CRO Stories is a segment of the RevOps Corner podcast, where we interview brilliant CROs and GTM experts to discover how revenue leaders are making massive impact in B2B SaaS. Hosted by USC Marketing Manager Rachael Bueckert.
In this episode, we're sitting down with JD Miller, advisor and former chief revenue officer at Kantata, to discuss the most important lessons he's learned as a CRO. JD shares insights on the transition from startup to large publicly traded companies, the importance of data in driving strategy, annual planning best practices, and managing team dynamics and turnover.
We also get to hear more about JD's newly launched book 'The CRO's Guide to Winning in Private Equity', which is available to order now on his website by clicking here.
You can learn more about JD at his website or by following him on LinkedIn.
00:00 Introduction
00:26 JD Miller's Career Journey
03:46 Private Equity and Urgency in Business
05:11 Using Data to Drive Impactful Strategy
8:40 Preparing Companies for Scaling Beyond $20M ARR
10:47 Annual Planning and Setting Realistic Goals
15:00 Why CROs Get Fired
17:01 Analyzing Metrics and Sales Velocity
20:33 Adapting Strategies for Growth
23:10 Navigating Uncertainty with Weekly Analysis
24:17 The Importance of Transparency in Leadership
26:06 Building Contingencies into Annual Plans
28:43 Setting Realistic Goals and Managing Expectations
31:15 Having Hard Conversations with the Board
32:52 How to Keep Team Morale High
36:08 Setting Up Reps for Success with Territories
40:20 Aligning Company Values and Individual Goals
43:29 Conclusion and Final Thoughts