4 actionable SaaS growth tips: 8-step Content Marketing framework; 5-steps to sell with storytelling; survey non-converting leads; sell outcomes, not features.
Hey - itβs Alex!
Today, I will share with you:
4 actionable SaaS growth tips
Best tip, failure, & learningβ by Dirk Sahlmer (SaaS.group a founder-friendly SaaS acquirer)
1 software tool recommendation
β¦ that will help you quickly grow your SaaS product π.
π Before you begin:
β Β Get yourΒ FREE copy of the SaaS Growth Strategy Worksheet
β Unlock your growth potential with a list of 82+ proven SaaS growth strategies
Limited offer: Use the code '100newsletter' to get the list for 0β¬ instead of 99β¬!
1. Build trust & drive inbound leads with Content Marketing (8-step framework)
Content Marketing is one of 16 powerful growth channels.
If you are an early-stage B2B SaaS startup, content marketing & outbound sales should be your main growth channelsΒ (followed by referral programs and paid search).
With content marketing you will:
βοΈ Build trust (β> being seen as an industry expert)
βοΈ Drive inbound leads sustainably (vs. paid traffic that goes to 0 if you stop spending money on ads)
βοΈ Increase conversion rates along the customer journey
Invest in content marketing and do it as early as possibleβ
You will see how your SaaS will grow 3x faster π
Content marketing is easier than you think.
Here is a simple 8-step guide. π
1οΈβ£ Identify the main problems of your ideal customer profile
2οΈβ£ Learn what they are interested in and whatβs valuable for them
3οΈβ£ Identify 1-2 channels (e.g. Linkedin and Youtube) where they hang out
4οΈβ£ Create 1-2 highly valuable assets (e.g. e-book, course, templates) and a nurturing campaign
5οΈβ£ Have weekly/bi-weekly content themes and create content around this topic
6οΈβ£ Distribute the βsameβ content on different channels (e.g., a youtube video, 3 LinkedIn posts, 1 newsletter, etc.)
7οΈβ£ Repurpose your content every 3 month
8οΈβ£ Rewrite the same message in many different ways (no need to write something new every day)
Bonus tip: Create content for each stage in the funnel, not only for the Top of the funnel.
π To learn more about how to say 1 thing in 1000 ways and frequently repurpose your content, check out Justin Welshβs Content playbook.
P.S. More and more founders build a personal brand, create a large following and establish themself as industry experts. They use their personal accounts and publish relevant content for their ideal customer profile. Especially for Linkedin and Twitter, content marketing works better with personal accounts than with company accounts.
2. Selling without actually 'selling'! π‘
You are a founder or sales leader and feel uncomfortable doing the classic sales calls?
You are not alone!
Prospects also donβt like seller-centric pitches.
It doesnβt have to be like that. Sales calls can get really smooth.
A great way to sell without actually 'selling' is called storytelling!
And it's so powerful πͺ.
5-steps to sell with a story π
1οΈβ£ X had a problem (Introduce problem)
2οΈβ£ X couldnβt fix it (Highlight pain points)
3οΈβ£ X tried many things (Discard alternative solutions)
4οΈβ£ Then X tried your product (Present your solution)
5οΈβ£ Now X is happy (Sell them the outcome)
You are βsellingβ without actually selling.
You are telling a transformation story.
You can use storytelling in all your customer-facing communication:
βοΈ Blog posts and newsletter
βοΈ Customer success stories / Case studies
βοΈ Sales calls and demos
βοΈ Welcome email sequences
βοΈ Email Nurturing
βοΈ Webinars, Podcasts...
3. Customers buy results, not featuresπ‘
Tomasz Tunguz says there are 3 reasons why companies buy your product.
1οΈβ£ Increased revenue
2οΈβ£ Reduced costs
3οΈβ£ Improved productivity
So people donβt buy services.
They buy results. They buy outcomes. They buy transformation.
You need to solve their pain! Then they buy!
