Who Is David Rudnitsky, Author of Salesforce’s Sales Playbook?

David Rudnitsky spent 12 years building Salesforce's enterprise sales team, during which revenue climbed from $51 million at its IPO to more than $5 billion. His internal sales guide worked well enough that founder Marc Benioff published it in his best-seller Behind the Cloud.

In March 2023, Rudnitsky sat down with then-6sense CMO Latané Conant for the company’s TalkingSense series and walked through how he thinks about enterprise selling.

Who Is David Rudnitsky?

Rudnitsky has more than 35 years in technology sales. Before Salesforce, he led enterprise sales teams at Ariba, Netscape, and Oracle, and he also held a senior role at ADP.

At Salesforce, he rose to executive vice president of enterprise sales and sat on the President’s Committee. He left in early 2015 to run enterprise sales at InsideSales.com, then joined Yext in 2017 and was promoted to President and Chief Revenue Officer in February 2021. He later joined venture firm Norwest as a CRO operating executive and principal, advising its portfolio companies on sales strategy.

What Is the Rudnitsky Sales Playbook?

The playbook began as an internal Salesforce document outlining how the company’s reps should approach large accounts. Benioff reproduced it in Behind the Cloud, and it has circulated among software sales teams ever since.

Rudnitsky makes it clear it is not scripture. He describes a playbook as a point-in-time framework that must evolve with the market.

David Rudnitsky’s 7 Rules for Enterprise Sales

1. Think big. This is his starting point for both a five-person startup and a public company. He defines thinking big as an attitude backed by action, not a slogan.

2. Be confident, not arrogant. Rudnitsky tells reps to “walk in as you own it” when they enter a room with a large customer. He draws a hard line between that posture and arrogance.

3. Never compromise on talent. His minimum standard of excellence starts with hiring. The moment a leader lowers the bar on talent, he argues, the team starts losing.

4. Never cold call. He rules it out entirely. His playbook says to call with a plan: learn about the company through your network and find the right person before you pick up the phone.

5. Get your face in the place. Even in a hybrid selling environment, Rudnitsky pushes for in-person time. He argues that people buy from people they like and respect, and that both are easier to earn face to face.

6. Put marketing on the forecast call. He brings his marketing partner onto his weekly forecast calls so marketing hears directly what the sales managers need. He also has no patience for finger-pointing between teams.

7. Own the problem. A problem may not be your fault, he says, but you can still solve it. He pairs that with a short memory for losses and a preference for grinders, the reps who succeed over the long run.

Why Rudnitsky’s Playbook Still Matters

Most of these rules predate today’s sales tools, and that is the point. Software can find the account and time the outreach, but Rudnitsky argues that preparation, standards, and presence still decide enterprise deals. His view that execution is harder than ideas is an unglamorous message, and it is hard to argue with from someone who watched a company grow a hundredfold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is David Rudnitsky?
He is a technology sales executive best known for building Salesforce’s enterprise sales team and writing The Sales Playbook, featured in Marc Benioff’s Behind the Cloud.

How long was David Rudnitsky at Salesforce?
About 12 years, leaving in early 2015 as executive vice president of enterprise sales.

What companies has David Rudnitsky worked for?
ADP, Oracle, Netscape, Ariba, Salesforce, InsideSales.com, Yext, and Norwest.

Does David Rudnitsky recommend cold calling?
No. He says reps should never cold call and should always call with a plan.

He joined 6sense CMO Latané Conant to share his insights. The two discussed:

Why you should never compromise on your minimum standard of excellence
The difference between confidence and arrogance
How to “get your face in the place,” despite the current hybrid selling environment
The surprising KPI he tracks to see how engaged his reps are

If you’re looking for inspiration for growing your enterprise sales org, you’ve found it. Watch below!

“Think big. Whether you're with the smallest startup or you're with a growing company, think big. Thinking big is an attitude, and it's actions around it.”

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