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Here& #39;s the quick story of how we went from $0 -> $2m ARR in <2 years.
We did this with founder-led sales, and this also helped us become profitable.
We then used a lot of these same techniques to build out our sales team.
Let& #39;s go.
We did this with founder-led sales, and this also helped us become profitable.
We then used a lot of these same techniques to build out our sales team.
Let& #39;s go.
First, this advice was really specific to a B2B company selling SaaS.
If you& #39;re doing something else, your mileage may vary.
Add your email here if you want to get the long-form advice + playbook: https://chris050992.typeform.com/to/EILkZZ0V ">https://chris050992.typeform.com/to/EILkZZ...
If you& #39;re doing something else, your mileage may vary.
Add your email here if you want to get the long-form advice + playbook: https://chris050992.typeform.com/to/EILkZZ0V ">https://chris050992.typeform.com/to/EILkZZ...
First, who are you selling to?
We were selling into the recruiting market, but that meant going really broad:
We added the Linkedin profiles of hiring managers, VPs, people with "recruiter" and "talent acquisition" in their title (at all levels) into a big spreadsheet on day 1.
We were selling into the recruiting market, but that meant going really broad:
We added the Linkedin profiles of hiring managers, VPs, people with "recruiter" and "talent acquisition" in their title (at all levels) into a big spreadsheet on day 1.
We found it really helpful to constrain the world to a couple of industries.
We picked tech + finance to start.
This can be arbitrary, or well thought out.
Don& #39;t try to boil the ocean though (esp. if "everyone can be a buyer"). Good way to lose sight of the early goal.
We picked tech + finance to start.
This can be arbitrary, or well thought out.
Don& #39;t try to boil the ocean though (esp. if "everyone can be a buyer"). Good way to lose sight of the early goal.
So, we started finding companies in the industries of tech + finance using Linkedin + Crunchbase, and added everyone who seemed like a recruiter or in talent acquisition to a spreadsheet.
Then, you have to scrape or buy their emails to contact them.
Then, you have to scrape or buy their emails to contact them.
There are a 100 tools for this, but modern tools like @clearbit work great.
We started by sending cold emails to 30-50 people per day, asking them to spend time with us.
Leverage the "founder" card here.
People are down to speak with a founder + help out.
We started by sending cold emails to 30-50 people per day, asking them to spend time with us.
Leverage the "founder" card here.
People are down to speak with a founder + help out.
The beginning isn& #39;t about sales - it& #39;s all about customer development.
Even if you have a product, you need to figure out what your buyer is using today. What tools are the replacement for your product? How do people live without you today?
These are the early conversations.
Even if you have a product, you need to figure out what your buyer is using today. What tools are the replacement for your product? How do people live without you today?
These are the early conversations.
After 50-100 customer development calls over 2-3 months with people from all levels, all titles, and all-size companies within tech and finance, we started selling.
There are good tools like @PersistIQ to help here, but in the beginning (and middle and end), we skewed *heavily* toward personalized outreach and emails.
We were selling to recruiters, so the email would go: "Hey Jess, I see you& #39;re hiring for X and Y roles at Z company"
We were selling to recruiters, so the email would go: "Hey Jess, I see you& #39;re hiring for X and Y roles at Z company"
If the buyer sees that you actually read their website and are solving a real problem (customized to them) - you& #39;re ahead of 9/10 other founders and salespeople.
You have to pick a price.
This is tough...I could write a book on pricing alone, but just pick something and quickly adjust up and down, depending on value prop, product quality, seniority of buyer, etc.
I price most things at $500/mo and try to quickly go up.
This is tough...I could write a book on pricing alone, but just pick something and quickly adjust up and down, depending on value prop, product quality, seniority of buyer, etc.
I price most things at $500/mo and try to quickly go up.
We would generally follow up on every lead 2-4x (trying to make sure nothing fell off the radar, but avoid being annoying).
Your goal is to get to a demo.
Aiming for a 25 min call, where 5 min is an intro, 10 min is demo, and 10 min for questions is a good framework here.
Your goal is to get to a demo.
Aiming for a 25 min call, where 5 min is an intro, 10 min is demo, and 10 min for questions is a good framework here.
Make the demo about them.
Add their logo to the product.
Add one of their actual job titles into the product.
This shit takes 3 min and helps you win the personalization game.
Also, please, please practice and tweak your demo constantly until you are closing 30%+ of calls
Add their logo to the product.
Add one of their actual job titles into the product.
This shit takes 3 min and helps you win the personalization game.
Also, please, please practice and tweak your demo constantly until you are closing 30%+ of calls
You& #39;re trying to close the deal on the phone, but that often doesn& #39;t happen.
After a demo, follow up:
1. thank them for their time (always!)
2. ask if they have additional questions
3. go in for the close (what are next steps? can we get you on a trial?)
After a demo, follow up:
1. thank them for their time (always!)
2. ask if they have additional questions
3. go in for the close (what are next steps? can we get you on a trial?)
Once you& #39;ve closed a customer, you have to nail the on-boarding, but that& #39;s yet another tangent for another day.
Want the long-form playbook here? Want to do a call?
https://chris050992.typeform.com/to/EILkZZ0V
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