Martech

JANUARY 29, 2024

Prompt What are the top use cases for startups using generative ai for growth efforts? Answer For startups looking to leverage generative AI for growth efforts, there are several top use cases that can drive success. Take Martech’s 2024 Salary and Career Survey From AI to layoffs, it’s been quite a year.

Objectives and Key Results 99

Objectives and Key Results Lead generation Growth Campaign 99

Predictable Revenue

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

Breaking down sales strategies that founders and entrepreneurs need to adopt to amplify revenue, specially in startups. The post Founder-Led Sales Strategies For Startups appeared first on Predictable Revenue.

Sales 105

Sales 105

SaaStr

JANUARY 25, 2024

Dear SaaStr: What happens to employees after your startup gets acquired? Then, either: They’ll want to keep everyone for a while; or They won’t see the value in keeping much of sales, marketing, finance, etc. The post Dear SaaStr: What Happens to Employees After Your Startup Gets Acquired? It varies — a lot.

Finance 91

Finance Engineering Product Sales 91

SaaStr

FEBRUARY 14, 2024

Dear SaaStr: How often will a sales engineer also wear a customer success hat in an early stage of an SaaS startup? The “traditional” role of a sales engineer is to support the sales team through the close of a deal. Pretty darn common. And as you scale, the role should likely end there. appeared first on SaaStr.

Engineering 95

Engineering Customers Sales Closing 95

Understanding the Sales Force

MARCH 18, 2021

According to NetShopISP, there are about 305 million total startups created globally each year and around 1.35 million of those startups are tech related. It's short article Friday. Did you have any idea the number was that huge? Oh-oh, now what?

Sales 121

Sales Up-sell Start-ups Sell 121

SaaStr

APRIL 10, 2023

However, what many businesses may overlook is the startup segment. Often, startups are lumped in with small businesses, yet this approach fails to recognize what motivates and attracts these early-stage companies. Why Seek Out Startups? How is it that you want to sell to startups differently than the rest of your customer base?”

Sell 85

Sell Referrals Up-sell Growth 85

SaaStr

MARCH 24, 2021

If you want to hire your first sales rep and close more deals, you need to understand how the sales process works, what tools your team needs to be successful and learn to speak sales. Sales definitions you should know. CRM objects — Represent the sales relationship you have with a specific person or company.

Process 123

Process CRM Pipeline Contract 123

Predictable Revenue

MAY 1, 2024

The post From Desert Wanderings to Startup Success with Jacob Bank appeared first on Predictable Revenue. This episode unpacks the trials and triumphs of bringing a product to life in the competitive tech landscape.

Product 52

Product Sales 52

SaaStr

MAY 29, 2022

So we’ve talked so much over the years on SaaStr on how to hire a great VP of Sales, the difference they’ll make, and how the level-up comes quickly. Just not at your startup. And VPs of Sales do, too. A ton of great VPs of Sales have sold sales tools and similar products. They know them. Often not.

Sales 106

Sales Up-sell Drivers/motivators Gaming 106

SaaStr

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Dear SaaStr: What are some of the “ultimate sins” in marketing and sales and success in SaaS in the early stages? My list of some bad ones: Sales: Hiring any reps you wouldn’t buy from. Later, once you have a strong VP of Sales, it’s fine though. Your sales reps need to eat. A bit more here. They can’t.

Quota 97

Quota B2C Closing Sales 97

Force Management

JANUARY 19, 2023

It’s the dream of any tech startup – to reach a valuation of $1 billion without an IPO. A great product sets the stage, but sales runs the show – so what can sales leaders in the tech world and beyond learn from the sales process of these standout firms?

Growth 124

Growth Product Process Sales 124

SaaStr

APRIL 8, 2024

Dear SaaStr: Why Do VC Backed Startups Seem To Almost Always Be Running Out of Money? But … but: A sales rep that can’t hit quota in a few months = cash drain. The #1 issue I see is not understanding what investments really are accretive — and which aren’t. And so the money goes far, far faster than anticipated.

Quota 81

Quota Engineering Customers Sales 81

Predictable Revenue

DECEMBER 5, 2023

Collin Stewart delves into the unique experiences and challenges faced by Blake Nolan, the first account executive at Seamless AI The post Mastering the Art of Startup Sales with Blake Nolan appeared first on Predictable Revenue.

