SaaStr

APRIL 30, 2021

Salespeople pushing you to sign multi-year contracts you don’t want. Not being able to do a free trial, or even really try out a product first. Traditional SaaS sales is incented to close 1+ year contracts without no outs as quickly as possible, and where possible, for every possible seat you might ever use in Year 1.

Contract 107

Contract Price Closing Gaming 107

SaaStr

MAY 8, 2021

Bigger customers usually leave simply because your product doesn’t do enough. An annual contract gives you 365 days or so to fix that. I’ve long been a vocal proponent of annual contracts. Close say a $125k contract, even after a healthy sales commission, that’s $100k+ in the bank right now!

Contract 105

Contract Legal Commission Finance 105

Martech

JULY 29, 2022

If not, is an API available for custom system integrations? What level of customer support is offered, and when is it available (i.e., What are the long-term product roadmap and launch dates? Questions to ask the vendors’ customers. That’s why it’s important to ask for customer references.

Contract 125

Contract B2B Technology Technology 125

SaaStr

FEBRUARY 4, 2022

Q: Dear SaaStr: Should We Allow Refunds in a Multi-Year SaaS contract Paid Upfront? They’ll say never allow refunds in a multi-year contract: Sales will hate it, especially if there is an explicit or implicit clawback if they do. Customer Success will hate it because it’s a discussion they just don’t want to have.

Contract 93

Contract Finance Closing Product 93

Partners in Excellence

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

The commonality between the two of us is the obsession around helping customers solve complex problems and create great value. My obsession to provide Customer Value Written by Christian Maure r Dave, thank you very much for picking up the challenge. That’s how my obsession to provide customer value was borne.

Customers 116

Customers Contract Consult Electrical Engineering 116

SaaStr

DECEMBER 30, 2021

When our product was feature-poor, and the team was tiny. Even in the early days, even if you have just a few customers — the CIO can be your key ally if you play it right. . I had to build personal relationships of trust with all our early CIO (and other key) enterprise customers. I found this myself.

Contract 101

Contract X-functional Sell Cold Call 101

Salesforce

FEBRUARY 14, 2024

Then your business might be a good candidate for customer service automation. According to our research , 65% of high-performing service organizations rely on automated customer service to save time, reduce human error, and make time for new projects, compared to only 41% of underperformers. If you’re thinking, Great! not so fast.

Service 98

Service Customers Contract Legal 98

SaaStr

OCTOBER 25, 2021

Dear SaaStr: What is The Typical Conversion from Paid Pilot to Annual Contract in SaaS? I.e., allowing new customers to cancel the contract after 60 days for any or no reason if they aren’t happy. Because in the pilot period, we almost always got them fully into production and successful. 70%+ once you are doing it right.

Contract 100

Contract Conversion Closing Start-ups 100

SaaStr

JANUARY 22, 2021

But there’s one thing I can tell you in SaaS, at least: Almost Everything Except the Product Itself is Sort of the Same at a Given ACV (Annual Contract Value) Level. A certain way you retain customers and prove support. Customers will expect more services, more account management, more configuration.

Contract 105

Contract Engineering Account management Up-sell 105

Sales Hacker

APRIL 30, 2024

In this role he oversees all aspects of G2’s revenue generation, including global sales and customer success, enablement, partnerships, and revenue operations. 6:31 – Upwork’s challenge of the status quo in hiring contract talent. 6:31 – Upwork’s challenge of the status quo in hiring contract talent.

GTM 92

GTM Customers Contract Go To Market 92

Martech

MARCH 12, 2024

You’re likely familiar with the Pareto Principle, the old 80/20 rule and how it applies to marketing — 80% of your profit comes from 20% of your customers. You also know who those “best” customers are. The metric that illuminates your best customers is customer lifetime value. Your TAM has a subset of your ICP.

Customers 115

Customers Drivers/motivators Construction Legal 115

Sales Hacker

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

Contract renewal dates. A spotlight falls on customer loyalty, an influential force on the revenue secured during contract renewals. While the obvious and important way to build and cultivate customer loyalty is to build a product that people love, the reality is that it takes time.

GTM 94

GTM Intrinsic Customers Contract 94

Martech

JANUARY 26, 2024

Focusing deeply on the customers you serve. Satisfied customers don’t just come for more, they’ll spread the word about you. This is where an ideal customer profile (ICP) comes in. An ICP identifies your best-fit target customers that you can serve exceptionally well. Short-term contracts.

