As a referral-focused sales trainer and commercial leader, I help founders and sales teams build pipeline through trust – not pressure.

With 15+ years in B2C and B2B sales, I bring hands-on experience across the full sales cycle: from outbound strategy and qualification, to value-driven discovery, closing, and structured deal management. I’m process-oriented, pragmatic, and focused on what actually works in the field.

Today, I train ambitious teams to win more business, and support founders and scale-ups as a fractional sales leader – with clear priorities, better systems, and measurable impact.

As the host of the Go To Network podcast, I share weekly sales insights from real-world challenges – honest, tactical, and always close to the real work.

Curious by nature and driven by outcomes, I believe that better sales comes from clarity, accountability, and continuous learning.

Christoph Karger

Serial entrepreneur and B2B sales enthusiast with a great passion for people development, sales and tennis. 

Started my career in the IT/Telco business at Siemens AG, where I fell in love with and started working in tech sales. Following my entrepreneurial urge, pursued an MBA in the US specializing in entrepreneurship. Having started 4 tech companies in the US and Germany since then, I have always been in the role of chief salesperson and managing director building heavily customer focused and sales driven organizations. 

In those roles I have learned that there is a severe lack of sales talent in the market - making both sales hiring and effectively scaling sales teams extremely challenging. This experience has culminated in the start of hyrise in 2021 allowing me to combine my passion for sales, entrepreneurship and people development. 

hyrise is now building the next generation of sales talent for tech companies via two pillars. 

Pillar 1: We grow the pool of qualified salespeople by placing talent from all walks of life based on their soft skills and effectively training them on-the-job afterwards. 
Pillar 2: We upskill existing sales teams by continuously training them in their day-to-day using an innovative pedagogy based on individual 1-on-1 training.

Feel free to reach out anytime.

Dominic Blank

Working remotely with a young family sounds ideal. 
😬 It is. And it isn't.

The commute disappears, yes - but so does the boundary.

There was a stretch last year where I "finished work" every evening but never really stopped. 
Especially after our second daughter was born.

Laptop on the couch. 
Slack on my phone. 
Brain never fully off.
I was physically present and mentally elsewhere.

The thing that actually worked for me - and I mean the one change that made a real difference:

😌 I started leaving my phone in a box. 
In a separate room. At least until kids' bedtime.

That physical distance was the only thing that actually broke the habit. 
It may not speak for my discipline that it didn't work otherwise but I guess we all need a fail safe system.

As long as the phone was within reach, part of my brain was always half-available. 

✅ Not a life hack. Just a boundary I had to decide to take seriously.

Struggled with this as well - and what's worked for you?

🏗 Helping software companies hire and train great sales talent I 🔥 Passionate sales entrepreneur I 🎙️Podcast host Sales Expressed

As experienced AE, this would be the role I WANT 

🤯 When I talked to the founder of this scale-up, I immediately thought "Oh boy, what amazing opportunity." 

One, that I really don't see often in my day to day.

-> Sexy product (category): AI sales tech 
-> Competitive salary
-> Well funded by reputable EU and US investors
-> Experienced founder who has "been there, done that" before
-> Validated product–market fit with 120 customers
-> High inbound demand

And remote.

🤯 

To all AEs with upper mid-market / enterprise track record who want to have massive upside potential and the option to build an entire team around them:

This is your chance.

💰 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆: 160-250k OTE, 50/50 Split
🎯 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲: Own the full sales cycle across Mid-Market / lower Enterprise deals. Drive net-new revenue with around 30% self-sourced pipeline. Run 12–15 multi-stakeholder demos and executive conversations weekly. Partner closely with the founder and work with SDR / GTM Engineer support
🌟 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗸𝘀: Fully remote in Germany. Flexible work setup. Strong team culture. Fast-growth AI-native environment. Backed by well-funded investors. Regular GTM events and networking opportunities
✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: German C2. English C1+. 5+ years of B2B SaaS sales experience. Strong track record in Mid-Market / lower Enterprise. Strong communication skills. Ability to simplify complex topics. Proven experience with complex sales methodologies such as MEDDPICC. Willingness to travel regularly across the DACH region

Interested or know someone? 

🙏 Tag them or DM me!

Workation is a lie.

You either work.
Or you take a vacation.
Trying both at the same time?

❌ You’re not doing either well.

