Matt Ekstrom on the Evolution of HR Tech and Challenges of Outbound Sales

The Capital Stack

In this conversation, David Paul and Matt Ekstrom - an executive with over 10+ years in sales and marketing within the HR tech space discuss various topics related to HR tech, sales enablement, and the challenges faced in these industries. They talk about the evolution of HR tech and its impact on employee onboarding and hiring experience. They also discuss the parallel between sales enablement and HR tech, the challenges of outbound sales, and the future of email marketing. Matt shares his favorite book and the best piece of business advice he has received. You can watch/listen to the podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Cold Open

08:07 The Parallel Between Sales Enablement and HR Tech

12:01 The Challenges of Outbound Sales

16:00 The Future of Email Marketing

Takeaways

• HR tech has not significantly improved the employee onboarding and hiring experience
• The HR tech industry continues to fracture and expand with new companies and solutions
• Sales enablement tools and strategies are evolving, with a focus on content creation and audience targeting
• The future of sales is uncertain due to email deliverability challenges and the need for new outreach methods
• Knowing what you don't know and being humble about it is important in business

Sound Bites

• "No, no, absolutely not. And I don't, I really don't sit this at the feet of the entrepreneurs or those companies necessarily."
• "The technology can only do so much for that experience. It's up to the recruiters as well and the hiring managers to put the effort in as well."
• "The inbound method is no longer a thing, right?"