Tony Jamous

Top sales talent leaves B2B SaaS firms regularly within <12 months, because there's a lack of pipeline, process, and professional sales enablement. In Dutch, we call this "mopping with the tap open" 😁 Founders without a solid GTM approach often make this mistake. I can't blame them. The mission of Manuel and Florian at SalesPlaybook resonates with me: To close bigger deals faster and retain rockstar talent by: -> Building & scaling repeatable pipeline generation -> Coaching, training & enabling sales leaders -> Increasing efficiency & revenue per rep The result? You close more and bigger deals faster, and you retain your top talent because they're set up for success. Because losing any top sales talent is like losing a 6-figure ARR deal: "Priceless". Want to learn more? DM me if you’d like a direct introduction—I highly recommend them!

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7 reasons why you should be at SaaStock Europe: 1. Connections  - Whether you are a SaaS Founder, C-suite operator or investor. Your peers will be there and you will meet them through our structured meeting program & our AI powered matchmaking. Outside of the structure and tech, every person is relevant, so the person on your left, right, at the bar, sitting next to you at the centre stage etc, they will be a good connection. 2. ROI - We hear it every year, from the very first session or meetings attended that our attendees have gotten ROI from the outset. Whether the ROI is learning something new from our expert speakers and mentors to help you get out of a rut, or fix the problem you’ve not been able to, or whether it’s meeting a new customer, hire or investor. ROI hits early at SaaStock. 3. The best will be there - we’ve 105 expert speakers this year. Mostly net new, that have never spoken at a SaaStock event or shared their stories to our community. Tomasz Tunguz one of the leading VCs and thought leaders in SaaS for over a decade, is making his first ever appearance at SaaStock Europe. David Politis a serial entrepreneur who most recently scaled BetterCloud to $80M+ and then exited to Vista Equity Partners is joining. Mikita Mikado, CEO of PandaDoc who’s just passed $100M ARR. Guillaume Moubeche who bootstrapped Lempire to $26M ARR in just a few years. Just 3 of 105 amazing founders, Investors and C-suite operators that you’ll learn from. 4. Achieve your Sales Targets - It’s the golden opportunity in B2B SaaS in europe for lead gen. With 4000+ attendees over three days, that are all decision makers, whether CEO, CPO, CFO, CRO, CMO, CTO, the quality bar this year of audience has been raised even higher. Buyers will be there whether you are exhibiting or just attending. If you need that pipeline for Q4 & Q1 & you sell to SaaS, then you really need to be at SaaStock Europe. 5. Keep up to date with the SaaS Industry - From the talks, the meetings, the conversations, you’ll walk away with the knowledge to help define your strategy for 2025. 6. Community - The community vibe at SaaStock remains strong & not only will it provide you comfort in attending for the first time, it will provide you with a welcoming embrace and a stronger network. You’ll walk away feeling like you are part of the community. 7. Inspiration - It’s been a tough time in SaaS over the last two years and whilst things appear to be getting better, we understand that a lot of you have been feeling the headwinds and the challenges. If you don’t step out of the office & try and figure everything out alone, it can often be harder. Connecting with your peers, knowing you are not the only one, getting the advice (or kick up the backside) you may need right now and hearing stories of those that are overcoming and finding a way to win. You’ll leave with the inspiration needed to boost your Q4 and be ready for 2025 Join us to connect and thrive at #SaaStockEurope

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Our strategy at PeakSpan is simple - scaling a growth company successfully should be an iterative, incremental process. The decisions and options you have in front of you at $3M of ARR scale are vastly different than those at $10M and different still from those at $25M and beyond - scale your way into success sensibly, putting your foot on the gas more and more when the data asserts that you’re ready for it and it’s the right thing to do. This video encapsulates our approach in a nutshell - swinging as hard as you can for a statistically unlikely outcome when you’re a young, still very much evolving business, simply isn’t the value maximizing strategy. https://lnkd.in/e96AzU_N