Of course, for the single user and buyer persona this could mean:
4οΈβ£Β You make them feel good
5οΈβ£ You make their life easier
Here are 3 examples of how to sell outcomes (and not features).
1οΈβ£ If your product is an email marketing software, you sell an engaging growing audience.
2οΈβ£ If your product is a booking software for restaurants, you sell more revenue and higher utilization.
3οΈβ£ If your product is a sales CRM, you sell a full pipeline and higher conversions (ultimately more revenue).
You basically shift the attention from inputs (e.g. your features) to outcomes and results.
4. Survey non-converting signupsπ‘
Your getting lots of leads but seeing a low conversion to demo (for sales-led) or a low conversion to active leads (for product-led)?
Itβs time for you to analyze and get answers!
Early-stage SaaS startups should ask every non-converting signup for feedback.
You will collect lots of valuable feedback.
That lets you optimize your product, your messaging, your pricing, etc.
Here is an easy 4-step approach: π
1οΈβ£ Get a list of all non-converting leads & trigger an email sequence (e.g. founder is reaching out to learn whatβs missing for them to convert) - donβt do this once, rather set up an automation (e.g. X days after the signup date).
2οΈβ£ Create a super simple survey with non-converting reasons (multi-select or dropdown) + open text field for more information (+ synch the feedback in your CRM)
3οΈβ£ Even consider to outreach via phone (if you are sales-led) to qualified leads
4οΈβ£ Based on the reason you can proactively offer a solution for that, e.g.:
βοΈ Product was too complex β> offer a free training session
βοΈ Too expensive β> restate your value proposition and offer a discount
βοΈ Trial was too short β> Extend the free trial for 14 days
Bonus tip: Do the same for churns.
Have a churn customer email automation (asking for churn reason) + reach out to them via phone.
π‘Β Best tip, failure, and learning by Dirk Sahlmer, M&A Manager at SaaS.group (a founder-friendly SaaS acquirer)
Tip: Even if you think you have a good gut feeling, you should start tracking your financials & KPIs properly from the beginning. At the latest when you talk to potential investors/buyers, you'll appreciate how much stronger your position is if you have the numbers at hand.
Failure: Before I joined saas.group, I always thought that you need a groundbreaking idea / top resume / relevant experience / VC funding to build a successful (SaaS) startup.
Learning: Conversations with hundreds of founders have shown me that, in the end, you don't need all that. If you have something you'd like to pursue, just do it and learn along the way (Google is your best friend). Also, you can define what "successful" means to you - not everyone needs to build a unicorn.
P.S. Definitely check out saas.group if you consider selling your (Micro) SaaS business. Dirk is happy to jump on a call with you.
πͺΒ 1 software tool recommendation
I can highly recommend Notion to draft your content (e.g. newsletter, Linkedin posts).
Itβs super simple to get started, great to collaborate with team members, and also suitable to become your internal content library.
Happy growth π.
TL;DR
8-step content marketing framework to drive inbound leads & build trust.
Storytelling lets you sell without actually βsellingβ.
Prospects buy results (more revenue, reduced costs, increased productivity), not features.
Survey your non-converting signups and take the learnings for optimizations.
π Whenever youβre ready, 3 ways I can help you:
Follow me on Linkedin for more actionable tips to grow your B2B SaaS business
Download your FREE copy of the SaaS Growth Strategy Worksheet and get access to a list ofΒ 82+ hand-picked, proven SaaS growth strategies.
Work with me 1:1 to grow your B2B SaaS business - send me a DM onΒ Linkedin or book a free 15min virtual coffee with me to learn more about my offering.
Quick reminder: If you like my newsletterβ¦
β¦ and this email is in your spam folder, please mark it as βnot spamβ.
β¦ or even better, reply to this email with something like "just saying hi or some actual questions".
These are positive signals that help my newsletter land in your inbox and you donβt miss out on any future valuable info.
β€οΈ Enjoyed the newsletter?
Simply share it with other SaaS professionals who can benefit from it as well and click the heart icon below.