Adam Zimny

I blame CRM stages for a lot of poor buyer experiences. Yes, you need a way to track your deal's progression. But the rigidity of stages is what makes buying feel like a strange interview instead of a conversation. We don’t trust sellers can tell how a deal is moving without strict rules, and that our buyers can understand themselves how “qualified” they are. Thanks Mark Huber for having me on The Proof Point and letting me get on my soapbox about B2B buying. If you want to hear me rant more about how weird B2B buying is (with some other B2B buying experts - Kevin White and Mac Reddin 🦕) listen to the latest episode of The Proof Point by UserEvidence. Plus if you listen you may learn a cool dinosaur fact from Mac Reddin 🦕  

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Bring your customers and sales teams together in one unified sales stack. You can do away with annoying emails and use collaboration techniques to keep your customers engaged and to measure their engagement. If you have your CRM built-in, you don't need to worry about updating your system of record. It's already done! SalesDesk

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I always thought SPICED was a sales framework Pretty much the same as MEDDIC - just with some other words. But… It’s not. Instead of just using it in the sales funnel, you can apply it across the whole GTM. Marketing can use SPICED to… 1: Run content and ads against Pain or Situation topics 2: Reflect Impact in the messaging And customer success? 1: Verify the desired Impact with the customer (vs running discovery) 2: Follow up on actually delivering this impact - again and again. This makes SPICED an “operating model” across the bow-tie. Not just some framework sales guys follow. P.S. follow me here for content on GTM or join my Substack here: https://buff.ly/3zOny5z

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CRO trend #11 🚀: Never use two testimonials that handle the same problem. Every testimonial should handle 1 angle/pain point. When choosing a testimonial, pick ones that address a specific problem or pain point. Your testimonials should answer those questions: → What problems did the client have before finding us? → How did the client solve their problems using our product? → Does the client recommend us to others? Simple, yet effective Note: Visitors are more likely to resonate with someone who has experienced a similar problem/pain. If you liked this post, make sure to Like and leave a comment ♻️

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How to increase your revenue, gain more customers, and reduce losses from negative reviews about your company. For this, my service GINIX is here 😄. A few numbers: - 64% of customers prefer to buy from a company that responds to reviews (data from a HubSpot analytical report); - 7 out of 10 customers change their opinion about a brand after receiving a response to their review (data from a BazaarVoice analytical report); - When a company responds to 25% of customer reviews, its revenue increases by an average of 35% (data from a G2 analytical report). The GINIX service works very simply - register, add your company's name and location - that's it. The algorithms will find all the reviews, show the complete picture - and then periodically monitor the internet for new reviews about your company. https://ginix.com - site. No promo codes or special conditions - the service is now free. Enjoy!

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🇺🇸🇪🇺Why are there so few enterprise SaaS founders in Europe compared to the U.S.? ------------------------------------------------------------------ I recently had an interesting discussion with a SaaS founder about how the U.S. market seems much more welcoming to enterprise-focused SaaS compared to Europe. In Europe, building enterprise software is possible, but it’s much harder, and fewer founders are building such SaaS software. Fundamentally, I think it boils down to two major aspects: 🏢 The difference between U.S. and European enterprises in terms of budget, market fragmentation, and risk-taking. 🤗 The lack of an "enterprise software" culture among entrepreneurs and VCs in Europe (especially at early stage). 1️⃣ When it comes to software spending, data from the latest Cledara report supports this idea. The report shows that companies with 200+ employees in the U.S. spend an average of $690k on software, while their European counterparts spend around $490k (see the attached graph). This aligns with a Gartner study, which indicates that U.S. companies typically allocate 3-4% of their revenue to IT, whereas European companies spend around 2-3%. So yes, U.S. enterprises spend significantly more on software than European ones, creating greater revenue opportunities for enterprise software startups. 2️⃣ Another key aspect is market fragmentation. Although Europe may have more enterprises overall than the U.S. (around 40,000 companies with 500+ employees in Europe compared to about 20,000 in the U.S.), the European market is highly fragmented. For instance, Germany has the highest concentration of enterprises, with approximately 10,000 companies with 500+ employees, followed by France, with fewer than 5,000. 3️⃣ In terms of risk-taking, U.S. enterprises have a much stronger culture of technology adoption, especially in large companies, compared to Europe. Many founders in Europe get stuck in "innovation programs" or "proof-of-concept purgatories" when working with enterprises. Although risk tolerance among European enterprises has improved over the past decade, it still lags far behind the American “spirit”. 4️⃣ A consequence of the previous aspects is that there are fewer founders and startup employees in Europe with experience in building enterprise-grade software. Europe's SaaS entrepreneurial culture is much stronger in the SMB/mid-market segment than in enterprise-level SaaS. It’s the same for early stage European VCs, who also tend to favor SMB/mid-market focused SaaS over enterprise solutions. Investments in enterprise-grade software typically come at a much later stage (series A / B), mostly when startups have already moved upmarket.

