The FORT Podcast: Brandon Sedloff
Brandon Sedloff is the Vice President of Sales and Managing Director of Juniper Square. Juniper Square is an easy-to-use, all-in-one investment management software designed specifically for real estate. Chris and Brandon sit down to discuss the great partnership between Fort Capital and Juniper Square, dealing with change in a hyper-growth startup, and Brandon’s journey as a salesman.
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02:06 — What is Juniper Square? How did you get to where you are today?
06:26 — Do all investors want / need the same things?
09:18 — Fort Capital and Juniper Square, How to Provide a Great Experience, Why Investment Management was Archaic Before Juniper Square
19:36 — How has utilizing Juniper Square impacted Fort’s current and future hiring plans?
25:55 — How do you follow the customer? What is the process of innovation at Juniper Square?
30:00 — How do you define the goal and vision for Juniper Square?
31:47 — How do you streamline the frictional cost of doing a deal? How has Juniper Square made life easier for Fort Capital and its investors?
35:04 — How do things change in a hyper-growth start up?
39:57 — How did you find your career in sales? Does it come natural to you?
43:27 — What is the difference between selling technology and selling real estate?
45:45 — Do most SaaS businesses build their own internal tools, or do most use third party software?
47:45 — How do you hold people accountable to using these tracking tools?
51:08 — Do you use software during meetings to ensure productivity?
54:52 — Did someone teach you “great salesmanship”?
59:43 — If I were new to your team, what would my first month look like?
1:02:45 — Brandon’s Favorite Interview Question
MORE ABOUT BRANDON
Brandon Sedloff is the VP of Sales/Managing Director at Juniper Square. Juniper Square is transforming the private funds industry with easy-to-use software that streamlines fundraising, investment administration, and investor reporting. Designed specifically for the real estate industry, Juniper Square helps hundreds of investment sponsors manage more than $200B in real estate assets.
Prior to Juniper Square Brandon was Global Head of Corporate Development at the Urban Land Institute (ULI), a global real estate research and education institute. Brandon was the founder and remains the Chair (a volunteer role) of ULI’s real estate + technology initiative bringing together real estate owners, operators, REIT’s, and investors with technology companies working to evolve the real estate industry.
Previously, Brandon spent nearly 7 years in Hong Kong where he was Head of Asia Pacific Real Estate for GLG (formerly Gerson Lehrman Group), and later Managing Director, Asia Pacific at the Urban Land Institute. In both roles, Brandon was the executive in charge of helping to scale new initiatives for existing organizations.
Brandon is an active volunteer and advisor within the real estate and technology industries and is a member of the University of Michigan Ross Real Estate Advisory Board and the advisory board for CRE // Tech.
Outside of work, Brandon enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children and aspires to run a sub 3- hour marathon.
Episode Summary
With a rich background in real estate and a clear passion for fostering meaningful connections, Sedloff shared invaluable insights, providing listeners with a front-row seat to his wealth of knowledge.
The conversation began with a discussion on aligning products with clients’ business priorities. Sedloff emphasized the importance of understanding clients’ strategic goals, highlighting that the ability to tailor products to meet these objectives is crucial. This approach not only ensures value creation but also fosters a deep sense of trust and reliability, essential components in any client-business relationship.
Sedloff then transitioned into explaining Juniper Square’s unique business model. He highlighted the company’s focus on generating repeatable, recurring revenue through exceptional products and services. The emphasis was on building enduring customer relationships, ensuring that clients consistently find value in Juniper Square’s offerings. This customer-centric approach has been a significant factor in the company’s success, creating a foundation of trust and dependability.
In the third section of the podcast, the discussion pivoted to problem-solving and product development. Sedloff shared personal anecdotes to underline the importance of understanding the underlying issues that clients face. He stressed the necessity of interpreting client feedback and symptoms accurately, ensuring that the products developed genuinely address real-world problems. This segment underscored the pivotal role of client feedback in driving product innovation and continuous improvement.
The conversation then moved to the topic of company culture and team connectivity. Sedloff elaborated on how Juniper Square cultivates a collaborative environment, encouraging team members to share information and bond over shared experiences. This intentional practice of fostering internal relationships contributes significantly to the company’s positive work culture, ultimately driving business success.
In the final part of the podcast, Sedloff discussed sales strategies and resource mobilization. He detailed how executive leadership plays a crucial role in facilitating successful transactions, emphasizing the importance of aligning incentives and providing support to sales teams. Practical aspects of deal management were covered, highlighting strategies for resource allocation and leadership support to drive sales performance.