Paul Takisaki

The Challenge

When taking over as Senior Director for B2B sales across seven states, I inherited a fundamentally flawed quota model. The system used a rolling three-month average that inadvertently punished high performers by dramatically increasing their targets after success, while simultaneously allowing underperformers to coast with progressively lower quotas.

This created three critical problems:

• Top talent felt demotivated and began leaving the organization
• Low performers had no incentive to improve
• Sales leaders couldn't effectively hold reps accountable
• Regional managers spent excessive time arguing about "unfair" quotas

The Solution

I designed a revolutionary four-dimensional quota model that balanced fairness, business needs, and motivational psychology:

1. Territory Potential (40%): Categorized territories into five zones based on market potential, with higher quotas for Zone 1 (highest potential) and lower for Zone 5 (lowest potential)
2. Zip Code Complexity (10%): Adjusted for geographic challenges, acknowledging that reps covering vast territories (like Montana or Alaska) faced unique time management challenges
3. Active Lines/Existing Customer Base (30%): Recognized that larger existing customer bases created more upsell/cross-sell opportunities
4. Performance Influence (20%): Allowed some past performance impact but with guardrails to prevent both coasting and crushing overachievers

The Implementation

My implementation strategy was as crucial as the model itself:

• Transparency First: Conducted organization-wide town halls to explain the model's logic, showing the data and calculations behind each territory's quota
• Team-by-Team Reinforcement: Scheduled individual sessions with each team to drill into their specific territory metrics and answer questions
• Peer Validation: When managers initially resisted, I invited them to distribute quotas themselves using the model's inputs—they ultimately arrived at allocations within 5% of my original calculations
• Accountability Tools: Published average payouts by role monthly, showing historical trends and making the path to success visible

The Results

• Immediate Impact: Quota complaints dropped to zero for a full quarter—the first time in my tenure
• Performance Boost: Top performers thrived without feeling punished; underperformers had clear accountability
• Cultural Shift: Zone 1 territories became highly desirable, with top reps competing for them
• Sustained Growth: The region achieved 19 consecutive months of year-over-year growth
• National Adoption: The model was so successful that Verizon adopted it as the standard quota model for all B2B SMB reps nationwide—a framework still in use six years later

The Leadership Lesson

The initiative demonstrated how thoughtful system design can transform culture and performance. By focusing on fairness, transparency, and balanced incentives, I created a framework that aligned individual motivation with organizational goals. The national adoption underscored how powerful bottom-up innovation can be when executed with rigor and clear communication.

The Challenge

Analysis of customer data revealed a troubling pattern: a disproportionate number of new B2B customers were churning within their first 90 days after activation. The root cause was a disconnect between the sales promise and customer experience, as sales teams lacked the structure, time, and sometimes expertise to ensure smooth implementation and adoption.

The Solution

I developed a comprehensive business case for a specialized Customer Success function that would provide white-glove onboarding with five proactive touchpoints over 90 days:

1. Setting initial expectations
2. Equipment delivery verification
3. Digital tool training
4. First bill review
5. Second bill review and satisfaction check

The program created a structured handoff between sales and service, ensuring consistent customer experience and early issue identification.

The Implementation

In a cost-conscious environment, securing budget required demonstrating compelling ROI:

• Conducted detailed analysis of churn costs and retention value
• Calculated potential savings from reducing customer care call volume
• Developed metrics to track both customer satisfaction and operational impacts
• Secured approval for a pilot program with five team members
• Established systematic feedback loops to identify root causes of issues

The Results

• Perfect Customer Satisfaction: 100% 5-star reviews from both customers and internal sales representatives
• Massive Productivity Gains: Saved sales reps approximately 2,000 hours per month (equivalent to $2 million in annual payroll savings)
• Dramatic Churn Reduction: Customers going through the onboarding process were 50% less likely to churn
• Revenue Protection: In its first year, saved 3,000 billed lines from churning, preserving $14 million in lifetime revenue (projections of $53 million in year two)
• Operational Improvements: 50% reduction in call volume to customer care centers and 25% reduction in activation failures

Perhaps most valuable was the continuous improvement feedback loop established, where the CS Team systematically documented every internal issue encountered and shared findings with relevant departments.

The Business Impact

The economics proved compelling: the $5 million cost of running the CS team generated over $14 million in protected revenue in the first year alone, plus millions more in operational savings and productivity improvements. Based on these results, the program was expanded and eventually became standard practice for B2B customer onboarding across Verizon.

The Leadership Lesson

This initiative exemplified my approach to identifying structural problems, developing data-driven solutions, and focusing on implementation excellence. By creating a system that bridged the gap between sales and service, I not only improved customer experience but also established a virtuous cycle of continuous improvement that benefited the entire organization.

