Kurt Leafstrand's Top Tips for Managing and Preventing Revenue Leakage
The game has changed. And so much the better.
The marketing and sales teams could exist separately at one time, but this is no longer the case. Alignment is a priority for most revenue leaders, and expectations are constantly changing as emerging solutions help unify these teams.
The B2B software landscape continues to evolve at breakneck speed. Innovation enables organizations to make better decisions faster. And if you're not careful, keeping up will become nearly impossible.
Kurt Leafstrand is Senior Vice President of Products at Clari and has over 20 years of experience in technology and product development. Previously, Kurt was a product manager at former companies acquired by Symantec and IBM. A graduate of MIT and a former consultant at McKinsey, he has had a passion for creating quality products since his teenage years.
Kurt joined G2 Chief Revenue Officer Mike Weir for the latest episode of the GTM Innovators podcast. In this episode recap, you'll hear Kurt's thoughts on revenue leakage and what GTM teams can do to optimize sales and marketing collaboration.
The rise of the Chief Revenue OfficerWhen Kurt came to Clari, the company had a very different vision than it does today. He shares how, over time, a tremendous opportunity arose where his team pivoted and created something that could strengthen sales teams.
Clari has continued to mature and iterate, and conducting countless client interviews has been instrumental in developing the revenue platform they are known for. At one point, Kurt noticed that it wasn't just sales professionals who participated in customer phone interviews.
Kurt noticed that marketers were becoming more common users after adding revenue forecasting features to their platform. After hearing some of these insights from these marketers, it made a lot of sense.
"Marketers are starting to realize that they really need to understand what's happening downstream in the funnel to better guide what they're doing up top."
Kurt LeafstrandSVP of Products, ClariExpectations are changing, and marketers must now understand their impact on revenue. As mentioned in previous episodes of GTM Innovators, what Kurt noted is an indication of the shift in which sales and marketing teams are moving toward better alignment.
Just a few years ago, marketing, sales, and customer success teams operated independently of each other. These groups more often come together under the umbrella of the larger fiscal organization. And as a result, we are now seeing the rise of the Chief Revenue Officer in companies where this leader embodies better alignment.
Understand revenue leakage and its importanceOne of the topics that Kurt and Mike touched on during the podcast is that businesses often fail to grow revenue due to inefficiencies. Anytime a company loses revenue due to controllable and random variables, it contributes to what executives and salespeople call revenue leakage.
According to Kurt, revenue leakage is one of the biggest problems hidden in plain sight. "It's basically revenue that your business should get because of the value and need for your service or product," says Kurt. "But for some reason you don't get it because it kind of falls off along the way."
3 Steps Organizations Can Take to Prevent Revenue LeakageIn Kurt's eyes, preventing revenue leakage is a crucial concept to keep in mind at a strategic level, as much of it is within an organization's control.
Preventing revenue leakage is critical because it helps businesses maximize revenue potential, optimize operational efficiency, and maintain financial health. Tackling leakage is critical, and Kurt shares three best practices tax organizations can implement to minimize it and ensure sustainable growth.
1. Be intentional about revenue cadencesKurt shares his thoughts on frame rates and their impact on lost revenue. The truth about revenue cadences is that every business has them, whether they actively manage them or not.
Some examples of these cadences include...
The game has changed. And so much the better.
The marketing and sales teams could exist separately at one time, but this is no longer the case. Alignment is a priority for most revenue leaders, and expectations are constantly changing as emerging solutions help unify these teams.
The B2B software landscape continues to evolve at breakneck speed. Innovation enables organizations to make better decisions faster. And if you're not careful, keeping up will become nearly impossible.
Kurt Leafstrand is Senior Vice President of Products at Clari and has over 20 years of experience in technology and product development. Previously, Kurt was a product manager at former companies acquired by Symantec and IBM. A graduate of MIT and a former consultant at McKinsey, he has had a passion for creating quality products since his teenage years.
Kurt joined G2 Chief Revenue Officer Mike Weir for the latest episode of the GTM Innovators podcast. In this episode recap, you'll hear Kurt's thoughts on revenue leakage and what GTM teams can do to optimize sales and marketing collaboration.
The rise of the Chief Revenue OfficerWhen Kurt came to Clari, the company had a very different vision than it does today. He shares how, over time, a tremendous opportunity arose where his team pivoted and created something that could strengthen sales teams.
Clari has continued to mature and iterate, and conducting countless client interviews has been instrumental in developing the revenue platform they are known for. At one point, Kurt noticed that it wasn't just sales professionals who participated in customer phone interviews.
Kurt noticed that marketers were becoming more common users after adding revenue forecasting features to their platform. After hearing some of these insights from these marketers, it made a lot of sense.
"Marketers are starting to realize that they really need to understand what's happening downstream in the funnel to better guide what they're doing up top."
Kurt LeafstrandSVP of Products, ClariExpectations are changing, and marketers must now understand their impact on revenue. As mentioned in previous episodes of GTM Innovators, what Kurt noted is an indication of the shift in which sales and marketing teams are moving toward better alignment.
Just a few years ago, marketing, sales, and customer success teams operated independently of each other. These groups more often come together under the umbrella of the larger fiscal organization. And as a result, we are now seeing the rise of the Chief Revenue Officer in companies where this leader embodies better alignment.
Understand revenue leakage and its importanceOne of the topics that Kurt and Mike touched on during the podcast is that businesses often fail to grow revenue due to inefficiencies. Anytime a company loses revenue due to controllable and random variables, it contributes to what executives and salespeople call revenue leakage.
According to Kurt, revenue leakage is one of the biggest problems hidden in plain sight. "It's basically revenue that your business should get because of the value and need for your service or product," says Kurt. "But for some reason you don't get it because it kind of falls off along the way."
3 Steps Organizations Can Take to Prevent Revenue LeakageIn Kurt's eyes, preventing revenue leakage is a crucial concept to keep in mind at a strategic level, as much of it is within an organization's control.
Preventing revenue leakage is critical because it helps businesses maximize revenue potential, optimize operational efficiency, and maintain financial health. Tackling leakage is critical, and Kurt shares three best practices tax organizations can implement to minimize it and ensure sustainable growth.
1. Be intentional about revenue cadencesKurt shares his thoughts on frame rates and their impact on lost revenue. The truth about revenue cadences is that every business has them, whether they actively manage them or not.
Some examples of these cadences include...
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