In Sales Leaders Talk we talked to Pavol Magic, CEO and co-founder of Zoniq. He got into sales because of his technical background and willingness to take on a role no one else wanted. Today, he sees it as a constant source of real data on customer needs and as a discipline where technology and human contact must complement each other. In this interview, he talks about how he uses GenAI and other tools, why personal and relevant communication is key to success in B2B, what KPIs are most important to him, and why he believes AI agents may soon fundamentally change the future of sales.
What originally drew you to sales and why did you stay in it?
Even as a child, I often came home with new toys. It wasn’t about the money, it was more about being able to make contact and find a way to create a sense of winning for both parties. Sales is basically the same, it’s just different “toys”.
I got into sales because nobody else wanted to do it. Technical people usually avoid direct customer contact, let alone sales. Having spent the last 13 years leading tech teams and understanding the product in depth, it was logical that I would take on this role. And when I saw the direct impact sales had on the direction of the company, I stuck with it.
What do you think is the most interesting and dynamic aspect of sales?
Sales is a constant stream of real data about what customers need, where they are struggling and what works for them. No analysis or internal meeting can give you the insight that a good conversation with a client can. And yet every case is different. You’re selling the same product in different situations, with different priorities, competition and timing. That means you have to be ever-present and adapt, or the deal will quickly fall apart.
What technologies are you currently tracking or using that are helping you in sales?
Am I surprising anyone when I say GenAI? ChatGPT, Apollo, Jasper and a few others. I use them to find and qualify leads, prepare personalized offers and quick market analysis. It cuts down significantly on time that would otherwise be gobbled up by manual work. In addition, I stay true to the classics – mail, calendar, or tools to automate specific tasks, like Mailchimp. And for B2B sales in particular, LinkedIn is still the top tool.
How do you think sales has changed in the last 10 years?
“Sales, sales never changes.” The essence remains: understand the customer and bring them something of value. What has changed is the speed, the availability of information and the tools. The Internet has democratised access to information and enabled easy communication across the globe. Today, you can build a product in the country and sell it anywhere. GenAI reinforces this trend: it democratizes access to markets, lowers barriers to entry, and enables small players to compete globally.
What is the biggest challenge for you personally in B2B sales today?
Keep communication personal, relevant and free of unnecessary ballast. When you open LinkedIn, you see a huge amount of generic content and offers. Breaking through that noise means getting straight to the point and respecting the other party’s time.
How do you approach digitalisation and automation in sales?
Sales has a lot of repeatable elements. It’s basically an algorithm. I try to break it down into steps, reproduce it, and automate it so that people can spend time on the parts of the process where human contact really makes sense.
Can you describe a specific moment when technology significantly helped you close a deal?
Almost every deal we do is the result of a remote process – from discovery, to demo, to negotiation and closing. We have clients we’ve never met in person. Without technology, this would be impossible. They remove geographic restrictions, democratize access to markets, and reduce deal closing time.
Which metrics or KPIs in sales are most important for you to track?
Conversion between pipeline phases, average trade value and sales cycle length. These three numbers will tell you if you have quality leads, if it’s worth investing the time and when you can expect cashflow. When you have them under control, you can both make predictions and plan for growth without guesswork.
How do you motivate and lead your team to achieve better results?
I have to say, I don’t like sales bonuses. They often bring a quick turnaround, but they also bring problems that the rest of the company has to put out. In startups, the better motivation is pretty clear: runway and cashflow. When a company has stability and is growing, everyone benefits, not just sales. In that case, equity sharing, or bonuses based on company results that are divided by the contribution of each team member, makes sense.
What is your opinion on the future of sales – what do you think will be the “game changer” in the next few years?
I’m curious about the AI agents. Imagine an agent finding an opportunity, evaluating it, negotiating the terms and closing the deal. All with minimal human intervention. Sounds like science fiction, but the technology is getting there fast. It could fundamentally change how companies reach customers, and increase the pressure on those who can’t leverage these tools.
