B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks
Conversational short-form marketing strategies, frameworks, and tactical advice to help early-stage B2B software (SaaS) companies on their journeys from MVP to PMF and beyond. Hosted by Brian Graf, CEO at Kalungi, and Stijn Hendrikse, Co-Founder at Kalungi, serial CMO for B2B SaaS companies and ex-Microsoft Global Marketing Leader.
Episodes
BSMS98 - Leveling Up Together: Building High-Performing B2B SaaS Teams
In this episode, Stijn sits down with Antoine, Kalungi's new CEO, for an energizing conversation about what it really takes to grow as a marketing professional in 2026. The centerpiece is Antoine's upcoming book, Level Up — a practical, story-driven guide to becoming the kind of marketer, manager, and teammate that no AI can replace.Antoine pulls from an unconventional journey — from chas
The Death of the MQL: Shifting Focus from Quantity to Pipeline Value
Is the Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) dead, or are marketing teams stuck in a cycle of high-volume, low-return efforts?Marketing economics have undergone significant structural shifts in recent years. With the disappearance of global labor arbitrage and the rise of AI-generated content, the costs of customer acquisition and inbound marketing have skyrocketed. Because of these changes, the
BSMS96 - Signal-Based Marketing and the End of Broad ABM
Is signal-based selling really the next step in B2B growth, or are most teams still just getting better at managing noise?Sales and marketing teams have more data than ever. They can see site visits, account activity, intent signals, and engagement across a growing stack of tools. But that still leaves a basic problem unsolved: who is actually in-market, what signal matters, and what shou
95 - Unlocking Warp Speed Growth through PLG + SLG with Wes Bush
With content getting cheaper and noise getting higher, which parts of the old playbooks still hold up, and which ones break?Marketing-led growth keeps getting pricier, and “more content” is no longer a moat. So you end up staring at the same fork in the road Stijn calls out here, keep leaning on sales, or let the product do more of the heavy lifting. In this episode, Kalungi founder Stijn
94 - How modern SaaS teams build scalable growth systems - With Alex Laventer
Are you actually growing your product, or just stacking signups that never turn into usage?A lot of teams get stuck there. More registrations feel good, but it’s not the same as real usage, paid adoption, and a pipeline you can trust. And now with AI in the mix, it’s easy to create more activity without getting more signal.In this episode of B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks, hosts Stijn Hendriks
93 - The "Why" vs the "Wow, How, Now" frameworks in your GTM
Is your go-to-market built around “why” or around “wow, how, now”?Many teams love Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle. Others organize their marketing around buyer stages, hooks, and calls to action. Brian and Stijn think you do not have to pick one or the other, and that the real job is to raise signal and cut noise in how you lead.In this episode of B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks, host Brian Graf si
92 - Is getting an MBA worth it in 2025?
Is an MBA still worth it for marketers in 2025, or should you learn by shipping work in public?Schools still broaden your network and expose you to many disciplines. The catch is that the tactical skills age fast, and AI is eating a lot of the output that used to signal competence. On the job, you can publish, get feedback, and adjust in real time.In this episode of B2B SaaS Marketing Sna
91 - Shipping quickly: The tension between entropy and speed
Is moving fast the antidote to marketing entropy?AI gives you volume and speed, then drowns you in noise. Great ideas get sanded down by feedback loops, testing for testing’s sake, and a few too many opinions. Momentum fades, quality slips, and the window closes. The fix is not more polish. It is shipping sooner. In Episode 91 of B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks, host Brian Graf and Kalungi foun
90 - Syntropy: Marketing's new mandate in the age of AI
Is AI making your marketing sharper—or just noisier?AI has supercharged how fast we can create. Blogs, campaigns, designs—what once took weeks now takes hours. But speed comes with a catch. When everything is generated faster and in higher volume, clarity often gets lost. Signal turns into noise. The real message gets buried.In Episode 89 of B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks, host Brian Graf and
