14 Feb 2026

1h 14m

20Sales: Inside ElevenLabs $330M ARR Sales Machine | The 20x Sales Comp Plan Reps Must Hit | How to Land and Expand in a World of AI | Why Product-Market-Fit is BS, Reps Should Not Be in the Office and Outbound is King with Carles Reina

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

Carles Reina, VP of Sales at ElevenLabs, shares his sales strategies and experiences in scaling revenue, emphasizing a ruthless yet community-focused approach. Reina advocates for a 20x base salary quota for sales reps and stresses the importance of outbound sales, even in PLG-driven companies. He details his hands-on approach to sales leadership, including pipeline review sessions where he directly addresses performance and blockers. Reina also highlights the need for a strong customer success team, incentivized by NRR, and shares his insights on hiring, training, and building a sales culture. He underscores the value of building a community around the product, prioritizing customer relationships over transactional sales, and constantly experimenting to stay ahead of market trends.

Outlines

Part 1: Introduction, Background

Part 2: GTM Strategy, Early Deals

Part 3: Lead Qualification, Sales Motion

Part 4: Compensation, Performance Management

Part 5: Sales Culture, Leadership

Part 6: Forecasting, Outbound Tactics

Part 7: Customer Success, Retention

Part 8: Hiring, Training, Onboarding

Part 9: Reflections, Investing, Conclusion

Open full episode in Podwise

20Sales: Inside ElevenLabs $330M ARR Sales Machine | The 20x Sales Comp Plan Reps Must Hit | How to Land and Expand in a World of AI | Why Product-Market-Fit is BS, Reps Should Not Be in the Office and Outbound is King with Carles Reina

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

Part 1: Introduction, Background

00:00ElevenLabs' Sales Strategy: Ruthless Quotas and Road-Focused Sales Teams

ElevenLabs' Sales Strategy: Ruthless Quotas and Road-Focused Sales Teams

00:27Introducing Carles Reina: Scaling Revenue at ElevenLabs and Angel Investing

Introducing Carles Reina: Scaling Revenue at ElevenLabs and Angel Investing

04:19From Product to Sales: Carles Reina's Journey and Love for Customer Interaction

From Product to Sales: Carles Reina's Journey and Love for Customer Interaction

05:28Discovering a Sales Calling: Building the Go-to-Market Strategy for Sonantic

Discovering a Sales Calling: Building the Go-to-Market Strategy for Sonantic

06:18Early Investment in ElevenLabs: A $20K Investment Turns into $800K

Early Investment in ElevenLabs: A $20K Investment Turns into $800K

07:25Joining ElevenLabs: Recognizing the Potential in AI Voice Technology

Joining ElevenLabs: Recognizing the Potential in AI Voice Technology

Part 2: GTM Strategy, Early Deals

08:16Building the Enterprise Side: Equity Compensation Based on Revenue Milestones

Building the Enterprise Side: Equity Compensation Based on Revenue Milestones

09:25Converting PLG to Enterprise: Identifying Patterns and Building Name Account Lists

Converting PLG to Enterprise: Identifying Patterns and Building Name Account Lists

10:08Early Deals and Product-Market Fit: Chatbots, Media Companies, and Deeper Exploration

Early Deals and Product-Market Fit: Chatbots, Media Companies, and Deeper Exploration

11:39Horizontal vs. Vertical Focus: Advising Founders on Early Market Strategy

Horizontal vs. Vertical Focus: Advising Founders on Early Market Strategy

Part 3: Lead Qualification, Sales Motion

12:45Identifying Qualified Leads: Vision, Technical Ability, and Building Relationships

Identifying Qualified Leads: Vision, Technical Ability, and Building Relationships

14:43Qualifying Questions: Vision, Technical Ability, and Cultural Considerations

Qualifying Questions: Vision, Technical Ability, and Cultural Considerations

16:21ACV Thresholds: Balancing PLG and Rep-Led Sales for Optimal Approval Processes

