This week's guest is John Griffin, co-founder and CRO of m3ter, who joined Neel Desai at SaaStock 2022 to discuss the importance of usage-based billing in SaaS and its impact on businesses. John emphasizes the need for SaaS companies to focus on customer success to drive adoption and product usage, and shares his thoughts on the future of SaaS, suggesting that it will involve a combination of product-led growth (PLG) and traditional enterprise sales motions. High Level Overview:Usage-based billing aligns customer value with product usage, driving adoption and increased revenue for SaaS businesses.The future of SaaS involves a combination of product-led growth (PLG) and traditional enterprise sales motions, with the most successful companies deploying both strategies.Customer success departments are crucial in driving adoption and ensuring customers get the most value from a product, making them vital for businesses using usage-based billing.SaaS companies can benefit from ingesting cost data along with usage data, enabling them to show finance departments the correlation between customer usage and company costs.Identify the appropriate usage metric for your product, ensuring it directly correlates with customer value.A Crash Course on Usage-Based Pricing:Usage-based pricing is a billing model where customers are charged based on the actual usage of a product or service rather than a flat fee or subscription. It aligns product usage with customer value, creating a more symbiotic relationship between the provider and the customer. Here are some key points to consider when implementing usage-based pricing in your business:Pricing tiers: Set clear and transparent pricing tiers to help customers understand the costs associated with different usage levels.Track usage: Continuously monitor and optimize your pricing model, as usage patterns and customer needs may change over time.Enable your customers to succeed: Provide customers with tools to track and manage their usage, helping them avoid unexpected charges and better control costs.Customer success teams: Invest in customer success teams to drive adoption, increase product penetration, and ensure customers are getting the most value from your product.Hybrid values: Consider a hybrid pricing model combining usage-based and subscription elements if it better suits your industry or product type.Internal transparency: Present a clear view of costs and margins to finance departments, demonstrating the alignment between customer usage and company expenses.Further LearningsFollow John on LinkedIn and check out m3ter for more on Usage-Based Pricing.

Today's guest is April Dunford, founder of Ambient Strategy and author of the essential positioning book Obviously Awesome. April's an expert on positioning, including what it is, what people get wrong with it, and what they need to get right with it. She's currently working on her second book focused on teaching teams the structure and processes she's been using to build sales pitches for the past couple of decades with hundreds of tech companies. This interview, recorded at SaaStock 2022 with Patrick Campbell, gives you a sneak peak into a masterclass on sales pitches conducted by April Dunford.High Level Overview:Positioning is crucial in B2B sales as it helps potential customers understand the value of your offering and how it stands out from competitors. Effective positioning can significantly improve sales performance.Personalized and targeted messaging is essential to engage potential customers, and leveraging data-driven insights can help create a compelling narrative that resonates with them.Testing new positioning with top sales representatives and partners is necessary to validate its effectiveness and ensure better sales outcomes.Explainer videos, buyer's guides, blog posts, and graphical representations are some marketing collateral that can be used to convey the positioning to customers, aiding their understanding of the market and product.Companies should be creative and focus on helping customers understand the market and the unique value proposition of their product, which can drive sales and customer engagement.A Crash Course on Crushing Your Sales Pitch:A good sales pitch is a concise, persuasive, and tailored presentation that effectively communicates the unique value proposition of your product or service, addressing the specific needs and challenges of your target audience. The ultimate goal is to capture their attention and convince them that your solution is the best choice to alleviate their pain points. Consider the following points:Understand your target audience: April stresses the importance of knowing the context of your audience, their needs, and their pain points to make your pitch more relevant and persuasive.Develop a strong positioning: April believes that positioning is the foundation of a successful sales pitch. Craft a unique value proposition by emphasizing what sets your product apart from competitors and how it addresses your audience's specific needs.Use