Accelerating SaaS Success: The Power of Sales Velocity & Trust with Artem Gassan [Ep.119]

Every investor dreams of spotting the next unicorn business. But it takes a seasoned pro with a wealth of industry knowledge to identify the unique characteristics that make or break an early-stage SaaS business. 

Artem Gassan is one of these experts, having scaled and invested in over 50 SaaS companies, including a unicorn business now worth over $2 billion. He not only knows how to identify SaaS businesses with huge potential, but he also knows how to take early-stage SaaS companies from zero to hero.

In this episode, we soak up Artem’s expert advice as he joins us to discuss the building blocks of a successful SaaS business. 

We dissect why almost 70% of early-stage SaaS companies don’t reach their second round of funding as well as where businesses go wrong when trying to engage with customers on LinkedIn. Artem explains why trust is a vital part of attracting and retaining customers, and he breaks down the core operational differences between B2B and B2C SaaS businesses.

We also dive into the importance of calculating and tracking your sales velocity and Artem outlines a step-by-step guide to creating a powerful go-to-market strategy. According to Artem,

“There are four key elements to a great go-to-market strategy. First, build trust through thought leadership content. Second, create product-led growth elements. These are things like calculators or diagnostic tools that give consumers value and a sneak peek into the product without purchasing the product. Third, optimize your pricing and make it clear, and transparent. Finally, simplify your onboarding process and measure everything that you do.”

Whether you’re an investor looking for the next big thing, or a SaaS founder trying to accelerate your growth, you are sure to find bucketloads of helpful tips and tricks in this episode!

Listen to The Opportunity Podcast Episode #119

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• A rundown of Artem’s background and entrepreneurial journey so far (03:00)
• Why the SaaS industry resonates with Artem (05:05)
• The unicorn business that Artem became an early investor in (08:53)
• Sales velocity is the most critical metric to the health of a SaaS startup (12:11)
• The differences between B2B and B2C SaaS (20:25)
• How B2B SaaS business should build trust with enterprise customers (24:45)
• Common mistakes people make when engaging with customers on LinkedIn (32:25)
• The building blocks of an effective go-to-market strategy (36:54)
• When to use gated content vs ungated content (47:33)
• Why 70% of early-stage SaaS companies never reach round 2 of funding (52:56)
• Emerging trends in the SaaS industry (1:0020)

Mentions:

• Empire Flippers Podcast
• Empire Flippers Marketplace
• Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors 
• Lead Impact
• Artem’s LinkedIn
• Ten Types of Innovation: The Discipline of Building Breakthroughs – book by Larry Keeley
• The Startup Owner’s Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company – book by Steve Blank
• You Can’t Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar : The Sandler Sales Institute’s 7-Step System for Successful Selling – By David Sandler

Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn about the key metrics that make up a successful SaaS business.