The Challenge

Traditional B2B prospecting had become increasingly ineffective, with cold calls yielding dismal 1% meeting rates. Decision-makers were overwhelmed with generic sales outreach, and Verizon needed a fundamentally different approach to break through the noise.

The Solution

I developed the "Tech Check Initiative," which flipped the traditional sales approach. Rather than leading with products, the program offered something prospects actually valued: a free, comprehensive technology assessment conducted by solutions architects.

The assessment evaluated the prospect's current technology environment across eight dimensions:

1. Cloud infrastructure
2. Collaboration tools
3. Communication systems
4. Customer-facing technology
5. Connectivity
6. Applications
7. Employee productivity tools
8. Cybersecurity readiness

What made this approach powerful was its consultative nature. Solutions architects weren't instructed to find gaps that Verizon products could fill; they were directed to provide an honest assessment regardless of whether Verizon had solutions for the identified issues.

The Implementation

The output was a professional, visually appealing scorecard that used a red/yellow/green rating system for each category, accompanied by detailed recommendations, relevant visualizations, and clear, actionable next steps.

I conducted a full-scale pilot in the East Market, making 1,700 calls and scheduling 320 appointments to test and refine the approach.

The Results

• 19% Call-to-Meeting Conversion Rate: 19 times higher than standard prospecting efforts
• Multiple Opportunity Areas: The tech check process revealed multiple opportunity areas in 84% of assessed accounts
• Increased Deal Size: Average of 3.2 potential projects per customer identified
• Expanded Pipeline: Pipeline value per account increased by 250% compared to traditional prospecting methods

The Business Impact

Beyond metrics, the initiative fundamentally changed how sales teams approached new prospects and how those prospects perceived Verizon. Instead of seeing Verizon as just another vendor pushing products, clients experienced them as strategic advisors invested in their technological success.

The Tech Check methodology spread rapidly throughout the organization, becoming a standard best practice for engaging new prospects. It evolved into a core go-to-market strategy that differentiated Verizon in a crowded marketplace and drove significant revenue growth.

The Leadership Lesson

This case study demonstrates my ability to fundamentally reimagine customer engagement. By creating genuine value for prospects before asking for their business, I established a new paradigm that aligned Verizon's success with customer outcomes. The approach built trust, positioned Verizon as a thought leader, and created natural opportunities for deeper business relationships.

The Challenge

Analysis of sales data revealed a significant blind spot: Verizon lacked comprehensive information about competitors' offerings, pricing structures, and contract terms across the market. This put frontline sales reps at a disadvantage when prospects compared solutions.

Simply mandating data entry would create administrative overhead that busy sales reps would resent and likely ignore.

The Solution

Rather than implementing a mandatory data entry requirement, I designed "Project Domination" (PDOM) as an opt-in program with compelling incentives. The structure was simple but effective:

1. Each participating rep would select 10 high-value prospect accounts monthly
2. They would execute a structured 7-step touchpoint sequence with each prospect
3. Additionally, they would log detailed competitive intelligence on 10 additional prospect accounts in Salesforce
4. Reps who completed all requirements earned access to the highly effective "PDOM Cupcakes" delivery program

The Implementation

The cupcake delivery became legendary within the organization. Branded cupcakes were sent to target accounts with personalized notes from sales reps, resulting in an astonishing 62% meeting acceptance rate—exponentially higher than cold calls or emails.

What made PDOM uniquely effective was its voluntary nature combined with immediate rewards. Reps could see the direct correlation between their effort (logging data and following the sequence) and results (getting meetings with previously inaccessible prospects).

The Results

PDOM created a virtuous cycle where more participation led to better results, which in turn increased participation. The impact extended far beyond immediate sales results:

• Consistent Results: Delivered 19 consecutive months of record-breaking year-over-year growth
• Rich Competitive Intelligence: Within six months, the Salesforce database contained detailed competitive intelligence on over 5,000 accounts
• Strategic Insights: Patterns in competitor weaknesses were identified, informing value propositions and competitive strategies
• Viral Adoption: The program spread throughout the organization, with other directors requesting the playbook
• Cultural Shift: Transformed how the organization approached competitive intelligence gathering and prospect engagement

The Business Impact

When a new finance team later tried to cut the program during cost reductions, I presented meticulous tracking data showing the program's 10x return over 12 months. Not only was the budget preserved, but it was increased by 40% after reviewing the data. The program became a cornerstone of Verizon's market penetration strategy, driving millions in new revenue over three years.

The Leadership Lesson

PDOM demonstrated my innovative approach to solving multiple business challenges simultaneously. Rather than forcing compliance, I created a system where participating created immediate value for sales reps while building a strategic asset for the organization. This approach to aligned incentives proved more effective and sustainable than traditional top-down mandates.

