2017 Winner
Wise 50 Over 50 Award™
Rudy Richman – VirtualCSO
www.virtualcso.ca
Rudy Richman’s success has been in the development, implementation and execution of sales team strategies. He is a habitual builder of revenue generating sales systems: profitable, scalable models with predictable results. His firm, VirtualCSO has been engaged by over 30 companies since its launch in 2011. Rudy’s unique expertise, proven in a series of successful endeavors, guides companies to efficiently scale and monetize their sales activity. Rudy was a member of, or advisor to, the executive management teams that engineered the successful acquisitions of Protus in 2010, Granite Networks in 2013, Privacy Analytics in 2016 and 360pi in 2017 – with total exit value near $300M.
I started the business in 2011 after a successful exit by acquisition with Protus and was 51 years old. After meeting with numerous CEO’s of start-up and growth stage companies, I realized, that there is a lack of sales DNA among founders here in Ottawa to build revenue generating sales systems; profitable, scalable models with predictable results. I started VirtualCSO.ca to fill that void providing the development, implementation and execution of sales strategies.
One of the first calls was from a CEO who had an online scheduling product. We met in a boardroom with white boards on all four walls covered in algorithms. He wanted to know why his conversion rates were low. He signed 400 free trials per month but less that 10% converted to paying customers. When I asked him what the 10% said when he contacted them after they became customers – he looked at me with a blank stare – why would he call to bother them – of course there is the issue… He didn’t understand his customers – what they wanted, what they liked, why they wanted to buy or how they wanted to buy. All he understood was his technology.
After 30 customers, 3 more exists leading teams, 7 more engagements leading to significant equity events and lots of fun – I haven’t looked back. VirtualCSO has become the authority on driving scalability, repeatability and predictability.