Revenue Interview: Reggie Yativ at Agora

The Interview

Kluster's Take

Theo spoke with Reggie Yativ, Chief Revenue Officer & COO at Agora. He explains what he’s learned from his years as a sales leader.

Reggie believes that to succeed you need to put in the work and invest a lot of thinking. He has held a variety of sales roles and at the beginning of his career spent 8 years in Europe. The last 16 years, he’s spent in the US. As a result, he’s learned a lot about cultures and how people operate within them.  He believes there are common practices. Although there are cultural differences in the way these techniques are applied. He tells us that in US business culture timeframes are quicker, whereas in Europe it’s more gradual. Despite the different styles, he thinks sales leaders are looking for the same things. It is the same parameters that make organisations successful. 

He believes the first level of forecast accountability starts with pipeline hygiene. He believes it’s the responsibility of the account manager to know where they are with each account. It’s key to make sure it’s all documented. Leaders need to have an understanding of the accounts and a feel for the business. He explains that you need to learn the mechanisms and the mechanics.

One trick Reggie uses is to do a weighted forecast. Meaning you are weighing the probability of winning. He asks account managers which deals they think will close this month. He tells us that if your forecast is solid, often these numbers are almost identical.

Reggie stresses the importance of proper account planning. If you have data and knowledge of your accounts your predictability will increase.