B2B 127

B2B Customers Appointment Objectives and Key Results 127

SaaStr

MARCH 11, 2021

In the old days, a customer would pay a large fee for the software upfront, and then a smaller maintenance fee for years to come. Fast forward to 2021, and many SaaS and similar products don’t really charge upfront fees: 50% of Zoom customers pay monthly. ServiceNow does primarily 3 year, $1M+ contracts , for example.

Contract 86

Contract B2C Construction Price 86

SaaStr

MAY 19, 2023

Dear SaaStr: How Can a SaaS CEO Tell Which Customers are 10+ Year Customers? Look for: Are they running an entire division or group (or more) on your product? Now by contrast, some accounts are more at risk than they seem: At risk: small groups / silos at a large customer — within a larger division or organization.

Customers 96

Customers Legal Niche Contract 96

SaaStr

JANUARY 1, 2022

Dear SaaStr: What is a Good Refund Policy for a SaaS Product? SaaS startups, especially those that sign customers to annual customers, will have customers that want to cancel those un-cancelable contracts and get a refund. And no refund for any part of an annual, signed contract. You signed the contract”.

Product 91

Product Contract Commission Customers 91

Martech

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

At the heart of top-performing B2B marketing programs lies a solid answer to the fundamental question: Do you truly know your best customers and where to find more of them? Let’s unpack this idea of differential profitability of customers and the strategic implications for B2B marketers. The key takeaway?

Customers 127

Customers Construction B2B Cross-sell 127

Heinz Marketing

MAY 20, 2022

While the idea of customer success as a profit center is not new, it is regaining momentum and overtaking new logo acquisition as the main strategy for B2B revenue growth. Our clientele often come to us for help gaining new customers. Customer Marketing. Customer Success. Product Marketing. Product Design.

Cross-sell 111

Cross-sell Customers Growth Contract 111

Martech

APRIL 25, 2024

This can change many things, including price, customer service, contract enforcement and more. Don’t let the potential end product decide what you need to do. Your legal team should review existing contracts to see if it has any “in the case of being purchased” clauses. Customer support and service.

Contract 110

Contract Legal Price Technology 110

Openview

MAY 29, 2019

For SaaS companies, the allure of the enterprise customer is pretty strong. And because enterprise customers typically stick around longer, they lower your overall churn risk. Plus, enterprise customers usually spend more—on support, seats, usage, integrations, etc. Rigorous security requirements. Integration options.

Product 93

Product Customers Sell Contract 93

SaaStr

OCTOBER 17, 2022

Customer Success isn’t just for established leaders; it also helps growth-stage companies compound their growth through retention, upsell and expansion. ChurnZero Chief Customer Officer Alli Tiscornia explains why earlier is better, and how to build a CS team that scales for the future. When should you start customer success?

Growth 89

Growth Customers Negotiate Contract 89

Martech

OCTOBER 11, 2021

“Customers will know that they can rely on us when things go wrong and that could be a deciding factor in them deciding to stay with us rather than go elsewhere.” ” We were talking to Gemma Cipriani-Espineira about the reason she re-branded her support team as the department of Customer Love.

Customers 112

Customers Account management Real Estate Contract 112

Sales Hacker

MARCH 28, 2023

Your ideal customer profile (ICP). Keep reading for an in-depth guide on creating your ideal customer profile, including an ideal customer profile template, how to identify your ideal customer, and a simple three-step process for creating an ideal customer profile. What is an ideal customer profile (ICP)?

Customers 107

Customers Contract Up-sell Territory 107

SaaStr

APRIL 8, 2020

In the last year we’ve been leveling up a lot of our systems at SaaStr, and as part of that, moving from a lot of self-service and simple products to more robust ones. According to research from Talkdesk, the average company deploys more than 50 SaaS products. You want your customers to be on a 10+ year journey with you.

Product 132

Product Contract Construction Negotiate 132

Martech

APRIL 7, 2023

Customer indecision is now a leading reason for missing B2B marketing and sales pipeline and revenue targets. But new research uncovers customer indecision, not customer indifference, is a major roadblock costing companies millions of dollars in new revenue. why change now) and then focus on customer indecision (i.e.,

B2B 128

B2B Customers GTM Pipeline 128

Gong.io

AUGUST 3, 2022

For SaaS and subscription businesses, customer success is a key revenue driver. Closing new contracts is important, but retaining and increasing revenue from existing accounts is crucial for maintaining and growing ARR. So, how exactly do you measure if a customer is “successful” (and what does that even mean?). Onboarding.