I’ve learned this the hard way – running hyrise as remote company for 5 years.
Yes, remote enables you to work from anywhere.
But that doesn't mean you should blur the lines.
You NEED the right setup.

Right now, I’m working from Mauritius.
Sounds dreamy.

But here’s the truth:
→ Did 3 weeks of proper family vacation.
→ Now I’m back to work. 100%. Not 60. Not "in between."
→ We flew in my mother-in-law to help with our 2 kids so I can actually focus

Sure, I can jump into the pool after work.

But until then I'm working. Fully present. Fully committed.

Real vacation means real distance.
That distance creates perspective.
New thoughts. Fresh energy.
Better decisions.

That’s the value of time off.

So please:
Don’t dilute your work.
Don’t dilute your rest.

When you take time off – go all in.
When you come back – go all in.

Everyone wins.

How do you feel about this?

👀 Looking for an AE in Cologne or Hamburg (Hybrid)

Experienced role in a fast-growing Sustainability SaaS company, building an ESG Request Platform for enterprise clients

💰 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆: 60–84k base, up to 120k OTE
🎯 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲: Full-cycle B2B SaaS sales with enterprise customers. Own deals from demo to close. Run tailored product demos and negotiate contracts. Work closely with BDRs while also building your own pipeline
🌟 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗸𝘀: Hybrid setup (3 days WFH). 30 vacation days. Learning & development budget. Regular team events. Access to WeWork locations. Competitive package incl. commission and shares
✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: C2 German. C1 English. 2–5 years B2B SaaS Enterprise sales experience. Proven track record hitting quota. Strong consultative selling skills. Comfortable in a fast-paced startup environment. Interest in sustainability

📥 Interested or know someone? Tag them or DM me!

Most revenue teams think MEDDIC is a 3 week project.
🚨 It's not. 

It's a 6 month culture shift - minimum.

Here's what I see happen all the time:
Sales leadership reads about MEDDIC. Gets excited. 
Books two all-hands workshops with a consultant.  
New fields get added in HubSpot or Salesforce. 
Everyone checks the box.

And then... nothing changes.

Pipeline reviews look the same. 
Deals still stall at the same stage. 
Reps are filling in the fields - but they're not thinking differently.

Why?

Because nobody explained the WHY.
And because nobody trained execution in their live context.

Reps see MEDDIC as admin work for their manager. Another thing "they" want us to fill in before the forecast call.

What they don't see:

MEDDIC doesn't just describe a deal. It reveals the gaps in a deal. 
The economic buyer you haven't met. 
The success metrics nobody has quantified. 
The decision process your champion can't actually articulate.
Those gaps are why deals die. 

💡 And when you find them early, you can actually do something about it.
THAT'S the leverage. 

But here's the thing: you can't teach that in a workshop.
You have to live it deal by deal.

✅ What actually works:
→ Dedicated sessions on individual MEDDIC elements - not all at once 
→ 1:1 deal coaching where you tear a real deal apart using the framework together 
→ Live intervention: "Based on what we see here, what's your next move this week?" 
→ Repeat. For at least 6 months.

The goal isn't perfect CRM hygiene. The goal is a rep and manager who look at a stalled deal and immediately know which element is missing - and what to do about it.

We've seen this play out with the teams we train at hyrise. The ones who get results are the ones who stayed patient with the process longest.

How did you go about introducing your disco / qualification framework?

🤑 Do you know how much you should get paid? 

I get a ton of messages on the salary benchmarks for German AEs and SDRs we share regularly.

From sales reps and their revenue leaders equally. 

Most just don't know how much they should pay - or get paid - for a specific role.
We therefore decided to take (our) salary data to the next level.

And built V1 of our own salary calculator! 🚀

👉 Candidates: drop your CV or LinkedIn and get your salary band immediately
👉 Hiring managers: share your JD and get a realistic salary band + improvement recommendations

It uses metadata + real hyrise data from 1,000+ placements in Germany to tell candidates what they're worth, and tell hiring managers if their offer is competitive.

We want to make sure it's 100% accurate before releasing it to the public.

35 people have been testing it in closed beta. We're opening 15 more spots today. 

👇 Comment "salary" below.
I'll DM you the link.

After 7 years as CEO and founder, I hit a wall.

From the outside, everything looked good.
We hit break-even with POSpulse, 
weathered Covid and had a growing business.

