How to Improve Demand Gen for your SaaS Business, with Chris Walker (Passetto, previously Refine Labs)
Jan 30, 2025
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Chris Walker, CEO of Passetto and former founder of Refine Labs, shares profound insights on demand generation for SaaS businesses. He emphasizes the importance of CEOs actively participating in marketing and understanding customer behaviors. The rise of 'dark social' and its impact on B2B marketing is discussed, alongside challenges in measuring ROI. Chris advocates for a customer-centric approach, effective use of platforms like LinkedIn and TikTok, and the significance of community engagement in driving success.
Active CEO participation in marketing can significantly enhance demand generation by directly engaging with customers and understanding their challenges.
The shift towards independent buyer research necessitates that SaaS founders focus on effective marketing to drive growth and improve conversion rates.
Understanding customer needs through effective segmentation and tailored messaging is vital for SaaS founders to differentiate their offerings in a competitive market.
Deep dives
The Importance of CEO Engagement in Marketing
Active participation in marketing is vital for CEOs, as it can significantly influence a company's growth trajectory. Engaging directly with customers through comments and feedback creates a deeper understanding of their needs and challenges, which is often overlooked when marketing is delegated entirely. In companies with rapid growth, such as Gravy and Gong, leadership involvement in marketing strategies is a common factor contributing to their success. By dedicating time daily to connect with customers, CEOs can drive impactful demand generation that surpasses traditional marketing approaches.
The Shift from Sales to Marketing in B2B
The landscape of B2B buying behaviors has dramatically evolved, with buyers now preferring to conduct extensive research independently before engaging with sales. As a result, effective marketing has emerged as the primary method for achieving growth, rather than relying on traditional sales tactics. This shift necessitates that founders understand their marketing role deeply and engage with customers to guide their team's strategies effectively. By placing emphasis on marketing, companies can improve conversion rates significantly and create a superior customer experience.
Segmentation and Customer Understanding as Foundations
A comprehensive understanding of customers and effective segmentation are essential for SaaS founders, particularly in the early stages of business development. By deeply analyzing customer needs, pain points, and demographics, founders can tailor their products and messaging to serve specific market segments. This focused approach not only enhances customer satisfaction but also positions a company as a unique solution in a crowded marketplace. The alignment between product offerings and customer needs ultimately drives sales and solidifies brand loyalty.
Leveraging Modern Marketing Channels Effectively
Selecting the right marketing channels is crucial in reaching prospective customers effectively, particularly in the current social media landscape. LinkedIn and podcasts have emerged as powerful tools for B2B marketing, allowing businesses to engage with their target audience while presenting valuable content. Companies must invest time in understanding where their customers are most active and align their marketing strategies accordingly, rather than sticking to outdated playbooks. By tailoring content to the preferences of their audience, businesses can enhance visibility and engagement significantly.
Understanding and Embracing 'Dark Social'
The concept of 'dark social' involves informal channels where customers share and discuss brands without traditional tracking or attribution. This includes interactions in private communities, social networks, and word-of-mouth conversations that significantly influence purchasing decisions. For SaaS companies, recognizing and engaging with this phenomenon is essential for modern marketing strategies. By creating valuable content that resonates well with target customers, businesses can foster organic discussions around their offerings that drive brand awareness and lead generation.
One of our most listened to episodes, we're bringing back Chris Walker, CEO at Passetto (previously Founder and CEO of Refine Labs, a progressive demand generation agency that challenges the status quo in B2B marketing).
Before launching Refine Labs, Chris led marketing at two B2B firms where he built the foundation of his unique perspective on demand generation. Now, at Passetto, a Growth Advisory Firm for SaaS CEOs Scaling from $10MM - $100MM+, Chris helps CEOs and CFOs get instant GTM clarity.
Chris joined our host Alex on an exclusive founder members only workshop as part of our SaaStock Founder Membership (SFM), to share how you can grow your business and improve your demand generation strategies. Check out the other ways SaaStock is serving SaaS founders
🇺🇸 SaaStock USA 2025: 13-15 May 2025 | Austin, Texas. Connect, learn and
thrive at the leading conference for B2B SaaS Founders, Operators and
Investors from Pre-Seed to Series C.
(https://ti.to/saastock/saastock-usa-2025)
🇮🇪 SaaStock Europe 2025: 12-14 October 2025 | Dublin, Ireland. "The best
SaaS conference for founders, execs & investors in Europe, period." -
Christoph Janz, Partner, Point Nine.
(https://share.hsforms.com/1FbUpCXpJT8um3MehUUYcAg3upof)
🤝 SaaStock Founder Membership: A private members group of B2B SaaS
founders between $100K - $10M ARR who are committed to growth and
helping others (https://www.saastock.com/founder-membership/)
🌎 SaaStock Local: Monthly meet-ups in cities all around the world,
bringing together SaaS enthusiasts and experts to discuss the most
pressing topics in SaaS (https://local.saastock.com/home)
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