Podcast appearances and mentions of Vinay Bhagat

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Best podcasts about Vinay Bhagat

Latest podcast episodes about Vinay Bhagat

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 150 - De-Risking Paid Social Campaigns: A New Approach with Ken Lempit

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2025 32:27 Transcription Available


Guest: Ken Lempit, President & Chief Business Builder at Austin Lawrence GroupIn this episode, Austin Lawrence Group's Ken Lempit shares a bold approach to overcoming the inefficiency of traditional advertising campaigns. He emphasizes a new strategy: combining foundational customer interviews with rapid, real-time testing via high-frequency organic social media posts. This iterative approach helps identify messaging that resonates most with target audiences before significant ad spend, enabling SaaS companies to avoid costly missteps. Lempit calls out outdated "ivory tower" methods, where messaging was developed in isolation and assumed durable for years. Today, he argues, messaging must evolve constantly based on audience engagement.Key Takeaways:Real-Time Validation Beats Guesswork: Test messaging in organic social media environments before committing ad budgets. Insights from live engagement can refine campaigns and improve ROI.Messaging Is No Longer Durable: Static messaging fails in today's dynamic market. Iterative testing ensures campaigns stay relevant and effective.Drive Action with the Cost of Inaction: Instead of focusing on ROI, highlight the risks of staying in the status quo to compel prospects to act.This practical framework bridges the gap between creative intuition and data-driven decisions, setting a new standard for SaaS advertising.Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 145 - The Death of the MQL: A New Playbook for SaaS CROs

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2024 31:23 Transcription Available


Guest: Randy Likas, Head of North America Go-to-Market at NektarTraditional marketing tactics are losing their edge, with MQLs falling short as costly, outdated signals of real buyer intent.In this week's episode, we explore tactics for CROs to tackle the “great ignore” with guest Randy Likas, Head of North America Go-to-Market at Nektar, a revenue efficiency platform that unifies customer interaction data and helps you discover new revenue opportunities.Randy discusses how CROs must reevaluate their playbooks and processes, focusing on how to re-engineer strategies and redeploy technology to align with emerging trends in buyer behavior–positioning the CRO role as not just operational but transformational.Key insights you'll gain:How changing buyer behaviors, like the "great ignore," are reshaping outreach strategiesWhy MQLs are losing relevance and how to focus on buying groups insteadHow breaking down silos between sales, marketing, and success boosts revenue efficiencyOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 144 - Why Your GTM Strategy Breaks Without Alignment

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2024 29:01


Guest: Isabelle Papoulias, Fractional GTM & Business Operations ExecutivePipeline isn't just a metric—it's a team sport.But when marketing, sales and customer success work in silos, it creates a fractured buyer journey and practically guarantees you'll miss opportunities.So, who should be responsible for driving this cross-functional alignment?In this episode, fractional GTM leader and business operations executive Isabelle Papoulias  breaks down how SaaS companies can realign their go-to-market teams under unified leadership for faster growth and smarter execution.Key insights you'll gain:How common goals and shared metrics across teams drive alignmentThe benefits of a CCO or CRO with a broad understanding of GTM strategiesAdvice for ditching “lead generation” as a success metric in the enterprise saleOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 143 - Is the CRO the Key to Aligning Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success?

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2024 34:02 Transcription Available


Guest: Warren Zenna, Founder of The CRO Collective Scaling a SaaS company is no walk in the park. At a certain point, operational complexity demands more than just growth—it demands cross-functional alignment. Enter the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).In this episode, we dive into the evolving role of the CRO with expert Warren Zenna, founder of The CRO Collective and Zenna Consulting Group, and host of the CRO Spotlight podcast.Warren unpacks why misalignment between Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success persists—and how the CRO may be uniquely positioned to fix it.Key insights you'll gain:What it means for a SaaS company to be “CRO-ready”Why scaling companies make the same costly mistakes—and how to avoid themPractical tips for CROs, CMOs, and CEOs to align teams and drive revenue growthOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 142 - Why SaaS Pricing and Packaging Matters More Than You Think - with Dan Balcauski, Founder & Chief Pricing Officer at Product Tranquility

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2024 39:37


Pricing and packaging can either bog down your go-to-market engine or fuel it to peak performance.This week's SaaS Backwards podcast features Dan Balcauski, Founder and Chief Pricing Officer at Product Tranquility, a consultancy that helps high-volume B2B SaaS CEOs define pricing and packaging for new products. In this episode, Dan discusses the critical role pricing plays in a SaaS business model and why leadership teams must view it as a dynamic lever, not a "set-it-and-forget-it" element. He dispels the common myth that success hinges solely on what you charge, emphasizing instead that who and how you charge are the real determinants of success.Breaking this down, Dan walks through the four key elements of SaaS packaging: price metric, price model, offer configurations, and price fences.Our conversation also explores how to conduct a pricing study, realigning pricing strategies, AI's role in pricing decisions, and the ever-debated topic: should pricing be displayed on the website?This episode offers actionable insights for SaaS leaders looking to harness pricing as a powerful tool for growth and market alignment.Key takeaways from this episode:The impact of pricing and packaging on revenue, profitability, and valuationWhy pricing is a critical lever for growth in SaaS businesses that shouldn't be overlookedSigns a new CMO or CRO should look for to determine if pricing needs attention at a prospective employerOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 141 - How Gifting Helps SaaS Companies Break Through the Noise - with Kris Rudeegraap, Co-CEO and Co-Founder at Sendoso

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2024 22:27


Gifting can be a powerful outbound strategy that captures attention far more effectively than an email. In this week's SaaS Backwards podcast episode, we spoke with Kris Rudeegraap, Co-CEO and Co-Founder at Sendoso, a gifting and direct mail platform that helps revenue teams 6x second call rates, double win rates, and close deals 29% faster.Kris shared how his background in software sales and experience with gifting inspired him to create Sendoso. He provided insights into the company's initial go-to-market strategy, its evolution from a "growth at all costs" mindset to a more efficient, profit-driven approach, and how this shift has shaped its success.We also discussed common objections and misconceptions about gifting, such as it being “too expensive” or impractical without someone's address—and how Sendoso addresses these challenges.Kris backed up Sendoso's impressive results with client success stories: Gong influenced over $30 million in pipeline by mailing pinatas, Guru improved meeting conversion rates by sending cupcakes, and Verkada saw a remarkable increase in ad conversion rates by offering a Yeti mug as a meeting incentive across social media and LinkedIn campaigns.Read more Sendoso success stories here and view customer examples here. Key takeaways from this episode:The power of gifting as an outbound strategyHow Sendoso helps clients select the right gifts for the right people at the right timeInsights into the fundraising process and the current environment for startupsOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 140 - Why Traditional ABM is Failing Your SaaS Business - with Dmitri Lisitski, Co-Founder & CEO at Influ2