storytelling techniques: April shares her experience of using storytelling in a sales pitch, making it more engaging and memorable. Incorporate relatable stories that demonstrate how your product or service has helped others and create an emotional connection with your audience.Be concise and clear: April highlights the importance of clarity and brevity in a sales pitch. Focus on delivering your key messages in a succinct manner, avoiding jargon and complex language that could confuse your audience.Tailor the pitch to different customer segments: Adapt your messaging, examples, and value proposition to cater to the unique requirements of each audience segment. April advises being flexible with your pitch and adjusting it to different contexts to maximize its effectiveness.Practice and refine your pitch: Continuously iterate and improve your sales pitch based on feedback and market trends, ensuring it remains relevant and impactful. April underscores the importance of learning from your experiences and refining your pitch to achieve better results.Further LearningsApril wrote the book on positioning. Check it out here.Follow April on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Today's guest is Andy Whyte, CEO of MEDDICC and author of the book on MEDDICC. He has been a sales leader for 20 years. His discussion with Paddle's own Andrew Davies illuminated a lot about how one can effectively use MEDDICC. Andy can help you understand how to better identify customer pain points, demonstrate value, engage with stakeholders, and manage the sales process effectively to close deals and drive revenue growth for your SaaS business.High Level Overview:Understanding MEDDICC: a method of reverse engineering how customers buy or don’t buy.The three pillars of professional buyers: selling value, stakeholders, and processDon’t just focus on getting the signature on the paper, focus on getting the customer to “go live”.Build a common vocabulary between sales and marketing to enable both teams to cooperate effectively.Building trust and credibility with potential customers involves understanding their business, pain points, and connecting through proof points of other existing customers.A Crash Course on MEDDICC:MEDDICC is a sales methodology that stands for Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, Champion, and Competition. It focuses on creating a structured and strategic approach to qualify and close complex deals, helping sales teams navigate through the sales process while ensuring alignment with the buyer's needs and priorities:Metrics: Quantify the potential value of the solution for the customer, using specific KPIs or metrics to demonstrate the positive impact it will have on their business.Economic Buyer: Identify the person who has the authority to make the final purchasing decision, and engage with them to understand their needs, pain points, and criteria for a successful solution.Decision Criteria: Understand the factors that influence the customer's decision-making process, including technical, functional, and financial requirements, as well as any unique considerations for their specific situation.Decision Process: Gain insight into the customer's internal decision-making process, including the steps they will take, the key stakeholders involved, and any potential obstacles or roadblocks to be aware of.Identify Pain: Discover the primary pain points or challenges that the customer is experiencing, and determine how your solution can effectively address and solve those issues.Champion: Find an internal advocate within the customer's organization who understands the value of your solution, is willing to support it, and can help influence the decision-making process in your favor.Competition: Be aware of competitors in the marketplace and be prepared to differentiate your solution by emphasizing its unique strengths, features, and benefits.By implementing MEDDICC, sales teams can effectively navigate complex deals while ensuring they address the needs and priorities of potential customers. This methodology enables a structured and strategic approach to the sales process, ultimately leading to a higher likelihood of success in closing deals and fostering strong, lasting customer relationships.Further LearningsAndy Wrote the book on MEDDICC. Check it out here.Follow Andy on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Today's guest, Anna Gong, founded Perx Technologies in 2014. Her discussion with Paddle's Neel Desai is a curious one when it comes to the topic of game theory and gamification. While gamification might feel gimmicky and drive shallow customer engagement, it can actually be a tool for good (if done properly). Neel and Anna go over a number of topics in the episode but we'll give you an overview of what you need to know below.High Level OverviewUtilize different game theory mechanics such as leader boarding, badging, teaming, social virality, quests, missions, and other games.Focus on increasing financial literacy and wealth savings, rather than