S 01 | Ep 19 IBM's Winning Formula

Client-Centric Approach to Delivering Value and Achieving Success

Anthony Coppedge leads the vision, strategy, and execution for how business agility is infused in Global Digital Sales at IBM. His leadership focuses on composing a strategic symphony, orchestrating iterative work prioritization, and coaching leaders, managers, and teams on delivering outcomes over outputs.

Key Takeaways

(11:43-17:12) The Importance of Agile Sales Leadership

(17:12-22:09) Feedback-Driven Decision-Making with Agility

(22:09-27:46) Agile Adaptation in Marketing and Sales

(27:46-31:21) Creating a Customer-Centric Experience

(31:21-35:42) Changing Minds to Drive Behavioral Change

(35:42-49:00) Agile Sales and Marketing Processes

(49:00-50:09) Value of PLG in Sales + Marketing

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Agile Sales in
the Enterprise

Anthony Coppedge, a leader in global digital sales at IBM, explains how the company is adapting to the changing environment by transforming to an agile business model. He emphasizes iteration, adaptation, and responsiveness, and introduces five values — Respect, Openness, Courage, Empathy, and Trust — and three principles — Clarity with Purpose, Experimentation, and Self-Direction — to help guide sales teams. Anthony also speaks to the role of managers, shifting from directing and controlling to supporting and providing.

1. The Importance of Agile Sales Leadership

The speakers discuss the importance of setting goals and objectives that align with the business and customer needs, as well as the importance of creating and delivering value that goes beyond just the financial investment. They also explore the risks of not changing to a more agile sales approach and how to make sure that clients are not only satisfied with the product but come back again and again for more.

An experimental mindset is to say, hey, what could we do to create, and deliver value? We call that an objective, and each objective then I should align to. If we do this, well, this goal probably going to be hit, and has a very high likelihood of being achieved. — Anthony Coppedge

2. Creating a Customer-Centric Experience

Anthony shares his two-by-two model, a litmus test to help keep the business on track. The speakers explore how to create a customer-centric experience to enable customers to self-qualify or self-disqualify for a product or service. They discuss how to use feedback to realize better upside in the business and how to adapt to new technologies to stay competitive.

The value comes when people begin to think differently. I actually don't try to change behaviors at IBM. I try to change minds, because if I change your behavior, the only way I can force that is compliance. Well, that's anti-agile... — Anthony Coppedge

3. Changing Minds to Drive Behavioral Change

The speakers explore the importance of transitioning to a non-formal leader and how to invite people to join the process. Anthony shares how to shift mindsets to ensure behaviors follow and his two-by-two model to help keep the business on track. They also discuss how to create a customer-centric experience to enable innovation and how to make feedback actionable to achieve better results in the business.

4. Agile Sales and Marketing Processes

Anthony brings up the idea of anti-fragility and how it applies to people, trees, and wine glasses. He highlights the importance of creating a customer-centric experience and transitioning to a non-formal leader to invite people to join the process. The speakers explore how the right environmental conditions can help us develop better habits and intrinsic rewards that can strengthen our work.