Kevin "KD" Dorsey

CRO at finally - Founder of Sales Leadership Accelerator - The #1 Sales Leadership Community & Coaching Program to Transform your Team and Build $100M+ Revenue Orgs - Black Hat Aficionado - #TFOMSL

Formal Education will make you a living… Self Education will make you a fortune. – Jim Rohn

Sales Leadership Accelerator - The #1 SaaS Sales Leadership program - 
www.salesleadershipaccelerator.com


Patreon Group - Monthly Live Trainings, Podcasts, AMA's and more!
https://www.patreon.com/insidesalesexcellence

Awards and Recognition

- DemandBase Top 25 Sales Leaders
- Salesforce - Top Sales Influencer to Follow
- InsideSales top 10 Sales Leader
- Pavillon 🗣 Lecturer of the Year
- Salesforce Top 16 Sales Influencers to Follow
- Ambition Top 100 Sales Coaches
- SalesLoft Rev Star
- TOPO Sales Development Exec of the Year
- LinkedIn Top Sales Voices
- LinkedIn Sales Star
- The Modern Sale Top 100 Global Sales Leaders
- Crunchbase Top Sales Leaders You Should Know

I believe in focusing on the "person" in "salesperson" 

As I've grown as a leader I have a better understanding of what truly drives behavior, motivation, and long term success. If we can make better people, the sales will follow. 

I love scaling sales teams. I have built multiple teams from 0-150+ reps, revenues from 0-100M+ ARR (multiple times). 2 Unicorns (ServiceTitan and Tebra) I believe in processes and systems, paired with skill development, as the code to success. 

I also love to share what I have learned, and what I am learning with others. I consult all sorts of different companies and people as they look to improve their results. I mentor and consult early, mid, and late-stage SaaS companies all across the world. Sharing my playbooks and processes for scaling sales teams successfully.

I have spoken at the top conferences across the country, mentor/coach start up's across the country, and love sharing as I go. 

If there is a book on sales, psychology or influence I have probably read it. I am a voracious learner and am constantly pushing myself and my team to reach new heights of achievement. Because of my own internal desire to learn and grow, that also gets translated out to my team with non-stop growth, coaching and training.

Founder & CEO

The Sales Leadership Accelerator is #1 SaaS Sales Leadership Program

https://www.salesleadershipaccelerator.com/slamembershipoverview

Ya’ll these are the exact trainings, systems, processes I’ve used to build 4 teams over 100 people, 2 unicorns (working on my third) and have trained 1000s of others on as well. 

That's part of what makes this different, is I'm still doing it. 

I'm still in the game. I'm still executing on these things, fine tuning, improving, and growing. 

These aren't the tactics that worked 8 years ago, this is the stuff working NOW.

That’s what the Sales Leadership Accelerator is all about. 

A program to level up the LEADERS!

Leaders need systems, processes,and skill development too. 

That's what this is all about.

Over 15 hours of leadership training (sorry ya’ll, no micro course here, if you want one of those, go somewhere else! it takes more than 90 min to learn this stuff. ) That has been incredibly highly reviewed by 100s of sales leaders and companies. 

Covering things like… 

The BIPSY Leadership Methodology
The WGLL and 4Ds
How to run 1x1s
How to truly develop skills
Coaching and Motivation
Tough Conversations and Accountability
Issue Diagnosis and Metrics
And much more!

Plus over 12 Templates you can take and make your own tomorrow. 

1x1s
Coaching Plans
Issue Diagnosis Checklists
Calls Scorecards
Goal Calculators
And more

Plus monthly group calls, AMAs, and outside experts.

Join today!

"We're about to hire our first sales rep. Any pitfalls to avoid?"

Got this text last night from a founder.

Told him I could write a book on all the mistakes I've made/seen other make, but I'd try to give him the fast stuff. 

1. 𝗗𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗛 𝗢𝗡 𝗚𝗢𝗔𝗟𝗦

Set clearly defined and attainable targets.

Actually run the numbers. Can they realistically hit what you're expecting?

Most founders set impossible goals then wonder why reps fail.

2. 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗣 𝗜𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚

Whatever timeline you're thinking, double it.

Then add a month.

First reps take longer than you think. Always.

Even if they have 'industry' experience. They have zero experience in your org. 

3. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧

Take YOUR sales performance and cut it by 30%.

That's what your first rep will do. Initially.

You have founder magic. They don't. You know every objection by heart. They're learning.

Stop expecting them to sell like you do.

4. 𝗗𝗢𝗖𝗨𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗧

Record all your demos. But here's what most miss:

Do a second recording breaking down WHY you did what you did.

"I asked this question because..."
"I pivoted here when they said..."
"I ignored that objection because..."

The context is more valuable than the demo itself.

5. 𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗚𝗟𝗟

What Good Looks Like. Document it all:
- How leads should be worked
- What discovery should accomplish
- How demos should flow
- Follow-up cadence and messaging

If it's in your head, it doesn't exist.

