Sales and ops leaders are pressured to adopt AI, but struggle to turn the noise into revenue-driving decisions.In this episode of The Unexpected Lever, Jarod Greene is joined by Scott Peyser, Senior Vice President of Operations at CBTS. Scott brings more than 20 years of experience leading sales operations, forecasting, and go to market strategy across global organizations.

Scott shares how leaders should think about AI in practical terms, where insight turns into action, and how to avoid overcomplicating adoption.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why focus matters in AI – Solving one problem beats chasing every use case
How insight becomes action – Data only works when it changes decisions
Where small wins add up – Early results build trust across teams

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:16) What CBTS does and why it matters
(02:17) Unexpected AI use case
(03:37) The trigger moment for AI adoption
(06:46) Building AI adoption across teams
(10:19) Experimenting with AI while managing risk
(14:39) Advice for leaders getting started with AI
(16:07) Where AI is headed for sales planning and forecasting

AI is no longer an experiment happening on the sidelines of sales. It’s showing up in workflows, conversations, decisions, and forecasts, and teams are figuring it out in real time.

Season 2 of The Unexpected Lever explores how sales leaders and technical teams are actually working alongside AI. Not the hype, not the theory, but the honest stories of what’s working, what’s not, and where human judgment still matters most.

Join us for real conversations with the people navigating AI inside sales teams. You’ll hear what they’re learning, what they’re rethinking, and how small shifts are changing how teams work and win together.

Marketers are wasting time on decks.

In this episode of V5, Jarod Greene, CMO at Vivun, explains why marketing should step away from slide creation and focus on owning the message. After two decades of building decks for every sales moment, Jarod realized the problem wasn’t about how decks looked or how long they were; it was about who controlled the story.

He discusses how giving reps ownership of the story, supported by strong positioning and AI-powered tools, creates faster, more effective conversations with buyers.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why marketers should stop building decks – Ownership matters more than formatting
• How reps create stronger meetings – Let them shape the story, not recite slides
• Where enablement actually begins – Context drives conversions more than content ever will

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:44) Why marketers need to stop making decks
(02:00) What marketing should actually own
(03:20) How letting go of control changed everything
(04:40) What reps really want from marketing
(05:22) The shift that makes enablement actually work

Great selling starts with simplicity.

In this episode of V5, Jarod Greene sits down with Ryan Heinig, CRO at 2X, to talk about the fundamentals that separate top sellers from everyone else. Ryan discusses the four things every great seller does, and why mastering the basics is what drives consistent wins.

Ryan also explains the real role of sales enablement, the power of coaching within teams, and how community-driven relationships keep buyers engaged long before they enter a sales cycle.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What the best sellers focus on every day – The four fundamentals that drive results
• How leaders can enable better performance – Coaching, not content, creates impact
• Why community matters more than cold outreach – Relationships build lasting pipeline

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:32) The four fundamentals that drive enterprise sales

(01:55) How AI helps sellers stay relevant, not robotic

(02:59) Why enablement starts with first-line leaders

(04:25) How community replaces cold outbound

Most teams talk about value without ever earning the right to use that word.

In this episode of V5, Jarod Greene sits down with Em Daigle, Founder and Chief Automation Officer at OTTO-MATES, to discuss how to really build trust with buyers and how “value” has become a buzzword in sales, often used without any real connection to what customers actually care about.

Em explains why enablement misses the mark when it skips the human side of discovery, and shares how better questions (not just more of them) can completely change the trajectory of a deal. She also discusses where AI should step in and where it should step aside, especially when credibility is on the line.

If you're relying on process alone, you’re probably just presenting instead of truly selling.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why trust earns attention – Value isn’t real until your buyer believes you
• How to fix enablement – Teaching reps the buyer’s world is a game changer
• Where AI fits in – Use it to free up time, not replace your connection

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:29) Why “value” talk falls flat in sales

(01:50) How to truly earn buyer trust

(02:58) Fixing enablement with more profound discovery

(03:44) Where AI helps and where it hurts

Forecasting isn’t just for finance anymore. Ann Davis, SVP of Sales at Crunchbase, says it’s the edge every seller needs to stay ahead.

On this episode of V5, Jarod Greene chats with Ann about why top-performing reps are rethinking how they prioritize accounts and spend their time.

Ann explains that selling today is more about spotting signals early, sometimes before buyers even realize a need exists. She discusses the role of predictive intelligence, why historical data is insufficient, and how modern sellers can minimize noise by acting on forward-looking patterns. With millions of companies to sort through, the differentiator is no longer effort but timing.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why forecasting is a seller’s edge – Anticipating future need helps you win before competitors show up
• How to use predictive signals – Growth indicators and hiring trends can point to high-propensity buyers
• Where reps lose momentum – Spending time in the wrong places slows pipeline and kills deals before they start

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:18) Forecasting is the underrated sales skill
(03:03) Crunchbase’s predictive growth signals explained
(04:06) Getting ahead of buyer needs without spooking them
(05:18) Balancing AI scale with human connection
(06:32) What AI can and can’t replace

The best sellers don’t just sell value, they sell peace of mind.

In this episode of V5, we talk about why risk mitigation, not ROI, is what actually unlocks budgets and moves deals forward. Jarod Greene chats with Daryl Weldon, VP of Sales at Verisys, about why so many deals stall at the procurement stage and how to address this issue.

Daryl shares what sellers miss when they push growth over protection, and explains how compliance, legal, and brand concerns influence decisions long before signatures are signed. She lays out what it looks like to build a value case that speaks to multiple stakeholders, including those you may never meet. Her take: if your deal keeps stalling late in the cycle, it’s probably not a pricing issue.

Learn how to quantify inaction, tailor your pitch beyond growth, and leverage risk as your strongest sales tool.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why risk builds urgency – Buyers don’t just want results, they want to stay out of trouble
• How to multithread smarter – Risk stories resonate with legal, finance, brand, and beyond
• What your deck might be missing – The cost of doing nothing is just as crucial as the upside

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:33) Why ROI sounds like hope, not control
(01:20) How growth-first mindsets miss buyer pain
(02:36) What stalled deals reveal about your pitch
(03:17) Risk as a tool for multithreading

Are reps who lead with product knowledge killing their own deals?

In this episode of V5, we look at why curiosity, not memorization, is the skill top sellers rely on to win today.

Jarod Greene sits down with Tim O’Neil, Chief Sales Officer at 6sense, to talk about how sales has evolved and why old habits are no longer effective. Tim explains how low-interest markets rewarded feature-heavy pitches, but today’s buyers expect reps to ask sharper questions, address real business pain, and connect with the right decision-makers. He also shares how he hires for curiosity and how AI is helping reps research smarter, not harder.

If you’re stuck selling features, this is your wake-up call.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why product knowledge isn’t enough – Knowing what your product does doesn’t mean knowing why it matters
• How curiosity shortens the cycle – The reps asking business-level questions are getting to the budget faster
• What to stop trusting – If someone only wants to talk about features, they’re probably not your buyer

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:20) Why product expertise no longer drives revenue

(01:28) Curious reps are closing with senior buyers

(02:18) Using AI to scale smarter selling

(03:41) Hiring reps who ask better questions