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2024 31:15


Building meaningful connections with individuals using different channels can be more effective than running an ABM program that only provides a shallow understanding of what's happening within an account. In this week's SaaS Backwards podcast episode, we spoke with Dmitri Lisitski, Co-Founder and CEO at Influ2, a person-based advertising platform that allows you to reach specific people within target accounts and see who interacts with your ads.Dmitri takes us behind the scenes and discusses how his frustration with imprecise ABM platforms led to the creation of Influ2, which aims to solve this problem by targeting individual decision-makers within an account rather than only providing this broad view.We discuss the orchestration between sales and marketing and the significance of nurturing relationships over time in enterprise sales. Dmitri explains how the best thing marketing can do for salespeople is target the same account they're trying to chase and influence their decision, build awareness, and track intent. Our conversation also covers the role of thought leadership in generating conversations and supporting the sales process, the impact of AI on content creation, and attribution challenges in B2B marketing.This episode provides valuable insights for SaaS CEOs, CMOs, and B2B marketing and sales professionals.Key takeaways from this episode:The humanization of sales and marketing in the enterprise motionWhy the use of AI in content development falls flat and what to do insteadMeasuring the impact of advertising on revenueOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 139 - How SaaS B2B Companies Can Leverage Sales Calls for Content Creation - with Parthi Loganathan, Founder & CEO of Letterdrop

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2024 30:32


We often emphasize the importance of understanding what's being talked about in sales conversations to shape content strategy and tell unique, compelling stories.In this week's SaaS Backwards podcast episode, we talk with Parthi Loganathan, Founder and CEO of Letterdrop, a platform designed to help companies do just that.Parthi explains how Letterdrop's AI assists companies in creating content that resonates with more buyers by leveraging the language their customers actually use, cutting down the time and improving the quality of their thought leadership content. He also shares how Letterdrop supports SDRs in delivering value and helps companies uncover and understand their customers' unmet needs.We also discuss the ongoing shift in SEO, the growing focus on LinkedIn, and the decline of traditional outbound sales tactics such as cold calling and cold emailing.Our conversation with Parthi offers valuable insights for SaaS CEOs, CMOs, and marketing and sales professionals in the B2B space.Key takeaways from this episode:The importance of getting context and relevance right before scaling itWhy cold calling and cold emailing no longer worksInsights on future opportunities for content on LinkedInOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 138 - Prioritizing and Enriching Data for SaaS Enterprise GTM Success - with Elio Narciso, Co-Founder & CEO at Scalestack

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2024 36:01


The ability to leverage data and prioritize sales and marketing efforts is essential to the success of enterprises with broad addressable markets.Recognizing the struggles enterprises face in managing vast amounts of data, this week's SaaS Backwards podcast guest Elio Narciso, saw an opportunity to improve how sales reps identify targets and prioritize their efforts.Elio is the Co-founder and CEO of Scalestack, an all-in-one data enrichment, prioritization, and activation platform that allows go-to-market teams to easily map GTM data from many different sources to their ideal customer profile and their sales engine. In this episode, Elio gives us a look into Scalestack's origins. He recounts his background in advising startups at AWS and how it led him to uncover pockets of inefficiency in their go-to-market motions, such as a productivity gap for sales reps and a general dissatisfaction that companies have with their data.Throughout this episode, Elio reflects on lessons from his past ventures, addresses common sales and marketing challenges, and highlights Scalestack's mission and capabilities.Key takeaways from this episode:How hiring well is essential for scaling startups and managing that scaleWhy focusing on enterprise clients can be advantageous for a startupStrategy for building partnerships to reach more potential customersOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 137 - Why SaaS Companies Should Unify GTM under the CRO - with Cliff Simon, CRO of Carabiner Group

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2024 27:04


Consolidating sales and marketing into the office of the CRO might be a controversial topic, but it can be healthy for demand and sales functions to become enmeshed.In this episode of the SaaS Backwards podcast, our guest Cliff Simon, CRO of Carabiner Group, explains how aligning demand and sales functions can create a more cohesive and effective go-to-market strategy.Cliff shares his belief that companies need to have a unified leader at the very top of everything go-to-market. He breaks down how sales and marketing are two sides of the same coin, and why looking at everything through a revenue lens is critical for success.We also discuss Cliff's collaboration with Nick Toman, author of The Challenger Customer and Carabiner Group's Chief Product and Strategy Officer. Cliff highlights Nick's expertise in market research, referencing his latest report, "Commercial Success in 2025 Hinges on GTM Strategy."Topics covered in this episode include the evolution of enterprise sales as SaaS companies scale, achieving capital efficiency in go-to-market strategies, and measuring progress in enterprise sales.Looking for ways Carabiner Group can boost your Revenue Operations? Check out the GTM Tech Stack Audit and Analysis Workbook—a valuable resource for mapping the relationship between your GTM strategies and technology stack.Key takeaways from this episode:Advantages of combining sales and marketing under the office of the CROThe state of go-to-market and insights on how to achieve capital efficiencyHow to measure progress in the enterprise saleOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 136 - Going Back to Personality-Driven Sales in SaaS - with Alex Grace, Founder & CEO of Velocity Sales Consulting

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2024 35:43


With all the current tools and technology available to salespeople, many have naturally slipped into a less personal approach than what used to be the norm. As a result, their calls and emails are ignored, and they struggle to get quality leads.This highlights the need to go “back to the future,” or back to the basics, and adopt a personality-driven, people-forward sales approach to cut through the noise.In this episode, we spoke with Alex Grace, the founder and CEO of Velocity Sales Consulting, about his process when coming into a company as a new sales leader or CRO and how he uncovers why things aren't going as planned.Alex calls this a welcome change in sales, stating, “You'll hang up on an SDR that's using a line, but you're not going to hang up on a person that sounds like a person.”Alex also discusses a common alignment issue between sales and marketing, noting that one can't exist without the other and how they should be like an old wrestling tag team, working together to reach a common goal.Overall, Alex shared valuable insights into stepping into a sales leadership role, people's innate ability to sell, the power of saying no, going back to the basics, and alignment between sales and marketing.Key takeaways from this episode:How to take advantage of top salespeople's skills to help other salespeople on the team to improveWhat KPIs matter and tracking what makes a meaningful conversationThe consolidation of sales and marketing leadership into the office of the CROOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 135 - Why B2B SaaS Companies Should Spend More on Brand - with Vinay Bhagat, Founder & CEO of TrustRadius

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2024 33:05


According to this year's B2B TrustRadius Buying Disconnect Report, where they surveyed 200 B2B brands and over 2000 tech buyers, 2024 is the “year of the brand crisis.”Across the board, brands are spending 38% on brand marketing and 53% on demand, which is understandable given the shorter time frame to justify ROI. The problem is that buyers make decisions based largely on who they're familiar with, so those who have established recognition and trust over time will be the winners. In this episode, we brought back TrustRadius CEO Vinay Bhagat, who discusses how to better integrate brand marketing with demand generation to develop that trust. Vinay also stressed the significance of the voice of the customer and the need to activate it across digital channels.Overall, Vinay shared valuable insights into B2B marketing, the critical role of brand and demand generation, and the strategic use of customer voice and intent data.Key takeaways from this episode:The significance of brand recognition in making the shortlist for buyersInsights on generating organic traffic by leveraging high-quality user-generated contentThe varying importance of product demos in the sales processOther resources to check out:Our Previous Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 134 - Measuring Marketing Effectiveness: Strategies and Insights for SaaS Success - with Steve Oriola, CEO of Unbounce

