EPISODE SUMMARY
While doubling down on advertisements can be the knee-jerk reaction to advertising your software, the answer is more straightforward. Standing out from the crowd and driving leads can be achieved with a well-curated messaging strategy. Now the question becomes, how exactly do you accomplish that?
CEO and Founder at Brighter Click Colby Flood discusses the importance of nailing the correct messaging strategy together with B2B SaaS Sales Coach Matt Wolach. He also emphasizes communication within the business along with other advice in growing the business and filling the pipeline. Watch and learn how to win the game using a high-impact creative messaging strategy!
PODCAST-AT-A-GLANCE
Podcast: SaaS-Story in the Making
Episode: Episode No. 240, “Get More Leads with The Right Messaging Strategy – with Colby Flood”
Host: Matt Wolach, a B2B SaaS sales coach, Entrepreneur, and Investor
Guest: Colby Flood, CEO, and Founder at Brighter Click
TOP TIPS FROM THIS EPISODE
Centralize your Brand Message
For companies that utilize multiple agencies, it is vital to prioritize the centralizing of brand messages. After all, if these agencies do not communicate with one another, there will be a disconnect within the message itself, cutting down any resonance within your readers. At the very least, nailing the brand message will make it so that there will be no discord in the brand representation.
Having a solid brand identity helps you have a solid brand message. If what the brand stands for is crystal clear, agencies will find it easier to reach alignment as long as they properly research the brand. It is still better for the agencies to communicate with one another since this will lead to a more cohesive overall marketing or sales strategy. Flood also reminds us to track the messages’ performance so that “you can move that across other channels as they perform.”
Maximize the Algorithm
Whereas others advise to niche down, Flood says that 2022 is the prime time to let the algorithm do the work. This is evident in how they went from targeting 1-2 million size audiences to 150-250 million salespeople. Flood clarifies that it’s not that you target 150 million people in one platform but that the numbers are spread over different split tests.
Flood also recommends opting for interest stacking. Using a CBO campaign as an example, Flood advises, “you’ll have one that has interest at maybe 40-60 million people. You’ll have one that has a 10% lookalike stack, ideally high intent. And then you’ll have one wide open with just age and gender.” Simply put, refine your creative and copy instead of niching down in terms of reach.
Utilize First-Party Data Tracking
Given that tracking will become much more difficult if Google fulfills its promise of eliminating cookies, Flood advises looking into first-party data tracking as a must. All of us in software sales know just how crucial it is to have customer data filling our CRM and improving our conversion rates. With enough data, finding product market fit will also take time and effort.
Investing in first-party data tracking would be wise to avoid impacting the bottom line. By the time everyone is scrambling to figure out how to collect data, your company will already have a solid process and strategy that will outmaneuver your competitors. Flood also stresses that using first-party data tracking is critical regardless of your platform, as there will be cross-channel overlaps.
Pivot with a Business Consultant
According to Flood, investing in external resources is an excellent way to speed up company growth. Specifically, his company utilized business consultants that ensured they had the right talent in the appropriate roles and the correct SOPs. Since the consultant that was hired worked with several big companies, they were able to cut down the time it took for the company to take off and scale.
Apart from Flood, Matt can personally attest to the importance of utilizing experts as he is a firm believer in coaching. As a sales coach with his coach, Matt has personally experienced the massive return on investment one derives from getting the answers directly from someone who has been there and done that. He also emphasizes the value of perspective as a coach will quickly point out and secure your blind spots, perfecting your business strategy.
Find the Right Fit with Your Hiring Process
When finding the right fit, companies predictably consider product market fit. But compatibility should be ensured not only with the market you are targeting but also with the employees you have in your company. After all, hiring is a two-way door wherein Flood states, “it’s not just a company finding a good employee, it’s an employee finding a good fit at a company as well for sure.”
Flood explains that applicants must first answer several forms and complete a month of paid trial. Should they pass this stage, they are put on a three-month probation period before eventually being fully hired by the company. Hiring this way allows the company to test if the new hires have the appropriate skill set and can follow the company’s values. They are also given a chance to consider if they do like working with the company in the first place.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
Many Agencies are Bad at Communication
Flood notes that a lot of agencies can be bad at communication. The reason for this is the disconnect between the agency and the client. This becomes even more palpable if multiple agencies work on different social media platforms. Agencies can work on communicating with the clients by reporting progress and providing insights. This way, customers would be able to scale their business further.
Education is the Core of B2B Marketing
Unlike in the early days of radio and television, people now hold more power over the content they consume. Relying on old-school paid ads will not benefit your web traffic or conversion rate, as people tend to shut down over gimmicky sales attempts. The only way to circumvent this is to produce content that genuinely educates your audience, which can be done by repurposing events and podcast content.
Head Count does Not measure Growth
While you may see a lot of companies celebrating their headcount growth on LinkedIn, Flood advises that it is different from company growth. Scaling the company does not mean increasing the number of employees under payroll. Instead, it’s optimizing the current manpower you do have to be able to work efficiently. Flood also reminds us that preventing overstaffing does not overwork your existing workforce.
TOP QUOTES
Colby Flood
[5:42] “Messaging strategy is really understanding your customer, understanding your brand, having strategy and purpose behind what you put out there, and then testing and measuring it properly so you can move towards or move away from one specific type of messaging or creative.”
[13:59] “Creating captivating content that educates and adds to them, and gives them the trust and belief in your product or your company that you can provide what they need is the key.”
Matt Wolach
[6:06] “Within your sales process address their objections. And if you can figure out what those objections are and understand how to address those and overcome those, it’s critical.”
[16:13] “I believe in getting help. I believe in coaching. I have a coach myself. A lot of people come to me for their help and growth. Getting that perspective from outside the organization can be important because sometimes they see things you don’t see and have knowledge from other experiences that your team didn’t have.”
LEARN MORE
To learn more about Colby Flood and Brighter Click, visit https://www.brighterclick.com/about.
You can also find Colby Flood on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colby-flood/.
For more about how host Matt Wolach helps software companies achieve maximum growth, visit https://mattwolach.com/