Sales Strategies for Growing B2B SaaS Companies with Jakub Hon

In this episode, they discuss the value of consultants with multiple skill sets who can handle various aspects of a project, potentially replacing the need for multiple agency roles. Both hosts are consultants who bring multiple skill sets to a problem and can do the job of three or four people.

They also emphasize the importance of patience and taking the time to build out the infrastructure correctly. They suggest building outside the system and implementing technology after thoroughly whiteboarding and mirroring the go-to-market processes. By putting the system on paper and allowing for edits and fixes, companies can ensure a more efficient and effective implementation.

Additionally, They explore the connection between marketing and sales in go-to-market strategies. Successful companies are those where sales and marketing work together seamlessly. This highlights the need for collaboration and alignment between these two departments to achieve optimal results.

Overall, the episode emphasizes that designing a solid infrastructure for go-to-market strategies is crucial and should not be rushed. Taking the time to gather accurate data, design processes, and ensure collaboration between marketing and sales will lead to more successful go-to-market efforts.

[00:00:09] Working with contractors and advisors.

[00:03:27] Reputation and credibility.

[00:06:01] Bounce rate and email deliverability.

[00:10:57] SDRs and email credit scores.

[00:12:15] Automating MQL to opportunity to close.

[00:15:10] Conversion and volume in marketing.

[00:18:10] The North Star.

[00:22:38] Consultants overpowering agencies.

[00:24:29] Single point solution contractors.

[00:28:27] Forms and form strategy.

[00:30:03] Wasted people hours.

[00:34:05] Optimizing back end systems.

[00:36:11] Building systems correctly.

Linkedin | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | TikTok | Pasha Irshad

Chuck Reigrut emphasizes the importance of building relationships and providing personalized training to gain trust and make a positive impact on customers. They mention that meeting customers in person, rather than relying solely on online interactions, can help create stronger connections and show that the company is invested in finding solutions that will make the customers' lives easier.

He also highlights the significance of belief in the products or solutions being offered. Having conviction in the solution and effectively communicating its benefits to customers is crucial to gaining their trust and demonstrating the long-term impact it can have on their students or business.

Additionally, he discusses the value of maintaining ongoing relationships with customers. They mention that in the SaaS industry, people often change companies every few years, but by providing exceptional support and going out of their way to help customers, the company can leave a lasting impression. This can lead to organic growth through positive word-of-mouth and referrals.

[00:05:30] Targeting high-value accounts.

[00:09:43] Importance of selling to small ones.

[00:14:23] Shooting straight in sales.

[00:16:55] Money and motivation in sales.

[00:19:54] Learning from our failures.

[00:29:01] Successful partnership strategies.

[00:32:06] Including partners for customer benefit.

[00:36:24] Channel partnership challenges.

[00:38:22] The power of partnerships.

Linkedin | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | TikTok | Chuck Reigrut

Understanding oneself and the target audience is crucial for leadership and sales success. Kristie Jones emphasizes the importance of self-awareness in reaching the next level in one's career and life. This applies to both leadership and sales. Just as selling to the wrong persona can harm one's ability to succeed, not understanding one's own strengths, weaknesses, and goals can hinder success as a leader or salesperson.

Kristie suggests that sales leaders should ask themselves a question to have a greater impact on their team. By reflecting on their own abilities and aligning them with the needs and preferences of their team, sales leaders can effectively motivate and guide their team members.

Additionally, the episode highlights the importance of personal development and taking ownership of one's growth. Kristie mentions that sales representatives should not leave their personal development to chance or rely solely on their leaders. Instead, they should actively seek opportunities to learn and improve their skills. This aligns with the idea that understanding oneself includes recognizing areas for growth and taking action to develop those areas.

[00:02:30] First sales job waiting tables.

[00:03:06] Switching to higher-end restaurants.

[00:05:42] Translatable skill set from waiting tables and going into sales.

[00:11:21] Leadership management training.

[00:14:32] Your circle matters.

[00:17:32] Round table collaboration and success.

[00:21:30] Importance of matching personality traits.

[00:24:39] Sales perspective in large vs. small companies.

[00:26:03] The startup world and career choices.

[00:29:01] Setting goals for success.

[00:31:40] Severing relationships for personal growth.

[00:35:00] Verbal skills as secret power.

[00:40:13] Personal development in sales.

If you get value from this episode, be sure to subscribe and share the episode with your friends, as we all can benefit from more positivity and leadership in today’s society.

Be sure to follow Duane Dufault on all the social platforms to get daily hits of tactical advice that you can take action on right away

Linkedin | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | TikTok | Kristie Jones

Lloyed emphasizes the importance of building and leveraging a community for personal growth and success. They highlight that communities provide a sense of connection and camaraderie that is often lacking in business environments. He defines community-led growth as the connection among people with shared values who come together to learn and support each other in a specific topic or area.

****AND get Lloyed's new book: "From Grass Roots to Greatness"  <<<<

Lloyed emphasizes that the focus should be on building genuine connections with others rather than solely creating communities for the purpose of making money. They argue that if individuals genuinely focus on building a great community and genuinely care about their customers, financial success will naturally follow. He also emphasizes the significance of prioritizing people and their success beyond just the product or service being offered.