Sales 52

Sales 52

SaaStr

DECEMBER 26, 2023

Dear SaaStr: What Is A Good Demo Conversion Rate for a SaaS Startup? If fewer than 8%-10% or so of your demos convert to paid customers, you’ll start to burn out your sales team. Because they need to close 10-15 deals a month to eat. If they have to do more than 50 demos a month, they’ll just run out of time. Even that’s a lot.

Conversion 96

Conversion Quota Engineering Start-ups 96

The 5% Institute

MAY 18, 2021

Sales is the lifeblood of any business, especially when it’s a startup – which is why we’ve created this list of sales tips for startups. In this article, we’ll be looking at eight sales tips for startups to help you win more sales and serve more people, in a consultative and non-pushy way.

Sales 96

Sales Presentation Clients Up-sell 96

SaaStr

OCTOBER 16, 2023

Dear SaaStr: Why Do Many Startup CEOs Quit After Their Companies Are Acquired? Having to use their sales team for future expansion, that also sells 4 other products? I left my first startup after 20 days, post-acquisition. Especially if the sale is around 5 years or so, that’s when everyone gets tired. That can be tough.

Consult 100

Consult Sell Product Sales 100

SaaStr

FEBRUARY 26, 2021

Brendon Cassidy, my VP of Sales wrote a version of this piece a while back. I though an updated version of this would be good for founders thinking about hiring a VP of Sales … VPs of Sales themselves … and VPs-to-be to read — Jason, ed. … 10 Rules to Being a VP of Sales in a Startup.

Commission 118

Commission Finance Sales Engineering 118

Sales Hacker

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022

Founders, take note: Just having a great product or service to offer is not enough to make a sales team successful. This is especially true for startups , where you may have a brand new product or service that is just getting established and lack the resources to waste on leads that go nowhere. Table of contents. Purchasing power.

Sell 80

Sell B2C Strategic partnership Sales 80

SaaStr

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023

Dear SaaStr: Is It Ridiculous To Call Yourself the CEO When Your Startup is Tiny? I used to look at tiny little startups and wince when a founder went around talking about himself as “CEO”. Make that clear, and take advantage of it as a sales and customer success and retention tool. I used to feel that way, at least a bit.

Up-sell 112

Up-sell Start-ups Customers Sell 112

The 5% Institute

JULY 26, 2023

In this article, we will explore the world of startup entrepreneurs, unravel their key characteristics, understand the challenges they face, and discover the secrets of building a successful startup from the ground up. What Defines a Startup Entrepreneur? At the heart of every startup is an entrepreneur with a vision.

Strategic planning 52

Strategic planning Networking Drivers/motivators Growth 52

SaaStr

JUNE 22, 2023

So my LinkedIn feed is full of sales execs complaining how unfair startups are: VPs get fired seemingly without cause (it’s never that simple, though. Startups not even hitting 40% quota attainmen t (more common these days, and brutal indeed). Are expectations for VPs of Sales, CROs, and CMOs too high? Is this fair?

Contract 91

Contract Quota Growth Meeting 91

Iannarino

APRIL 13, 2022

Draw a perfect circle, $3,000 is on the line. Now would you rather attempt that freehand, or with a template? Easy answer, hand over the template.

Sales 259

Sales 259

SaaStr

AUGUST 10, 2023

Dear SaaStr: How Can You Grow a SaaS Startup Without Spending a Ton on Sales and Marketing? Qualtrics has a sales-led motion, but kept a very tight lid on costs until they could scale. And Atlassian is a classic PLG play, and used partners to do the heavy lifting in sales and enablement. It’s hard but it can be done.

Closing 89

Closing Sales Customers 89

SaaStr

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

Dear SaaStr: What Are The Biggest Problems You Face as a Startup Founder? Later, once you have a brand, you’ll be competing with Hot Startups nipping at your heals for top VPs. Why is my sales team less efficient at $20m ARR than at $2m in ARR? From $1m in ARR, and Then Forever After: Recruiting Great VPs. It never ends.

Niche 105

Niche Engineering Start-ups Growth 105

SaaStr

JUNE 27, 2020

A little while back we put together some of the top sales & marketing mistakes SaaS companies and founders make, especially in the early days. Sales: Hiring any reps you wouldn’t buy from yourself. Later, once you have a strong VP of Sales, it’s fine though. Your sales reps need to eat. Just do it! It will help.