But for the first time ever I had a difficult time motivating myself. 
As founder. 

🤔 So I raised one critical question: should I stay or should I leave?

Not because I was burned out.
But because I felt like I had literally turned every stone.
And I couldn’t find a new mission that genuinely pulled me forward.

So I handed over to a new and very talented CEO with Elena Bergmann-Eggeling.

That memory came back hard in my latest Sales Expressed episode with Hans Christian Heinemeyer, CRO at bookingkit.

He joined bookingkit right before Covid hit.
A business in the experience / activity industry.
Right into the eye of the storm.
After making it through crises he asked himself:

What now?
That question is harder than most people admit.

Because once the big mission is done, momentum disappears.
And suddenly, “stay or leave?” feels very real.

Hans Christian’s did an extremely interesting reflection
by reframing the question.

Not:
❌ Should I stay here?
Or go somewhere else?

But:
✅ What do I actually want to achieve next?
And where can I do that best?
What is the next mission that gives you energy?

That is such a better angle to take.
Because the grass is always greener for 2 weeks.

For Hans Christian, that answer was not “leave”.
It was people development.
Building others.
Growing a broader scope.
Taking on new business challenges inside the same company.

We also talked about how he included the people around him, what thought process he went through, what role external recruiters have played and how he now takes daily naps in the office 😴 

This is an extremely relevant pod episode for everyone - regardless the position, title or industry. 

Thanks for the very open and personal conversation Hans Christian Heinemeyer. Just like the one with Michael Rap, I predict this one will be a "bestseller". 

Ever been in a similar situation and how did you go about it?

__
🎧 Episode link to your favorite streaming platform in the comments

Outbound isn’t “harder inbound”.

It’s a completely different moment in the buyer’s journey.
And ignoring that is why so many sales teams fail to make the switch.

Inbound is getting less predictable.
Targets stay the same.
So everyone says:
“Outbound needs to become our reliable pipeline source.”

🙈 Then the team runs the same discovery they used for inbound.
And wonders why they get meetings,
but no real pipeline.

Here’s the difference most teams ignore:

Inbound prospects are often already in Consideration.
They’ve named the problem.
They’ve done research.
They’re actively evaluating options.

✅ So inbound discovery can be:
Validate.
Structure.
Drive process.

❌ Outbound prospects are often still in Awareness.
The problem is vague.
Or “known” but not urgent.
Or not even recognized as a problem yet.

So if you open an outbound call with:
“What’s your biggest pain right now?”

You’ll get:
“Nothing major.”

In a demo: “Looks cool. Send me something.”
That deal is dead.

Not because the lead was bad.
Because the conversation never created problem awareness.

💡 In outbound, you need to create problem awareness first.

A simple sequence that works:

1) Name the pattern
“What we see in teams like yours is…”
2) Make it specific
“Usually it shows up as…”
3) Quantify the impact
“When this happens, it typically costs…”
4) Expose the cost of inaction
“If nothing changes, the next 6 months look like…”
5) Only then: explore solutions
 
That’s the job of outbound discovery.
Illuminate. 

What is your experience making the switch from inbound to outbound?

👀 Looking for an SDR in Munich (Hybrid)

Entry-level SDR role at a fast-growing HR Tech / Employee Experience SaaS company.

💰 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆: 39k–50k base. 60k OTE
🎯 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲: Sell to HR & People leaders in mid-market and enterprise companies. Generate & qualify inbound/outbound leads in the DACH market. Prospect via calls, LinkedIn and email. Clear path to AE
🌟 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗸𝘀: Hybrid (3–4 office days). 30 vacation days. Home office, Learning and Body & Mind budget. International team & trips to Amsterdam
✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: German C2. English C1. Interest in sales or SaaS. No prior experience required, B2B SaaS or tech sales is a plus. Bachelor’s degree welcome, not required

📥 Interested or know someone? Tag them or DM me!

7 months ago a client came to us with a problem: 50% of new hires left within probation period.

🤯 Expensive and Demoralizing. 

We looked at who they had hired and what happened after they started. 

What we found was painfully common:
→ Full Quota set from month two - no ramp period, no grace
→ Unrealistic quota that only one outlier on the team hit 
→ Leadership vaccum - the founder had "looked after" the reps
→ Pure product and tool focused onboarding 

We did three things: 
1️⃣ Found a team lead right for their stage
2️⃣ Challenged for realistic quotas (including ramp)
3️⃣ Included ICP and (enterprise sales) training relevant for their GTM context

Results are promising, so far all of their new hires on track to stay beyond probation - voluntarily from both sides.