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🔍 Uncover the mystery behind SaaS deal failures with our hot-off-the-press read: "Why Most SaaS Deals Fail: The Truth About Stakeholders!" Are you a startup founder or B2B sales pro? Get ready to shine a spotlight on the hidden dynamics of stakeholder involvement. 🌟 Curious about why even the best pitches tumble? Spoiler alert: it’s not just about the software! 🎢 Highlights include: - 🎯 The secret role of invisible stakeholders - 👥 How to identify decision-makers early - 💡 Tips on leveraging stakeholder power plays Why settle for status quo? Arm yourself with insights that take your SaaS game to the next level! 🚀 Ready to dive in? Grab a cup of coffee ☕️ and cozy up with this truth-bomb: https://nuel.ink/TQo1AU Let's get the conversation rolling in the comments! 💬 What sneaky stakeholder tales do you have? Share the love! ❤️ #SaaSFail #StakeholderSecrets #B2BSales

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🔍 Uncover the mystery behind SaaS deal failures with our hot-off-the-press read: "Why Most SaaS Deals Fail: The Truth About Stakeholders!" Are you a startup founder or B2B sales pro? Get ready to shine a spotlight on the hidden dynamics of stakeholder involvement. 🌟 Curious about why even the best pitches tumble? Spoiler alert: it’s not just about the software! 🎢 Highlights include: - 🎯 The secret role of invisible stakeholders - 👥 How to identify decision-makers early - 💡 Tips on leveraging stakeholder power plays Why settle for status quo? Arm yourself with insights that take your SaaS game to the next level! 🚀 Ready to dive in? Grab a cup of coffee ☕️ and cozy up with this truth-bomb: https://nuel.ink/TQo1AU Let's get the conversation rolling in the comments! 💬 What sneaky stakeholder tales do you have? Share the love! ❤️ #SaaSFail #StakeholderSecrets #B2BSales

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And this does not even include #CoBuild technology partnerships. All these partner types can also contribute to #expansion as well.

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12 days until Christmas. I mean SaaStock Europe. 12 thing's i'm anticipating: 1. More meetings than ever. 2. C-suite boardrooms and operator masterclasses 3. Attendees from 60 different countries getting together in Dublin for 3 days 4. SaaStock Founder Member day - getting our tribe of scaling founders together. 5. The global pitch competition and crowning the 2024 winner of best SaaS startup 6. NightStock including welcome party, SaaStonbury and the dinners (watch my waistline please). 7. Welcoming attendees who're coming to their first SaaStock 8. Welcoming attendees/old friends who are coming to their 5th, 6th, 7th SaaStock. 9. Helping our Sponsor's get ROI by introducing them to the right people 10. Lifting Founders up who are going through a rut 11. Some incredible talks 12. Watching my team see the event they've been working on for 12 months come to life and the value it brings to those in attendance. #12daystoSaaStock #saastockeurope #saas

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What early indicators signal that a SaaS startup is ready for rapid scaling? 🚀 In last week's episode of The Vertical SaaS Podcast, I was joined by Jamil Jaoui and Jeremy Parker from Jitterbit. Jeremy shared his invaluable insights on driving growth and transformation in vertical SaaS, leading to successful M&A outcomes. With a track record of stabilising businesses, pushing boundaries, and scaling companies to exits, Jeremy has been instrumental in multiple successful transitions, contributing to $billions in transactions. If you're navigating the challenges of scaling or wondering what it takes to position your startup for an exit, this episode is a must-listen. 🎧 Check out the full episode via the links in the comments below! 👇

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People Culture Process Not just key for RevOps but also for scaling a company. Janis shared yesterday his experiences from scaling a company from $0-75M in ARR and selling it. Now, he builds Weflow | getweflow.com Here are my key takeaways: 𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗶𝗱-𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁. Instead of targeting only highly experienced executives, prioritize hiring mid-level professionals (3-8 years of experience) and providing them with growth opportunities and increased responsibilities. 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Develop a transparent and fair salary structure to ensure employee satisfaction and retention. Avoid making exceptions that can disrupt team morale. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: Dedicate ample time to the recruitment process, conducting thorough interviews and assessments to ensure you bring in the right talent. 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. Is important but it can also be fluffy. That is why the next point is important. 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀. Focus on building excellent operational cadences. They become the manifestation of your culture! 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Business keeps changing and the key is to learn fast and adapt. “Learn faster than your sales cycle”. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 (𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻). Even if it just to have someone to talk to. 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆. Be honest and open with those who you work closely with. 𝗛𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲. There are no shortcuts. You will be hustling. Thanks, Janis, for sharing your lessons in this truly humble and fun meet-up! See you later today for the your guest lecture at the RevOps Essentials course. Also, hanks to Marc Grewenig and the team at emlen for organising! P.S. Networking events in Berlin hit differently. On two occasions I was invited to a rave. Does not happen in Amsterdam! Or I am at the wrong events 🙃

