Selling the Experience: Building Global Sales Teams That Win with Gene Guhne - Part 1

In this episode of Selling the Cloud, hosts Mark Petruzzi and KK Anderson sit down with Gene Guhne, Senior Vice President of Global Sales at Sabre Hospitality, to explore what it truly takes to lead a successful global sales team in today’s fast-evolving landscape. Gene draws on decades of experience managing international teams to share insights into building trust, fostering emotional intelligence, and driving high performance in a complex, multicultural environment.

This episode is a must-listen for sales leaders, go-to-market strategists, and anyone navigating global team dynamics.

Key Themes Discussed:

1. Building Trust Across Global Teams

Gene shares how intentional communication, cultural awareness, and region-specific strategy are essential for establishing and maintaining trust across international sales teams.

2. Selling the Experience, Not Just the Room

With the hospitality industry shifting from product-based to experience-based selling, Gene explains how Sabre helps hoteliers drive incremental revenue through personalization and bundled offers—like cabanas, dining, and even parking—at the time of booking.

3. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) as a Core Sales Skill

Emotional intelligence isn’t just important for leadership, it’s critical for front-line sellers. Gene emphasizes that while tactics can be taught, the ability to read a room and build genuine rapport is the differentiator between good and great salespeople.

4. Leading Across Cultures with Empathy and Adaptability

From understanding etiquette in Japan to the operational constraints in China, Gene illustrates how strong cultural competency fuels leadership effectiveness in global organizations.

5. From Sales Teams to Business Units

Gene takes us back to his days at Ultimate Software, describing the evolution of tight-knit sales teams into autonomous, high-performing business units and why deep personal relationships are the foundation of retention, mastery, and growth.

Memorable Quotes:

“Trust is paramount—any action or inaction can destroy it. That’s why clarity and consistency matter.” – Gene Guhne

“Emotional intelligence is the #1 skill I look for in a salesperson. You can’t teach someone to read a room.” – Gene Guhne

“The room is the anchor. But what hoteliers want is the additional $300 or $400 in high-margin services.” – Gene Guhne

“Sales teams stop being sales teams and start becoming business units when they have autonomy, mastery, and trust.” – Gene Guhne

About the Guest:

Gene Guhne is the Senior Vice President of Global Sales at Sabre Hospitality, where he leads international teams to drive innovation, personalization, and revenue growth in the evolving hospitality tech industry. Gene brings deep leadership expertise from his previous roles at Ultimate Software and beyond.

About the Hosts:

Mark Petruzzi is the co-author of Selling the Cloud and co-host of this top-ranked business podcast.

KK Anderson is a go-to-market strategist and co-founder of AGS, helping sales organizations achieve data-driven growth.

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