The Unexpected Lever
The secret sauce to your sales success? It’s what happens before the sale. It’s the planning, the strategy, the leadership. And it’s more than demo automation. It’s the thoughtful work that connects people, processes, and performance. If you want strong revenue, high retention, and shorter sales cycles, the pre-work—centered around the human—still makes the dream work. But you already know that.
The Unexpected Lever is your partner in growing revenue by doing what great sales leaders do best. Combining vision with execution. Brought to you by Vivun, this show highlights the people and peers behind the brands who understand what it takes to build and lead high-performing sales teams. You’re not just preparing for the sale—you’re unlocking potential.
Join us as we share stories of sales leaders who make a difference, their challenges, their wins, and the human connections that drive results, one solution at a time.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 11 minutes
- Episodes
- 40
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
Multi-Product Generalists Are on Their Way Out with Dave Greene, Gainsight
Are solution consultants the key to bridging the gap between pre-sales and post-sales success?
In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Dave Greene, Regional Vice President of Solution Consulting …
The Future of Human-AI Interactions in SaaS with Russell Witham, Vivun
Is AI about to blur the lines between human and machine interactions?
In this episode, Jarod Greene chats with Russell Witham from Vivun, to unpack how AI is reshaping your interactions with vendors a…
Adapting Sales Engineering to Buyer Behavior with Dave Schultz, Employ
Is the role of the Sales Engineer or Solution Consultant evolving faster than we can keep up with?
In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Dave Schultz, Head of Solution Consulting at Employ, to …
Sales Teams Must Plan Purposefully with Julia Lustig, Seismic
Is your team ready to tackle the next year head-on?
In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Julia Lustig, Head of Sales Engineering for Southern Europe at Seismic, to discuss what sales teams nee…
This Is Gen AI’s Role in Sales Engineering with Taylor Bukowski, Vivun
AI isn’t taking your job—but the SE who knows how to use it, might.
In this episode, Vivun CEO Matt Darrow talks to Senior Sales Engineer Taylor Bukowski about the evolving role of AI in sales enginee…
Stop Wasting Time on Prompt Engineering with Kyle Coleman, Copy.ai
Is prompt engineering really a skill you need to master?
In this episode, Jarod Greene chats with Kyle Coleman, CMO of Copy.ai, to break down the hype around prompt engineering and uncover how AI can …
From Help Desk to Sales Engineering Executive with Marjorie Abdelkrime, Broadcom
Is career progression in tech more accessible than we think?
In this episode, Jarod Greene chats with Marjorie Abdelkrime, Head of US West and Healthcare Solutions at Broadcom, to unpack the many pat…
How Zach Miller Built a $22M Pipeline in a Year
Building a new sales motion from scratch—where do you start?
In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Zach Miller, CRO of VanillaSoft, about the real challenges of creating an enterprise sales st…
Preventing Hallucination in Agentic AI
Most AI knows how to respond—but does it know how to solve real SE problems?
In this episode, CEO Matt Darrow sits down with Vivun’s Sr. Machine Learning Engineer, Chen Liang, to explore why most AI j…
Are AI SDRs the Key to Better Buyer Experiences? with Blue Bowen, G2
Is the future of inbound sales powered by AI SDRs?
In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Blue Bowen, Research Principal at G2, to explore the game-changing role of AI SDRs in inbound lead manag…
Hidden Pricing Hurts Sales with Mark Huber, UserEvidence
Is hiding your pricing costing you more than you realize?
In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Mark Huber, VP of Marketing at UserEvidence, as he shares his candid thoughts on the frustration …
Why ChatGPT Isn’t Ready to Be an SE
ChatGPT may excel in conversation, but it’s not equipped to tackle the complex challenges that sales engineers face.
In this episode, CEO Matt Darrow speaks with Vivun’s Product & AI Leader, Russell W…
Why Sales Engineers Shouldn't Be Pooled with Kyle Smith, The Bridge Group
Time is a critical factor in B2B sales success.
In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Kyle Smith, Managing Partner at The Bridge Group, to discuss the impact of direct alignment between sales e…
Letting Buyers Lead in B2B Sales with Natalie Marcotullio, Navattic
Are we truly listening to our buyers?
In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Natalie Marcotullio, Head of Growth and Operations at Navattic, as she shares about the pitfalls of traditional sale…
Boosting PreSales Productivity with AI with Leah McTiernan, Docusign
AI is transforming the way PreSales teams operate.
In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Leah McTiernan, Global Vice President of PreSales at Docusign, as she shares her perspective on how AI …
Scaling PreSales' Number One Commodity with David Yockelson, Gartner
Time is the most valuable commodity for pre-sales teams.
In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with David Yockelson, Distinguished Vice President and Gartner Fellow, as he shares his insights on ho…
Prioritize Discovery Over Demos with Tom Josephson, TCP Software
Is discovery or demos the secret weapon in sales?
In this episode of V5, host Jarod Greene chats with Tom Josephson, Director of Solution Consulting at TCP Software, about a controversial take: demos …
Have Multiple Sales Engineers on One Deal with Deirdre Sommerkamp, Skillibrium
How can tapping into your team's strengths transform sales engineering, boost win rates, and forge stronger customer connections?
In this episode, Jarod Greene, host of V5, and Deirdre Sommerkamp, Chi…
The Impact of AI on Sales Engineering
How is AI transforming the role of sales engineers, and what does this mean for the future of B2B revenue streams?
In this episode, Matt Darrow, CEO and Co-founder of Vivun, and Joseph Miller, Co-foun…
This Is The Unexpected Lever
What’s the real secret to sales success? It’s all in the pre-sale.
On The Unexpected Lever, we’re diving deep into what happens before the deal closes and why it’s more than just demo automation. It’…