Overall, this episode highlights the profound impact that building and leveraging a community can have on personal growth and success. Engaging with others who share similar experiences and learning from their stories can provide valuable insights and support in navigating challenges and achieving goals.

[00:01:11] Venture capitalist hierarchy of payouts.

[00:02:39] Capital gains exemption.

[00:06:33] Life after stepping down.

[00:09:40] Funding innovation with Boast AI.

[00:12:26] Life-threatening experience and reflection.

[00:14:23] Work-life balance struggles.

[00:18:39] Friction between execution and strategy.

[00:19:04] Overcoming personal and professional setbacks.

[00:34:58] The importance of companions.

[00:37:30] Building a community for growth.

[00:40:11] Building a flourishing community.

[00:43:49] Building iconic brands with community.

[00:46:31] Community-led growth.

Linkedin | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | TikTok | Lloyed Lobo

When scaling up to larger customers, there are five key areas that require attention. The first is winning business, which involves attracting and securing new customers.

The second key area is crystal-clear ICP. Not just your partnership's ICP, but who EXACTLY fits the solution your partnership solves problems for. And you do this by truly understanding who your partner is, who they sell to, and how your solution fits into your ICP’s business process.

The third key area is Partner Support. Help your partners win by educating them on the thing I just walked you through. Teach them how to close more deals using the solution and do it often, And you do that by Creating a partner battlecard.

The fourth key area Give more than you get. This shows you mean what you say and want to win together. Don’t just ask for leads.

The fifth key is partner under sales. To build a valuable partner ecosystem for your business, you need to have an old-school way of doing business.

Overall, when scaling up to larger customers, it is important to focus on these five key areas: winning business, Crystal Clear ICP, Partner Support, Give more than you get. and Partner is under sales. By paying attention to these areas, businesses can increase their chances of success and effectively scale their operations.

If you get value from this episode, be sure to subscribe and share the episode with your friends, as we all can benefit from more positivity and leadership in today’s society.

[00:01:26] Channel partnerships under sales.

[00:03:36] Partner program under sales.

[00:07:21] Give back to your partners.

[00:09:41] Building Channel Partnerships

[00:12:22] Partnering with payroll companies.

[00:15:27] Building profitable partner programs.

[00:17:39] Creating a connection with partnerships.

[00:20:28] Building Partner Programs and Winning Business

[00:23:33] Partner support and training.

Be sure to follow Duane Dufault on all the social platforms to get daily hits of tactical advice that you can take action on right away

Linkedin | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | TikTok

Duane Dufault and Jakub Hon discuss the importance of hiring individuals with a proven track record and experience in the industry. They emphasize that hiring someone who has already been successful in a similar role increases the probability of success for the company.

Jakub emphasizes the importance of establishing a solid foundation and process early in a business. They mention that many businesses struggle because they lack a clear process. Without a solid foundation, businesses may find themselves using multiple overlapping tools, leading to confusion. They may also struggle to keep track of important information, such as past interactions with prospects.

The process allows sales reps to focus on understanding the needs of the prospect rather than simply selling to them. This approach reduces haggling and negotiation and increases the likelihood of closing deals. Additionally, having a well-defined process in place can result in better business practices, leading to scalability and ultimately higher profits for the founder.

[00:01:15] Starting an outsourcing sales company.

[00:03:48] Different sales team skillsets.

[00:05:40] Type of salesperson for formalizing sales process.

[00:08:15] Finding the right sales stage.

[00:13:33] Scaling too quickly is a mistake.

[00:15:22] Scaling sales team effectively.

[00:17:04] Scaling company processes iteratively.

[00:20:32] Hiring for outbound sales experience.

[00:22:11] Technology and sales reps.

[00:26:10] Training vs. Tools for Sales.

[00:29:27] Pipeline cures all.

[00:31:49] Buyer intent and customer knowledge.

[00:33:25] Focusing on the prospect.

[00:36:13] Sales process and saving millions.

If you get value from this episode, be sure to subscribe and share the episode with your friends, as we all can benefit from more positivity and leadership in today’s society.

Be sure to follow Duane Dufault on all the social platforms to get daily hits of tactical advice that you can take action on right away

Linkedin | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | TikTok | Jakub Hon

Duane Dufault highlights the importance of promptly reaching out to leads, especially if they have completed all the necessary steps and activations early on. This is because these leads may be trying to identify any flaws or potential issues with the product before presenting it to their superiors. He suggests that if a significant lead enters the trial or premium program and swiftly completes all the required steps, it is crucial to contact them immediately. By doing so, the company can address any concerns or questions they may have and provide them with the necessary information to effectively present the product to their superiors.

This proactive approach can help build trust and increase the likelihood of converting these leads into paying customers. Additionally, Duane mentions that, in his experience, the gatekeeper of the customer base is often the one responsible for evaluating the product. Therefore, reaching out to these leads promptly can also help establish a relationship with the decision-maker and facilitate the sales process. Overall, the episode emphasizes the significance of taking control of the conversation with leads and actively engaging with them to address any potential concerns or doubts they may have early on in the process.