6. 𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗪𝗢, 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗢𝗡𝗘

There's no perfect sales hiring process.

Two reps create competition. Comparison. 

One rep? You'll never know if it's them or your process that's broken.

7. 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥 > 𝗦𝗞𝗜𝗟𝗟

Don't get blinded by experience.

Hire for character traits first, skill second.

Coachability. Curiosity. Grit. Work ethic.

You can teach product. You can't teach character.

8. 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗜𝗦𝗡'𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟

If you can't manage them, don't hire them.

Real management means:
- Weekly 1x1s
- Call reviews
- Coaching sessions
- Deal prep
- Skill development

Not just "checking in" on Slack.

𝗕𝗢𝗡𝗨𝗦: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗣 𝗛𝗔𝗖𝗞

Customer interviews. By far the quickest way to get a rep up to speed.

Have them interview 20-30 customers with these 6 golden questions:

1. Why did you buy?
2. What problem were you hoping to solve?
3. What were you afraid of before buying?
4. What's your favorite part of the product?
5. What's changed the most since having it?
6. How would you describe what we do to another [persona]?

Record every single one.

This gives them real voice of customer. Real objections. Real value props.

In their customers' actual words.

--------

Knock out these steps (even if you're far beyond the first sales hire) 

Your first sales hire sets the tone for everything that follows.

Get it right, and you build a machine.

Get it wrong, and you'll be selling solo for another year.

We all want bigger results without changing our daily habits.

That's why we stay stuck. 

I just re-read Atomic Habits and I love this book more and more each time 

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗖 𝗛𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗦

1. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 1% 𝗥𝗨𝗟𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗕𝗢𝗗𝗬 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧

10 more calls per day = 250 extra conversations per year.
2 more question in discovery = hundreds of deeper pain points uncovered.
One extra follow-up video = dozens of saved deals.

Small improvements compound. Small declines do too.

Missing 2 calls today doesn't matter. Missing 2 calls every day? You're toast.

2. 𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗔𝗟𝗦

Average approach: "I want to hit quota"
Elite approach: "I am someone who never misses their call block"

Stop focusing on outcomes. Start focusing on who you need to BEcome.

How would that person think, act, work, & behave. 

3. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗟𝗔𝗪𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗦

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗢𝗯𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀:
- Put your call list on your desktop before you leave
- Schedule your prospecting blocks in your calendar
- Set CRM reminders for every follow-up

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲:
- Pair cold calls with your favorite coffee (right Sara Uy?!)
- Create a team leaderboard for activities
- Celebrate the calls, not just the closes

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘆:
- Pre-write your email templates
- Keep objection responses on sticky notes
- Have your demo environment always ready

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴:
- Track your activities visually
- Ring a bell after booking a meeting
- Share wins in Slack immediately

4. 𝗛𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗧 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗦

"After I sit down at my desk, I will make 5 calls before opening email"
"After every discovery call, I will update the CRM"
"After getting rejected, I will do 10 pushups and make another call"

Stack the habit you need onto something you already do.

5. 𝗘𝗡𝗩𝗜𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 > 𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

Your work setup determines your productivity more than your motivation.

Phone visible = more calls made
LinkedIn open = more prospecting done (prospecting not posting/doom scrolling!)
Slack minimized = more deep work completed

Design your environment for success, not rely on willpower.

6. 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

What elite teams track daily:
- Calls made (not just meetings booked)
- Discovery/Demo Call Scores (not just closed deals)
- Follow-up Videos sent (not just deals closed)

The act of tracking changes behavior before results change.

8. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧

Month 1: No pipeline movement
Month 2: Few meetings booked
Month 3: Some opportunities created
Month 4: EXPLOSION

Most people quit in month 2. Right before the compound effect kicks in.

Results lag behind effort. Always.
---- 
We become what our habits allow. 

Because elite performance isn't built on massive changes.

It's built on atomic habits, compounded daily.

Start small. 

But start now!

Sriharsha Guduguntla

CEO at Hyperbound (YC S23) | Helping marketing leaders build pipeline with AI at scale

Call me Sai! I'm a YCombinator Founder and alumni (S23) who's interested in startups and the intersection of AI and sales and marketing. Currently building next-generation GTM tools at https://hyperbound.ai. 🚀 

I'm a self-learned full-stack engineer and designer with experience building software for 10+ years.

http://sriharshaguduguntla.com

Member

🚨URGENT: We're hiring 2 Strategic Mid-Market Account Executives in San Francisco --> $240K OTE + quarterly accelerators + growth opportunities at Hyperbound (NOT remote). 

Both our current AEs, ☠️ Belal Batrawy and Isaac Hong have SURPASSED quota with a quarter still left in the fiscal year. They've both had $1M months and they're closing the biggest logos of their careers, hitting accelerators and making tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses. 