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2024 30:53


In this episode of the SaaS Backwards Podcast, we spoke with Steve Oriola, CEO of Unbounce, a landing page platform empowering marketers by combining their expertise with AI insights to create and optimize high-converting marketing campaigns. Steve discussed Unbounce's recent acquisition of Insightly, a robust CRM with advanced AI and machine learning capabilities that addresses the needs of mid-sized organizations. He explained how this merger aims to break down silos between marketing and sales, focusing on the entire customer journey rather than departmental divisions.In this episode, Steve shared his extensive experience in the SaaS industry, particularly in marketing and sales applications, and discussed his role in partnering with founders to help them realize their visions. Steve provided insights into potential partnerships with investors as a CEO candidate. He explained that the right investor should have at least one of three things: operating experience, strong pattern recognition, or deference to the operator.The conversation also touched on capital efficiency in go-to-market strategies. Steve emphasized the need for early investments in marketing and sales to get the flywheel effect, leading to long-term efficiency and growth. CEOs and CMOs of SaaS companies and founders considering partnering with investors or bringing in a CEO to help scale their business will find this episode relevant and insightful.Key takeaways from this episode:The significance of brand equity in driving business success, especially in competitive marketsThe role of AI in marketing and sales software and the value of machine learning applications in optimizing tasks and decision-makingThe importance of founders partnering with experienced CEOs to scale their businesses effectivelyOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 133 - Why Efficient B2B SaaS Advertising Requires a Holistic Approach

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2024 29:27


Paid advertising is often one of the largest budget items for SaaS companies, making it a critical channel for facilitating sales and driving growth.In this episode of the SaaS Backwards Podcast, we flipped the script and had our very own Ken Lempit, President and Chief Business Builder at Austin Lawrence Group, as the guest. Ken shared his insights on the challenges SaaS companies face in achieving capital efficiency in their go-to-market strategies, particularly focusing on advertising.Our conversation explores the prospect experience as a foundational element of successful advertising campaigns. Ken discusses key areas where companies have the most control and can significantly impact the prospect experience, including optimizing landing pages and providing sales reps with proper training and resources.This episode highlights the significance of taking a holistic approach to advertising strategy, continuous optimization, and being hands-on with internal teams and external agencies to ensure advertising budgets are spent effectively.Ken's insights into diagnosing issues within existing campaigns and media spend and his actionable tips for optimizing advertising performance make this episode an invaluable resource for SaaS marketing leaders and CEOs.Key takeaways from this episode:A holistic model for understanding where advertising touches across the business and how to view all elements that contribute to successful advertisingInsights into how to diagnose problems in current campaignsThe importance of looking at the entire prospect experience and optimizing landing pages and follow-up processesOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 132 - Overcoming SaaS Sales Challenges in Financial Institutions - with Will Robinson, CEO at Encapture

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2024 30:37


To drive sales and growth, SaaS companies need to have clear messaging, target the right prospects, and leverage industry expertise.In this episode of the SaaS Backwards Podcast, we spoke with Will Robinson, CEO of Encapture, a platform specializing in intelligent document processing for industries like banking, lending, and insurance. Will discussed the challenges associated with selling to highly regulated banking institutions and his strategies for overcoming them, emphasizing the importance of building a strong business case and navigating complex decision-making processes.Our conversation also touched on Encapture's journey of shifting from a professional services model to a SaaS model, including the changes in culture, sales strategies, marketing approaches, and the integration of AI technology into their product. In this episode, Will provides valuable insights for SaaS CEOs on marketing tactics, targeting prospects, and the value of clear and simple messaging.Key takeaways from this episode:Strategies for navigating the complex sales cycle in financial institutionsEffective marketing strategies for generating leads and building credibilityHow SaaS leaders can build trust with potential buyers through simple and relatable messagingOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 131 - Scaling SaaS Companies: SEO Strategies, ICP Expansion, & Product Marketing - with Janet Jaiswal, Global VP of Marketing at Blueshift

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2024 32:11


Listen, assess, plan, execute, iterate. This week's podcast guest Janet Jaiswal outlines these as the essential steps in developing and implementing successful marketing strategies in the SaaS industry.Janet Jaiswal is Blueshift's Global VP of Marketing and has 20 years of experience in B2B SaaS marketing, working with companies like IBM, eBay, and PayPal. In this episode of SaaS Backwards, she discusses her expertise in scaling companies through effective go-to-market strategies and the importance of process, technology, and skill sets at different stages of a company's growth. In our conversation, Janet provides insights into the relationship between SEO and content marketing, the importance of identifying and refining the Ideal Customer Profile, and the critical role of product marketing in driving alignment between marketing and product management. Overall, this episode provides a comprehensive look at the strategies and tactics that SaaS marketing leaders can use to drive growth and enhance profitability for their organizations.Key takeaways from this episode:The changing landscape of search engine algorithms and the importance of prioritizing content that conveys value quicklyThe challenges and opportunities of ICP expansion and insights into the processWhy product marketing is crucial when scaling a SaaS companyMore Resources from Janet Jaiswal:Masterclass on Product Marketing: A deep-dive into Product Marketing for B2B SaaS scale-upsDefining your ICP: Discover the optimal approach to identifying your true target marketOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 130 - Building and Leveraging Communities for SaaS B2B Success - with Kathleen Booth, SVP of Marketing and Growth at Pavilion

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2024 43:12


A community can be a "cheat code" for rapid learning and career advancement, and this week's guest knows that better than most.In this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Kathleen Booth, SVP of Marketing and Growth at Pavilion, the world's largest private community for go-to-market leaders. Our conversation explores the concept of community-led growth and how Pavilion encourages this by providing a platform for members to grow their network, sharpen their skills, and develop lifelong connections. Overall, Kathleen provides valuable insights into the intersection of community, social media, and growth strategies for SaaS companies. Key takeaways from this episode:The importance of community-led growth for SaaS companies and strategies for leveraging communities to drive growth and engagementHow CEOs and marketing leaders can use social media to build relationships, drive pipeline, and engage with prospectsThe challenges executives face in prioritizing social media efforts and the need to shift from viewing social media as a "nice to have" to a "must have" for business growthThis episode is ideal for SaaS CEOs, CMOs, and marketing professionals looking to leverage community-led growth strategies, enhance their LinkedIn presence, and drive pipeline through organic and personalized outreach.Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 129 - Scaling SaaS: Shifting from PLG to Enterprise - with Juan Jaysingh, CEO of Zingtree

