Peter Durkin, VP Sales at Blink, for Revelesco

Speaker: Peter Durkin, VP Sales, Blink

Peter Durkin: What challenge did you have before working with Pete and Emily? Well, I think experience first and foremost. So I was new in role. I was the classic first sales guy who got promoted to be VP Sales slash to a role that they'd never done before. And I didn't know what I didn't know ultimately. And I think in a Series A start up, the stakes are pretty high. So my challenge first and foremost was experience. That feels like quite a high level answer though. So if I were to reflect on one of the biggest and most exciting challenges that we uncovered along the way, I think it's the existential challenge really of what Blink is, what story we want to take to the market and, selfishly, for me, this was the challenge, what our first pitch deck should look like. I obviously wanted to tell a more compelling story to prospects to increase conversion rates. But like most things with Pete, you go with a very specific challenge and he opens your eyes to the bigger picture contributing to that challenge. So it quickly became apparent that the story we tell in the sales team obviously is directly related to the messaging pillars of the marketing team and the value stacks that the product team contribute to and you need alignment between that sales messaging, that marketing strategy, and product differentiation. The fog really started to lift when we built that internal alignment. You know, this challenge was bigger than a sales deck and that was a huge a-ha moment for me personally and us as a business.

Peter Durkin: What did you like about them and how they worked with you? Well, I think the first thing to say is I've never done any coaching before and I was definitely slightly angsty about how it would all work. So I was definitely that guy before the first session somehow was worried that we might run out of things to talk about. So sent Pete a really long email with all of the things I was struggling with that were on my to do list as it were. And that is an interesting point because I think that when you're an early stage company and it's your first time doing this, you can become quite task oriented. And think that your job is just about keeping all of the balls in the air. So I went to Pete with all of the balls. But of course, quickly realized it's not just about keeping all the balls in the air. And the reason that you are juggling like mad often is because of a deeper strategic challenge around hiring or communicating expectations or internal alignment, goal setting, you name it. So when I think about why I like working with Pete, it's his range. I'm in the trenches every day and he takes those frustrating tactical challenges that I'm having and encourages me to zoom out and see the bigger picture. So Well, actually, I think it's two things. First. It is empathy and this is important because sometimes I'll come to our sessions and I'll be fed up about something or knackered or even upset. So, starting with empathy is very important and that's definitely one of the reasons why I like working with Pete and the, glass of water scene from White Men Can't Jump, definitely comes to mind here. But beyond the empathy, I think it's perspective. So Pete has frameworks to think about just about everything in my mind and I'll typically start in the weeds, but he'll bring me up to the clouds and consider frameworks to approach all of the challenges that might fall into that bucket in the future. And I very much enjoy that perspective or that strategic way of thinking, you know, sometimes I feel like I'm coming to the sessions and I'm looking through the keyhole and Pete's opening the door.

Peter Durkin: What results did you get with Pete and Emily? So I think I'll probably split these into two, right? Like they were tangible results, i.e. deliverables following the coaching. So the work I've done with Pete, for instance, has directly contributed to us building a new sales deck and defining our buyer phases and our messaging pillars within the marketing team. And I also know what I'd like people to say about me at my funeral, which is one for another time. I think the intangible results are just as potent though, right? Like how does it make me feel? And ultimately, it's like having an extension of your team, but one that isn't constrained by your company's inertia, but instead has got the experience and the pattern recognition to constantly guide and challenge you. And I think it's interesting because one of the things actually that I've learned along the way in our sessions as it relates to talent is that in general, you win with experience and not potential. And coaching is no exception.