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Why I think GTM is Broken 💔 : 3 Key Problems Tech Scale-Ups Face ⛔ I recently joined B2B Practitioners because I’ve seen too many tech scale-ups struggle to grow internationally. It’s not that they lack ambition—it’s their go-to-market strategy that often holds them back. Here are 3 critical GTM problems I’ve seen time and time again: 👉 Fragmented Strategy: GTM isn’t just marketing or sales. Without a unified approach, teams pull in different directions. Aligning sales, marketing, and product is key to creating a sustainable growth engine. 👉 No Focus on Sustainable Growth: Growth at all costs? It works until it doesn’t. Companies need to prioritize efficiency and predictability, especially in complex European markets where quick wins are rare. Nothing happens overnight (well... almost nothing) 😉 👉 Lack of Local Market Understanding: Europe isn’t a single market. Scaling across DACH, UK, Nordics, and Southern Europe requires more than language localization—it needs a strategic shift in positioning and messaging. This I have witnessed over and over again Have you experienced these challenges in your GTM? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! #b2bpractitioners #GTM #marketing #scale

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I added check-out deals to increase sales for Twice As Nice in just 2 minutes. Boosting sales at checkout is a game-changer for e-commerce. One effective strategy? Offering tailored, time-sensitive deals right when users hesitate. By offering personalized deals, like a matching item or free shipping, we can encourage customers to finish their purchase and add more to their cart. Remember, A/B testing different approaches is key to identifying what resonates most. Track conversions, refine the strategy, and watch your sales grow! 💡 Ready to optimize your checkout? Tools like Taglayer can make testing and personalization a breeze. #ecommerce #salesstrategy #checkoutoptimization #abtesting #userexperience"

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The backlash against AiSDRs was inevitable. Why? A fundamental mismatch in expectations. Scaling outbound sales for enterprise software is magical. Everyone wants it. But the volume of cold outreach has always been one of the lowest impact levers in the sales process. For startups, a great company story, a clear ICP, good messaging, and solid product-market fit have always been necessary precursors to scaling outbound. Without these, you can't move from founder selling to a GTM machine. Even with these nailed, most startups fumble the basics of product marketing and sales ops strategy. If your outbound motion isn’t converting despite all the fancy tools, chances are: ❌ You lack proof of ROI that grabs your buyer's attention ❌ Your outreach isn't tied to compelling events in your buyer’s journey ❌ Your gtm motion isn’t aligned to how your buyers evaluate The fix? Go deep with your happiest customers—the maniacal power users who love your product. Your early customer discovery wasn't enough. *Rediscover* what made them buy, how your product has changed their life, and the measurable impact it’s had on their business. Without that clarity, you are just scaling AI spam.

