The SaaSiest Podcast

153. Kevin Goeminne, CEO, CHILI publish - How to win the Fortune 500 game!

In this episode, we speak with Kevin Goeminne, CEO of CHILI Publish, an AI-powered creative platform that integrates into your MarTech stack to help brands and agencies create designs at scale with reduced operational costs.

We talked with Kevin about what it takes to win the business and trust of Fortune 500 companies, from the process of getting in front of them, winning and finally growing these accounts to $1m ARR accounts.

Here are some of the things we talked about:

- What proven strategies and channels have you leveraged to get in front of the right decision-makers in these Fortune 500 companies?

- What strategies or tactics have been most effective in navigating the lengthy and complex procurement processes typical of Fortune 500 companies?

- Which organizational requirements do you need to fulfill working with a Fortune 500 company?

- What is the ideal team structure internally that will actively manage the relationship with a Fortune 500 customer?

- What are the most costly pitfalls and mistakes one can make when doing business with Fortune 500 companies?

These are some of the many questions we address with Kevin. Please tune in to learn more about how CHILI Publish is having success winning the trust and business of the likes of Coca-Cola, Mars, Roche, and many other Fortune 500 companies.

152. Daniel Eisenberg, Head of Expansion, Deel - How data-driven growth strategies are accelerating Deel’s path to $1 billion ARR!

In our latest episode, we’re catching up with Daniel Eisenberg, Head of Expansion at Deel, to dive into how the company is shaking up the global HR space. Deel has been on a fast track, expanding rapidly across businesses of all sizes and eyeing that big $1 billion ARR milestone within a year.

We also chatted about Deel's growth playbook—how they’re fueling the pipeline with smart growth marketing, an agile SDR/BDR setup, and tight-knit collaboration between AEs and SDRs. Daniel also shared some golden insights on why events and networking are key to building strong relationships and driving Deel’s growth forward.

Here’s a few key takeaways from the conversation: 

• What’s behind Deel’s rapid rise, and how will they keep up the momentum to hit $1 billion ARR?
• How does the SDR team nail global outreach with a personalized touch and local language expertise?
• What role do events and networking play in Deel’s pipeline strategy, and how do they keep these efforts aligned with their overall growth goals?
• Which metrics matter most in measuring success, and how does Deel balance automation with the personal touch in their sales and marketing?

Tune in to hear more about how Deel is navigating the challenges of global HR and using innovative strategies to fuel their impressive growth.

151. Jonas Jonsson, CEO, 4C Strategies - How a bundling of services and software can increase long term Software ARR!

In this episode, we speak with Jonas Jonsson, CEO, 4C Strategies, the leading provider of organizational readiness and military training management solutions through their Exonaut® software and advisory services. Founded in 2000, 4C Strategies today serves military, public, and private clients in more than 70 countries around the globe. 

We talked with Jonas about how a strong Service & Consulting arm within the organization can be an accelerator for long term ARR growth. We talked about the opportunity this provides them, but also the challenges that come with a setup of this kind with a relatively large Service & Consulting arm.

Here are some of the things we talked about:

- How does your service arm contribute to your company's overall value proposition, especially in an industry where software solutions are often seen as sufficient?

- In what ways has having a significant service arm helped you differentiate from competitors who primarily focus on product alone?

- How do you manage the potential risks and challenges associated with maintaining a large service arm, such as scalability and profit margins?

- What metrics or KPIs do you use to measure the success of your service arm, and how do these metrics align with your company’s long-term strategic goals?

- What organizational structures do you recommend for a Product and Service organization to operate as one?

These are some of the many questions we address with Jonas. Please tune in to learn more about how they have managed to leverage Services & Consulting to ultimately grow their software ARR!

150. Stijn Smet, Head of Customer Success, Whale - How the CS team can leverage product usage data to unlock future revenue!

In this episode, we speak with Stijn Smet, Head of Customer Success at Whale, the AI-powered software for documenting processes and training employees. It helps companies systemize and scale by aligning employees with procedures and processes and boosting compliance with policies and regulations.

We talked with Stijn about how CS teams can leverage product usage data to unlock future revenue customer revenue, reduce churn, and create more stickiness.

Here are some of the things we talked about:

- What are the critical types of product usage data that CS teams should focus on?

- How can CS teams utilize product usage data to drive additional revenue?

- How do you measure the return on investment (ROI) of your CS initiatives using product usage data?

- What tools and technologies do you recommend for integrating and analyzing product usage data to ensure the insights are both reliable and actionable?

These are some of the many questions we address with Stijn. Please tune in to learn more about how your CS team can leverage your product usage data to accelerate upsells.

149. Bas Willems, VP Corporate & Product Marketing, DataSnipper - The Role of Product Marketing in Early-Stage Growth!

In this episode, we speak with Bas Willems, VP of Corporate and Product Marketing, DataSnipper, the Intelligent Automation Platform within Excel that accelerates the speed and quality of your audit and finance procedures.

We talked with Bas about product marketing, and the importance of product marketers to understand the customer and translate their needs into marketing material. 

Here are some of the things we talked about:

- Should you use memes when marketing your product?

- What are the key metrics to measure product marketing effectiveness?