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Determining a "good" positive response rate for outbound emails can be complex and varies widely. In Q2, 2024, some of the clients I worked with averaged one positive response per 430 contacts. However, this is just an average. Some clients achieve 1 positive response per 100 contacts with outstanding lead magnets, while others see 1 in 150 due to their compelling offers. Some clients, previously receiving no responses, now get 1 in 500. Others, even after numerous campaign variations, achieve only 1 in 900. Results depend on your offer, market, and other factors. How do we use this data for our outreach strategy? If a campaign yields 1 positive response per 150 contacts, we scale it. If it’s 1 in 900, we pause and refine it. If 10 campaigns don’t surpass 1 in 700, scaling might still be viable depending on market size to meet client goals. Positive response ratios provide market insight. With 10,000 contacts and a 400:1 ratio, scaling isn’t feasible as you'd quickly exhaust your market. Conversely, a 100,000-contact market with a 700:1 ratio might be scalable with more experiments. While aiming for 1 positive response per 80 contacts is ideal, it’s often unrealistic. We use average response rates as benchmarks, but each industry varies. Enterprise sales differ from local business sales, SaaS from Ecommerce, CTOs from CMOs. These broad averages offer guidelines amidst varied responses to cold email campaigns.

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Good vs bad hiring processes for SDRs/BDRs ✅ ❌ Which one do you think attracts the best talent? A - gives feedback after each stage B - doesn't give feedback to candidates at all A - let candidates know the salary range and keep to a small variance b - doesn't make the salary clear in the job description and has a large range A - 2-4 stage process and includes a task/role play B - 5-8 stage process that feels like a repetitive interrogation A - offers as soon as they have the right person B - waits a few days/even weeks and keeps the candidate in the dark It doesn't take much to provide a great candidate experience. But people remember how you made them feel. #sales #salescareers #hiring #interviews P.S. Have you had a good/bad interview experience before?

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I recently talked to a CRO who is stuck finding GTM-Fit (again). CAC:Payback doesn't make sense for his growth channels. And the efficient channels aren't big enough for growth. So Mikkel and I did an Episode on how you can get un-stuck, covering these areas: 1. Outcompete on differentiation This sometimes smells like "product-market it" but positioning can unlock a completely new trajectory. 2. Outcompete on GTM Your competitors might shy away from PLG, Outbound or Events. On paper, those might not be a fit, but in a competitive setup they might. 3. Outcompete on Cash While you think you are strapped for cash, your competitors are very likely in the same or worse situation. Check out the episode here: https://lnkd.in/eFD-yn7p

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6 hidden tricks software agencies don’t want you to know about pricing. You can always get a better price from a software agency. You just need to know what to look for and when to ask. Here is how to do that: 1. Request itemized pricing From my experience, when clients asked for itemized pricing, it put them in control. I’ve seen a breakdown make both sides rethink the costs. 2. Ask for extras One of the best negotiations I had was with a client who didn’t haggle over price but asked for more services instead. We added free support and they left happy. Win-win. 3. Challenge padded timelines Early in my career, I padded timelines all the time. A smart client once pushed back on our delivery estimate, and guess what? We finished ahead of schedule. Never hurts to ask! 4. Leverage project gaps Idle engineers are a nightmare for any agency. I’ve personally lowered rates just to fill gaps in our schedule. If you time it right, you’ll get a better deal. 5. Negotiate near quarter-end Trust me on this one. We’re all trying to hit our targets by quarter’s end. More than once, I’ve offered discounts to make numbers work. Timing is everything. 6. Offer portfolio value Early on, a well-known client offered us portfolio use in exchange for a discount. It was worth it! I’ve since offered the same deal to others. Your brand can be as valuable as money.