just driving user behavior for spending.You can augment your enterprise motion with Product-Led Growth with an initiative to rally behind.Use AB testing to determine the most effective way to engage customers.Don't just dangle a voucher or cash back, but continuously engage customers.Using Game Theory to Drive Customer LoyaltyGame theory is a powerful tool for driving customer loyalty and engagement. By utilizing different mechanics such as leader boarding, badging, teaming, driving, social virality, quests, missions, and other games games, you can create a challenging effort to achieve a purpose that customers will be more likely to engage with. Here are some tips for using game theory to drive customer loyalty:Utilize Different Mechanics: There are a variety of mechanics available to use when employing game theory to drive customer loyalty. These include leader boarding, badging, teaming, driving, social virality, quests, missions, and other games games. Each of these mechanics can be used to create a challenging effort that will give customers a sense of purpose and get them more engaged with your product or service.Instant Gratification: Customers need to be instantly gratified and rewarded for frequently interacting with a brand, rather than just being offered a voucher or cash back. Utilizing game theory rewards can help to ensure that customers are rewarded for their loyalty and will keep coming back.Focus on Financial Literacy: Rather than always focusing on spending, it can be beneficial to pivot campaigns to increase financial literacy and wealth savings. This can be done through creative campaigns that aim to solve certain business challenges.Be Creative: Utilizing game theory to drive customer loyalty is an effective way to increase engagement and loyalty. However, it is important to be creative and think outside the box. Consider different strategies and mechanics to create a unique experience that will get customers excited about your product or service.Further LearningsFollow Anna Gong on LinkedIn and Twitter.Play Flappy Bird (at your own risk) here.

Today's guest, James Mayes co-founded Mind the Product in 2010. Much like the eponymous character in Jerry Maguire, James has a strict code of ethics that he sticks by when thinking of product management. Instead of thinking about how much we are making from our product, James emphasizes the why. But he didn't require a public mental breakdown and a loss of business like Jerry. Quite the contrary. At the beginning of 2020, Mind the Product was facing uncertain waters specifically with an in-person business model... but they managed to sell to Pendo a couple of years later. A large reason for this success is the principles James and co stuck to when building Mind the Product. Check out the episode or read below if you want to create your own product manifesto just like James.High Level OverviewAlign incentives and OKRs to ensure success.Prioritize customer-first thinking to build trust and customer loyalty.In times of crisis, offer refunds and explore subscription-based models to stay afloat.Ask questions about how user behavior needs to change to unlock customer value.Understand the implications and risks of using new technologies like AI, machine learning, and Web 3.0.Defining Your Product ManifestoThe practice of product management is becoming increasingly complex and nuanced. Within product, it is important to understand the ethical considerations that come with the role. James Mayes, founder of Mind the Product, has outlined some key principles that should go in your product manifesto.Put Your Customers First: Understand the customer’s needs and find ways to deliver value. It is important to understand the customer’s needs, as well as the long-term implications of any product decisions. Product decisions should always be made in the context of delivering value to the customer.Take Stock of Your Impact: As the famed Marc Andreessen article says: Software Is Eating The World. James’ addendum to that is “product managers are writing the menu”. Ask yourself what 4Chan would do. If you build a feature, how could it be used in nefarious ways in the darkest corners of the web?Embrace New Tech with Caution: Technologies such as AI, machine learning, and Web 3.0 can provide unique opportunities to solve customer problems. While they can be helpful, it is important to understand the implications and risks of using these technologies.Refunds: When faced with the financial challenges of the pandemic, James and Mind the Product offered refunds despite it depleting the company’s runway. With this customer-first thinking, they were able to engender trust which enabled them to thrive when they launched their membership model. But not all who cancel are lost… you can woo back 4 out of every 10 customers who cancel.Further LearningsFollow James Mayes on LinkedIn and Twitter.Also, check out Den of Geek’s article summarizing the infamous Jeffery Katzenberg memo which served as inspiration for Cameron Crowe when writing Jerry Maguire.