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2024 30:24


The transition from product-led growth (PLG) to an enterprise sales motion is a strategic shift that many SaaS companies are making in order to accelerate growth and enhance profitability. This transition is driven by a variety of factors, including the need to scale, reach new markets, and meet the evolving needs of customers. In this episode of the SaaS Backwards Podcast, we had the pleasure of hosting Juan Jaysingh, founder and CEO of Zingtree, an AI-enabled customer experience automation platform.Juan provided insights into why and how his company made the shift from a PLG model to an enterprise sales motion, emphasizing the need to focus on large enterprise customers who benefit the most from Zingtree's complex, no-code workflow solutions. In our conversation, Juan detailed the challenges and organizational changes required to make this transition, including adjustments in personnel, product development, and customer service.Juan's experience and insights provide valuable lessons for CEOs, CMOs, and other professionals in the SaaS industry looking to understand the challenges and strategies involved in transitioning from a product-led growth model to an enterprise sales motion.Key takeaways from this episode:Challenges and considerations for SaaS companies transitioning from PLG to enterprise salesHow to improve customer experience by providing SaaS solutions that can be implemented quickly and show immediate impactHow Zingtree incorporates AI into its platform to enhance customer support workflows and provide relevant information to agentsOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 128 - From PLG to Enterprise: Strategic Shifts in SaaS Marketing - with Karen Budell, CMO at Totango + Catalyst

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2024 30:33


Transitioning from a Product-Led Growth (PLG) motion to an enterprise sales motion requires strategic alignment and effective change management within a SaaS Marketing team.In this week's episode, we discussed the challenges and considerations in this transition with Karen Budell, the CMO of Totango + Catalyst, two SaaS software companies collaborating to drive sustainable revenue through customer relationships. Budell highlights the significance of grasping the nuances of the buyer's journey and understanding the shift in market dynamics when transitioning from a PLG approach to targeting enterprise customers.She also focuses on the importance of change management during this transition and tackling challenges head-on to ensure a successful integration and go-to-market strategy. She likened it to moving in with a partner and combining belongings, emphasizing the necessity of open and honest conversations within the team.This episode also touches on the importance of thought leadership and the role of written content, industry events, and proprietary events in marketing. Executives involved in mergers and acquisitions within the SaaS industry and marketing professionals interested in transitioning marketing strategies from PLG to enterprise sales will find value in Karen's insights.Key takeaways from this episode:Why early learnings, customer feedback, and market insights are essential for crafting a successful merger strategyThe crucial role thought leadership plays in influencing the buying committeeThe need for alignment, transparency, and clear communication in agency relationshipsOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 126 - ​​Driving SaaS Growth with Audience Research - with Rand Fishkin, Co-Founder of SparkToro

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2024 32:21


With the growing frustration among marketers with traditional pay-per-click and social media advertising, what can a SaaS CMO do to get their message in front of the right people at the right time?In this episode of the SaaS Backwards Podcast, Co-Founder and CEO of SparkToro Rand Fishkin joins us to discuss how they're solving this problem by providing valuable data on where to reach target audiences outside major platforms like Google and Facebook. SparkToro is a market research and audience intelligence tool designed to help small and medium businesses, independent entrepreneurs, and challenger brands uncover the publications and people influencing their target audiences.Rand discusses the challenges and opportunities in the current marketing landscape, emphasizing the need to return to traditional media planning and the importance of investing in sources of influence beyond the big platforms. He also touches on the recent leak of Google's Content Warehouse API and its implications for SEO, stressing the importance of earning media and retaining valuable content creators.Our conversation with Rand covers audience research, marketing strategies, team building, content marketing, AI impact, SEO, and predictions for the future of marketing. This episode provides a wealth of insights for SaaS CEOs and CMOs looking to navigate the evolving marketing landscape and leverage audience research to drive growth. Key takeaways from this episode:How having known and trusted team members, like co-founders, can reduce risk and improve the success of a startupThe importance of thought leadership in content marketing and the need to create content that resonates with amplifiers, not just customersSEO and link-building strategies and the importance of focusing on quality links from pages that receive traffic rather than just acquiring links from various domainsOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 125 - Harnessing the Power of Network Effects in SaaS Growth - with Doug Heckmann, Chief Solutions Officer at Surefront

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2024 37:01


Utilizing the network effect by onboarding partners of customers simultaneously can lead to organic growth and increased platform adoption in SaaS companies. In this episode, Doug Heckman, Chief Solutions Officer at Surefront, discusses how they leveraged the network effect to drive and accelerate the adoption of their collaborative platform. By providing a no-cost license to every partner of their customers and handling the onboarding and training process at their own expense, Surefront facilitated a seamless transition for all parties involved. Doug also highlights his passion for solving "unsexy" but critical problems in the industry. The conversation provides deep insights into Surefront's journey, challenges, and innovative strategies to achieve success.This episode is ideal for individuals involved in enterprise software solutions and CEOs and CMOs of B2B SaaS firms looking for strategies to drive their businesses forward and accelerate growth.Key takeaways from this episode:How a deep commitment to customer success, especially at the enterprise level, can drive outsized growth and reputational benefitsStrategies to push customers off the status quo, including demonstrating the ROI of adopting a solution and highlighting the costs of doing nothingHow focusing on decision support content and targeting customers further down the buying cycle can lead to more impactful SaaS marketing effortsOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 124 - From Content Overload to Quality: The Future of SaaS Thought Leadership

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2024 33:22


The role of thought leadership is changing in content marketing, especially for SaaS companies. In this special episode hosted by Jason Myers, our usual host Ken Lempit, President and Chief Strategist of Austin Lawrence, takes the guest seat to dive deep into the evolving landscape of content marketing and thought leadership for SaaS companies. Ken and Jason discuss the shift towards creating high-quality, credible content that can truly engage and move prospects off their status quo, driven by an increasing demand for authenticity and value from consumers.The duo also delves into the importance of meaningful conversations and the need for sales and marketing teams to work closely together. They emphasize the value of understanding buyer motivations to refine messaging and go-to-market strategies and create content that addresses their specific problems and needs.Ken and Jason's insightful discussion covers thought leadership, content marketing, outbound sales motions, integrated marketing and sales approaches, and the changing landscape of B2B advertising. This episode is ideal for CMOs, CEOs, and SaaS industry sales professionals looking to accelerate growth, enhance profitability, and drive meaningful conversations with their target audience. Key takeaways from this episode:How to effectively attract and engage prospects with thought leadership contentWhy SaaS companies should reassess their content strategies in favor of how-to guides, infographics, and in-person experiencesHow to adapt to the increased necessity of paid promotion and advertisingOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 123 - Mastering SaaS Growth: Insights from a Fractional CMO - With Amy Osmond Cook, Co-Founder & CMO at Fullcast

