Why Pipeline Solves All Problems with Emma Galler, VP of Sales at Formstack

Welcome to Season 3 of 10/10 GTM: The Podcast for Revenue Leaders!

Our guest for Episode 41 is Emma Galler, VP of Sales at Formstack. Prior to joining Formstack, Emma held leadership roles at GRC, Built In, and Aerotek. She brings more than a decade of experience to the conversation. 

In this episode, Ross and Emma discuss why driving execution excellence hinges on creating a winning culture, building a cadence around operational excellence, and understanding why having a strong pipeline solves all problems. 

Listen to the episode here, and get the key takeaways from our conversation below.

Creating a winning culture 

Adversity is a normal part of life and business, and sales is no exception. When you face difficult times, you have two options, says Emma: “You can blame other people, make excuses, and blame circumstances; or you can focus on what you can control, harness that into positive energy, work hard, and increase your knowledge base.” 

Creating a winning culture begins by taking responsibility for your role and leading by example.  Your job is to lead with solutions, not problems. Doing this will empower your team to be the change they want to see. 

Here’s how to lead by example: 

1. Articulate the why behind the strategy: As a leader, your perspective is different from that of your team members. To effectively articulate the why, you need to take the data that informs your understanding of the company’s direction and translate it into a motivational vision for the future that your team can grasp. Provide insight into any key strategic decisions or changes, and explain the reasons behind them. This keeps everyone aligned, motivated, and working toward the same goal, ensuring your team is driven to execute your strategy.
2. Set a hard, high bar for culture: To create a strong culture, everyone on the team needs to be crystal clear on what good looks like and what the expectations are to be (and remain) on the team. “The question I like to ask is, ‘What’s your price of admission?’” says Emma. “These are your non-negotiables, and they need to be consistently reiterated because you can’t just say, ‘These are our five core values,’ and expect people to follow them. You need to give your team positive feedback when they’re showing ownership or leading with solutions, and hold people accountable when they’re not.”

One of Emma’s most memorable experiences of setting a high bar for culture involved dealing with trash in her first leadership role. “One day, one of my leaders visited my office. She had a meticulous attention to detail. When she walked in, she noticed some trash on the ground and asked, ‘Whose job is it to pick that up?’ I responded, ‘I don’t know. I’m not sure whose trash it is.’ She then asked, ‘Why not?’

“She explained, ‘If you want your team to take ownership, you need to do things outside of your job description and pitch in. Be a team player. I watched you walk by the trash three times without addressing it or mentioning it to the team.’ This lesson has always stuck with me,” says Emma.

3. Focus on the people: Emma stresses the importance of focusing on what motivates your team. This goes beyond helping them understand the company vision; it’s about investing in them as individuals. “The best memories I have from the greatest leaders I worked with were when they noticed I seemed off. Instead of drilling me about the forecast or a lost deal, they took me for a coffee or a glass of wine and checked in to see if I was okay. To truly connect with your team, you need to know them as more than just employees; you need to see them as people too.”

Building cadence around operational excellence

Building cadence around operational excellence and leveraging KPIs and past performance indicators to drive future strategy are critical for a team’s success. According to Emma, two elements enable teams to achieve this:

1. Leadership: Measure the success of the strategies you're deploying with your team. Regularly assess the health of your team and the organization to determine where to focus your efforts. During annual planning or when looking ahead to the next year, leveraging internal data and industry benchmarks is essential for setting up your team for future success.

Another key component of the leadership piece is leverage data to see if there’s a rep who’s struggling and understand why they’re struggling. Is it because the activity isn’t there? Are initial calls failing to convert into demos? Are they not speaking with the right people? Do they need additional coaching or training? By pinpointing where your team faces challenges, you can take proactive steps to provide the necessary support and improvement. 

2. Rep Accountability: Establish clear expectations for what good performance looks like, and create accountability around KPIs. This clarity ensures everyone understands their goals and responsibilities, driving consistent and measurable progress.

“My current team would probably laugh because I’ve asked the leaders at least 10 times this week, ‘If your team doesn’t close a deal, what does good look like?’” says Emma. “It’s crucial to create rigor and clarity around what good looks like from both a KPI and an input perspective. This understanding is essential for driving future growth.”

Understanding why having a strong pipeline solves all problems 

Knowing that a strong pipeline solves all problems, two essential questions revenue leaders should ask themselves are: 

1. How can you leverage inorganic methods to drive pipeline growth? For instance, are you leveraging partners who can make warm introductions to key accounts, allowing you to sell through your networks and connections? These strategic partnerships can significantly enhance your pipeline by opening doors that might otherwise remain closed.
2. How are you optimizing conversion rates on high-intent leads? "At Formstack, we have many users trial the platform. We’re currently assessing which trials show the highest intent and determining the best points for human interaction in our sales process to convert these leads," says Emma. Identifying and nurturing high-intent leads keeps your sales efforts focused on the most promising opportunities.

And a lot of your success will boil down to your relationships with the other GTM teams in your organization, such as Product and Marketing. Collaboration across these departments is crucial; everyone needs to be aligned and rowing in the same direction to maximize your pipeline and drive growth. 

About Emma

Based in Denver, Emma grew up in Chicago and began her sales career right after college. She spent over eight years at Aerotek, advancing from Account Manager to Sales Manager, and eventually Director of Sales. Following her tenure at Aerotek, Emma held leadership roles as Director and VP of Sales at various companies. In May 2024, she joined Formstack as the VP of Sales.