From Door-to-Door to Enterprise: How Sales Training Really Works | Ryan Ing on SellMeThisPen Podcast

In this episode, Michael and Ryan dive into how different companies approach sales training, from door-to-door at Vivint to enterprise at IBM. They explore why structured training programs work differently at companies of various sizes, and share insights on transitioning from founder-led sales to building scalable sales teams.
Ryan Ing has grown from selling door-to-door at Vivint to leading sales at tech giants like IBM, Oracle, and Shopify, along with helping several startups like Superlink and Tempo Labs build their sales functions. He's now working as a fractional head of sales for B2B SaaS companies, helping them transition from founder-led sales to scalable processes, while also being known for running curated events for the Toronto Tech community.
Where to find Ryan Ing:
LinkedIn / ryaning
Where to find Michael (Founder & CEO @ SellMeThisPen AI):
Email: [e-mail]
LinkedIn / michaelocean
0:47 Intro
2:06 Ryan's unique journey into tech sales
4:04 Deep dive into Vivint's door-to-door sales training
12:12 Sales training frameworks at IBM vs other companies
14:54 Tactics for startup's first sales hire
16:30 First-hand experience joining early-stage startups
17:52 Enterprise vs startup training: pros and cons
19:54 The Oracle cloud pitch story
23:26 The importance of sales engineers
25:20 Why recording sales calls matters
26:54 Technical vs non-technical sales hiring
29:01 Best company size to start your sales career
31:19 Top 5 hiring mistakes in founding sales
32:31 How to transition from founder-led sales
34:47 Outro
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