Erik Zeug on The Secret Sauce Behind Great Sales Teams

Erik runs sales development at Rho, a banking platform for startups & scale ups. Previously he led SD at DataSnipper and CB Insights. He's focused on creating human-centered sales experiences in an increasingly automated world.

He sat down with Luke from Modern GTM to explore the evolving challenges of sales leadership and what it takes to build great teams in today's market.

On the gap between good and great salespeople

The difference between a good and great salesperson is about consistent momentum in spite of uncertainty.

That uncertainty is exhausting. It's mentally draining. As a manager, my job is to snap that out of them while they're in this seat (+ train them on data-driven sales tactics).

And the reps who learn to eat that uncertainty for breakfast while maintaining their energy and focus? Those are the ones who break through and see the compound effect of consistent action.

On creating comfort in negotiations

One thing I do differently is my candor to begin negotiations is very forthright, which in turn ensures a more real human conversation.

During agenda setting, I'll say something like, "We'll talk about what Rho can do for you, how it fits with your team, and if there's a fit, we'll discuss the possibility of building a pilot."

The art is keeping it light without being too casual. If you go too friendly, it's hard to reel yourself back in for serious negotiations. If you're too formal, people get tight and uncomfortable. You want that "we're both sitting on the same side of the whiteboard" feeling—professional but collaborative.

Now, this isn't the only path to winning negotiations, but it sure is a good North Star.

On building high-agency team cultures

The magic happens when you combine three elements: teaching multiple playbooks, forcing reps to embrace the why, and rejecting the slasher mindset.

When I equip reps with 16 different plays like a quarterback, they stop being order-takers. They start making real-time decisions based on what they're seeing. But frameworks alone aren't enough—you have to empower the why behind each action.

I'll pull up our outreach data and ask, "What do you see here?" They interpret the statistics themselves, then I refine their thinking. They're not just following my orders—they're owning the analysis and solutions.

Sadly, the slasher mindset kills this completely. When people think 33% of the team will get cut, they hoard knowledge and protect themselves. But when they know I'm invested in their success beyond just hitting numbers, they start taking ownership of outcomes they can't directly control.

The result? Reps who make strategic pivots without asking permission, who coach each other, and who feel responsible for the team's success—not just their own quota.

On creating reps who think like owners

Most entry-level salespeople are just ripping dials because their manager told them to, or because "those are the rules." Those are things that don't create winners—they create order-takers.

To counteract this, I focus on empowering the why behind what we're doing. Getting reps to understand the reasoning behind their actions.

This approach also sets them up for career growth beyond just hitting their number. It breaks the glass ceiling that many high-performing reps create for themselves.

On avoiding the slasher mindset

I'll never be a "slasher mindset" manager. You know the approach—hire 55 people expecting to cut 33% within a year. It creates successful people, sure, but it also creates selfish people.

When your only expectation is hitting your number, how do you build culture? How do you build organizations that last?

I tell my reps: "I want nothing more than to get you off my team and have you skyrocket your career. We hired you because we believe in you."

That doesn't mean you can sit around and do nothing—that's a short leash. But if you give everything you've got, the worst case scenario is we're all here to make sure your next step is wonderful.

This approach keeps people longer and happier. More importantly, it creates leaders who will step up in moments when management isn't there. That's how you build something sustainable.