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2024 33:51


In SaaS companies, there's a need for sales and marketing teams to work together closely toward common goals and understand each other's perspectives.Amy Osmond Cook, co-founder and CMO at Fullcast recognizes this need. Fullcast's platform ensures all teams can access the same data to establish seamless communication and strategic alignment, eliminating revenue pain points and improving overall business efficiency.In this episode, Amy shares her journey from running a marketing agency to co-founding Fullcast and her experience as a woman in the C-Suite, offering advice to her younger self and women executives.Amy also dives into her extensive experiences as a fractional CMO and the advantages it offers SaaS startups, such as cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and the ability to scale operations up or down as needed.This episode is ideal for SaaS CEOs, CMOs, and startup founders looking to optimize their revenue operations, align sales and marketing efforts, and gain insights into the benefits of fractional CMO leadership.Key takeaways from this episode:The positive impact of effective revenue operations on SaaS companiesHow effective marketing in early stages can accelerate growth and ensure long-term success for SaaS startupsThe importance of perseverance and adaptability for women in leadership positionsOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 122 - From SaaS Startup to Restaurant Revolution - with Dave Dittenber, CEO & Co-Founder of BYOD

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2024 35:08


Building a strong foundation is essential for long-term business success, especially when faced with unexpected challenges. We spoke with Dave Dittenber, Co-Founder and CEO of BYOD, who faced the ultimate challenge with the unexpected passing of his Co-Founder, Frank Luijckx. He recounts the loss and emphasizes how Frank's forward-thinking and meticulous planning had a lasting positive impact on the business's trajectory and contributed to its continued success.In this episode, Dave shares his remarkable journey from starting as a dishwasher at age 12 to becoming the CEO of a cutting-edge AI company that powers Mabel, the first virtual restaurant assistant. He also provides personal insights into the challenges and strategies of funding a tech startup, stressing the importance of prudent financial planning and maintaining investor confidence through transparency and strategic growth.Key takeaways from this episode:How active participation in industry associations offers key insights, connections, and mentorship for software entrepreneursHow transparency with investors helps build trust and drive business growthThe importance of thorough documentation, recovery plans, and strategic playbooksOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 121 - Beginning a SaaS business with the end in mind - with Jeremy Lessaris, CEO of Payment Brokers

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2024 36:46


Building a business with the intention of a future sale requires meticulous planning and organization from the outset. In this episode, Payment Brokers Founder and CEO Jeremy Lessaris, a serial founder with multiple successful exits, emphasizes the importance of the early organization of books, records, contracts, and agreements as a critical factor in boosting valuation and streamlining the exit process.Jeremy also stresses the significance of maintaining a well-organized data room for due diligence during a business sale. He recommends creating a dashboard with KPIs and metrics to provide a clear overview of the company's performance and demonstrate the business's progress to potential buyers.Throughout this episode, Jeremy explains how SaaS entrepreneurs can position their companies for a seamless exit process and maximize their valuation when it comes time to sell.Key takeaways from this episode:Focusing on revenue generation early Keeping costs low while striving to reach revenue milestonesThe value of mentorship in helping entrepreneurs navigate business challengesOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 114 - Beyond “Drift but Cheaper”: Inside Alan Zhao's Strategic Pivot to Category Creation for Warmly

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2024 38:26


As a startup with shaky product market fit, prospective customers often want to associate you with a mature category so they can determine where it might fit in their tech stack—or not.But for Warmly, the existing categories represented only a small subset of their capabilities—albeit cheaper than the mature tools.And they couldn't just settle for being known as "Drift but cheaper.”In this episode, Alan Zhao details his transition from CTO to marketing chief, a move that was pivotal in steering Warmly's narrative away from established market constructs and taking control over the narrative that would differentiate itself from the myriad of sales tools on the market.Other key takeaways from this episode:The pros and cons of “category creation” to set yourself apart from competitors.The importance of tailoring your message to address specific pain points for each segment.How to better understand the buyer journey of the 95% of those who visit your website but don't fill out a form.Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 113 – The Art of Enterprise Sales – with Brian Burns, host of the Brutal Truth about Sales Podcast

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2024 29:44


As a seasoned sales expert and popular sales podcaster, Brian Burns has more than a few opinions about how companies are selling to the enterprise today.Most notably, because reps haven't been taught the difference, they try to make up for the lack of pipeline by increasing outreach activity.That may have worked in 2011 when the Predictable Revenue Model gained prominence (and our inboxes weren't flooded with sales pitches). But today, the compartmentalization of prospecting and closing won't result in more complex deals, where decisions are ruled by committees and often end in “no decision.”In this episode, Burns talks about how today's reps should be learning about selling in the enterprise, such as working with champions and how to continuously move the deal forward.Key takeaways from this episode:Why much of the complex deal is counterintuitive and relies on guiding the sale instead of reacting.Why measuring outcomes that lead to revenue generation is more important than tracking activities that may not directly contribute to sales.Why you shouldn't hire salespeople based on their Rolodex (or industry connections for the youngsters).Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 112 - Stumbling onto product market fit by accident – with Morten Poulsen, CEO of Plytix

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2024 36:07


Originally, the founders of Plytix set out to create an analytics platform for e-commerce that measured the performance of a product (instead of a website) so brands could see how end users interact with them, even when sold on a third-party website. But even after positive early traction and investment, they were stalled—many of the brands didn't have their product information at the ready.So, they built a simple source of truth—a Product Information Management (PIM) so they could get access to the product information that they needed. As it turns out, that was the larger need from SMBs—a PIM they could afford. After realizing the broader market opportunity, Plytix leaders made some hard choices and pivoted. Key takeaways from this episode:The nuances of being a European-based SaaS targeting the US marketThe importance of understanding the customer creation engine before implementing an attribution model.The challenges of scaling beyond the ceiling of just in-market leads.Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 111 - How cultivating connections in a hybrid world positively affects collaboration and retention - with Jonathan Fields, CEO & Co-founder of Assembly

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2024 33:54


Having moved from a miserable culture in investment banking to an incredibly positive one at tech startup ZipRecruiter, Jonathan Fields learned early in his career the profound impact culture has on an organization.So inspired, in fact, that he and his co-founders worked nights and weekends to create a platform that could make those elements scalable and easy for companies to adopt.The result is Assembly, a platform that focuses on creating opportunities for coworkers to connect beyond work-related tasks has enhanced the overall employee experience and fostered a sense of community within organizations.Initially, when they surveyed people about what they want from work culture, there weren't a lot of surprises: they want to feel recognized, appreciated, and acknowledged for their hard work. They also want mentorship and career development opportunities.But as companies moved to more hybrid work during the pandemic (and remain so today), one new concept dwarfed the others in comparison: the “work best friend.”So, to emulate those types of interactions in their platform (beyond Zoom happy hours), they created channels for culture ideas, such as pets, volunteering, and favorite company moments channels, to facilitate interactions between coworkers beyond work-related tasks.Profitable since day one, Assembly has successfully positioned itself as a thought leader by focusing on content development early and today has attracted $14.5M in funding.Key takeaways from this episode:How investing in thought leadership and content creation early helped establish credibility and drove sales inbound.How to position your SaaS as a “must have” versus a “nice-to-have”The importance of researching the landscape, competitors, and buyers before diving into a venture.Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 110 – The Dangerous 8 mistakes SaaS companies make in their messaging

