The Real Job of Sales Isn’t Selling, Says Salesloft’s CRO Mark Niemiec

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The Unexpected Lever

Vivun

47 episodes

1 week ago

The secret sauce to your sales success? It’s what happens before the sale. It’s the planning, the strategy, the leadership. And it’s more than demo automation. It’s the thoughtful work that connects people, processes, and performance. If you want strong revenue, high retention, and shorter sales cycles, the pre-work—centered around the human—still makes the dream work. But you already know that. The Unexpected Lever is your partner in growing revenue by doing what great sales leaders do best. Combining vision with execution. Brought to you by Vivun, this show highlights the people and peers behind the brands who understand what it takes to build and lead high-performing sales teams. You’re not just preparing for the sale—you’re unlocking potential. Join us as we share stories of sales leaders who make a difference, their challenges, their wins, and the human connections that drive results, one solution at a time.

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Marketing

Business

The Real Job of Sales Isn’t Selling, Says Salesloft’s CRO Mark Niemiec

The Unexpected Lever

6 minutes

1 month ago

The Real Job of Sales Isn’t Selling, Says Salesloft’s CRO Mark Niemiec

Is sales really a job or just the outcome of doing your real work well?

On this episode of V5, Jarod Greene chops it up with Mark Niemiec, CRO at Salesloft, to unpack what sales is when you strip away the pipeline noise and pressure to close.

Mark believes a sale serves as proof that you helped a customer solve a priority business problem. He shares why discovery, creativity, and empathy matter more than pitch decks. He believes the best sellers operate like curious business thinkers. Mark also shares how an internal debate over using AI for sales research showed the tension between doing the hard work and moving faster. It eventually led to a new product launch, and it showcased that sellers who are earlier in their careers are quicker to embrace change.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why sales is the measurement, not the mission – Reps solve real problems or they don’t sell.
How AI became a POV-building engine – What started as an experiment turned into a product.
Where teams get stuck – Time wasted on research could be spent on creativity and strategy.

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:35) Redefining what sales is

(01:15) Traits of great problem-solvers in sales

(02:11) Should AI be allowed in discovery?

(02:45) Building a POV engine with AI

(03:37) Why AI adoption varies by background

(04:48) Early-career reps are leading the shift