SBI BlogRevenue Growth Insights

Coaching & Training

The Manager of the Future: Making Sales Management More Human with AI

Selling really is more complex than it used to be. Buying groups are bigger. Risk is higher. Priorities change weekly. I...

6 Jan 26

3 min read

By Ray Makela Read More

Enablement & Training

A Fast Start Decides the Year for PE-Backed Companies

The beginning of the year carries more weight in PE-backed companies than most teams acknowledge. The plan is finalized....

19 Dec 25

2 min read

By SBI Team Read More

Coaching & Training

3 Goals for Sales Reps to Achieve Early in the Sales Cycle

As a sales manager, you have a limited amount bandwidth to go on joint sales calls with your sales reps. While going on ...

18 Dec 25

3 min read

By David Jacoby Read More

Insights

Overly Ambitious Targets Set by PE Owners

Industry Context The healthcare IT sector faces mounting pressure from regulatory changes, digital transformation demand...

11 Dec 25

2 min read

By SBI Read More

Enablement & Training

AI for Sales Managers: 2025 Q4 Enablement Growth Forum Recap

Frontline managers are the leverage point of every sales organization. Yet, we continue to bury them in administrative d...

9 Dec 25

3 min read

By SBI Team Read More

Insights

The "Closer" is a Myth: Why Negotiation Starts at Discovery–Not the Contract

There is a pervasive, dangerous myth in B2B sales: the legend of the "Born Negotiator." This is the "Closer" who swoops ...

2 Dec 25

5 min read

By Ray Makela Read More

Insights

The "Simple Business" Trap: Complexity Demands Data, Not Gut Feeling

There is a misconception about "unglamorous" industries. People look at a company like Restaurant Technologies (RTI). Th...

2 Dec 25

3 min read

By Mike Hoffman Read More

Research Report

The 3 Trends That Defined Q4 (And Will Make or Break Your Next Q1)

If Q4 2025 taught us anything, it is that the middle ground is collapsing. Across the four major research studies that S...

2 Dec 25

3 min read

By Nick Toman Read More

Research Report

AI Won’t Replace Your Sales Manager. It Will Finally Let Them Lead

Despite aggressive commercial spending, growth is slowing across the board. Revenue growth has contracted from 22% in 20...

27 Nov 25

3 min read

By Ray Makela Read More

Research Report

Enablement Workshop: Tackling Buyer Friction, AI-Ready Managers, and Better Coaching at Scale

When you put a group of enablement leaders from companies like Red Hat, Salesforce, IBM, Cato Networks, DocuSign, and Sp...

27 Nov 25

4 min read

By Ray Makela Read More

Insights

Restaurant Technologies — Predictable, Profitable Growth Through Commercial Operations

Industry Context The restaurant services industry operates on route-based distribution models where profitability depend...

25 Nov 25

2 min read

By SBI Read More

Research Report

95% of AI Pilots Fail. AI Services are the Solution.

95% of AI pilots fail to produce any measurable P&L impact. That finding from MIT's July report should concern every...

25 Nov 25

4 min read

By Isaac Silverman Read More

Coaching & Training

Most Sales Teams Have AI, but  Enablement is Required to Make it Work

Most teams have AI tools, but without enablement stepping in to guide how reps actually use them, seller productivity wo...

19 Nov 25

2 min read

By Ray Makela Read More

GTM Design & Structure

Healthcare Services Provider — Reigniting Growth Through Inside Sales Transformation

Stagnant Growth Year-over-year growth in new patient acquisition had plateaued for this healthcare services company. The...

17 Nov 25

2 min read

By SBI Team Read More

Pricing

PE Insights: Why Discount Discipline Drives Growth in PE Portfolios

Pricing has become an increasingly prevalent topic among our clients and one of the highest-priority items for operators...

13 Nov 25

3 min read

By Eric Estrella Read More

GTM Design & Structure

How RevOps Leaders Are Orchestrating Growth in 2026

As we wrapped our final RevOps Leader Roundtable of 2025, one thing was clear: the pressure on revenue teams isn’t going...

12 Nov 25

3 min read

By Adam Sheehan Read More

Insights

Zayo — Accelerating Growth Through Structured Change

Industry Context The telecommunications industry faces mounting pressure to modernize legacy infrastructure while accele...

12 Nov 25

2 min read

By SBI Read More

Insights

Grid Infrastructure Software Provider — Establishing Commercial Excellence

Industry Context Energy software firms are under pressure to pivot from perpetual licenses to ARR-driven models. Boards ...

5 Nov 25

1 min read

By SBI Read More

Customer Success

Marketing’s New Scoreboard: Net Revenue Retention

Most CMOs still measure success by pipeline, leads, and brand reach. That worked when budgets were growing and new logo ...

4 Nov 25

3 min read

By Tracy Hansen Read More

Coaching & Training

Enablement at a Crossroads: Insights from ATD Sell 2025

At this year’s ATD SELL 2025 conference, one message came through loud and clear: the imperative to move beyond training...