89 - Is founder-led GTM a strength or a risk for SaaS investors
Is founder-led growth helping or holding you back?Early wins often come straight from the founder’s voice. Nobody knows the problem better, or tells the story with more passion. That credibility is what gets the first customers to sign, keeps them close, and often carries a young company through its earliest deals. But founder-led growth has limits. Time runs out. Markets expand. What wor
88 - Why founders overestimate PLG, and what VCs should check before investing
Is your product really ready to sell itself?Plenty of founders spot Slack, Loom, or Canva and claim, “We’ll just go product-led.” The idea feels neat. No big sales team. Faster cycles. Viral growth. Yet Product-led Growth only works when the product already clears tough hurdles for ease, onboarding, and unmistakable value. Miss those, and momentum never starts.In Episode 88 of B2B SaaS Ma
87 - Job Descriptions in the Age of AI
AI is rewriting the rules for marketing roles—and the expectations that come with them. In episode 88 of B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks, Brian Graf and Stijn Hendrikse dig into how job descriptions, hiring, and performance standards are shifting as AI becomes a core part of every marketer’s toolkit.What you'll learn:Why activity-based job descriptions are outdated, and why outcomes and ownersh
86- Video in B2B SaaS marketing
Video isn’t a flashy extra in B2B SaaS marketing anymore, it’s a must-have tool that is driving serious growth and leaving old-school strategies in the dust. 95% of B2B buyers lean on video before buying, and video ads can slash CPLs by ~30%! In Episode 86 of B2B Marketing Snacks, host Brian Graf and guest CMO Julian Revorio deliver the playbook on why video is now non-negotiable in B2B S
85- Pricing strategy for your AI software
Are you pricing your AI software correctly?Whether you’re trying to attract early users to a new AI SaaS offering or rethinking your model to scale an established product, you have to choose the right pricing model. If you pick the right one for your stage and audience, you’ll avoid churn risks and gain a new strategic tool to drive growth. In Episode 85 of B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks, host
84- Positioning an AI SaaS company
With over 14,000 new AI startups in the past few years and nearly every software tool now adding “AI” to its messaging, how can your AI-powered SaaS product stand out? In Episode 84 of BSMS Marketing Snacks, host Brian Graf and special guest CMO Antoine Vial (fractional CMO for 20+ SaaS companies) explore why technical features alone aren’t enough to win customers during the AI gold rush.
83- Marketing in a downturn
When economic and market turbulence strikes without warning, SaaS founders and marketers naturally start to wonder... should we cut marketing budget, pivot our message, or hold the line? In Episode 83 of B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks, co-hosts Brian Graf and Stijn Hendrikse explore how B2B SaaS companies can not only survive but thrive when the economy takes a dip. You’ll hear why maintaining
82- The development matrix
Feeling overwhelmed by a never ending to-do list, or struggling to balance high impact work with personal growth? The development matrix can help.In Episode 82 of B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks, co-hosts Brian Graf and Stijn Hendrikse dive into the Development Matrix – a simple but powerful framework for overloaded marketing leaders – and unpack how to tackle the never-ending to-do list that e
81- Account expansion (part 2)
Ever wish you could boost revenue without scrambling for new customers? You can! But only if you maximize the hidden growth opportunity in your existing customer base. In Episode 81 of B2B Marketing Snacks, co-hosts Brian Graf and Stijn Hendrikse welcome back B2B SaaS CMO Cecilia Pérez-Muskus to continue the discussion from Episode 80. Our very own B2B SaaS experts dig into how the best S
80- Account expansion
Scaling a SaaS company is about more than just landing new customers! It’s about maximizing the value of the ones you already have. This episode teaches you how to unlock expansion revenue, increase customer retention, and build a more profitable SaaS business. From upselling and cross-selling to deepening customer engagement, we dive into the real tactics that fuel scalable, efficient gr
