In this episode of Selling the Cloud, hosts Mark Petruzzi and Kristin Anderson sit down with Stephen Messer, co-founder of Collective[i], to unpack why traditional sales playbooks are failing in today’s volatile markets—and what elite revenue organizations are doing differently.

Stephen brings a bold, data-backed perspective on why so many sales teams are flying blind and how AI-powered feedback loops are becoming essential for navigating constant change.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why playbooks break down when market conditions shift
• How reliance on historical data leads to broken forecasts
• The growing gap between buyer behavior and seller actions
• What boards and executive teams really want from forecasting
• Why superintelligent sellers outperform rigid process followers
• How AI transforms pipeline visibility, speed, and decision-making

Key Quote:

“In volatile markets, you don’t need a better playbook—you need a better way to listen, learn, and adapt in real time.”

Guest Bio:

Stephen Messer is the co-founder of Collective[i], an AI-powered platform designed to transform the way revenue organizations operate. A pioneer in tech and data-driven strategy, Stephen has spent his career building companies that help businesses make smarter, faster decisions.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

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