Doug Adamic: Why Discounting is BS; How to Reduce Sales Cycles and Create Urgency | E1058

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

September 8, 2023

Duration

1h 1m

Channel

The Twenty Minute VC

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Doug Adamic is the CRO @ Brex and leads the company’s revenue and growth strategy. Prior to Brex, Doug was most recently the Chief Revenue Officer at SAP Concur, a provider of travel spend management solutions and services. During his 16-year tenure oversaw an organization of 600+ employees. He was responsible for all aspects of revenue, generating go-to-market strategies and departments. Prior to SAP Concur, he had a five-year tenure as an Enterprise Sales Manager for Kronos, Inc. ----------------------------------------- Timestamps: (0:00) Doug Adamic’s Sales Journey (9:22) Creating Effective Sales Goals (17:33) Unlocking the Art of Sales Discovery (35:45) The Perfect Sales Playbook (41:42) Today’s Sales Environment (50:10) Hardest Part of Being CRO (58:54) Quick-Fire Round ----------------------------------------- In Today’s Episode with Doug Adamic We Discuss:

1. Entry into Sales: Does Doug believe that love of sales is innate or can be learned? When did he discover his love? What does Doug know now about sales he wish he had known when he started? What are 1-2 of his biggest takeaways from leading 600+ people at SAP?

1. Discovery, Pipeline and Qualification: What are the three core reasons why companies buy software today? How do the best sales teams use those needs to get deals done fast? What does great sales discovery mean today? Why do you have to make customers feel uncomfortable to understand their true needs? What are the biggest mistakes sales teams make when asking questions, determining customer pain, willingness to pay etc etc? Why does Doug believe that everyone in the company is responsible for demand creation? What are the core pillars to success in qualification? Where do so many go wrong?

1. Getting Deals Done: Why does Doug disagree that now is the hardest time to be selling? Are companies buying new software today? What is the secret to opening up organizations that say they are not open for buying new software? How can sales teams create multiple champions in a prospect? How can they determine who is really a buyer vs who is an influencer in a prospect? What are the biggest tactics that can be used to reduce sales cycles and create urgency in a sales process?

1. Discounting, Trust and Deal Reviews: What is a good reason to lose a deal? What is a bad reason to lose a deal? How does Doug and Brex conduct deal reviews? What makes a good vs a bad deal review? What is the fastest way to lose trust either with prospects or with customers? Why does Doug believe discounting is BS and should not be used? ------------------------------------------------------ Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3j2KMcZTtgTNBKwtZBMHvl?si=85bc9196860e4466 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-twenty-minute-vc-20vc-venture-capital-startup/id958230465 Follow Harry Stebbings on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarryStebbings Follow 20VC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/20vc_reels Follow 20VC on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@20vc_tok Visit our Website: https://www.20vc.com Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/contact ---------------------------------------- #DougAdamic #Brex #HarryStebbings #20vc #sales

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Harry Stebbings

  host

• Doug Adamic

  guest

• Narrator

  other

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of The Twenty Minute VC, featuring Harry Stebbings and Doug Adamic, Doug Adamic: Why Discounting is BS; How to Reduce Sales Cycles and Create Urgency | E1058 explores doug Adamic Dismantles Discounting Myths And Redefines Modern Enterprise Sales Doug Adamic, CRO at Brex and long-time Concur/SAP executive, breaks down how to run high-quality, value-driven sales organizations that scale from startup to global enterprise. He argues that discounting is a weak lever compared with strong discovery, crystal-clear value propositions, and constructive tension with buyers. Doug details how to create and qualify pipeline, shorten sales cycles, build multiple champions, and structure playbooks, deal reviews, and CS handoffs for predictable revenue. Throughout, he emphasizes treating sales as a rigorous, outcome-focused consulting profession rather than a feature-pitching or relationship-entertainment game.

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