201: John Krause: How "You'll Never Sell There" Became a Major Account Win

Elle Perez is Kaseya's Account Manager of the Year and now leads a team of strategic account managers there. She has been selling since 1997, starting in marketing at Anheuser-Busch before the company told her that moving up meant carrying a quota, and joined Kaseya five years ago as an individual contributor in strategic accounts. This conversation gets specific about the parts of account management that rarely get taught: treating customers as partners rather than accounts, leading with business outcomes instead of product features, and using executive alignment between two C-suites to reopen a stalled relationship. Elle also covers prioritizing a book of business without defaulting to the 80/20 rule, why she believes presence and body language are underrated, and the one habit she wants every seller to pick up this week. Full show notes, the complete transcript and links to everything mentioned: top1.fm/202

John Krause is the top sales performer at Promess and is currently transitioning into a player-coach leadership role. After building a reputation for winning new business in accounts others considered untouchable, he's now learning a new challenge: helping others succeed rather than simply replicating his own approach. This conversation explores the mindset behind sustained sales success, including learning from experienced sellers, using rejection as fuel, creating opportunities through referrals and relationships, and maintaining grit through inevitable setbacks. John also shares lessons from moving into management, building trust inside large organizations, and why genuine human connection is becoming even more important in an AI-driven world. Learn more at: https://top1.fm/

In this episode, Rosa Campagna tells us about what it actually takes to win at the highest level in enterprise and why patience, hospitality, and influence may be more important than any sales technique. Rosa Campagna is the number one top performing sales rep globally at OneStream Software for FY25, hitting 428% of quota attainment in one of the most competitive enterprise sales organizations in the market. She works with customers ranging from $4 to $40 billion in revenue and has built her success on three principles: knowing how people think and feel, mastering the internal sale, and refusing to put enterprise customers to bed in pursuit of short-term wins. Rosa came to sales by accident. She thought she wanted to be Samantha from Sex and the City, landing somewhere in PR and marketing. A theater kid at heart, she eventually found her way into consulting and professional services in the Salesforce ecosystem, survived multiple layoffs during a volatile period of acquisitions, and ultimately made the bet that she was better at selling a thing than selling the process to build one. That pivot to software sales at OneStream, combined with the mentorship of John Davis and a relentless show must go on mentality she calls the Rosa Factor, is what got her to the top of the global leaderboard. Learn more at top1.fm

This episode's guest is Patrick Donnelly, the top strategic enterprise AE at Nook. Patrick brings a founder's mindset to the field, he originally wanted to be a rock star or a startup founder, but found his creative calling in enterprise sales instead. Now three years in at Nooks, he has built the process, led the upmarket charge, and stayed at the top by doing the same things that got him there. Patrick shares a candid, practical playbook built on curiosity, humility, and the conviction that discovery is not a stage it is a lifestyle.   Learn more at top1.fm

Adam Wicks is a top-performing seller at Gainsight who has achieved extraordinary results, including a 600% year by combining precision, discipline, and creativity. In this episode, he breaks down a simple but powerful idea: sales is both art and math. On one side, there's the rigor - qualification, pipeline quality, risk management, and deal economics. On the other, there's the craft - understanding people, reading situations, and adapting in real time. Adam's approach is about operating in both worlds at once. The result is a more complete model of sales success: one that prioritizes internal alignment, deep curiosity, and human connection just as much as metrics and process.

Calvin Dennis is a Business Performance Advisor at Insperity and a long-time Chairman's Club performer who recently broke into the top 1% of nearly 600 sellers. With 19+ years in the same role, and 10 years prior as a customer, Calvin brings a rare long-term perspective to sales success. In this episode, Calvin shares how belief in what he sells, relentless curiosity, and long-term patience have compounded into extraordinary results, including a 703 worksite-employee year against a 300 benchmark. From surviving business failure to building a career as an "intentional individual contributor," Calvin offers a grounded, deeply practical blueprint for sustainable success in sales. Lern more at https://top1.fm/

Vicki Kovacs is the top-performing Expansion Account Executive at SysAid, finishing well above quota for two consecutive years. In this episode, Vicky breaks down how she treats her book of business like a CEO, why disciplined sales process matters more than ever, and how trust and relationships remain irreplaceable in an AI-driven world. She shares her journey from studying psychology to building a long-term career in enterprise tech sales, along with the frameworks, habits, and mindset that fuel her success. From MEDDPICC and discovery to internal relationships and going the extra mile, Vicky offers a practical blueprint for sellers who want to move from "good" to truly great. Lern more at https://top1.fm/

This episode's guest is Susan Zuzic, the dynamic President of Global Accounts at PeopleAI and the company's top seller for six consecutive years. With nearly two decades of experience both in sales and sales leadership, Susan Zuzic shares her journey from her early days as a BDR at Eloqua to landing massive eight- and nine-figure deals in the enterprise space. Learn more at top1.fm

In this episode, our guest is Sarah Thomas, the top strategic account executive at Verkada. Sarah dives deep into the personal and professional principles that have driven her sales success, from embracing her natural strengths and "drinking the Kool Aid" for every company she's joined to cultivating a growth mindset and seeking help from those around her. She opens up about overcoming imposter syndrome, her journey from higher education to software sales, and how authenticity and vulnerability have been central to her approach. https://top1.fm/

In this episode, host Scott Ingram sits down with Camden Roncka, the top-performing small business account executive at HubSpot, for a refreshingly candid conversation packed with actionable insights and unconventional wisdom. Camden opens up about the three core drivers behind his rapid rise in sales: his deep personal faith, a relentless underdog mentality, and the power of curiosity and adaptability. https://top1.fm/