ACV Thresholds: Balancing PLG and Rep-Led Sales for Optimal Approval Processes

17:58Land and Expand: Finding New Use Cases and Transforming Inbound Deals to Outbound

Land and Expand: Finding New Use Cases and Transforming Inbound Deals to Outbound

Part 4: Compensation, Performance Management

19:07Account Management: Account Execs and Customer Success Collaboration

Account Management: Account Execs and Customer Success Collaboration

20:28Sales Compensation Plans: 20X Quotas and Double Compensation for Upsells

Sales Compensation Plans: 20X Quotas and Double Compensation for Upsells

21:41Setting Ambitious Quotas: Experimentation and Transparency in SaaS Sales

Setting Ambitious Quotas: Experimentation and Transparency in SaaS Sales

22:48Analyzing Underperformance: Identifying Fit Issues vs. Long-Term Pipeline Building

Analyzing Underperformance: Identifying Fit Issues vs. Long-Term Pipeline Building

24:55Pipeline Review Sessions: Drilling Down on Details and Providing Honest Feedback

Pipeline Review Sessions: Drilling Down on Details and Providing Honest Feedback

Part 5: Sales Culture, Leadership

26:10Remote Sales Culture: Ruthlessness, Travel, and Avoiding Office Clutter

Remote Sales Culture: Ruthlessness, Travel, and Avoiding Office Clutter

27:08Sales Team Meetings: Pipeline Reviews, Blockers, and Organizational Transparency

Sales Team Meetings: Pipeline Reviews, Blockers, and Organizational Transparency

28:58Addressing Slippage: Public Accountability and Driving Performance

Addressing Slippage: Public Accountability and Driving Performance

30:48Adapting Meetings: Addressing Underperformance and Identifying Root Causes

Adapting Meetings: Addressing Underperformance and Identifying Root Causes

31:39Leading by Example: The CEO as SDR-in-Chief and the Power of Outbound

Leading by Example: The CEO as SDR-in-Chief and the Power of Outbound

33:06Helping the Team: Understanding Pain Points and Driving Sales

Helping the Team: Understanding Pain Points and Driving Sales

Part 6: Forecasting, Outbound Tactics

34:25Forecasting: Balancing Realism and Negativity for Accurate Pipeline Management

Forecasting: Balancing Realism and Negativity for Accurate Pipeline Management

35:50Underestimating Pipeline: Forcing a Culture of Hard Work and Accurate Forecasting

Underestimating Pipeline: Forcing a Culture of Hard Work and Accurate Forecasting

36:50Shifting to Outbound: Building the Right Mentality and Driving Cultural Change

Shifting to Outbound: Building the Right Mentality and Driving Cultural Change

38:03Outbound Channels: Lemlist, LinkedIn, Cold Calling, and WhatsApp

Outbound Channels: Lemlist, LinkedIn, Cold Calling, and WhatsApp

39:31Sharing Best Practices: Incentivizing Experimentation and Team Collaboration

Sharing Best Practices: Incentivizing Experimentation and Team Collaboration

40:15Scaling Communication: Subdividing Teams and Maintaining Regular Meetings

Scaling Communication: Subdividing Teams and Maintaining Regular Meetings

Part 7: Customer Success, Retention

41:05Customer Success: Chasing 115% NRR and the Importance of Early CS

Customer Success: Chasing 115% NRR and the Importance of Early CS

42:05Account Transfers: Overcoming Initial Resistance and Building Background Knowledge

Account Transfers: Overcoming Initial Resistance and Building Background Knowledge

43:01Financial Incentives: NRR-Based Compensation and Accelerators for Sales Teams

Financial Incentives: NRR-Based Compensation and Accelerators for Sales Teams

44:06Sales Compensation: Equity vs. Salary and the Drive for Accelerators

Sales Compensation: Equity vs. Salary and the Drive for Accelerators

45:04Commission Structures: Balancing Incentives and Profitability in SaaS Sales