- How can you connect with the audience on an emotional level and thus build a stronger brand? 

- What makes an excellent product marketer? 

These are some of the many questions we address with Bas. Please tune in to learn more about how DataSnipper leveraged product marketing on their journey to $1 billion, and how you can strengthen your brand by applying effective product marketing.

148. Joliene van Grieken, Founding Partner, The Growth Syndicate - How to Create Demand!

In this episode, we speak with Joliene van Grieken, Founding Partner, The Growth Syndicate, a collective of experienced growth leaders focused on helping B2B software companies develop their in-house capabilities to ensure unprecedented, sustainable growth.

We talked with Joliene about Demand Generation, how it differs from lead capturing, and most importantly, how you can create demand for your offerings.

Here are some of the things we talked about:

- Why does a successful Demand Generation Strategy start with understanding the information consumption patterns of your ICP, rather than their purchasing behavior?

- What is the role of sequencing touchpoints in this strategy?

- Short-term vs long-term play, how do you find the balance?

- How do you include your existing customers in your demand generation strategy?

- How to report and motivate investment internally in the organization?

These are some of the many questions we address with Joliene. Please tune in to learn more about how a demand generation strategy done right can accelerate your revenue expansion.

147. Erwin van der Vlist, Founder, Speakap - Founder-Led Expansion: The Game-Changer for Successful U.S. Market Entry!

In this episode, we speak with Erwin van der Vlist, Founder of Speakap, the employee experience platform that improves communication, facilitates better onboarding and learning experiences, and helps you take meaningful action on employee feedback to improve productivity, coordination, and engagement.

We talked with Erwin about the expansion and success of Speakap in the US, particularly looking into how they had to pivot their initial market entry, absorb the lessons learned, and eventually find the key growth levers to win in the US.

Here are some of the questions we addressed: 

- What is the role of a founder in the US expansion?

- What are the reasons why your initial attempt at US expansion might not work out as planned?

- What signs and KPIs indicate it's time to invest in a full-scale local revenue team?

- Which converting channels are best to leverage to build top-of-funnel pipe as a newcomer to the States?

- How do you build external customer trust during the early phase?

These are some of the many questions we address with Erwin. Please tune in to learn more about his journey to the US, and all the steps taken to establish a fast and profitable operation over there! 

146. Lise Tangen Hansen, Managing Director, Annalect Norway - How to get SaaS customers to accept price increases - 6-step formula!

In this episode, we speak with Lise Tangen Hansen, Managing Director, Annalect Norway, the marketing prediction and consumer insight company helping clients boost campaign ROAS using cutting-edge AI predictive Analytics.

We talked with Lise about how to do a price increase that sticks! She walks us through her 6-point checklist that covers all internal and external key decisions and communication points to deliver a pricing increase project that is well received by the market.

Here are some of the things we talked about: 

- What does it mean to have a Pricing Narrative?

- How do you harmonize the price increase with the narrative?

- Which customer variables are key to identifying to help you define a priority list for the price rollout to existing customers?

- How, in practice, do you execute an overarching pricing increase?

- How do you bring this message to your customer?

- How can you leverage A/B testing in the rollout process? 

These are some of the many questions we address with Lise. Please tune in to learn more about her 6-step formula to deliver a successful price increase project, where customers not only accept the price increase but also understand the value you provide to them.

145. Krzysztof Szyszkiewicz, Partner, Valueships - The importance of pricing and how it affects your profitability

In this episode, we speak with Krzysztof Szyszkiewicz, Partner at Valueships, the pricing consultancy firm that helps companies become more profitable by optimizing their strategy, pricing, value understanding, and overall revenue-related processes.

We talked with Krzysztof about the importance of pricing and how it can impact a company's profitability. We discuss insights from our recent report on SaaS pricing trends in the Nordics, highlighting the lack of differentiation in pricing plans and the missed opportunity for add-ons.

Here are some of the things we talked about: 

- What role should pricing have in your company? 

- How do you prevent value deterioration when adding new features?

- Why do you need to be careful when discounting your product offerings?

- How do you leverage add-ons to drive increased profitability?

These are some of the many questions we address with Krzysztof. Please tune in to learn more about the challenges of pricing, the importance of differentiation, and the impact add-ons can have on your business.

144. Vladan Soldat, Founding Partner, Nobel Recruitment - How to attract your first VP of Sales in an early stage SaaS!

In this episode, we speak with Vladan Soldat, Founding Partner, Nobel Recruitment, the SaaS Sales Recruitment Agency that helps connect commercial talent with fast-growing SaaS companies in Europe.

We talked with Vladan about hiring your first external VP of Sales. We particularly discuss the approach to attract and retain a VP of Sales when you are an early-stage SaaS and still building up brand awareness.

Here are some of the things we talked about: 

- When is the ideal time to hire a VP of Sales for a business?

- Which strategies are effective in attracting candidates for a new, fast-growing company?

- What steps are involved in the screening process for hiring a VP of Sales?

- What are common mistakes to avoid when hiring a VP of Sales?

- Which red flags should be looked for in the hiring process of a VP of Sales?

These are some of the many questions we address with Vladan. Please tune in to learn how you can attract, retain, and compensate your first external VP of Sales when you are an early-stage SaaS.