (1)

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