Today's guest is Godard Abel. He is the Co-founder & CEO of G2.com, a software marketplace with authentic peer reviews to make purchasing software that much easier. With his vast experience as an executive heading up multiple high-performing companies (like SteelBrick and BigMachines - purchased by Salesforce and Oracle respectively), Godard offers valuable advice on what it means to be a stellar operator. In this episode, he sat down with Patrick Campbell at SaaStock 2022 and broke down a number of fundamental learnings.High Level OverviewEstablish a strong company culture that fosters trust and collaboration.Leverage the power of partnerships to create synergies and generate value.Develop a performance-oriented mindset to ensure success.Utilize peer reviews and customer feedback to build trust with potential customers.Utilize data to make informed decisions and improve efficiency.Adopting G2's P.E.A.K. CultureInvesting in your team and developing a strong company culture is one of the best ways to ensure your business is successful for years to come. You can follow the G2 method of P.E.A.K. Culture which stands for Performance, Entrepreneurship, Authenticity, Kindness. Performance: It’s important to have goals and objectives but tantamount to that all is to measure that progress. This can be done by creating a baseline of what you have currently, whether it’s tracking your MRR, CAC, or LTV or even the reach you see in your social campaigns. Additionally, no one better understands the buying process than your customers. Utilize customer feedback, reviews, and other buyer data to make informed decisions and improve efficiency.Entrepreneurship: Fostering a culture where operators can have ownership over certain facets of the business will pay dividends. Oftentimes, just doing what works isn’t going to move the needle. Empowering others who you work with to challenge the status-quo can result in game-changing results. Don’t get this confused with hustling your face off, however. Poor sleep patterns can negatively impact growth and satisfaction.Authenticity: I’m sure we all see ourselves as authentic to varying degrees. Authenticity in itself feels like a binary measure, but there’s always that one person who holds their cards close to their chest. Dan Martell managed to shift Patrick Campbell’s perception of authenticity after speaking with him on an earlier episode of Protect the Hustle. Vulnerability is strength. encouraging transparency and open communication can develop a healthy culture within any business.Kindness: It isn’t just about being nice and respectful to those you work with (although that’s a great place to start), creating partnerships with likeminded businesses is crucial to your own success. By practicing the golden rule where you treat others how you want to be treated can lead to strong relationships with investors, peers, and your direct reports that will come back to help you in the end. You can’t expect the same measure of response, but it can, at the very least, put a warm feeling in someone else’s heart.Further LearningsYou can learn more about Godard Abel by following him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Today's guest is Zandra Moore. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of Panintelligence, an embedded analytics platform for SaaS vendors. Beyond the stellar work she does in tech, Zandra is a champion of inclusivity. In our interview with her and Andrew Davies recorded at SaaStock in 2022, Zandra discusses several topics that make you a better operator. Perhaps most importantly, she beats the drum on intentional inclusivity.High Level OverviewA look into taking a loss leading business component from one company and spinning it out into Panintelligence.Bringing people from outside the tech industry into tech.Utilize different training materials to let people consume an understanding of your product in a way that works for them.Thinking of your business as a data company, not just a software company.Nailing your go-to-market motion with a hyper focused Ideal Customer Profile.Zandra's Talent Pipeline BlueprintZandra provided valuable insight into what building out a roster of high caliber operators looks like. Here is a guide based on her advice.Focus on diversity from the top down: Zandra stresses the importance of having a board that is representative of the folks within your company. By having diversity at the top level, it fosters diversity naturally in all areas below.Recruit outside the tech sphere: Zandra elucidates that bringing people from outside the tech industry into tech can offer a valuable perspective to folks who are not., You can invest in retraining programs like Northcoders. This will help create a more diverse workforce and bring in new perspectives.Utilize different training materials: Zandra recommends providing different training materials to let people consume an understanding of your product in a way that works for them. This can help with onboarding and getting people into the funnel. Panintelligence has their own courses offered on their site.Be intentional about inclusivity: Zandra explains that her own mother provided an example by working in tech instead of telling Zandra to get into tech herself. By bringing her passion and energy for the industry into the home, Zandra’s mother inspired Zandra to follow suit. She lists Ahead Partnership as a Leeds area organization that helps the private sector play a transformational role within their community.Following Zandra's advice, it is essential to focus on diversity from the very start when building a talent pipeline. This means recruiting from outside of the typical tech sphere, as well as utilizing different materials to effectively train people from diverse backgrounds. Taking the time to prioritize diversity and inclusivity can ensure that you can build a team that is well-versed, experienced, and capable of taking on any task.Further LearningsYou can learn more about Zandra Moore by following her on LinkedIn and Twitter.Additionally you can follow along with what Zandra is up to with LeanInLeeds and No Code Lab.

