How the VP of Growth at HG Insights Turned Product Gaps into Sales Wins

James Tudway is a Commercial Leader and Go To Market Strategist, currently Vice President of HG Insights, with deep expertise in leading revenue teams through product misalignment and market disruption. With years of experience scaling global sales organizations, including a recent stint in California. James returned to the UK to help turn around a SaaS data business grappling with churn, long sales cycles, and enablement blind spots. Known for building resilient GTM functions and high impact sales cultures, James brings a candid, pragmatic perspective to leadership during turbulent times.In this episode, host Matt Milligan and James discuss what it really takes to lead a sales team when your product is behind the curve. From introducing a “hero model” for performance to balancing budget between enablement and engineering, James offers tactical insights on coaching, morale, compensation, and retaining top talent when the odds are stacked against you. You’ll hear how fragmented development efforts can quietly erode renewal rates and how sales leaders can reframe the conversation internally to secure long term wins.00:00 – Introduction & Relocating Back from the U.S.00:03:15 – Leading When Product Isn’t Ready00:06:00 – Why Customers Pause: The Real Churn Drivers00:08:00 – Facing the Hard Truth: Falling Behind Competitors00:10:30 – The “Hero Model” Approach to GTM Talent00:12:30 – Rebuilding Morale with Comp Structure & Focus00:15:45 – How Enablement Gaps Undermine Performance00:18:20 – Budget Prioritization: Product vs. People00:21:00 – Advice for Vendors Navigating Budget Pushback00:24:15 – Final Thoughts & Partnership Opportunities