Quota 145

Quota B2C Sales Closing 145

SaaStr

MARCH 16, 2023

A rough structure from 1–25 sales reps: Early days: CEO acts as VP of Sales. CEO starts looking for true VP of Sales by $1m ARR, ideally hires one by $1m-$2m in ARR. VP of Sales hires next 5–10 reps herself. If VP of Sales is good, most of reps 5-10 perform. Segmenting by customer size, and sometimes geography.

Quota 120

Quota Sales Closing Customers 120

Salesmate

MAY 12, 2020

As a startup owner, I am sure you are always looking for ways of building a huge audience for your business? If you are a SaaS startup, you will be hungry for more signups and subscribers, if you are a digital product development startup you will want more clients that will pay for your services. . Market your product properly.

E-commerce 103

E-commerce Retail Angle Sales 103

SaaStr

MAY 12, 2023

You start to go upmarket, you get better at sales and upsell, and you start to add more value, and learn to close bigger customers and make them happier. More at the full report here : The post SaaS Capital: Across 1,500 SaaS Startups, Yearly Contracts Don’t Actually Increase NRR appeared first on SaaStr.

Contract 127

Contract Closing Customers Sales 127

SaaStr

OCTOBER 28, 2023

Dear SaaStr: My Startup Doesn’t Have a Free Trial or Freemium Option. easy image from here ) The post My Startup Doesn’t Have a Free Trial or Freemium Option. We require payment right away. Should we change this? Free trials and freemium options work well — if you can support them well. Freemium is a business model.

Strategize 106

Strategize Conversion Product Customers 106

Salesmate

JULY 3, 2020

You’ve sown the seed of startup, now to see it bloom successfully you need to learn the art of selling. 90% of startups fail. Most people will worry about the 90% who fail, but there are some who would do anything to be amongst the 10 % of startups who succeed. However, you might be able to hire one or two sales reps.

Sell 105

Sell Cold Call CRM Up-sell 105

Salesmate

APRIL 3, 2020

In the last decade, we have witnessed rapid growth in startups and small businesses, yet they still struggle with streamlining their business operations. Today, even small businesses and startups easily benefit from choosing the best CRM software. Modern startup owners rely on Excel sheets or other data management systems.

CRM 116

CRM Pipeline Objectives and Key Results Contact 116

SaaStr

JANUARY 17, 2023

What is the right Go-To-Market strategy for a startup getting out of the gate? Sales-led vs. product-led is a hot topic right now, and Jason Eubanks, Chief Revenue Officer of Harness, shares the answer during this week’s Workshop Wednesday — held every Wednesday at 10 a.m. and requires a top-down, sales-led approach. .

GTM 94

GTM Product Education Growth 94

Lead Fuze

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

Are you a budding entrepreneur, dreaming of your startup soaring to new heights? Picture this: AI for startups. Let’s dive deeper into how these groundbreaking technologies can give startups a major leg up. How do I start an AI startup? It’s time to make a big move that could give your venture an advantage.

Growth 52

Growth Agriculture Strategic planning Technology 52

SaaStr

JULY 26, 2021

Q: Dear SaaStr: Should a Startup Founder Handle Sales Themself When First Getting Started? The “best” sequence for building a repeatable sales engine is roughly: The CEO/founder should close at least the first 10 (or 20 or whatever) customers. But not to figure out if you really have a repeatable sales process.

A/B testing 108

A/B testing Quota Engineering Sales 108

SaaStr

JULY 17, 2023

Dear SaaStr: How Much Equity Should I Give A Key Startup Advisor? So let’s do some rough math: Assume you ask a well-established CRO to be “Chief Sales Advisor” She makes $500k OTE today. Rule The post Dear SaaStr: How Much Equity Should I Give A Key Startup Advisor? Here’s one way to think about it: Give them shares worth 1.5x-2x

Start-ups 82

Start-ups Sales 82

SaaStr

AUGUST 15, 2023

So two discussions this week were reminders to me of how much marketing has changed in the early and “pre-brand” stages: Two very successful founders ($1B+ exits) with new startups pushed me really hard to promote their new startup you’ve never heard of our our podcast + at SaaStr Annual. No one cares you have a new or new-ish app.

Promote 71

Promote Legal Start-ups Price 71

SaaStr

JUNE 9, 2023

Dear SaaStr: Is It Normal to Feel Like a Pest When Prospecting for Customers for a Startup? Especially if you haven’t done a lot of sales yourself. Boy sales is hard. But then you raise the quotas, and sales is still hard. And second, value the best sales execs. Yes — at least at first.

Prospecting 106

Prospecting Customers Quota Pitch 106