Today's guest is Kim Walsh. She heads up Sales, Partnerships, and Customer Success over at Apollo.io. As an early member of HubSpot and her continued journey through sales and growth, she’s learned valuable lessons in the world of B2B SaaS. In our interview with her and Patrick Campbell recorded at SaaStr in 2022, Kim discusses a number of topics that will make you a better operator like hiring tips, effective product-led growth, and much more.High Level OverviewPut the customer first, as it should be the core of all go-to-market activities, from sales to onboarding and customer successConsider sponsoring international talent for an H1B visa, as it can be a great way to bring in diverse talent early on.Figure out the percentage of revenue that comes from the three buckets of self-serve, sales assist, and rep-driven business.Monitor the self-serve metrics, such as weekly and daily active users, and percentage of people hitting the Aha Moment.Make sure that the self-serve bucket is growing faster than all other buckets in order to ensure success.Product-Led Growth: The Kim Walsh MethodProduct-Led Growth (PLG) is a go-to-market strategy used by many software businesses to acquire, engage, and retain customers. This strategy involves focusing on customer experience and product usage as the primary driver of growth and success. Implementing a PLG strategy requires an understanding of customer needs, a comprehensive understanding of the product, and an understanding of how to create a customer-centric approach to marketing.Understand Your Customer Needs: The first step in implementing a PLG strategy is to understand the needs of your customers. It is essential to have an understanding of the customer's journey, what they need, and what they expect from your product. This will enable you to create a product and customer experience that meets their needs.Know Your Product: Having a comprehensive understanding of your product is essential for effective PLG. This includes understanding the features and benefits of the product, the user interface, and how it can be used to solve customer problems.Focus on Customer Experience: PLG is all about creating a customer-centric approach to marketing. This means focusing on customer experience, rather than just pushing products. It involves understanding customer needs, creating an engaging product, and delivering an excellent customer experience.Utilize Data and Analytics: Data and analytics are essential for understanding customer behavior and product usage. Utilizing data and analytics will enable you to gain insights into customer behavior and usage, which can be used to optimize your product and customer experience.Invest in Self-Serve: Self-serve is a key component of PLG. Investing in self-serve tools, such as chatbots and Al, will enable customers to find answers to their questions quickly and easily. This will enable customers to have a more positive experience with your product.By understanding customer needs, knowing your product, focusing on customer experience, utilizing data and analytics, and investing in self-serve, you can effectively implement a product-led growth strategy. This strategy can help you acquire, engage, and retain customers, leading to long-term success.Further LearningsYou can learn more from Kim Walsh on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.This is a Paddle Studios production—dedicated to helping you build better SaaS

Check out the detailed field guide hereTopics discussed in this episode:02:01 - What makes a great SaaS community10:10 - The Three Types of Investors13:24 - Focusing on the interpersonal side of the business18:20 - Building and Maintaining the Founder-Investor Relationship23:44 - Embracing the silence during investor meetingsThis is a Paddle production—the first media network dedicated entirely to the SaaS and subscription space.

Check out the detailed field guide hereTopics discussed in this episode:01:57 - Why some fintech is really “tech fin”11:00 - Reducing the time and friction to execute19:00 - The "Buy now, Pay later" space23:56 - The anchor tenant persona30:11 - How to find anchor tenantsThis is a Paddle production—the first media network dedicated entirely to the SaaS and subscription space.