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2024 30:26


Are you making one or more of these mistakes in your messaging? Given the number of websites that we review regularly, chances are that you are—and that means leaving revenue on the table.In this episode, Ken and Jason from Austin Lawrence Group discuss the eight common mistakes that SaaS companies make with real life examples.So if you're revisiting messaging and content strategy this year, or you're frustrated with the quality of leads coming through your website, this episode is for you.A few key takeaways:How to avoid making vague statements that cause cognitive dissonance with some prospective buyers.Why you shouldn't lead with AI Why it's crucial to gain problem agreement by clearly identifying and addressing the problem they're trying to solve.Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

How to Win
Disrupting the B2B Marketplace -- with TrustRadius's Vinay Bhagat

How to Win

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2024 25:45


This week on How To Win: Vinay Bhagat of TrustRadius, revolutionizing B2B software buying with in-depth user reviews. You'll hear how TrustRadius overcame the challenge of creating a trusted review platform in a saturated market, the strategic decisions that led to successful monetization, and the importance of focusing on quality over quantity to cater to both software vendors and buyers.Key Points:[00:02:30] - Inspiration behind your business model?[00:03:15] - Tackling initial cold start problem?[00:04:00] - Scaling outreach effectively?[00:05:15] - Competitive landscape at inception?[00:08:45] - Monetization through content syndication?[00:10:00] - No initial go-to-market strategy?[00:13:30] - Differentiation strategy in sales?[00:14:15] - Building a differentiated audience?[00:15:00] - Creating a buyer-centric platform?[00:18:00] - Strategy for targeting large tech companies?[00:18:45] - Focus on thought leadership and content?[00:19:45] - Advice for B2B founders?[00:20:15] - Balancing bootstrap with funding?[00:24:30] - TrustRadius's keys to winning?Mentioned:Vinay BhagatTrustRadius.comVinay Bhagat's XMy Links:Twitter / XLinkedInWebsiteWynterSpeeroCXL

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 109 – Should you outsource the SDR function? With Gabriel Lullo, CEO of Alleyoop

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2024 32:10


Business development poses big challenges for today's SaaS.It becomes twice as ineffective every year as people learn how to ignore you.And it's such a grind that it's hard to find good people who want to stick with the sales development rep (SDR) position over the long term.To get engagement on the phone today takes the right experience, technology, and triggers.That's why we sat down with Gabriel Lullo, CEO of Alleyoop, an outsourced SDR service that specializes in lead generation and relationship management to talk about the future of outbound prospecting and whether or not it's a good idea to outsource this function.They realize that clients may want to move this function in-house, and so they train their SDRs to eventually take a full-time position in that role.Key takeaways from this episode: While cold calling is not dead, the skill sets required to make it work are paramount—they must be prepared, sound human, and sell the appointment rather than the product.Whether through marketing or an SDR function, nurturing leads is critical to long-term success and will probably not be done adequately by an account executive on quota.Gabe also shares his vision for the future of SDR, where nurturing and following up with leads will continue to be crucial, and where AI will serve as an enhancement rather than a replacement for human interaction.Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 108 - Can better relationships save publishers? With Dan Rua, CEO of Admiral

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2024 33:50


We've all been frustrated by those pesky ads that pop up when trying to read an article.We understand that publishers are trying to capture more of that lost ad revenue, but the solution is not to create such a poor experience that it drives consumers away. And the rise of ad blockers is not the only problem for publishers. The decline of traditional tracking methods due to privacy regulations and browser changes, such as the death of the cookie, threatens the business model even more. Dan Rua, CEO of Admiral, believes that both publishers and visitors need to care more about each other. Through their Visitor Relationship Management platform (VRM), publishers can offer visitors different value exchanges based on their preferences, such as ad-free experiences, email relationships, or subscriptions. The results for publishers are a no-brainer, receiving an almost immediate return on investment for many. Other key takeaways from this episode:Focus on solving specific problems first – Admiral started with ad block recovery as their beachhead and became the best in the world.How they went from founder-led sales to a scalable machine once they'd achieved product-market fit.The benefits of having a strong product team as founders and how they understood everything that's needed to contribute to revenue early on. Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 107 - SaaS Marketing Predictions for 2024

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2024 27:49


In this episode, SaaS Backwards host Ken Lempit switches places to the guest seat to discuss upcoming trends in SaaS marketing for the new year and what companies will have to do to be successful.Ken is the Chief Strategist of the Austin Lawrence Group, a growth marketing agency specializing in B2B SaaS, and has a 30-year track record in software marketing.The key areas discussed include:As outbound prospecting gets harder, how will companies be successful?How will sales and marketing KPIs shift toward more meaningful measurements?Will traditional techniques like postal mail and custom publishing make a comeback?And will generative AI take its place as a tool instead of a replacement for people?Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 106 - Pricing as a lever for growth - with Patrick Meegan, Senior Partner at Maple Street Advisors

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2024 34:00


Pricing is often the most overlooked “P” in the SaaS marketing mix. We see it in our marketing practice often.Companies may be averse to raising prices for fear of losing customers, focusing on other priorities like product development, or simply don't understand the impact on the business.In this episode, we caught up with Pat Meegan, Senior Partner at Maple Street Advisors, who talks about assessing the opportunity for pricing growth regularly by looking at four key indicators: Leadership doesn't have a clear pricing strategy that everyone can point to and have confidence in.Inactivity in pricing for a significant period (six months to a year).Market data that indicates the potential for better pricing or an optimized pricing structure.Value-added to the product without corresponding pricing adjustmentsAnd given the risks such as customer churn or dissatisfaction, Meegan provides insights into how companies can approach pricing to drive growth and satisfy both their customers and investors.Key Takeaways from this episode:How to evaluate a DIY approach to pricing or bringing in an external advisorHow to determine if pricing is a lever you can pull for growth and profitabilityHow to pressure test new pricing strategies to mitigate churn riskOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free content audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 105 - Finding product-market fit with Anvil Co-Founder Mang-Git Ng.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2023 27:56


When going through a repetitive and time-consuming mortgage application process in 2017, Mang-Git Ng was surprised that the process wasn't automated.He realized that there were many industries that still operated in the internet dark ages and that moving all these PDFs and paper documents to online forms could solve a major problem.But after he and his co-founder had built their initial product, they struggled to gain traction, especially with limited sales and marketing experience. Through much experimentation, they started identifying patterns in their customer base and certain industries (like human resources workforce management and insurance) that had a need for generating, processing, and signing documents, and their product was a great solution. By focusing on these verticals, Anvil was able to deeply understand the challenges and language used in these industries, allowing them to speak to their target customers more effectively. Six years later, Anvil is a seven-figure ARR SaaS company that has raised $10M in funding.Key takeaways from this episode:Finding patterns in your customer base that can be exploited for niche-based sellingHow to sell to companies that are resistant to changeWhy you should focus on sales and marketing early in the processOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 104 - Strategies for Maximizing Value in SaaS Exits– with Marty Magida, Managing Director of Berkery, Noyes & Co.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2023 31:08