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I do not recommend starting your sales career at an early-stage startup Because I did the same Guess how much I learned about selling during the first 2 years of my sales career that I still use today? Less than 5% I even learned things I had to actively unlearn later again Some issues: 1️⃣ You likely won't get any good coaching and waste precious years experimenting without a solid base I pitch-slapped 100 prospects because nobody in our company knew how to ask any questions 2️⃣ You will not know whether your failure is due to product, market, topic, or yourself. You might be discouraged to continue even though you are skilled at selling I did not reach my target in the first 2 years and was doubting whether the job was for me. The only reason I could stay was the hard-working mentality in my 20ties 3️⃣ The chances of failure are incredibly high because the startups aren't able to hire experienced salespeople but have the most difficult products to sell Nobody reached the target in my first 2 years either Yes, there are also a lot of positives about the experience at an early-stage startup But the odds are against you You could even waste your time if nobody knows how to sell or you do not get any external coaching

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Booking systems’ #1 CRO failure: If you are looking for an available time for physiotherapy, a beauty treatment, a haircut, etc. the process in most online booking systems is this: 1. Create an account (you are forced to do this) When you force customers to create an account where you have to enter your name, address, birthday, gender, etc. at least 30% to 50% will shut down the page and leave the booking system. (Just asking them for a simple e-mail / code login will do so). 2. Verify e-mail Then you have to verify your e-mail through your e-mail system, where many of these booking system e-mails end up in a SPAM filter, because they are not properly optimized for e-mail delivery. 3. See available time slots Having done all this work, now you can see if there are any available times with one provider and you have to complete the entire procedure with the next provider all over again. These booking systems would help the companies get so many more customers if the customers simply could check available times before creating a forced login. Just felt like sharing some booking system CRO frustration which I personally experienced this morning :-) -o0o- #cro #ecommerce #bookingsystems

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When building an outreach machine, people often ask: what's the best email finder tool? 💌 We are 7 outbound experts from different countries and industries. 🇺🇸🇫🇷🇦🇺 We teamed up to conduct a data-grounded study and make an accurate ranking of the best email finder tools out there 🔥 This is not a sponsored work. This makes the ranking one of the very rare, truly independent analyses on this matter. You can see detailed results in the first comment 👇 If you appreciate impartial data, you can show some support in the comments with your most exotic emojis. We plan to conduct other similar studies on the following topics: ➡️ What is the best email verifier? ➡️ What is the best phone finder? ➡️ What is the best waterfall tool? ➡️ What is the best Sales Nav scraper? Share your preferences in the comments!

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What if the highest offer isn't always the best one for your SaaS exit? "As a bootstrapper, you're pretty much in love with your company and product. And so, why would I want to destroy them just to have a few million in my bank account? It doesn't make any sense." I interviewed dozens of founders who sold their companies and pretty much everyone who sold to saas.group: And here are a few points they said were more important than that sweet sweet multiple: 1️⃣ The cultural fit Selling your company isn’t just about numbers. Aligning with a buyer who understands your culture can make or break the transition. Talk to the team at the acquiring company, chat with founders who sold to them already, and get to know the people behind Zoom calls and LI profiles before you agree to sail into the sunset with them. 2️⃣ Operational support matters A buyer who offers operational support can help you focus on what you do best – growing the business. If you still want to see your company climb the highest mountains but don't want to risk it all on this path, taking some chips off the table and selling to someone who knows what they're doing might just be the right step. I feel like this is the secret sauce to having a few founders stay with saas.group after an acquisition 😉 3️⃣ Trust and transparency Would you rather take a higher bid or work with a partner you trust? Trust is priceless and can lead to smoother, more successful outcomes. That's one of the reasons we always recommend getting ready for a potential exit earlier. And it doesn't just mean organizing your financial data. It's also about human communication and updating buyers on your journey. 4️⃣ Long-term vision Choose a buyer who shares your long-term vision. It's about the future of your company, not just the present payday. One of the comments I got on this: "We want to know, are we selling it, and then somebody will just come with a bulldozer and change everything? Because in this case, it'd be a big no" When selling your SaaS company, don't just look at the highest offer. Consider culture, support, trust, vision, and experience. These factors can provide value far beyond the initial multiple. What do you think? What factors do you consider in your exit strategy? Drop your thoughts below! 🚀

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Just another "I told you so" moment with AI. The two year experience I have had with out bounding has made me really appreciate the job of SDRs and how difficult that is to automate in a meaningful way. I am the biggest proponent of AI but, we were very underwhelmed with the effectiveness of AI SDR tools we tried. Moreover, even if AI SDRs could work at the beginning, the long term game theoretic equilibrium is that everyone will use them, and they will become as ineffective, driving willingness to pay to 0.

