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Sales Disruptors: How Sales Can Weather an Economic Downturn and Stay Agile Amid Uncertainty

The coronavirus global pandemic has fundamentally reshaped business, but one sector is feeling the tug in particular – sales. Today, the Sales Disruptors podcast takes a look at how sales departments can change and adapt in light of a shifting economy. Guest Edward Lang, Senior Manager of Sales Performance at Accenture, reveals his insights into…

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Sales Disruptors: How Sales Can Weather an Economic Downturn and Stay Agile Amid Uncertainty

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The coronavirus global pandemic has fundamentally reshaped business, but one sector is feeling the tug in particular – sales.

Today, the Sales Disruptors podcast takes a look at how sales departments can change and adapt in light of a shifting economy. Guest Edward Lang, Senior Manager of Sales Performance at Accenture, reveals his insights into how to move forward with confident footing in uncertain territory.

Like businesses big and small, sales operations are struggling through similar challenges: the uncertainty of the future, retaining clients, retaining talent, and managing costs. But after weathering the 2008 economic downturn, Lang has some insight that can carry over to the current crisis.

“The more we can help our clients weather this storm, the better we will be in the position for long term relationships,” he said.

Helping clients can also mean helping yourself by taking the opportunity to streamline tools, implementation, and processes. Drive intent, drive meaning, and steer clear of gimmicks. Seize the opportunity to recruit top talent from competitors, recommended Lang. Shift payment streams and reward employees for tool sharpening. All of these tips trim the fat. Upon return, businesses should be “lean and hungry,” not starved and weak.

Lang’s final words, however, are perhaps the best encouragement for uncertain times — “It’s going to be okay.”

Markets will open up, albeit tentatively. Upon reopening there will certainly be a “new normal,” but sales will adapt and stay agile in an ever-changing market.

Xactly is proud to live on the leading edge of sales performance management, and our podcasts give us a way to share that insight with you directly. For more thought-leading episodes of Sales Disruptors by Xactly, check us out on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Microsoft's MDEP Signage: From NRF Preview to InfoComm Demo

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  • 01MDEP adds identity management, conditional access, device attestation, and centralized lifecycle control to signage displays, enabling management like traditional IT endpoints.
  • 02MediaTek's Genio 720 system-on-chip, used in MDEP previews, provides industrial-grade performance with 10 TOPS AI acceleration and supports up to ultra-wide 5K or dual 2.5K display outputs.
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  • 01Telestream, PlayBox Neo, and Zixi are leading with orchestration and resilience messaging ahead of IBC2026 in Amsterdam, September 11-14.
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  • 03Request documented API boundaries, interoperability testing evidence, and failure detection demonstrations rather than relying on marketing descriptions.

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At IBC2026 in Amsterdam, Clear-Com and TSL are sending a similar operational message from different angles: the next hard problems are control, monitoring, and safe change in IP workflows. Clear-Com’s Eclipse HX EHX v15 adds ARC (Access Resource Configuration), which the company says enables access to intercom ports and resources without adding hardware, and expands capacity and resource management, according to Sports Video Group. AVNation reports TSL is emphasizing “reduced complexity” for control and monitoring across IP workflows. For ops leaders, the takeaway is to treat qualification, rollback planning, change windows, and licensing and support terms as first-class spec items.

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