Salesforce's Patterson blazes a trail for humble-braggers everywhere
- Reference: 1625741261
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/07/08/salesforces_patterson_blazes_a_trail/
- Source link:
It was on display for all to see at the Salesforce Live UK & Ireland online event. With hosts including TV personality and former judger of cakes [1]Sue Perkins , and ivory-tinkler-for-hire [2]Jools Holland , the event was dubbed Success Anywhere for users of the omnipresent [3]$21bn-annual-revenue SaaSy CRM provider .
Trailblazers, as those users are called in Salesforce-speak, and Patterson were here to make sure that this exclusive group of 11 million people understood who is most important in the room. The trick to self-promotion, according to the G-Patz playbook, is convincing the audience they are worthy of his gratitude.
[4]That Salesforce outage: Global DNS downfall started by one engineer trying a quick fix
[5]Brit Salesforce exec Gavin Patterson becomes transfer target for controversial European Super League
[6]Think tank report names and shames 'stakeholder capitalist' Salesforce for paying no corporate income tax in the US
[7]Rude awakening for SaaS giants Salesforce, Workday as both find 20% growth isn't good enough for market
With a humility that comes easily to a man who reportedly [8]pocketed $16.1m in total compensation at Salesforce this year , Patterson said: "Trailblazers, today is all about you. So more than anything else, I want to say thank you. Thank you for everything you've done. Over the last 12 months, you've had to innovate, you've helped each other," he said.
The oleaginous chisel-jawed Brit joined Salesforce in September 2019, having left his position as BT chief executive in January of that year, although he continued to receive [9]a total of £1m in pay and pension until October . He joined [10]Salesforce as chairman for Europe , the Middle East and Africa, but six months after joining his performance was such that he merited promotion to [11]president and CEO of Salesforce International . By May 2020, he was president and chief revenue officer.
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He used the opportunity afforded by Success Anywhere to reflect on how businesses had been affected by a pandemic that had ripped through the heart of the economy while [13]Salesforce suffered annual revenue growth of 20 per cent .
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"A lot has changed. But one thing hasn't. We always ask 'how do we harness business as a platform for change?' And for us, this means prioritising customers, partners, employees, communities, of course, our planet today. And every day we put our stakeholders first," Patterson said.
Salesforce has, of course, never been shy in splashing its abundant cash about. It has handed out [16]small business grants during the pandemic for example, and this week announced $1m in donations to help students in "underserved communities."
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Among other acts of partnership announced by Salesforce at this week's event was a deal with British Olympics Team GB, with the objective of launching "marketing programmes that will bring fans and Team GB closer together than ever before." The deal would run from the delayed Tokyo Games starting in a few weeks' time, to the Los Angeles 2028 games.
Six-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy even put in an appearance to tell the audience what it meant to be part of Team GB.
Patterson will no doubt be aware of the much-regurgitated cliché that there is no I in team, but at the back of his mind no doubt lurks Michael Jordan's famous rejoinder: there is one in win. ®
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[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/38bKJvpF1T4SFNQ6Dhsj3hL/sue-perkins
[2] https://twitter.com/BBCLater?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/26/salesforce_workday_fy21/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/19/salesforce_root_cause/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/19/gavin_patterson_football/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/06/salesforce_us_corporation_tax/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/26/salesforce_workday_fy21/
[8] https://www.erieri.com/executive/salary/gavin-patterson-3q38
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2019/09/05/ex_bt_boss_gavin_patterson_to_head_salesforce_europe/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2019/09/05/ex_bt_boss_gavin_patterson_to_head_salesforce_europe/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2020/02/26/saleforces_q4_announcements/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/saas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YOchIgcjyQpl5GMd5MoLhAAAAE4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/26/salesforce_workday_fy21/
[14] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/saas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YOchIgcjyQpl5GMd5MoLhAAAAE4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/saas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YOchIgcjyQpl5GMd5MoLhAAAAE4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2020/04/22/salesforce_5m_sme_coronavirus_grant/
[17] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/saas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YOchIgcjyQpl5GMd5MoLhAAAAE4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[18] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: No 'I' in team/s
Let me guess. you're a salesman.
Re: No 'I' in team/s
Chris G: "In my limited sales experience the sales guys are often successful in spite of the crap the marketing wonks spout, not because of it."
In my limited experience, sales guys are often successful in spite of the technical and security teams attempting to force reality down their throats, often stating things like "this is technically impossible" or "this is illegal" or "this is in breach of mandatory government regulations". Never get between a sales person and their bonus.
The oleaginous chisel-jawed Brit
> The oleaginous chisel-jawed Brit
Surely you mean "The olay -ginous chisel-jawed Brit..."?
Disclaimer: Joke may not work in your locale due to brand naming variations. Other concoctions of chemicals for rubbing into your face available. Always consult your bank balance before purchasing cosmetics.
Question
Do British Olympians compete on a Team GB? I'd have guessed it to be a UK team.
When Mr. P departs, can Salesforce say goodbye with the old South Pacific song, "I'm Going to Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair?"
Re: Question
The UK team at the Olympics is indeed "Team GB". My best guess is that it's because the three-letter code for UK athletes is GBR. Someone from Northern Ireland is better placed than me to comment on how that is viewed by UK athletes who aren't from Great Britain. (Views from other places such as the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man also welcome.)
Re: Question
It's a bit complex in NI as individuals can choose to be in Team Ireland or Team GB (in some sports).
In other sports its Team Ireland as your only option (e.g. boxing, unless you move out of Ireland to a GB club).
Isle of Man etc is fun, Team GB for Olympics but their own entity in Commonwealth Games (just like Scotland, Wales etc. (so someone IOM born, like Cav*, could (and did) represent their birth island in the Commonwealth games)
* Chose Mark Cavendish as IOM example as he may well be in the news soon for record equalling performance in Le Tour
Re: Question
The olympic marketing wonks don't understand the difference between GB and UK. Which seems appropriate for this article.
To summarise:
Former BT CEO, rich person Gavin Patterson now works as head of Salesforce and held a big meeting with celebrities including Sue Perkins, Jools Holland and Sir Chris Hoy to entertain 'the troops', and said, as per 'Are You being Served?': "I think you've all done very well!"
OK, I used to work of BT so experienced Gavin's all hands presentations more than once, and they also demonstrated his penchant for having celebrities around (Claire Balding 'hosted' one event, as I recall). But I do not recall actually getting much in the way of information or, indeed motivation, out of them. But then I was just a sad old IT security specialist commodity 'shroom at the time.
No 'I' in team/s
There are not many real salesmen in teams either.
I any sales team most of the individuals in the team would cheerfully sell any of the other team members assets including their grannies.
In my limited sales experience the sales guys are often successful in spite of the crap the marketing wonks spout, not because of it.