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The common mantra in building a SaaS: you NEED to niche down and focus on one ICP at the beginning - what we did instead "Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for failure", they say. While I agree with it in the mid-/long run, I believe in a better (and more data-driven) approach in the short-term. (Note: only applicable If you’re building a horizontal SaaS, in our situation: contact data). Back when we started, instead of niching down on one persona, we followed a 'use-case' GTM strategy. Here’s how we did it: 1. CREATING VIRALITY Initially, we created as much virality as possible through organic social media + outbound to maximize sign-up rate. The content was NOT niched down (e.g. not focussed on salespeople), but broad and not targeting a clear person. Over time, this helped us to get up to 100 sign-ups/day. 1.1. USER ANALYSIS We then enriched the sign-ups analyzed, clustered, and analyzed them for patterns. They were continuously ranked on activation, free-to-paid conversion rate, MRR, churn rate, and several other metrics. To those with the ‘strongest pull’ and best metrics, we reached out, and tried to get as many insights as possible (optimal scenario is a quick call). 2. CLUSTER BUILDING As expected, the clusters became more dense after around 4 months, and we recognized 3 major personas. The initial virality stage allowed us to gather a huge amount of data, and thus knowing the personas VERY well. Based on that data, we were able to vertically adjust our content, landing pages, outbound etc. to create a hyperpersonalized and persona-relevant strategy. PRO AND CON OF THIS APPROACH (-) Getting visibility in a crowded market is HARD, and it won’t get easier with the rise of B2B organic social media content (and B2B influencers). (+) There’s no need to make a vague hypothesis on who you should target/what your ICP should be from the beginning (merely based on market analysis and a few customer calls, who often don’t care anyways) What approach do you prefer more? 👇

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The path to $10MM ARR is about finding your repeatable, scalable sales motion. The formula is simple, but not easy. It looks like this: Effort + Enthusiasm + Messaging + Lead Quality = Results When you are scaling a sales team, your job is to manage the inputs. Those are the things on the left side of this equation. If you can reduce the variability of the inputs, you will have more consistent results. Put another way. Consistent inputs leads to consistent outputs. Let's break it down... 1. Effort is the driver for your sales performance. You cannot scale without consistent effort. Effort includes the velocity of sales activity (phone calls, emails, meetings, etc.). Effort also includes the way that you execute your sales activity. This is your sales process and sales playbook. You can improve the quality of your effort with learning and development. 2. Enthusiasm is an amplifier for your effort. You have to act like you want to earn the business. A little enthusiasm goes a long way in closing more business. I've found that you can't teach enthusiasm. You must hire for it. 3. Messaging is how you get prospects to believe what you believe. Your messaging is your value prop. It's how you approach your ICP. It's the way that you convince customers that their current version of the world is no longer acceptable and they must make a chance. The best messaging illustrates the consequences of inaction. 4. Lead quality drives your conversion rate You have to stay focused on your ICP. The more variable your lead quality, the more inconsistent your sales results. The best effort, enthusiasm, and messaging are helpless if you are focused on the wrong accounts. This is the formula for predictable, repeatable, scalable sales. Manage the consistency of your inputs and you will have consistent outputs. What about you? What's your formula for repeatable results?

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It's the end of B2B SaaS week in Paris. I enjoyed it from the 1st minute to the last one. Here is why: 1. Knowledge🧑‍🎓: I got many learnings from other CEOs of B2B SaaS and investors. It's really hard to find the right GTM strategy as a SaaS company. Here I learned from 50 others CEOs in only 2 days. 2. Network 🚀: I met many high quality people (see list below) and some already made great introductions to develop our business further. I know I got some personal connections that I would never had if I had an online meeting with them. 3. Clients/partners 👋: we met some of our customers, prospects and potential business partners 4. Energy 🔥: it gives so much energy to meet other entrepreneurs that have their ups and downs. A few people to mention 1. Colin Lalouette, PhD CEO of Appvizer and B2B Rocks 🎸 Sept. 25-26, Paris: happy to have met you in person and all the privileged invitations here and there ;) 2. Clément Puren and William Swinnen CSO and CMO of Guideflow - Interactive demo: impressed by your growth since we met last year and looking forward to hearing the next great news ;). Thank you for the event yesterday with Captain Data 3. Krzysztof Szyszkiewicz and Kacper Floryn 👻 from Valueships. They impressed me a lot with their energy and their very deep knowledge about SaaS pricing in France (they benchmarked 2000 French SaaS companies!) 4. Vincent Thuillier and Maxime Robles from Ignify. Those 2 ex A-players from Swile grew their agency at an impressive pace the last 12 months. Great energy and we immediately started a partnership. 5. Andreï Sochala VP Growth at Aircall and Deidre Hudson: reminded the importance to think like your buyers and not as a seller. It's more crucial than ever. 6. Stan Massueras ex-VP growth at Intercom: what an energy! I’m also looking forward to our meeting next week. Btw, I’m now considering visiting Dublin, you intrigued me. 7. Bertrand Gaté the magician: we spent such a good moment with you on the boat, next to the Eiffel Tower. Vincent is still in shock. Me too to be honest :D Thank you again for this memorable moment. 8. Sébastien Le Roy, Partner at Serena: we have the same favorite kpi: NRR 9. Thibault Le Meur thank you for the super chat about growth yesterday 10. Julie Farley and Valentin Bernier from Semrush: thanks for the clarity and hundreds of tips shared about demand generation. Thank you Vincent Bully for being part of this! #B2BSaas