79- Why you shouldn't hire a marketing agency
Hiring a marketing agency could be your next logical step for growth—but it can also be a costly mistake. The wrong agency can drain your budget, delay real solutions, and create more problems than it solves.In Episode 79 of B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks, Brian Graf and Stijn Hendrikse break down:When hiring a marketing agency makes sense—and when it doesn’tWhy early-stage SaaS companies ofte
78- How to tell if your marketing team is underperforming
As a B2B SaaS executive, it is fair to consider: Is my marketing team underperforming? With endless reports, unclear attribution models, and a constant flurry of activity, it can be tough to tell whether your team is actually moving the needle or just running in circles.In Episode 78 of the B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks Podcast, co-hosts Brian Graf and Stijn Hendrikse sit down with special gu
77- Leveling up your go to market
What does it take to truly level up in 2025? It’s not just about growing your GTM team—it’s about elevating your own leadership, optimizing your impact, and mastering the tools that will define the next era of growth.In this must-listen episode, Brian Graf sits down with Stijn Hendrikse and Antoine Vial to dive into their upcoming book, Level Up! Coaching Go-To-Market Leaders to Achieve E
76- Planning with the feature matrix
When you're building pricing and packaging for your B2B SaaS company, you’ll want to consult the feature matrix first.This framework gives your team an unbiased look at the features your product delivers to customers. It looks at each feature based on two different factors: how many people utilize it and how many competitors offer it.In Episode 76 of the B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks Podcast,
75- Relationships in marketing
How do you make sure that your relationship bank account with prospects and customers is always positive? If your SaaS company focuses only on what it wants, it will not succeed.Every relationship in B2B SaaS is like a bank account. This key concept from Steven Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” is especially true in marketing for software.When you get to a point where your
74- How to get traction with an MVP product
Why do some minimum viable SaaS products catch fire immediately, while others struggle to gain traction, even with solid execution? This is a challenge that keeps many early stage founders up at night.Building a great product is just the beginning. You've probably heard people say… “just turn on marketing and revenue will flow.” For some, it can be that simple, but often it isn't. In Epis
73- The future of SaaS marketing
Ready to future proof your SaaS marketing strategy and get the most out of your 2025 go to market? This episode is packed with insights you can take straight back to your company to grow faster. On Episode 73 of the B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks Podcast, our hosts Brian and Stijn navigate through trends such as AI's game changing role in marketing, to other significant changes in personalizat
72- What you need to build a great CRM
Why do so many CRMs fall short of their potential to drive revenue generation and retention?With the right setup, usage, and maintenance, your CRM strategy will be the key to unlock your startup’s true revenue machine.On Episode 72 of the B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks Podcast, Brian and Stijn interview a special guest: Fadi George, co-founder and CTO of Kalungi and a RevOps master. He’s imple
71- The importance of partnerships for sales-led growth
If your B2B SaaS company is sales-led, building the right partnership program can rapidly accelerate your growth and long term success.But not every software company succeeds at partnership marketing! If you have a lack of resources, not enough strategy or just poor execution and enablement, this powerful go to market motion will go nowhere.On Episode 71 of the B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks P
70- Demand creation vs demand capture
The B2B SaaS buying journey isn’t linear – it is much more complicated than that.At any one time, only 5% of your addressable market is actively in-market and seeking a solution. These prospects are ready to click that “schedule a demo” button after seeing your paid search ad or visiting your website’s pricing page. But what about the 95% who aren’t ready to buy? This is where demand crea
69- Is brand strategy really dead?
