Developing Natural Leaders and Driving GTM Alignment with Mike Hook

Joey Brodsky
Sep 1
3 min read

The GTM Kickback! #41 – Mike Hook

Released: September 5, 2021

What does it take to develop natural leaders on your sales team—and how do you ensure every GTM function is rowing in the same direction?

On this episode of The GTM Kickback!, I sat down with Mike Hook, VP of Sales at ChildcareCRM. Mike’s career has spanned industries where technology disrupted pen-and-paper processes, and along the way he’s become a champion of building empowered teams and creating organizational alignment across sales, marketing, and customer success.

From Cutco Knives to SaaS Sales

Mike’s first exposure to sales wasn’t in B2B SaaS—it was door-to-door selling Cutco knives. What drew him in was the freedom and independence sales offered. But what kept him was the unexpected complexity: the critical thinking, listening, and problem-solving required to uncover customer needs and pair them with solutions.

His SaaS journey began in industries ripe for disruption—first online payments for property managers, later childcare management systems. What fascinated him wasn’t just selling tech, but watching markets evolve from manual processes to crowded competitive landscapes.

Choosing Leadership

For Mike, the turning point came in 2016 when his company acquired a new business. He found himself helping shape the GTM strategy: messaging, value propositions, sales motions, and team structures.

That experience unlocked two passions:

Strategic Thinking – building go-to-market frameworks and organizational design.
Developing People – sharing knowledge, coaching teammates, and watching others succeed.

As Mike puts it: “Strategy—that’s for me. Other people’s success—that’s for them. But of course, it made me want leadership even more.”

Coaching Methodology: Setting Goals, Driving Accountability

Mike believes every rep—not just the stars—deserves a clear path to success. His approach includes:

Cascading Goals – breaking company revenue targets into individual quotas and digestible chunks.
Personal Motivation – tying goals to what each rep values most (freedom, recognition, career growth).
Ownership & Empowerment – giving reps control over their process while providing tools and systems.
Leading Metrics – focusing coaching on conversion rates and activity metrics, not just outcomes.

“If your discovery-to-demo conversion is low, it’s not about the numbers—it’s a coaching moment. We need to work on your discovery questions, your ICP targeting, or how you’re qualifying deals.”

What Mike Looks for in Sales Talent

When hiring or investing in reps, Mike prioritizes qualities that go beyond raw numbers:

Curiosity – a never-ending desire to understand the customer’s business.
Coachability – openness to feedback and ability to apply it quickly.
Grit & Resilience – pushing through rejection and bouncing back.
Critical Thinking – connecting dots, seeing the bigger picture, and tailoring solutions.

These, he argues, are the traits that create consistency and growth—not just short-term wins.

GTM Alignment: Why Every Department Owns Revenue

One of Mike’s strongest beliefs: revenue is a “we” goal.

Product must build features customers want.
CS must ensure onboarding and support drive retention.
Marketing must deliver quality leads and effective customer communications.
Sales must set accurate expectations and hand off cleanly.

Alignment comes from cascading company goals into department goals, and tying leaders’ compensation and KPIs to shared outcomes like bookings, churn, or NRR.

Transparency, accountability, and communication are the glue:

Shared SLAs (e.g., sales responding to inbound leads within 5 minutes).
Clear handoffs (e.g., sales providing CS with full buyer context).
Open, honest conversations when one function drops the ball.

“Get comfortable having uncomfortable conversations. Use facts, invite your peers into the discussion, and focus on the bigger picture—not finger-pointing.”

Key Takeaways

Mike left us with a few powerful lessons for GTM leaders:

Develop every rep, not just the stars. Structure goals, provide coaching, and empower them to own success.
Hire for traits, not just résumés. Curiosity, grit, and coachability are non-negotiable.
Remember: revenue is a team sport. Align compensation, metrics, and accountability across all GTM functions.
Have the tough conversations. Transparency and communication keep the ship rowing in the same direction.

Final Thought

Mike Hook’s leadership philosophy blends individual empowerment with collective accountability. By developing natural leaders within his sales org and fostering alignment across GTM, he ensures organizations don’t just hit revenue numbers—they build a culture of trust, ownership, and long-term success.