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Here’s the single biggest learning by talking to +20 prospects about pricing, packaging & value-selling. ==> Everyone has doubts about their pricing & packaging strategy. For context, I talked to a very divers audience but the key denominator was Saas: • B2B sales leaders in Saas doing €1M-€10M • RevOps responsible for the CRM • Sales & marketing consultants • Lead Gen Agencies • Founders And it didn't matter what they were selling: services, products or both. They all perceived pricing iteration as a big hassle without guaranteed results and therefore have been postponing it for the last months, even quarters. Everyone has a hunch that they can improve or a hypothesis they wanted to test and some even want to do a complete overhaul. This insight gives me great confidence that Givemefive is on to something big with our major UX/UI update of our Smart Builder. It will make it so much easier to quickly create & maintain your offering, all while testing it out in the market with your sales team. And macro wise there isn’t a better time than now in Saas. We all have to do more with less. Focus on profitability. But few now how to use pricing & packaging improvements as a lever. And we’re here to help :-) That’s why we’re offering max 3 pricing workshops to any B2B founder, sales leader or RevOps person that has a sales team with at least 3 sellers. What we need: • Your price book / calculator (typically Excel) • Your pitch deck (to understand the value prop / sales narrative) • 3 examples quotes that are sent out to prospects • Key challenge and / or hypothesis to test with current pricing What you’ll get: • Blunt feedback & quick wins from a +10y Pricing Expert • An update pricing & packaging strategy to test out in Q3 Please tag anyone that could use some help with their pricing.

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2024 SaaS Salary Report 💰 Is the war for talent being lost in Europe?   More than just a Wake-Up Call.   The Grey Matter Recruitment 2024 SaaS Salary Report reveals significant salary differences between the US 🗽 and Europe 🇪🇺, especially in leadership and technical roles.   Even without bonus payments, there is a gap of up to 90% compared to the US in some sales roles, especially in sales management. 😱   Why is this the case?   From my perspective, there are four main reasons:   Culture and Structure: US companies pursue a "pay-for-performance" culture and invest aggressively in their employees. In Europe, salary structures are more homogeneous and regulated.   Education and Talent Pool: The US attracts top talent from around the world, driving up salaries. In Europe, the job market is more fragmented.   Market Size and Strategies: The US market is larger and more competitive, necessitating aggressive salary strategies. In Europe, different languages and regulations complicate expansion.   Funding: US startups have easier access to venture capital and can afford higher salaries. In Europe, the funding landscape is more fragmented.   What does this mean for Europe?   1️⃣ Brain Drain: Highly qualified professionals sign on to the US SaaS preferred. 2️⃣ Slower Growth: Limited funding opportunities hinder innovation & growth. 3️⃣ Recruitment Challenges: European SaaS struggle to attract top talent. 4️⃣ Market Fragmentation: Different & hindering regulations and cultures reduce competitiveness. 5️⃣ Lower Risk Appetite: Fewer investments in disruptive technologies. Yes, Europe is different. But we should not take this for granted.   We must be able to compete globally. Whoever has the best talent wins.   Over the past few years, I have recruited many sales professionals and interviewed even more. Impact and performance-related compensation is always a key decision factor –   Money isn't everything, but it's all about money.   Companies and policymakers must create better conditions to enhance Europe's attractiveness as a hub for top talent and innovation – also and above all for sales!   How can we collectively strengthen Europe's position in the global market? Share your thoughts! 👇   #SaaS #Sales #Salary #EuropeVsUS #Competition #CROMastersAi Download Link: in the comments Pic: created by Midjourney

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