Chris Degnan (Snowflake): Selling in a Recession

Chris is CRO at Snowflake and has been leading sales there for 9 years. He’s helped grow from $0 to $1B+ ARR. He’s clearly a software sales legend. So how is Chris coaching his reps and leaders during today’s recessionary environment? What should you change about your sales playbook in order to keep winning in a down market? This is the perfect episode for sales reps, sales leaders, and founders/CEOs who are looking for advice on how to navigate selling in a downturn. Key Takeaways: [01:58 - 03:52] The mindset and action plan of a great sales reps in a recession[03:52 - 05:37] A passion and conviction for what you're selling[05:42 - 07:09] Addressing specific challenges of today, adding value, saving money[07:16 - 10:29] Understanding customer pain in difficult macro environments, solving for competitor gaps[10:34 - 13:03] Don't waste people's time, have a genuine conversation[13:06 - 15:27] The business value of Snowflake's model[15:28 - 18:42] Increasing sales, driving cost savings and business value[19:38 - 26:34] How sales reps and leadership should be thinking about success[26:35 - 31:27] Pipeline generation and sales success[31:26 - 32:45] It's easy to blame others[32:45 - 36:27] Dealing with smaller budgets and cultivating empathy and problem solving[36:27 - 39:14] Preparing for 2023 budgets and planning differently