If you are under 30 and your career isn’t skyrocketing in marketing, should you move to product or supply chain?A recent episode of Scott Galloway’s celebrated podcast, Prof G Pod, made the claim that the true innovation and differentiators today for companies are on the product side and not on the marketing side. Galloway is an American public speaker, author, podcast host, entrepreneur,
68- How to maximize your product launch impact
For any new B2B SaaS company, the product launch is a critical moment in time. Done correctly, you gain traction and jumpstart getting revenue in the door. For more mature companies, it’s an new opportunity to connect with the market, bring excitement to your new product or product evolution and celebrate your users. Either way, a successful launch requires planning, coordination, and foc
67- The impact of AI on marketing
With AI now baked into nearly every software solution, how can you get the most out of it to grow your SaaS company? Used wisely, smaller teams can achieve more with less effort. However, AI isn't a magic solution for SaaS marketing. Used unwisely, it creates generic content, adds inaccuracies, and provides a negative impact on your brand in the mind of your ideal customer.If you're a ma
66- The GTM perspective on growth through acquisition
Don't let a badly chosen or implemented acquisition TKO your software company's success trajectory.In Episode 66 of B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks, we tackle how to make sure a potential acquisition is the right move and, most importantly, how to get the most out of it.Growth by acquisition can be a powerful way to accelerate your go to market approach. Acquisitions allow you to:-quickly enter
65- Solving the biggest issues of B2B SaaS marketing
Strategy, growth targets, messaging, and funnel focus: get ready to solve four of the biggest problems that B2B SaaS marketing teams face on a daily basis.Identifying and eliminating problems in these areas for your organization needs to be a top priority. In Episode 65 of the B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks Podcast, we discuss how to unlock new levels of performance by fixing these common issu
64- Pivoting and product development with Ansoff's Matrix
Innovative products are the bread and butter of SaaS companies, and it can be tempting to try new things. But when it comes to launching new products, many B2B businesses can stumble at first.Episode 64 of the B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks Podcast is the third and final episode in our Ansoff Matrix series. We discuss the right side of the famous Matrix: product development and diversification
63- Expand your market with Ansoff’s Matrix
Selling an existing current product or service into a new group of software customers can be a big challenge. Today we dive into strategies for marketing expansion for your SaaS company using the wisdom found in the upper left quadrant of the famous Ansoff Matrix.In Episode 63 of the B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks Podcast, we talk through the indicators you should look for when considering a m
62- Get more market penetration with Ansoff’s Matrix
The secrets to greater market penetration for your software company can be found in the lower left quadrant of the famous Ansoff Matrix.In Episode 62 of the B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks Podcast, we show you how to use Ansoff's Matrix to make the most out of what you already have. You can expand your share of an existing SaaS market using your existing software products and/or services. You w
61- How investors spot high marketing growth potential
As a SaaS investor, how do you predict how fast a company will grow?You need to know if you're looking at a rocket – or a tugboat – in terms of potential speed and growth. What are its chances to expand fast in the market? Can it really take hold and nail a niche?In Episode 61 of the B2B Marketing Snacks podcast, we talk through all the factors to look for in a company that show it is pri
60- How to hire a SaaS marketing leader
As a SaaS founder, hiring the right marketing leader for your startup is one of your most important yet tricky tasks. The wrong choice means lost time, revenue and resources when you need speed, scale and skill.How much experience is enough? Will they fit your culture? Are they going to get the growth results your investors demand, quickly enough? In this episode of B2B Marketing Snacks,
59- Setting the right foundation before driving growth
As a SaaS founder, the pressure to move too fast can be relentless. It can be tempting to cut corners and try and gamble on your scale through quick wins and growth hacks. More often than not, these initiatives become distractions that end up wasting time, money, and resources only to deliver subpar results. In this episode of B2B Marketing Snacks, we detail the right foundation for a B2B
58- How to get hired as a marketing leader
You have all the experience, connections and drive needed to crush your next top marketing role. Now, what is the best path to getting hired today as a chief marketing officer?Like the famous fable of "the cobbler’s shoes" (in which the cobbler’s kids had no shoes because he was too busy working for others), too many potential CMOs spend too little time on their go to market strategy. The
57- Making changes as a new marketing leader
Congratulations, you’re the new CMO for a B2B SaaS company! What do you do first?Learn the ins and outs of “making moves” as a new marketing leader: how fast to move and how to tackle all the big and urgent issues you'll face early on. It’s vital to avoid pitfalls and maximize your impact in the short term while building for the medium and long term too.Getting hired as marketing leader a
56- A marketing team you can afford
The best B2B SaaS marketing teams are built, not bought. For any software marketing leader, CEO or founder, a crucial part of your job is to teach the new, young, relatively inexperienced people on your team.Small software companies don’t have the big HR budgets that large companies have to hire A-level players. They have to rely on their ability to bring in less experienced, highly motiv