Key Topics:

[00:00:00] Product-led growth and sales.

[00:04:26] Selling into larger businesses.

[00:06:26] Taking control of the conversation.

If you get value from this episode, be sure to subscribe and share the episode with your friends, as we all can benefit from more positivity and leadership in today’s society.

Be sure to follow Duane Dufault on all the social platforms to get daily hits of tactical advice that you can take action on right away

Linkedin | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | TikTok

Carl Pihl emphasizes the significance of considering not only the primary keyword but also the associated subjects and topics in terms of SEO. Many SEO professionals tend to solely focus on the primary keyword and overlook the related subjects and topics. However, the speaker believes that these associated subjects are actually the most crucial and can greatly impact search engine rankings.

To support this point, Carl shares his experience launching a new website. He explained that by correctly incorporating associated keywords into their content, they were able to achieve first, second, or third rankings on Google without relying on backlinks or having an established website. This demonstrates the power of optimizing for associated subjects and topics alongside the primary keyword.

Furthermore, Carl mentions that they now utilize AI to automatically generate pages based on keywords. This indicates that they have recognized the value of incorporating associated subjects and topics into their content creation process.

[00:01:53] Ticketing Hub creation process.

[00:03:10] Resilience and overcoming challenges.

[00:06:38] Scaling a consulting business.

[00:09:31] Building trust in sales.

[00:10:16] Lost in London days.

[00:14:09] Creating genuine connections through networking.

[00:16:02] SEO and marketing as lost leaders.

[00:18:09] Validating email addresses.

[00:20:27] Understanding customer problems through experience.

[00:23:31] Tracking user behavior and optimization.

[00:26:06] Handling a major platform failure.

[00:28:05] Nothing is free.

[00:30:10] Transparency in business.

[00:33:30] Retention during COVID.

[00:35:01] Alternative to fair Harbor.

[00:38:19] SEO and keyword density.

[00:41:05] SEO and bootstrapped companies.

[00:43:01] Building websites on a budget.

[00:45:35] SEO and website improvements.

If you get value from this episode, be sure to subscribe and share the episode with your friends, as we all can benefit from more positivity and leadership in today’s society.

Be sure to follow Duane Dufault on all the social platforms to get daily hits of tactical advice that you can take action on right away

Linkedin | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | TikTok  | Carl Pihl

The episode highlights two types of segmentation: demographic segmentation and behavioral segmentation.

Demographic segmentation categorizes individuals based on common demographic information such as their role, industry, and annual revenue of their business. This type of segmentation focuses on basic characteristics that can typically be found online or through data enrichment platforms. It helps businesses understand the makeup of existing customers and allows them to prioritize certain segments in their sales funnel.

On the other hand, firmographic segmentation involves segmenting individuals based on their actions, behaviors, and interactions with a product or service. This type of segmentation goes beyond basic demographics and focuses on understanding how customers use the product, who gets the most value out of it, and who pays the most. By analyzing customer behaviors and interactions, businesses can identify their ideal customer profile and optimize their marketing strategies accordingly.

Both demographic and  firmographic segmentation are important for businesses. Demographic segmentation provides a basic understanding of the customer base, while firmographic segmentation delves deeper into customer actions and preferences. By combining these two types of segmentation, businesses can gain a comprehensive understanding of their customers and prospects, prioritize their sales efforts, and optimize their marketing strategies to attract more of their ideal customers.

If you get value from this episode, be sure to subscribe and share the episode with your friends, as we all can benefit from more positivity and leadership in today’s society.

Be sure to follow Duane Dufault on all the social platforms to get daily hits of tactical advice that you can take action on right away

Linkedin | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | TikTok

Duane Dufault and Adam Jay discuss the importance of prioritizing tasks and having a realistic understanding of timeframes to achieve better outcomes and avoid falling into the trap of impatience. They highlight the common problem of founders and venture capitalists who believe that everything is urgent and a priority, leading to a sense of impatience and unrealistic expectations. Adam Jay emphasizes that if everything is urgent, then nothing is truly urgent or a priority.

They explain that it is crucial to listen to experts who can provide realistic timelines and expectations. By understanding how long it will realistically take to make changes or achieve certain goals, founders can set more achievable targets and avoid the disappointment and frustration that come with unrealistic expectations. Adam also mentions that impatience is a mindset that often stems from the desire for immediate returns, but it is not necessarily the best approach for long-term success.

The episode also touches on the idea that fast growth does not always equate to good growth. While there are examples of companies that have experienced rapid and successful growth, Adam suggests that slow and steady growth is often more sustainable and ultimately leads to better outcomes. They compare the journey of building a business to a marathon rather than a sprint, emphasizing the need for deliberate and thoughtful growth strategies.

If you get value from this episode, be sure to subscribe and share the episode with your friends, as we all can benefit from more positivity and leadership in today’s society.

Be sure to follow Duane Dufault on all the social platforms to get daily hits of tactical advice that you can take action on right away

Linkedin | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | TikTok | Adam Jay