The best recruiting in the world won't fix a broken setup and employee experience afterwards.

🙏 Invest as much time into your setup as you do into hiring. 

Lived through similar experiences?

How to define which qualification framework is right for you?

MEDDIC (or others) won’t fix your pipeline.
❌ Not if your team can’t agree on what “qualified” even means.

The “best” framework doesn’t exist.
But the right one for your business is usually obvious.

If you stop debating acronyms
✅ and start listening to your lost deals.

I’ve seen this pattern over and over:
Teams roll out MEDDIC / SPICED / BANT / whatever.
They add fields to their CRM.
They run pipeline reviews.

And then?
Conversion stays flat.
Slippage stays high.
Forecast stays noisy.

Because the problem wasn’t “wrong framework”.
❌ The problem was: no shared definition of qualified.

A qualification framework mainly does 2 jobs:

-> Create a shared language across the team.
-> Enable great discovery around:
Pain.
Implication.
How they buy.
Who needs to be convinced.

So how do you choose the right one?

Start here:

1️⃣ Go into Closed-Lost reasons.
Not just the dropdown.
Ideally post mortems, deal notes.

Look for patterns.

Lost to competition?
Then you probably need a competition dimension.

No access to Economic Buyer?
Then you need something that requires
Champion strength.
Path to EB.

Went dark / no decision?
Then you need stronger validation on:
Impact.
Urgency.
Mutual action plans.

Your losses will tell you what your framework must catch early.

2️⃣ Ask the people doing the work.

AEs. SDRs. CS.
Team leads. 

Two questions:
Where do deals actually slip?
What do we keep “assuming” that later bites us?

If your team can’t say it simply, 
no framework will save you.

3️⃣ Analyze your best wins.

Pick 5 of your strongest deals.

Ask:
What was the real trigger?
What made them move now?
Who blocked it?
Who unlocked it?
What proof points mattered?

This is your “winning pattern”.
Your framework should make that pattern repeatable.

4️⃣  Match depth to deal complexity.

Deal size.
Buying centers / Stakeholders involved.
Sales cycle length.
Velocity.

If you’re SMB high-velocity, 
a lightweight framework that enforces clarity beats a heavy one that slows reps down.

If you’re enterprise complex, you need explicit rigor around:
Stakeholders.
Power.
Process.
Mutual action plans.
Risk.

5️⃣ Define the goal before you pick the letters.

Better forecasting?
Higher conversion from Stage 2 → 3?
Less slippage in late stage?
Higher win-rate vs competition?

Different goals = different emphasis.

And one more thing:

You don’t have to “adopt” a framework.
You can compose one.
Steal 80%.
Rename a letter as it works better for you.
Add one dimension.
Remove two that don’t matter.

Frameworks only add value when actually used. 

How have you gone about introducing or creating a qual framework?

___
Disclaimer: Image credit goes to newbreedrevenue.com/blog

13 days from application to signed contract

🙈 What people don’t see is the work behind it that made it possible - on both the candidate and the company side.

One value-add a great recruiter offers is to help align internal processes and expectations so that great hires can happen.

Possibly the most underrated value because most companies believe "we are good at this."

Just this week, one of our talent advisors Selina Schrenk helped a company and candidate to sign in 13 days. 

What she did behind the curtains:

1️⃣ Setting a clear target
She challenged the candidate to focus based on her strengths and learnings. Narrowed down to 1–2 roles with the highest probability of success. At the same time, challenged the company to fine tune "what good looks like" for the role. 

2️⃣ Filtering for quality
We disqualify companies with (too) low salary bands or chaotic hiring processes. Not every “opportunity” makes a good job.

3️⃣ Immediate feedback loops
No dead time between steps. Clear next actions and mutually agreed action plans. Fast alignment happened because of it. 

When these three line up, hiring moves fast.

So what usually kills speed?

👎  unclear (or constantly changing) role requirements
👎  5–7 interview rounds “just to be safe” 
👎  slow internal alignment

Speed isn’t magic.
It’s the outcome of a clean process.

Whats your internal time-to-hire?

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Christoph Karger

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