55 - How to reduce "agency fatigue"
If you’ve tried outsourcing marketing for your B2B SaaS company, you know managing several agencies at one time can be more than a headache. It can mean significant coordination, time, and effort spent even just to get started. Every agency has its own onboarding process, internal project management approach, reporting cycle and more. As a result, founders can suffer what’s known as “agen
54 - Standing up the ideal go to market team (live at SaaSOpen)
How do you stand up a marketing team fast? Where do you find the best marketing talent? How far and how fast should you expect these experts to go? Today’s software founders have an array of choices for rapid growth: internal hires, fractional hires, agencies and/or tactical specialists – but you can’t (and shouldn't) have it all.Typical startups have one of three needs when it comes to g
53 - Scaling smart with marketing spends from $10-100K/mo
In B2B SaaS, the expectations for a $10,000/mo marketing team are totally different from a $100,000/mo one. As a Founder, CEO, COO or CMO, you need a way to know:• How do I forecast the amount of lead gen and revenue results to expect?• How large a marketing team do I really need?B2B SaaS companies move through predictable stages of marketing focus, cost and size (as described in the popu
52 - Make your sales forecasts more predictable
Many sales forecasts are inaccurate. Let's make yours more predictable:1. Ground your projections in actual data instead of feelings. Many forecasts are based on opinion rather than actual data. If you’ve been in business for 3 or more months, you likely have access to data you can use. Let’s say you had 20 demos and 2 closed-won deals in the past three months—with this information, you c
51 - A simple problem solving framework
A simple 4-step approach to get your goals back on track:Define the problem. Write it down—be specific. Make sure everyone agrees on the problem. This step is incomplete until everyone interprets the problem in the same way.Uncover the ~real~ root cause. People often jump too quickly to conclusions and favor obvious explanations for symptoms. Most problems are nuanced with many contributi
50 - Software without the subscription?
Jason Fried (37Signals) recently published an open challenge to the software subscription model—their stance is that customers should once again be able to buy and own software products. To pay for them once and own the source code.We discuss both models' pros and cons and speculate why Jason and the 37Signals teams introduced this strategy and manifesto. Here are some of our key takeaway
49 - Google’s exposed search ranking system
Google has always guarded its search ranking factors. But thanks to the recent antitrust suit between the DOJ and Google, we now get a glimpse into the inner workings of their ranking systems through previously confidential internal documents. Here’s what we’ve confirmed about the process so far:Whenever new content is published and indexed on the internet, Google’s goal is to (as fast as
48 - Presenting your 2024 plan to the board
Our best practices for presenting your marketing plan to the board of directors as companies are in the thick of 2024 planning.General guidelines:First, there are general guidelines you should always keep in mind when presenting your plan to the board:Come prepared - Don’t present plans that aren’t pressure tested. If you ask for money, be ready to answer questions about the specifics—res
47 - Critical product marketing capabilities every team needs
Strong product marketing is crucial for early-stage software companies. But it’s also the most significant gap for many.Whether it’s your first marketing hire or someone from your founding team, someone on your team should be able to connect their deep understanding of your product (features, capabilities, value delivery) with an overarching go-to-market plan.Some of the core product mark
46 - A simple framework for content creation
The content playbook that worked in the 2010s doesn’t work anymore. Things like keyword search volume, word count, and post date/time don’t have the same impact they used to. Instead of working backward from keyword to content, good content marketing does the reverse—start with a question you think you can answer better than someone else. Don’t worry about the keywords for now.There are t
45 - How to diagnose product-market fit
The true definition of product-market fit is highly contested online. But one thing is clear from our experience: most founders think they’ve hit PMF far before they truly have. What does product-market fit (PMF) actually mean; and how should your go-to-market techniques change once you get to PMF? Product-market fit means finding a defensible beachhead of customers (a cluster of similar
44 - The party is over
2022 and 2023 brought new pressure to the software industry that many mature industries have felt for a long time. Here’s our take on what happened and where we go from here. What happened?2010–2021 were the years of plenty, with an extra push in the back from COVIDSince growth capital was so cheap, it was easy to get away with mediocre performance The bar of performance was not high enou
43 - What to do when your numbers stall
Today we talk about what to do when your company is falling behind. What are the first things you should focus on? How do you prioritize your problems? It’s easy to get caught in the weeds and forget that SaaS companies are relatively simple. Before anything else, take a step back and look at the three core levers for ARR growth:Monetize (expansion)Upsell and monetize your existing audien
42 - What research says about common SaaS startup missteps
Today we talk about our marketing audit. It’s a 15 category scorecard where we dig into the details of and assess our clients' full marketing and sales functions. Typically our clients score about 32 points out of 75.Today we’re diving into all the categories, and discussing what clients usually get right, and what they usually get wrong. From the first 8 audits we’ve analyzed, we’ve pic
41 - What should marketing contribute to revenue?