Because of the challenges in the current financing environment and the cautious approach of strategic buyers and private equity firms for SaaS companies, we invited Marty Magida on to discuss practical strategies to enhance company value and navigate the complexities of the M&A market.Magida is the managing director of Berkery, Noyes & Co an independent investment bank providing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory to middle-market leaders in the global information, software, services, and technology industries.Marty advises listeners to stay informed about industry trends, cultivate relationships with potential buyers, and pay attention to the metrics that drive acquisitions.It's a must listen for all SaaS leaders that plan to raise funding, exit the business or participate in a merger or acquisition.Key Takeaways from this episode:Manage risk profile by reducing concentration and striving to be asset light.Improve consistency of results by focusing on recurring revenue and making it costly for customers to switch.Maximize value by building a strong management team, ensuring reliable financial reporting, and cultivating relationships with potential buyers.Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 103 – First getting agreement on a problem worth solving – with Chuck Fuerst, CMO of ReverseLogix

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2023 32:20


You've probably never thought about what goes on behind the scenes when you return a product, but there's a lot to it. In this episode of the SaaS Backwards podcast, Chuck Fuerst, CMO at ReverseLogix, gives a look behind the scenes at some of the challenges and opportunities in the returns management system category.And because it's so complicated, their go-to-market strategy requires problem agreement to be considered. And because companies enter different stages of problem awareness, the company has adopted a modular approach to pricing and packaging that allows them to take advantage of a land-and-expand strategy. Overall, the Fuerst emphasizes their need to stay close to customers, understand their pain points, and deliver value through a comprehensive solution that addresses their needs one step at a time.Key Takeaways from this episode:How active listening shapes their messaging and positioning Building credibility and validation through analyst relationsHow ReverseLogix takes a modular approach to pricing to fit their land and expand strategyOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 101 - A dedicated finance team in your pocket for a flat monthly fee - with Swapnil Shinde, CEO of Zeni

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2023 16:58


As a CEO, you probably don't care much about how your accounting and bookkeeping is done.But you do want insights you can drive once your month is closed out. Burn rate and cash flow comes to mind.At the Ascent conference in New York, we caught up with Swapnil Shinde, CEO of Zeni, a SaaS that claims to have the world's first finance operations platform for startups that includes intelligent bookkeeping, accounting, and CFO services.Key Takeaways:When it comes to defining ICP, the sharper the knife, the faster it cutsFinding the right accounting software mix for startupsThe state of AI technology being used to drive accounting insights fasterOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 102 - How to use win/loss data to close deals faster – with Spencer Dent, founder of Clozd

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2023 13:15


You may have noticed that deals today take longer to close and scrutinized heavily. So, what do SaaS companies need to do?Spencer Dent, Founder of Clozd says to make sure you understand the how the decision-making process, people involved, and priorities have changed. And since the CFO plays a bigger role, it's less about ease of integration and more about the bottom line—and you'd better be ready to prove it.Key takeaways:Are ROI calculators worth it anymore? With people caring more about potential loss versus gain.Determining the narrative customers must believe for your solution to be a good decision.How should win/loss analysis impact your positioning and messaging. Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 100 – Where thought leadership is falling short with today's customer and how to fix it - with Brent Adamson, co-author of the Challenger Sale and Challenger Customer.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2023 36:33


For our 100th episode, we're excited to interview Brent Adamson, the global head of research with Ecosystems, a SaaS platform for collaborative customer value management that helps its users quantify and align with customers based on the value being delivered.Adamson is most known as the co-author of the books The Challenger Sale and The Challenger Customer. And as marketers, both books have been instrumental in shaping our view of content development as an agency and the role it plays in furthering the B2B sales process.But with everyone trying to teach customers something new and lead with insights (whether they've read Challenger or not) the overall impact on customers is less likely to enlightenment, and more likely to overwhelm. So, instead of seeing your content and thinking, “Oh wow, I've got to do something different,” they're thinking, “Oh no, here's another thing I have to worry about.”Adamson takes the role of content a step further in this episode, explaining that both the marketing and sales process today not must only build trust for the supplier, but also within the prospect's mind so that they can accomplish the implementation on their end. Key takeaways from this episode:Why B2B marketers should focus on creating a collaborative and value-based conversation with customers, rather than simply presenting ROI calculations, and generating content.Why it's important to help customers feel confident in their decision-making process by providing context, connecting them to relevant content, and addressing their concerns about implementation.Empathy is a crucial skill for salespeople, as understanding how customers think about their business and helping them feel better about themselves can lead to successful sales outcomes.Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 99 – The data-driven, revenue-focused marketing leader – with Brandee Sanders, CMO of Revenue.io

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2023 19:46


Coming from sales positions where she's carried quotas, Brandee Sanders knows what having skin in the game for marketers looks like.    And it's not tracking MQLs or developing a strong tech stack.   It does look like examining the data to find repeatable opportunities for sales pipeline.   In other words, do we truly know how and why closed/won opportunities entered our orbit and what motivated them to take action to purchase?   According to Sanders, the disconnect is that “Most marketers just roll over in the morning and say, ‘Hey, I have a great idea for a campaign.' They won't look back and say, retrospectively, ‘Is this at a target audience that we know is an ICP? Is this going to be the type of content that even performs for us? Are we going to do a video when, like, 99.9% of closed/won came through a webinar or a podcast?'”   As the new CMO of Revenue.io, Sanders immediately got entrenched in the data to find opportunities for repeatable processes that would fuel her roadmap to success.   Key Takeaways from this episode:    ·  How to build a roadmap to ensure your success as a new CMO/marketing leader·  Where AI is today in analyzing sales conversations and delivering real-time insights·  How the role of the CMO is evolving to become more data-driven and revenue-focused  Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publish a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 98 - How to operationalize strategic initiatives digitally - with Ulf Arnetz, CEO of Howwe

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2023 33:06


Strategic initiatives often get de-railed when CEOs delegate them instead of taking ownership. This lack of clarity can lead to confusion and lack of focus throughout the organization.That's the problem Ulf Arnetz is solving through his Swedish-based company Howwe, a SaaS enterprise platform for CEOs to orchestrate and operationalize strategy implementation at every level of their organization.The platform allows CEOs to prioritize goals, track progress and align teams towards achieving revenue and profit targets.And like most, his entrepreneurial journey wasn't a straight line.Check out the full episode where Ulf teaches us the importance of solving specific problems, focusing on measurable results, starting from the bottom, embracing micro-delegation and more.Key Takeaways:·      Why success strategies rely on top-down micro-delegation where each level of the organization take ownership of their specific goals and initiatives·      How the company transitioned from consulting to a SaaS with 96% of their revenue coming from licensed subscriptions.·      A look into Sweden's entrepreneurial ecosystem - a great place to start and grow software companies.Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publish a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 97 - To ensure enterprise sales success today, you'd better sell the CFO – With Chris Orlob, Co-founder of pclub.io