In the last 20 months since we launched Hyperbound, we've
- Been entirely inbound with word of mouth being our strongest growth channel
- Raised a $15M Series A
- Hit 2 back-to-back $1M months last quarter
- Closed Fortune 10 and Fortune 100 enterprises on massive thousand seat rollouts
- Grown from $0 → 7 figure ARR in 2024 in just 11 months, founder-led sales with a team of 4
- Have a 90%+ win rate in competitive head-to-head deals
- Invented a new category of sales tech that wasn't even possible before January 2024
- Scaled from 9 people at the start of this year to 20+ and on pace for 30 by EOY

Who we're looking for:
- Someone with 3-5 years of closing experience with a consistent track-record closing mid-market deals
- Hungry to make the jump to enterprise and just waiting for an opportunity
- Thinks outside the box and helps design sales strategy in the office, alongside the founders, Atul and I
- Wants to be part of the next category-defining moment in sales tech
- Relocate to SF (if not in the bay area)

**This is not a remote role! 5x/week at our SF office. 

We will have both roles filled before the end of the calendar year. DM me and apply here: https://lnkd.in/gzXyJ6rx

CEO at Hyperbound (YC S23) | Building AI Sales Roleplay Simulations to upskill GTM teams

🚨 We're hiring across the board right now at Hyperbound and we're on a mission to build the GTM dream team in San Francisco 🚨

And yes… $20,000 cash if you refer someone we end up hiring. No fine print.

Here are the 4 roles that I'm excited about right now 👇🏽

1. Guerilla Marketer / Viral Engineer / Mad Genius (your pick)

If you wake up thinking “What wild stunt could we pull today?” — this is your playground. We’re looking for someone who can turn chaotic creativity into flawless execution. You’ll dream up and build the stunts, field activations, surprise moments, and cultural hits that make Hyperbound impossible to ignore.

Part artist. Part producer. Part scientist. If you want to architect the most iconic moments in Hyperbound history, get in here.

2. Growth Marketing Manager

Own the full funnel.
Own the website.
Own paid ads.
Own SEO.
Own the engine that turns curiosity → demand → revenue.

If you can blend performance, content, experimentation, and customer advocacy into a scalable acquisition system, you will thrive here.

3. Events Marketing Manager

We don't "go to events." We take over events.

20+ conferences this year. Premium dinners. Competitions. Brand moments people still talk about. You’ll architect the booths, dinners, intimate activations, and experiences that make attendees say: “Hyperbound had the best event at the entire conference.”

If you love the intersection of logistics, creativity, and pipeline generation — this is your stage.

4. Founding Partnerships Manager

Own and scale our reseller + affiliate ecosystem.

You’ll nurture partners, grow revenue post-sale, surface new opportunities, and co-build the playbook for how Hyperbound scales through partnerships.

You’ll also collaborate with marketing on co-marketing campaigns that expand our reach and drive real adoption.

===========
👉🏽 If you're interested in scaling GTM at a $15M Series A company in the heart of the AI capital in San Francisco, DM me AND apply on our careers page on our website! Or know someone? Tag them in the comments below!

***This is not a remote role! 5x/week at our SF office.

☠️ Belal Batrawy and I got a strong start to the CRO Exchange in Miami and it’s only Day 1!

Belal presented a keynote about how to navigate the AI roleplay evaluation process, including gotchas, the competitive landscape, the limitations of AI, the realities of implementation, and the results we’re already seeing from some of our top enterprise customers. 

We took out a group of leaders to dinner as well and I ate at my first steak house ever (that is a brocolli steak since I’m vegetarian).

Takeaways from Day 1:

1) Anne Slough mentioned enablement is not just about training and content and is more about stakeholder management. The modern enablement leader will align their initiatives with business metrics of multiple stakeholders, not completion rates and NPS scores

2) As Christopher Smith put it best, ramp time is the most underrated metric that any sales org could optimize. Most leaders give up because it feels impossible to change. It can both give CROs more at bats to drive behavior change when reps learn and produce more quickly, and it can improve deal velocity as a whole as well.

3) Jeff Bloomfield described it well: when the sales team misses their number, it’s not a problem with the individual sellers, it’s a leadership problem. It either means leadership hired the wrong people, or it means they’re not coaching their frontline managers or putting them in the best position for success, or they’re not approaching the market in the best way possible. 

4) John Wunder talked about how, with regards to enablement, we’re all headed towards a post-CRM world, meaning that the CRM is just going to remain a ledger for record but the enablement is going to happen in the systems and workflows themselves on live deals to improve rep behavior. 

5) Troy Kanter gave a spectacular keynote and touched on how in a hyper-competitive world where the barrier to entry is also dropping each day for businesses, the only thing that will differentiate companies is their human capital, and with regards to sellers, they are a massive asset. The reality is a shiny resume doesn’t matter when hiring for sales, the grit, attitude, and ability to learn is. But that has to be combined with the right type of coaching for a company to build the most elite group of sellers on the market. 

Can’t wait for Day 2 today.

Come say hi if you’re in Miami!

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The Battle

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