3 Nov 25

3 min read

By Ray Makela Read More

Insights

Teradata — Rolling Out a Global GTM Model

Industry Context Global GTM transformations are notoriously difficult. Centralized rollouts often create bottlenecks tha...

30 Oct 25

1 min read

By SBI Read More

Enablement & Playbooks

Value Creation Planning: The First 100 Days That Define Returns

A strong Value Creation Plan (VCP) provides the strategic blueprint for the entire hold period. It identifies the most i...

30 Oct 25

2 min read

By SBI Team Read More

Performance Management

The Forecasting Risk Lurking Beneath the Base Business

As a CFO, you're tasked with doing what most SaaS leaders are struggling to achieve in 2025: Deliver growth. Improve eff...

30 Oct 25

2 min read

By Kristin MacCarthy Read More

Coaching & Training

From Product Pitches to Profit Conversations: How Biamp Rebuilt Its Sales Muscle

When your market is mature and hypercompetitive, standing still is the fastest way to fall behind. I recently spoke with...

30 Oct 25

3 min read

By Ray Makela Read More

Insights

TIBCO - Getting Back to Growth in Enterprise Software

Industry Context Enterprise software firms racing to subscription models often stumble on execution. Rapid acquisitions ...

28 Oct 25

1 min read

By SBI Read More

GTM Design & Structure

Leading Through Uncertainty: How AI is Redefining the Operating Model for Growth

Markets are volatile, tariffs unpredictable, and boardrooms louder than ever about one thing: proof of productivity. For...

28 Oct 25

4 min read

By Mike Hoffman Read More

Performance Management

The Five Elements to Effective Annual Planning

Our observations of market conditions ahead paint a stark picture for commercial leaders: profitable growth is increasin...

28 Oct 25

3 min read

By Anthony Erickson Read More

Performance Management

The Forecast Problem Hiding in Plain Sight

Every CRO I know is chasing the same goal: a forecast they can trust. Quarter after quarter, even strong sales teams fin...

27 Oct 25

3 min read

By Jamie Halpin Read More

GTM Design & Structure

How to Master Annual Planning Rollout for 2026

With the right information and strategic bets in place, leaders prime their organizations for revenue excellence. But ev...

24 Oct 25

2 min read

By Nick Toman Read More

GTM Design & Structure

The Elements of an Annual Planning Fact Base

Effective annual planning often makes the difference between achieving your growth goals and falling behind the competit...

24 Oct 25

3 min read

By Anthony Erickson Read More

Coaching & Training

Accelerate Growth at Sales Kickoff (SKO) - Avoid These 5 Mistakes

Every year, thousands of companies spend millions of dollars on sales kickoff (SKO) events and concentrate on talking at...

23 Oct 25

2 min read

By SBI Team Read More

GTM Design & Structure

The Signal That Unlocks SaaS Growth

Net Revenue Retention (NRR) has become a key challenge for SaaS growth. Since Q1 2023, average NRR has dipped from 110% ...

22 Oct 25

3 min read

By Nick Toman Read More

Coaching & Training

Why MEDDPICC Isn’t Enough: The Case for Strategic Sales Coaching

In complex B2B sales, MEDDPICC has become the gold standard for opportunity inspection. It’s a powerful tool that helps ...

15 Oct 25

3 min read

By SBI Read More

GTM Design & Structure

While Growth Slows for Most, Leaders Take a Different Approach

Recent economic pressures have begun to stabilize, yet most mid-market companies are still struggling to achieve growth....

15 Oct 25

2 min read

By Dave Lingebach Read More

AI-Driven Insights

Enablement Growth Forum Q3 2025 Recap: Why SKO and AI Will Define 2026 Performance

When we brought together enablement leaders for SBI's Q3 Enablement Growth Forum, one theme rang loud and clear: the old...

14 Oct 25

3 min read

By Ray Makela Read More

GTM Design & Structure

Accelerating Executive Impact: Why Time-to-Productivity Is Now a GTM Metric

If you’re stepping into a new commercial leadership role, you’re not being given time to learn the business. The expecta...

3 Oct 25

2 min read

By Tony Erickson Read More

GTM Design & Structure

Growth Plans Aren’t Failing in Execution, They’re Failing in Design

SBI’s latest CEO Value Creation Pulse: Correcting and Avoiding Future Planning Miscues reveals a sharp divide between co...

30 Sep 25

3 min read

By Dave Lingebach Read More

GTM Design & Structure

Is Your NRR Falling? You’re Not Alone, But You Might Be Solving the Wrong Problem

Net Revenue Retention (NRR) is under pressure across the board. In SBI’s latest analysis of more than 150 B2B companies,...

25 Sep 25

3 min read

By SBI Read More

Coaching & Training

4 Unique Challenges Sales Managers Face

Being a sales manager is tough. They face unique challenges like hitting revenue targets, managing a diverse team, navig...

21 Jul 25

5 min read

By David Jacoby Read More

Pricing

16 Pricing Best Practices That Separate Top-Performers from the Rest

Despite new research and tools, pricing remains one of the most underutilized levers for sustainable revenue growth. Man...

17 Jul 25

3 min read

By Patrick Doran Read More