Episode 215: Transforming Enterprise Sales: The Gong Story with Eilon Reshef

Product Thinking

In this episode, Eilon Reshef, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Gong, joins Melissa Perri to discuss the transformative power of AI-driven technology in sales and product management.As Gong revolutionizes the sales industry, Eilon shares insights into building tools that empower salespeople and help them succeed. He dives into the challenges of scaling Gong to $100 million in ARR and the crucial role of focusing on end-user value.

Eilon delves into how Gong captures and analyzes sales conversations to help teams close deals faster and increase revenue. He also reveals the unique organizational structure at Gong and the importance of design partners in their product development process.

Want to discover how to harness AI to improve your sales processes and drive significant growth? Tune in to gain actionable insights from Eilon’s experience at Gong.

You’ll hear us talk about:

• 10:31 - Prioritizing Seller-Centric Value

Eilon discusses the importance of emphasizing value for the end user, the salespeople, rather than just delivering organizational value. This approach has been critical to Gong’s success, helping build a product that sales teams love and rely on.

• 13:50 - Implementing a Customer-Centric Structure

Learn about Gong's unique pod structure, where product managers work closely with numerous design partners to receive continuous feedback and refine the product. This approach ensures that customer needs are always at the forefront.

• 26:54 - Embracing AI in Product Management

Eilon provides advice for product managers on how to integrate AI into their work. He emphasizes the need to practice and understand AI capabilities to effectively incorporate them into product offerings.

Episode resources:

• Eilon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilonreshef/
• More about Gong: https://www.gong.io/
• Work at Gong: https://www.gong.io/careers/
• Liveblocks: https://liveblocks.io/

Timestamps:

00:00 Coming Up

00:47 Intro

02:51 Dear Melissa

06:34 Eilon’s Intro & Gong's Founding Story

10:31 Empowering Sales & Key Lessons

22:08 Vision for AI & Its Impact on Sales

31:41 Working with Design Partners & Beta Testing

42:03 Reflections on Product Leadership