Welcome to Season 3 of 10/10 GTM: The Podcast for Revenue Leaders!
Our guest for Episode 58 is Colin Specter, SVP of Revenue at Orum. Before joining Orum five years ago, Colin led sales teams at Namely and brings over a decade of leadership experience to the conversation.
In this episode, Ross and Colin discuss why driving excellence in sales boils down to your attitude and activity, and how well you quality your time.
Listen to the episode here, and get the key takeaways from our conversation below.
Focus on the two success levers: attitude & activity
With so many uncontrollable factors in the world, Colin believes that success in sales boils down to two things within your control: your attitude and your effort. “The best thing you can do is focus on what you can control. I tell my team every Monday during our all-hands call that there are two levers you can pull on every day: your attitude and your activity.”
He emphasizes that, regardless of external circumstances, consistent habits of productive activity — like prospecting, customer meetings, follow-ups, and outreach — are key inputs that drive success. “If you focus on these behaviors daily, you’ll achieve the results you want on the other side,” Colin explains.
Attitude plays an equally critical role. “There are certain behaviors that set you up to be your best self,” he says, adding that his team starts each Monday with positive practices to set the tone for the week. “Whether it’s breathwork, goal setting, or a positivity journal entry, we equip our people with tools to maintain a healthy, holistic mindset. When you show up as your best self, you perform better for your customers, peers, and partners.”
And Colin emphasizes that it’s not just about the quantity of your activity — it’s about how you show up. This is where layering attitude over activity becomes critical. “I call it the ‘Triple C’: Conviction, Caring, and Curiosity,” Colin explains.
- Conviction: This means believing wholeheartedly in what you represent. “It shows up in your tone of voice,” he says. “When you’re convinced you can help someone, that excitement is contagious.”
- Caring: Genuine care for your prospect’s outcomes deepens your conviction. “If you care about their success and believe in your solution, you’ll do whatever it takes to qualify them properly and make sure you can actually help.”
- Curiosity: Curiosity drives you to explore if and how you can provide value. “When you’re curious because you care, and convinced you can make a difference, you’re ready to partner with the prospect. That’s when you say, ‘Let’s climb the mountain together.’”
Colin stresses that attitude must be tightly wrapped around every activity. “It’s not enough to hit your numbers by making 50 calls or sending 50 automated emails. Today, with falling response rates and busy buyers, you have to earn every conversation. If you don’t bring the right energy — through conviction, care, and curiosity — your outreach will fall flat.”
Ruthlessly qualify your time
For Colin, ruthlessly qualifying your time means being deliberate about where and with whom you invest your efforts. It’s about identifying the key ingredients that make someone a successful champion, account, or customer for both your business and your goals.
“We have a saying internally: Don’t chase foul balls. The reason is, you only have so much time and energy,” Colin explains. “If you’re out in the field and sprinting after every foul ball, it’s rare you’ll catch one. But now you’ve burned your energy. When a real infield play comes along — one you can make — you might not have enough energy left for it.” The takeaway? Focus on the infield plays — the high-probability opportunities that matter most.
To qualify your time effectively, Colin recommends asking these two questions:
- Is this person going to be my champion?
- Does this business have the right ingredients to succeed with my product?
If the answer to both questions is yes, you know it’s worth your time. Colin also emphasizes the importance of understanding how soon the prospect is ready to act and whether they’re willing to move mountains to implement a solution. This way, you know how to prioritize your time, energy, and effort with that particular prospect.
About Colin
Colin is a passionate sales leader dedicated to empowering people so they can drive business success in competitive markets. With over ten years of experience leading sales teams, he has a proven track record of evangelizing new products, building high-performing teams, and driving pipeline, profitability, and revenue growth.
