David Roberts is the CEO of SugarAI, an AI-powered CRM company helping manufacturers and distributors turn customer data into actionable sales guidance. He leads the company's strategy and operations, transforming CRM from a system of record into a system of guidance that helps sellers act on the right opportunities. With over 30 years of experience in enterprise technology and CRM, David began his career at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) and previously served as CEO of Alchemer and ReedGroup. His expertise spans sales productivity, applied AI, and customer engagement.

Sales teams have plenty of customer data, yet reps still spend hours updating CRM records and searching for opportunities. More information doesn't always mean better selling. How can CRM help sellers identify the right opportunities without adding to their workload?

David Roberts, a CRM and enterprise technology leader, believes AI can close that gap by guiding sellers toward specific next steps. Rather than adding a copilot, he advocates AI built into everyday workflows. Customer conversations, purchase histories, ERP data, and market signals can reveal cross-selling opportunities and accounts needing attention. For manufacturers and distributors managing hundreds of customers and thousands of products, David focuses on reducing manual data entry, accelerating onboarding, and providing guidance sellers can act on. This approach leads to more meaningful customer conversations and less time spent navigating software.

In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, Alex Gluz talks with David Roberts, CEO of SugarAI, about turning CRM into an AI-powered system of guidance. David explores why conventional CRM falls short, how precision selling helps reps focus on the right opportunities, and what makes AI valuable inside existing workflows. He also covers sales adoption, cross-functional alignment, and the future of AI-driven selling.

Alex Schutte is the SVP of Marketing at Hubstaff, a B2B SaaS platform for time tracking, workforce analytics, and productivity management. He leads a fully remote marketing team, focusing on demand generation, value-based advertising, and sustainable SaaS growth. With nearly 20 years of B2B marketing experience, Alex combines customer insights and performance data to sharpen acquisition strategies. Under his leadership, paid-attributed monthly recurring revenue from demos grew 71% year over year in 2025. His approach balances marketing technology with human creativity and collaboration.

More leads don't always translate into more revenue. Sustainable SaaS growth depends on attracting the right customers, improving retention, and maximizing marketing efficiency. So how can marketers use data to drive more profitable, long-term growth?

For Alex Schutte, a seasoned marketing leader, the answer lies in optimizing for customer value rather than conversion volume. By incorporating customer lifetime value, churn rates, team size, and geographic performance into paid advertising strategies, businesses can focus on attracting customers with stronger revenue potential. Alex also emphasizes the importance of connecting marketing with product development, using customer feedback, retention data, and product usage insights to identify opportunities for growth. Together, these strategies help SaaS companies improve acquisition efficiency, strengthen customer relationships, and build a more sustainable revenue engine.

In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, Alex Gluz sits down with Alex Schutte, SVP of Marketing at Hubstaff, to discuss building a data-driven SaaS marketing engine. Alex explores value-based paid acquisition, balancing product-led growth with sales-assisted strategies, and using customer insights to guide product development. He also shares how AI can streamline marketing workflows while preserving the human creativity and connection that drive meaningful engagement.

Eric Quanstrom is the Vice President of Go-To-Market Engineering at Apollo.io, an AI-powered sales intelligence and engagement platform that helps businesses build pipeline and grow revenue. He leads initiatives that help customers optimize GTM strategies, improve sales efficiency, and leverage data and AI to create better revenue outcomes. Eric brings more than a decade of experience in technology, marketing, and growth, previously serving as CMO at Cience. His expertise spans demand generation, sales development, and building scalable go-to-market systems.

Sales teams have more AI, data, and automation than ever, but getting a buyer's attention still comes down to relevance. So how can teams use these tools to work smarter without losing the human side of sales?

GTM expert Eric Quanstrom believes the answer starts with relevance, better buyer signals, and keeping humans involved in AI-assisted selling. Rather than chasing larger lead lists, teams should focus on fewer, higher-quality prospects, use intent and timing signals to prioritize outreach, and apply AI to create messaging that reflects each buyer's needs and goals. Eric also emphasizes reducing friction across the sales tech stack so reps can spend more time having meaningful conversations. Used thoughtfully, AI can improve sales efficiency while making outreach more personal, timely, and useful.

In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, Alex Gluz talks with Eric Quanstrom, VP of Go-To-Market Engineering at Apollo.io, about sales efficiency in the AI era. Eric covers buyer relevance, AI-assisted personalization, and smarter lead prioritization. He also explores sales automation, customer acquisition costs, and the future of human-led selling.