How Spiky Reinvented Sales Enablement with Real-Time Coaching

By David Brennan, multi-time founder, AI consultant, and host of SaaS Founder Stories

There’s a big myth in sales tech right now: that recording calls and syncing to CRM is enough.

It’s not. And no one’s learned that more clearly than Waleed Shaarani, co-founder of Spiky, a platform that’s gone from remote work insights to real-time sales enablement — with a whole lot of hard lessons in between.

When Waleed realized Spiky wasn’t standing out in a crowded space, he and the team did something most founders wouldn’t: they paused, called over 1,000 sales professionals, and used what they learned to rebuild the product from the inside out.

Key Takeaways

• Spiky helps sales teams win more deals by coaching in real time — not after the call
• The team interviewed over 1,000 reps to uncover two massive pain points
• Only 2% of meeting notes are ever reviewed, and only 4% of CRM data is accurate
• They redesigned the product to provide in-the-moment insights and auto-sync data
• The result? A 30% boost in deal closure and 60% revenue growth for one customer

The Pain: Everyone Was Solving the Same Problem the Same Way

Spiky started in 2022 as a remote collaboration insights tool. But when Waleed saw the volume of communication in sales — and the need for better performance data — the team pivoted into the revenue space.

At first, they were like everyone else. Record calls. Sync to CRM. Analyze later.

“But that model wasn’t working. Everyone was solving the same problem the same way — and reps were still missing targets.”

So Waleed decided to dig deeper.

The Process: 1,000+ Interviews, One Truth

The team interviewed more than 1,000 salespeople — from AEs to CROs — across a six-month stretch. They wanted to know what tools reps were using, what was actually helping them sell, and what was just adding noise.

Here’s what they uncovered:

• Only 2% of reps actually reviewed call recordings or summaries
• Only 4% of CRM fields were being filled out accurately and consistently
• Sales leaders were overwhelmed with low-quality data and blind spots in coaching
• Reps didn’t want post-call insights — they wanted help in the moment

“The truth is, no one has time. Reps aren’t reviewing. Leaders can’t listen to 10 calls per rep. The whole model is broken.”

The Rebuild: Real-Time Coaching and Automation

Instead of trying to fix post-call workflows, Spiky shifted its product philosophy: meet reps in the moment, not after the fact.

They redesigned their core experience around two big ideas:

1. In-the-moment coaching during live calls (objection handling, playbook reminders, talk track guidance)

2. Automatic CRM syncing that updates records based on what was actually said — not what someone remembered afterward

This was a leap — not a tweak. But it worked.

“We didn’t want to be another dashboard you check at the end of the day. We wanted to help you win the deal while you’re still on the call.”

The Result: Real Impact at the Rep and Team Level

One of their biggest customers was struggling with rep ramp time, forecasting accuracy, and CRM bloat.

After implementing Spiky:

• Reps closed 30% more deals
• Leadership got a 58% boost in forecast accuracy
• The company grew revenue 60% in Q2
• New hires onboarded faster, using Spiky’s real deal examples and knowledge base
• Leaders finally had visibility into what was actually working — and why

“It wasn’t about showing flashy AI. It was about saving people time and helping them win.”

Founder Lesson: Ask Better Questions, Then Rebuild Boldly

The biggest takeaway from Waleed’s story isn’t the tech. It’s the approach.

• They didn’t settle for feature parity — they rebuilt from first principles
• They didn’t guess — they interviewed relentlessly
• They didn’t try to shout louder — they focused on being better

“Everyone’s pain points are changing. If you’re not listening and iterating constantly, you’re falling behind.”

Spiky isn’t just another sales enablement tool — it’s a rethinking of how, when, and where we help reps close deals. And it’s working.

Book a Free AI Assessment if you're hitting a product plateau or need to sharpen your go-to-market strategy based on real customer behavior. We’ll help you uncover where AI can drive insight, speed up iteration, and deliver a roadmap to rebuild with clarity.