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Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of CRM tools out there? Let me take you on a journey from disappointment to discovery with Pipedrive. I remember the first time I used Pipedrive. It was still in its infancy, and, to be honest, I wasn't impressed. It felt clunky and lacked the features I needed. I moved on and have used dozens since, ranging from giants like Salesforce to smaller G Suite apps. Years later, a colleague mentioned that Pipedrive had made significant improvements. Skeptical yet curious, I decided to give it another shot. This time, it was different. Right from the start, I noticed how fast and intuitive Pipedrive had become. For someone like me, using many software platforms daily, this was critical. Everything worked smoothly, seamlessly integrating into my workflow. 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 - I use Expandi for LinkedIn outreach. Whenever a lead shows interest, I'd change their tag to "Pipedrive." This small action triggers a workflow. - - Updated tag triggers automate the transfer of leads to Pipedrive. No manual entry, no missed opportunities. Each lead is then assigned an activity, be it setting up a meeting, sending a proposal, or following up. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 - Once you sign a client, you don’t need to leave Pipedrive for another project management tool. There is a native project management module that is super simple to use. With a single click, you can transition from winning a deal to creating a project. - In a project, you can file documents, make notes, and send emails. You can also break tasks into subcategories and assign them to team members. Pipedrive isn’t another tool in my arsenal. It's now essential to my sales strategy. It helps me streamline processes and stay at the top of my game. DM for more information on how you can integrate your lead processes into Pipedrive. P.S. The Web Visitors feature provides detailed insights into your webpage traffic, allowing you to identify the source and origin of each visitor. You can then convert selected visitors into leads, deals, or organizations within your system.

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𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟬% 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗦 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? 50 renewals a year: this is what a 100 SaaS company with a 2-years average contract duration needs to manage. But even with one full-time IT buyer, it is materially impossible to renegotiate all contracts. At best, one buyer will be able to renegotiate 33% of them or 15-20 a year. So 30-35 contracts are left unchallenged every year. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲-𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀? The software market is subject to inflation: on average, 10% in 2023. So every unchallenged renewal is likely to see a price increase. Assuming an average annual contract price of €30k, it is an aggregated ~€100k budget risk that will materialize. Without alternatives (or BATNAs), you have no real negotiation leverage with vendors. And obtaining BATNAs require software sourcing, a lot. 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴: • Editing business requirements for vendors • Identifying all relevant vendors to send to • Contacting vendors by email/website • Interviewing all relevant vendors • Developing an analysis framework • Processing all responses • Summarizing in a document • Delivering negotiations Having done it many times, it takes > 60 hours at least. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝟴𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: Variables specific to your sourcing are configurable ✅ Exchanges with vendors can be done with AI ✅ Scoring of solutions can be done with LLM ✅ Negotiation strategies generated based on data ✅ 👉 3 hours effort is then what it takes for a full sourcing process with AI and generate BATNAs for all renewals This is what we deliver @ Vektiq so that you can: • protect yourself against SaaS inflation, • unlock new opportunities PS: What strategy do you use to protect yourself from inflation? #Software #Procurement #BATNA

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Should you run A/B tests in your SaaS business? ABSOLUTELY. It's the most scientific way to improve your website copy, messaging, onboarding flows and increase user conversion rates. We always have tests running - on our website, ad campaigns, and the app itself. And the results? Some increased our revenue by over 40%! Some were just plain weird. But let's get this straight first - what is A/B testing? We assign visitors to Group A or Group B and present them with different versions. We then measure how many in each group take a desired action, like creating a new account. Simple right? Here are some of our most impactful results: → Onboarding Flow: Forcing users through an onboarding flow before getting access to the tool increased our revenue by 30%. Quite counterintuitive, right? → Social Proof: Adding comments and ratings in the hero section of our website increased the number of visitors who clicked the ‘Sign up’ button by 6%. May not seem significant, but with increasing visits each month, that’s a strong impact! → Pricing: Presenting monthly pricing by default won over yearly pricing. Visitors clicked the sign-up button more frequently, and didn't feel the need to toggle the pricing options. A/B testing may seem redundant when most results are insignificant. But every once in a while, you’ll strike gold, making it all worth it! Just remember, these tests worked for us, but your mileage may vary. Run your own A/B tests to verify our results in your context.

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