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In our latest trumpet webinar, Closing Moves, trumpet CEO Rory Sadler sat down with Brian LaManna, Account Executive at Gong, to talk what really makes the difference at the sharp end of the sales cycle.
The discussion went beyond generic “closing tips”. Brian opened his 'deal-winning playbook', sharing the tactics, mindset, and frameworks that have helped him hit President’s Club, smash quota consistently, and move from SDR to enterprise AE at one of the fastest-growing revenue technology companies in the world.
Meet the speakers
Rory Sadler – CEO & Co-founder, trumpet
Rory leads trumpet, the Digital Sales Room platform that helps revenue teams streamline the buying experience and keep deals moving forward.
Brian LaManna – Account Executive, Gong
Brian has built a reputation as one of the top-performing AEs in SaaS sales. Starting as an SDR, he’s worked his way into enterprise sales at Gong, while also building a thriving sales community through his Closed One newsletter, playbooks, and content.
What is Gong?
Gong is a Revenue Intelligence platform that captures and analyses customer interactions across calls, emails and meetings. By turning conversations into data, Gong gives teams visibility into deal health, pipeline risk and coaching opportunities. Put simply: it helps revenue teams win more deals by showing them what’s really happening in their pipeline.
Key takeaways
- Always be qualifying. Deals die when assumptions aren’t re-tested.
- Own your territory like a CEO. Extreme ownership turns quota into something you can control.
- Momentum is created between meetings. Smart value touches and content keep buyers warm.
- Eliminate no-decision risk. Anchor deals to a company’s top-level priorities, not your product’s features.
Inside Brian’s playbook
From false starts to Gong
Brian shared how his first taste of sales, an internship at Anheuser-Busch - showed him what he didn’t want. Travel, spreadsheets and no commission weren’t motivating. Tech sales, with clear goals and rewards, gave him the spark. He joined BrightEdge, worked up from SDR to AE, and then moved to Gong, where he’s grown into an enterprise AE.
“I lost 22 of my first 23 opportunities at Gong. The one I won, I deserved no credit. But I told myself: it’s okay to suck at the start. Learn, soak up everything, get 1% better every day. That mindset has carried me through.”
CEO of your own territory
One of Brian’s strongest messages: treat your patch like a business.
- Break down targets into daily inputs.
- Reverse engineer win rates, deal sizes, and pipeline needs.
- Don’t rely on inbound or SDRs — take ownership for generating and progressing deals.
This level of accountability means hitting 150%+ isn’t about luck - it’s about control.
Creating momentum between meetings
Buyers don’t think about you as much as you think about them. Deals stall because sellers disappear between calls. Brian’s answer? Value touches.
“If my next meeting’s Friday, what can I do on Wednesday to make them think about me for one minute in a positive light?”
He uses curated Digital Sales Rooms from the very first call, seeding them with:
- Salesforce integration demo clips
- Forrester analysis
- Case studies and ROI examples
Every follow-up points back to the same deal room, keeping buyers engaged and champions equipped.
Multi-threading without losing champions
When dozens of stakeholders are involved, going around your champion can be risky. Brian recommends giving them the chance to introduce you first.
“My champion should want to introduce me to their VP. But if not, I frame it: ‘What other customers find valuable is a one-to-one on X topic. Would you prefer to introduce me, or should I reach out directly?’”
This balance keeps champions empowered while still expanding influence.
Eliminating no-decision risk
The #1 killer of deals? No decision. Brian’s advice: anchor everything to the company’s top priorities.
Don’t just ask “What are your goals?” - do your research and show up with a point of view. Reference product launches, expansions, or strategic objectives, and press for clarity on whether your solution truly connects to those.
“If we don’t solve this in 90 days, is that okay? Or is it something that needed fixing yesterday? Those questions tell you how real the priority is.”
Human > Automated
As AI-driven prospecting grows, Brian’s strategy is to lean into human touches:
- LinkedIn voice notes
- Warm introductions
- Personalised content drops
- Texting champions like people, not prospects
“When they zig with automation, I zag with human. That’s where the wins are.”
Final thoughts
Closing isn’t about tricks. It’s the result of preparation, momentum, and ownership. Brian’s playbook shows that top-performing AEs:
- Treat their role like running a business.
- Create constant forward motion between calls.
- Enable champions to sell internally.
- Align every deal with business-critical priorities.
For sellers, it’s a reminder that while tools and tactics help, mindset and discipline remain unbeatable.
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