Grow Your B2B SaaS S7E7 - Why Human Psychology Still Wins in B2B SaaS Sales (Even in the Age of AI) with Desiree-Jessica Pely
In today’s crowded SaaS market, having a great product simply isn’t enough. understanding why human psychology still wins in B2B SaaS sales is very crucial. Many companies generate significant interest, such as leads, web traffic, or downloads, but still struggle to convert that attention into reliable revenue. The real issue isn't a lack of data; it’s a misunderstanding of how B2B buyers actually make decisions.
In this episode of Grow Your B2B SaaS, Joran Hofman hosts Jessica Pely, co-founder of Loyee.ai and former fintech CTO, to discuss why great products alone do not win in SaaS. Jessica emphasizes the need to align go-to-market strategies with real buyer behavior. Her approach combines behavioral science, data, and AI and delivers a clear takeaway: sustainable growth comes from better targeting based on behavioral signals and executing with focus.
Key Timecodes
(0:00) – Cold Open: Signals vs. Noise in Go-To-Market, Sales Overconfidence in B2B SaaS
(0:49) – Guest Intro: Jessica Pely – LOI AI, Behavioral Economics Meets SaaS
(1:30) – Origin Prompt: Behavioral Targeting in SaaS Sales
(1:43) – PhD to CTO: Rational Biases & Enterprise Sales Strategy
(2:58) – Founding LOI AI: Identifying Pain-Driven Accounts & Buyers
(3:13) – Conversion Struggles: Interest ≠ Paying Customers in SaaS
(3:38) – Targeting Models: Spray-and-Pray vs. Signal-Based Go-To-Market
(4:56) – Chasing Logos: How Social Bias Derails SaaS Sales Focus
(5:05) – Psychology in B2B Sales: Biases from Both Sides of the Table
(5:21) – Buyer Biases: Status Quo, Risk Aversion, Loss Aversion
(6:50) – Adoption Dynamics: Early Adopters vs. Most-in-Pain Accounts
(8:23) – Sales Overconfidence: Deal Cycles, Forecasting & Coaching
(8:30) – Sponsor Break: SaaStock Dublin – Founders, VCs, Meetings
(9:39) – AI in Sales: Misconceptions & The Human Element
(9:58) – 3 AI Use Cases: Automation, Insights, Autonomous Decisioning
(11:17) – AI as R&D: Hire AI Like a Junior, Align with GTM
(12:54) – Garbage In, Garbage Out: Build Your Sales Knowledge Base
(13:43) – ICP vs. TAM: Best-Fit Profiles & Signal-Based Markets
(15:15) – Customer First: Twin Companies & Lookalike Targeting
(16:02) – Competitor Displacement: Migration Targeting via Pain Points
(16:47) – Too-Broad Signals: Salesforce ≠ Clear Jobs-To-Be-Done
(17:37) – JTBD + Job Ads: Scraping for AE Needs & Verification Pain
(19:27) – Early-Stage Focus: Iterate, Learn, Focus on Fit
(21:00) – AI for ICP Scoring: Cut Through Noise with Fit + Pain
(22:38) – Qualitative Signals: Culture, Pricing, Sales Motions & ML
(23:48) – Operating Rhythm: Reassess ICP Quarterly
(24:29) – More Data Isn’t Better: Limit GTM Signals to 10–15
(25:45) – Human vs. AI Outbound: 2x2 Matrix for Outreach Strategy
(28:33) – Growth Principle: Focus Over More – Execute Deeply
(29:01) – Future of SaaS Sales: Automation + Human Differentiation
(30:02) – Stage-Based GTM: Scaling from 0 → $10M ARR
(31:24) – Document Everything: Train AI, Onboard Faster