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2023 19:10


Probably best known for helping Gong grow from $200K to $200M in five years, Chris Orlob talks about following his passion for helping people learn valuable sales skills through his new company pclub.io. (That's short for President's Club for non-salesy folks).But sales training wasn't the original focus.Originally, they started out to build a company called QuotaSignal that sold a hiring value proposition, but since hiring took a nosedive in the current economic climate, had been developing an online sales training course that took off. One of his biggest differentiators in his training is the focus on selling the CFO—and if you've paid attention to this year's TrustRadius report on the buyer/seller disconnect, you know that they're playing a bigger role in most enterprise purchases.Other key Takeaways from this episode:Why every SaaS should re-evaluate their pricing model on a regular basisHow to find the right buyers in an account, arm your champion, and write compelling business cases, and multi-thread.How they quickly grew their training through email, Linkedin and word-of-mouth.Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publish a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 96 - Can the attribution challenge be solved with today's tech? With Steffen Hedebrant, Co-founder and CMO of DreamData.io

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2023 17:19


The attribution problem has long been a challenge for marketers—probably first articulated by John Wannamaker when he said, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half.”It seemed like marketing tech had solved it (for a minute)—until buyers went and changed their behavior. So how do we map the customer journey today?That's where today's guest Steffen Hedebrandt, Co-Founder and CMO of DreamData.io comes in.DreamData is a B2B revenue attribution platform based in Denmark that helps companies understand how they acquire new customers by extracting data from various silos such as CRM systems, marketing automation systems, and websites, and creating clean customer journey maps.Key Takeaways:Focusing on customer success as a growth strategy.Expanding beyond Denmark to penetrate the US market.Understanding that the buyer doesn't know they're in a funnel. Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publish a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep 95 - How to find where your audience hangs out today – with Rand Fishkin, CEO of SparkToro

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2023 21:59


Seemingly not too long ago, searches for new products and services overwhelmingly started at Google. And it made sense to optimize for keywords, so you'd appear organically on page one.But things have changed—just a bit. And no one is more qualified to talk about those changes than our guest Rand Fishkin, CEO of SparkToro and formerly the founder of Moz. As Fishkin notes, today if you ask Google a question, over half the time they're going to give you a snippet with an answer. And as soon as generative AI for search gains prominence, that's going to be closer 80%.And even though search isn't dead, for most small cap SaaS businesses, spending too much money and effort on it is probably wasted. So where can today's SaaS find where its audience is hanging out? That's where SparkToro comes in and you can try it free on their homepage. Key takeaways from this episode:Why you shouldn't be too heavily influenced by investors. Why building and promoting tools might be a superior SEO strategy for SaaS.What the future of AI generated content might look like. Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publish a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 94 - Solving the Attribution Challenge - Christopher P. Willis shares his Global Active Awareness Scoring Methodology.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2023 40:27


Sales and marketing alignment was never a problem for Acrolinx, as evidenced by Christopher P. Willis' title: Chief Marketing & Pipeline Officer.Acrolinx is an AI-powered content marketing engine that integrates with content tools to provide real-time advice on brand, tone, clarity, compliance, and consistency. In this episode, Chris talks about the value of tracking engagement data and its usefulness for sales and introduces his Global Active Awareness Score (GAAS), a comprehensive methodology to measure awareness and attribution by tracking every touchpoint and interaction with the audience.It assigns points to each touchpoint based on its importance and impact, such as website visits, media coverage, social media engagement, and more. The goal is to track the movement of the GAAS number from month to month, identifying areas where awareness is growing or declining. By analyzing the GAAS, the marketing team can make informed decisions about their strategies and initiatives, holding team members accountable for their contributions to the overall awareness score.Key Takeaways:How to create alignment that ensures the creation, progression and future fueling of the pipeline.Why business development reps fall under marketing at Acrolinx and help track engagement over setting meetings.Insights into Chris's messaging development process as they launch the next generation of their product. Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publish a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 93 - Can you find gold in the data you're already collecting? - with Dan Miles, COO of TVEyes

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2023 36:19


Even in a very healthy business, you must keep looking for innovation.That's the gist of this episode's message with Dan Miles, Chief Operating Officer of TVEyes.TVEyes is a search engine for impactful video and audio measured by audience and level of information and newsworthiness. Historically, that was primarily broadcast TV and radio, but over the last few years as audiences migrated to online platforms like podcasts and streaming video, TVEyes has innovated its software platform to capture all the data. And AI is certainly playing a big role in that today. But even though their business is focused on data mining, Miles and host Ken Lempit talk about how companies should pay more attention to the data that they're collecting. It might be worth something.Key Takeaways The importance of alignment around pricing and packaging, especially as it extends through the sales process.How to scale marketing and sales efforts strategically.Why you should constantly reevaluate pricing strategies to stay competitive.Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publish a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Ep. 92 - Personalization at scale—can we finally get rid of the templates? With David Howard, VP Marketing at Buzzboard

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2023 32:34


We all know that personalization, context, and relevance are necessary to get a cold email opened.But that takes a lot of time and energy to customize each communication, and when only 3% of your target audience is in-market at any given time.And that's where Buzzboard comes in.The company has developed a platform that utilizes AI and proprietary data to create personalized content and conversation starters for sales organizations. This platform leverages a data set of 30 million businesses and 6,000 signals, allowing sales organizations to generate hyper-personalized content such as emails, cold call scripts, and social media messages.In this episode, David Howard, Buzzboard's VP of Marketing discusses how AI is helping sales reps minimize much of the research and strategizing work by analyzing prospects and generating a response. Key Takeaways from this episode:How aligning marketing and product teams has yielded an increase in engagement from customers and prospects.How shifting to shorter, product-centric content has helped potential customers visualize the benefits of driving more free-trial signups.Why Hyper-personalization is the future of sales and how AI is helping do it at scale. Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publish a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting.

The Official SaaStr Podcast: SaaS | Founders | Investors
SaaStr 613: How Top CMOs Drive Growth in the Age of the Self-Serve Buyer with Klaviyo SVP of Marketing Kady Srinivasan, Talkdesk CMO Kathie Johnson, SmartBear CMO Cynthia Gumbert and TrustRadius Founder and CEO Vinay Bhagat

The Official SaaStr Podcast: SaaS | Founders | Investors

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2022 27:26


To scale your business customers need to be at the center of all you do. The reason for your business is to solve their largest problems and be mission-critical to their success. If your customers succeed your business will too. However, what if you can't find or engage your target buyers? The way technology is bought and sold today has dramatically changed. The buyer's journey is not linear but something they want to control. According to Bain and Co study, 94% of prospective buyers are well informed about a product before ever engaging with a sales team. From our research at TrustRadius, virtually 100% of buyers want to self-serve, 58% of buyers say word-of-mouth is a top source for discovery and evaluation. We'll evaluate these buyer trends and provide strategies to find and win these new-age customers now and in the future.   Full video: https://youtu.be/eGL9ndS3Kmk   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the