The Challenge

When taking over the Technical Sales Organization (TSO), I inherited a deeply flawed compensation system. The team of 400+ commissioned sales professionals operated on a quarterly commission model but received updates on their performance only once a month—and these reports were notoriously inaccurate. By the time reps knew where they stood, it was often too late to course-correct within the quarter.

This created three critical problems:

1. Sales professionals couldn't optimize their activities in real-time
2. Distrust between the field organization and corporate functions like Finance and HR
3. Decreased motivation and engagement, especially near the end of quarters

The Solution

Rather than accepting this as unchangeable, I took a novel approach: bringing Finance leadership into the field to experience the challenges firsthand. I organized a two-day strategic session in Denver where Finance executives:

• Joined customer meetings
• Heard directly from sales teams about the impact of the broken reporting system
• Participated in fully engaged discussions without digital distractions

By the end of the session, I secured agreement on a complete overhaul:

1. Real-Time Commission Dashboard: Connected previously siloed systems to create a dashboard giving reps daily visibility into performance and earnings
2. Continuous Payout Model: Replaced the problematic tiered commission structure with an incremental model that paid for every percentage point achieved
3. Expanded Earning Potential: Raised the ceiling from 200% to 300% maximum payout while also raising floor requirements
4. Governance Structure: Established a bi-weekly cross-functional governance call with representatives from Operations, Finance, HR, and IT
5. Comprehensive Performance Visibility: Created dashboards showing all relevant sales metrics and implemented a leaderboard with stack rankings

The Implementation

The implementation required executive-level sponsorship to overcome entrenched resistance to system integration. I navigated complex organizational politics and technical barriers to connect previously isolated systems and create new workflow processes.

The Results

• Performance Boost: 28% increase in quota attainment across the organization within six months
• Talent Retention: Top performer retention improved by 22%
• Late-Quarter Performance: Final weeks of each quarter saw 35% higher productivity as reps could see exactly where they stood
• Cultural Impact: Significantly improved trust between the field organization and corporate functions

The Business Impact

After decades of operating with inadequate systems, the TSO finally had the tools and transparency needed for world-class performance. The initiative shifted the organization from reactive to proactive performance management, enabling data-driven decisions and creating a culture of continuous improvement.

The Leadership Lesson

This case study exemplifies my approach to leadership transformation: identifying structural problems that undermine performance, bringing key stakeholders into direct contact with the issue, developing comprehensive solutions that address root causes, and implementing with disciplined execution. By creating alignment between finance, operations, and sales, I delivered a system that benefited all stakeholders.

The Challenge

Verizon's sales teams were hampered by outdated knowledge management systems. The primary repository, nicknamed "InfoMangler" by frustrated users, contained tens of thousands of outdated documents with no clear organization or search capability.

This information chaos had tangible business consequences:

• Reps spent an average of 5.7 hours per week searching for basic information
• For a team of 450 sales professionals, this represented over 2,500 hours of lost selling time weekly
• Outdated or incorrect information led to customer frustration and lost opportunities

The Solution

I launched a three-phase transformation initiative:

Phase 1: Content Rationalization and Consolidation

• Conducted a comprehensive audit and cleanup of existing content
• Reduced the document library by 68% while increasing useful information availability
• Standardized and organized content into a logical structure based on sales workflows

Phase 2: Unified Digital Experience

• Created a single, intuitive web portal housing all sales content
• Implemented robust search, tagging, and filtering capabilities
• Established strict governance to maintain content quality and relevance

Phase 3: AI-Powered Sales Intelligence

• Partnered with the AI team to develop an intelligent assistant
• Trained the system on the entire knowledge base to understand nuanced sales questions
• Created a solution that could provide contextually relevant responses in seconds

The Implementation

The development process was meticulous, involving detailed information gathering, collaborative work with the AI team on learning models, and extensive testing with actual sales scenarios before rollout.

The Results

• 23% Increase in Productivity: Measured by customer-facing time
• 12% Improvement in Win Rates: Against key competitors due to better competitive intelligence
• 94% Adoption Rate: Within three months, becoming the most widely adopted sales tool in the organization

The Business Impact

The initiative demonstrated how technology could augment human capabilities rather than replace them. By eliminating low-value administrative work, I enabled sales professionals to focus on uniquely human skills—building relationships, solving problems, and creating value for customers.

The Leadership Lesson

This case study showcases my strategic approach to technology implementation. Rather than implementing technology for its own sake, I identified a specific business problem, developed a phased solution, and focused on adoption and outcomes. The result was a tool that sales professionals embraced because it solved real challenges they faced daily.