In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl is joined by Burke Mesta, founder of Belsa Inc., to discuss the importance of balancing trust and relationships versus the role of AI in sales. Burke shares his extensive career journey, including his experiences in engineering, sales, and management at renowned firms like PTC, Bicis, and Temenos. The conversation delves into the critical role of trust and personal relationships in business, the evolving landscape of revenue intelligence and performance management, and the necessity for effective leadership over mere management. Burke also highlights the value of mentorship, drawing from his own experiences and insights from industry veterans like John McMahon and Tom Mendoza. The episode concludes with a light-hearted anecdote about a skiing adventure, reinforcing the theme of personal connection throughout the conversation. KEY TAKEAWAYS Importance of Relationships: Highlight the importance of building and maintaining relationships in the business for long-term success. AI vs. Relationships: Discuss finding the balance between leveraging AI tools and maintaining personal relationships. Berk emphasizes that AI is a tool and should not replace human interaction. Power of Trust: Trust is fundamental in building successful business relationships. It is difficult to build and easy to destroy. Mentorship: Discussion on the importance of mentorship in personal and professional growth. Berk mentions several mentors who have influenced his career. Leadership vs. Management: Berk's perspective on leadership – leading by example and building personal connections with your team rather than just managing. Revenue Operations: Insight into how revenue operations can bridge the gap between marketing and sales and improve overall efficiency and growth. Performance Feedback: Highlight on the necessity of regular and constructive feedback in improving team performance. QUOTES “We're in the business of profit, but not at the business of, of hurting someone for that profit.” “Feedback isn't even criticism. Is it negative? It's productive for improvement, continuous improvement.” “The power of trust is key.” “I'm going to get personal with my customers. I'm going to get personal with my team, and then we're going to be able to break down these barriers and we can have a more clear and open communication path.” “We know all these old strategies that we learned going back to my McMahon days and PTC days of consultative selling, strategic selling, but relationships are what's key to be able to enable that.” Find out more about Berk Mesta through the link below. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/berk-mesta/ This episode is sponsored by Avnir, the Relationships Excellence sponsor of the Sales Community. Avnir leverages AI and decades of Relationship Economics® insights to help businesses unlock the hidden value in their connections, enhancing human interactions and driving strategic growth through organized, activated, and monetized relationships.