To make decisions about where and how you deploy and focus your teams, you need to answer the question: “where does our pipeline & revenue come from?” Leadership ultimately has to decide who owns what part of revenue contribution, especially when you’re ramping up in the early stages. We identify that there are three main buckets where revenue can originate from: Relationships from sa
40 - When do you need a truly strategic marketing leader?
Today’s topic comes from a user question on the T2D3 office hours voting app.“What should you look for in a new marketing leader? When should you bring marketing resources in house as you scale and at what level of seniority? […] When do you bring on the strategic marketing resource who helps you develop a true go to market?” It’s hard to bring on a marketing leader for an early stage (MV
39 - When you should(n't) start channel partnerships
When and why should you or shouldn’t you partner with other companies? We tackle the 3 biggest factors you should look to when making a decision about whether to partner or not, and some of the potential risks and pitfalls. It’s very important to partner for the right reasons and at the right time—don’t start too early.
38 - How to employ situational awareness as a go-to-market leader
In today’s episode, Stijn discusses situational awareness as it relates to your go-to-market strategy. In other words, understanding your business’ stage in the T2D3 journey, as well as your market maturity, and how it affects your budget, pricing, and a number of other important factors in your GTM. Inside we provide examples, tactical advice, and stijn’s philosophy behind the framework.
37 - What demand generation channels should you start with?
Today we’re addressing a question from a member of our community about demand generation, and which channels to tackle first in your go-to-market. Our answer is simple: start with inbound. In our explanation, we discuss how to best approach inbound, why there is a need for it early on, as well as different channels and when and how they work best. During our time we also share with you ou
36 - When and how to use an agency (or agencies), or outsource your entire marketing function
Especially when ramping up, software companies have a ‘need for speed’ and it is oftentimes best to contract with outside talent. Today, in addition to a special product announcement, Mike and Stijn discuss best practices for when and how to best outsource some or all of your marketing function. Do you go for a piecemeal solution, with multiple agencies for specific problems? This can be
35 - Getting started with SEO
Today Mike and Stijn discuss early stage B2B content marketing efforts, specifically how to tackle SEO (Search Engine Optimization). They address how you can find your own priority keywords when you’re getting started, best practices, and Stijn shares a bit about how he built the inbound engine for T2D3, along with his typical strategy and approach. Inside you’ll find information about to
34 - New verticals and your go-to-market
Today we’re addressing a question from a community member around the idea of expanding your beachhead, and what it means for your go-to-market. We discuss how and when you should introduce new verticals and industries you service into your website and other assets. We discuss our philosophy, tracking technologies like Hotjar, Clarity, and Google Search Console, as well as the customer jou
33 - Why you should narrow your positioning
Mike and Stijn talk about why saying “no” can help you find early success.Every large company started small. And most started by doing one thing really well, then built more offerings or repositioned as they grew. While (understandably) founders don’t prefer restrictive positioning, we’re convinced there is a lot of power in building your initial customer base by providing a specialized s
32 - How to manage your team’s OKRs
OKRs are hands down the best goal tracking system we’ve found for SaaS. In Episode 11, we discussed how to create them for your marketing team. Today, we’re going deeper, and talking about how to most effectively use, and manage them throughout your organization, from a leadership perspective. We provide our framework, address common mistakes, and provide insight and best practices into h
31 - T2D3: How some software startups scale, where many fail
Today we discuss Stijn’s new book, which he wrote alongside Mike, called T2D3. The book is a tactical and strategic playbook for how to go-to-market, and achieve T2D3 growth. That’s when you triple your growth two years in a row, and then double it two years after that. This is the growth path most “unicorn” companies follow. We go deep into why Stijn wrote the book, what you’ll find insi
30 - Why you should invest in content early
Today we celebrate 30 episodes. We talk about founder made content, and how important it is to invest in content for your company early on (hint:very). We also give some tips on how you should approach making content, and talk about our own journey. Content creation is not as hard or time consuming as you might think, but it pays dividends.