Customers 87

Customers Cross-sell Contract Price 87

Martech

MAY 15, 2024

Define the goals of your marketing and what success looks like Is your primary focus on increasing leads, growing brand awareness or creating customer loyalty? When implementing a new tool, avoid going from zero to 60 out of the gate by purchasing all the bells and whistles and product add-ons. Next, how will you determine success?

Contract 111

Contract Objectives and Key Results Technology Technology 111

Heinz Marketing

JUNE 21, 2023

In this bumpy landscape, holding onto your customers isn’t just a goal – it’s a survival tactic. From the rapid pace of technology to unexpected events like the pandemic, the challenge of customer retention is real and it’s tough. This doesn’t mean bombarding your customers with sales pitches or generic emails.

B2B 103

B2B Customers Contract Service 103

Sales Hacker

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

While the link between retaining customers and profitability is pretty well understood, most companies still approach customer retention with piecemeal initiatives. When customers say: “ We are not getting the outcomes we expected ”. “ Too often contract cancellation (or non-renewal) comes as a surprise, but it never should.

Customers 74

Customers Contract Cross-sell Account management 74

SaaStr

NOVEMBER 2, 2021

Her company had been acquired, and the acquirer cancelled the contract, due to a feature gap in the new company’s business process stack. It never feels good to lose a customer. But Lesson #2 was that Customers for Life isn’t just a tagline. So what are the lessons learned in the 11 year, Million Dollar Customer?

Customers 116

Customers Contract Launch Prospecting 116

SaaStr

AUGUST 21, 2021

Q: Dear SaaStr: My Customer Missed the Deadline for AutoRenewal. At a practical level, it is incredibly difficult to enforce the contract, even with a collections firm. Collection firms don’t try very hard, and the threats they make on these type of contracts don’t scare too many companies. You lost the customer.

Customers 106

Customers Contract Product 106

SaaStr

DECEMBER 25, 2022

Dear SaaStr: When Is It Worth Enforcing an Autorenewal Clause if the Customer Doesn’t Want to Pay? You really don’t want to have to go back to a customer for an affirmative renewal every year unless you have to. But you don’t want to ever threaten to sue a customer, or get into an uncomfortable position. Just turn it off.

Contract 89

Contract Customers Service Process 89

Sales Hacker

APRIL 19, 2022

Dooly, a customer information sales enablement platform, found that 51 percent of sales professionals said they’d quit if they found an opportunity with higher pay. Related: How to Build Effective Sales Compensation Plans for Any Customer Facing Role. To further complicate things, on-target earnings (OTE) have reached an all-time high.

Commission 88

Commission Product Quota Drivers/motivators 88

Partners in Excellence

APRIL 26, 2021

We tend to take for granted that our customers know how to buy. We assume they know how to get approval, how to contract, how to issue an order. Customers need our help! We need to guide our customers and can provide that insight because we see customers going through this process every day.

Customers 100

Customers Contract Legal Negotiate 100

Partners in Excellence

DECEMBER 23, 2022

The lack of knowledge about things that seem so basic to engaging our customers in business relevant conversations is shocking. One very talented Regional VP shared that as he is conducting reviews with his people, he asks a couple of simple questions, “How does this customer make money? The challenges they have in doing this.

Customers 62

Customers Territory Manufacturing Contract 62

Search Engine Land

APRIL 24, 2024

Consider laser-focusing on the customers ready to buy from you right now – your competitor’s unhappiest clients. This article reveals actionable strategies to identify and target three key groups through search campaigns: Customers actively looking to switch providers. Customers trying to cancel services.

Legal 132

Legal Contract Gambling Lead generation 132

SaaStr

JANUARY 28, 2023

Dear SaaSt: Do sales commission clawbacks typically apply after a customer’s payment has cleared (e.g. Some customers won’t end up paying — but not that many. Customers rarely go through all the steps of a sales process, deploy a product into production — and then don’t pay. Ah, clawbacks.

Commission 90

Commission Customers Finance Contract 90