29 - How to manage discounts and special terms with an Empowerment Matrix
Giving special terms to customers, such as discounts or payment plans, is a tried and true method of acquiring new business, maintaining and bolstering relationships, and an important facet in achieving T2D3 growth. As a member of the executive team, you can usually do this whenever you like. But what flexibility should your sales, customer success, marketing, or other teams have to make
28 - How to manage and grow your SDR/BDR team
Today we discuss SDRs and BDRs in detail. In addition to explaining what they are and what the difference is, we do a deep dive into topics like who is responsible for their management (sales or marketing?), what types of metrics they should be accountable for (emails sent, dials, ROI influenced?), and even whether or not you can or should outsource the roles (hint: we don’t think it’s a
27 - Should you ban slides for marketing reviews?
Today Stijn introduces a topic he is passionate about: slides in internal marketing reviews. He posits that not only do you not need them, but also they waste valuable time and resources. Instead, your internal meetings should be data driven. Simple data promotes productive and necessary conversations, and too often the marketing function does not discuss the most essential data on a regu
26 - How to define and create your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
Today we get into the nitty gritty of Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs). In episode 16 we talked about how to verify your ICP, but didn’t address the basics. After viewer feedback, today we revisit the topic to answer important questions about ICP. We discuss what it is, why you need it, how to come up with it, what it should look like, and how to use it. Some specific conversations within t
25 - Pricing and packaging your SaaS offering (Part 2)
Continuation of episode 24. Today we continue the conversation from episode 24 on pricing and packaging. We begin with an examination of freemium vs. try-buy and their specific use cases. We address how to set a price and where to start. Lastly we discuss price increases for SaaS products.
24 - Pricing and packaging your SaaS offering (Part 1)
Pricing and packaging is one of the most important aspects of a SaaS business. Without calculated prices and packages that align with your customers, you will lose out on ROI and sour against the competition. Not only do you need to provide the right value, but also you need to effectively monetize it. Value based pricing is key here - give the buyer attractive choices on your terms, inst
23 - Product led growth vs. sales led growth
In today’s episode, Mike and Stijn discuss product led growth and sales led growth through an illustrative metaphor of hunting vs. gathering. If huge, high monetary value accounts are elephants (high ARPU), then the executive or relationship driven sales teams are the expert hunters. If low value, but plentiful accounts are berries and low hanging fruit (low ARPU), then the teams that bui
22 - How to get your most important piece of content
Strong testimonials are your important piece of content. A testimonial from a happy customer means a lot more than a list of product features coming from your marketing team. Anything you can say, a customer can say better.Today we give you an overview of why testimonials are so important, how you should use them, and tactical advice on how to gather them. We even include a 28-question ta
21 - How to report Marketing to the board of directors
Today we dive into the subtleties of board meetings, and offer a framework for how you should leverage them as a marketing leader, founder, or CEO. We talk about what boards are for - how can they help you? What do the members want out of the meetings (and the company)? We also talk about how to interact with the board, and how to prepare for meetings. What should your presentation includ
20 - How much should you invest in Marketing?
How much money should a B2B SaaS company be spending on marketing? The answer is “it depends”, but there are a few ways to get a solid calculation. Today, with our special guest Brian Graf, we discuss the four factors you should consider when trying to create your marketing budget: product maturity, market maturity, growth targets, and growth velocity. We also share the methodology behind
19 - What to expect from a B2B SaaS Marketing Agency
Today we get into the weeds of what working with marketing agencies should look like as a rapidly growing B2B SaaS company. We discuss the functions agencies should be performing for your business throughout its early growth stages. We address how to structure KPIs around both short and long term metrics so agencies are accountable for both quick wins and sustainable growth. We also give
