The document summarizes 5 common myths about marketing and selling to customers. It provides truths to counter each myth: Myth 1: Customers will find your offer if it is good enough. Truth 1: Be findable through search and build your online presence. Myth 2: Customers know what they want and want it for free. Truth 2: Educate your customers to understand the problem being solved. Myth 3: Customers will understand and love your offer. Truth 3: Help customers qualify themselves through self-diagnosis and an easy purchase process. Myth 4: Customers will make rational purchase decisions in your favor. Truth 4: Sell to emotions and

1. www.flickr.com/photos/squeakywheel/252715820

2. Myth = unproven or false collective belief
www.flickr.com/photos/1suisse/3504595493

3. Myth = unrecognised barrier to success
3

4. Change your thinking
www.flickr.com/photos/oriol_gascon/2172565951

5. Change your view point
www.flickr.com/photos/miikka_skaffari/4632166297

8. The 5 Myths:
Myth 1. They will find us, if our offer is "good" enough
Myth 2. They know what they want and they want it for free
Myth 3. They understand and will love our offer
Myth 4. They will make a rational purchase decision - in our favor
Myth 5. We sell to Business, not Consumers

9. Myth 1. They will find us, if our
offer is "good" enough

10. The past
10

11. The present
www.flickr.com/photos/nnova/3950714672

12. The future

13. > Be Findable / ‘Bingable’

14. > Stand out from the crowd

15. Put your customer at the
centre of everything you do
www.flickr.com/photos/nnova/2841741385

16. Be findable / 'bingable’
What is your bing strategy?
1. Great Content
2. Get talked about
3. Build community

17. Myth 2. They know what they want
and they want it for free
www.flickr.com/photos/katerha/4765332898

18. Example of Low Price Provider

21. Question: Where do they
go for help?
www.flickr.com/photos/darkpatator/395215642

22. Educate your customers:
Become a trusted resource for your customers
1. Use clear and simple customer
language
2. Describe the problem being solved
3. Tell Client stories
www.flickr.com/photos/katerha/4765332898

23. Myth 3. They understand
and love our offer
www.flickr.com/photos/myklroventine/480909595

24. Self-diagnosis

25. Prescribe the solution

26. Make it simple to take

27. Simple enough for a 7 year
old child to understand
www.flickr.com/photos/toekneesan/3847444842

28. Triplicate of choice
www.flickr.com/photos/xrrr/2321685873

29. SPAM: (R = 0)
Persona-Based Website
29

30. Persona-Based Website

31. Lead your customers:
Help them to self-qualify
1. Guide them through the self-
qualification process
2. Make it easy for them to find,
try and buy
3. Triplicate of Choice
www.flickr.com/photos/myklroventine/480909595

32. Myth 4. They will make a rational
purchase decision - in our favor
www.flickr.com/photos/purplemattfish/2896731898

33. No, No, No, they won’t!

34. What is rational for them?
www.flickr.com/photos/coreytempleton/3935005227

35. Understand their needs (and wants)

36. Sell to the right brain

37. …and provide evidence
www.flickr.com/photos/presta/3532993072

38. …. for the left brain
www.flickr.com/photos/stevenfettig/1390275600

39. Justify and rationalise
their decision

40. You/Your
company
+
Your Hosted
Services
+
Together we can do more

41. Master your message:
Business buyers buy on Pain
Technical buyers buy on Features
1. Sell to the emotional brain
2. Make it relevant and credible
3. People buy because they feel
understood
www.flickr.com/photos/purplemattfish/2896731898

42. Myth 5. We sell to Business,
not Consumers
www.flickr.com/photos/katerha/4953529831

45. WoM -> Virtual WoM

46. “Victory in marketing doesn’t happen
when you sell something, but when you
cultivate advocates for your
brand.”
- Steve Knox, CEO of Tremors,
P&G’s Word of Mouth Business Unit
www.flickr.com/photos/hyku/4837236187

47. Advocates are your
best influencers

48. Influence is spread
through social media

49. Let them choose

50. Create an insanely great
Customer Experience:
1. Cultivate brand advocates
2. Multi-channel touch points
3. End 2 End CE thinking
www.flickr.com/photos/katerha/4953529831

51. The 5 Myths:
Myth 1. They will find us, if our offer is ‘good’ enough
Truth 1. Be findable / ‘bingable’
Myth 2. They know what they want and they want it for free
Truth 2. Educate your community
Myth 3. They understand and will love our offer
Truth 3. Lead your customers
Myth 4. They will make a rational purchase decision - in our favor
Truth 4. Master your message
Myth 5. We sell to Business, not Consumers
Truth 5. Create an insanely great Customer Experience

52. Your future
is bright
"I am the world's worst salesman,
therefore I must make it easy for
customers to buy.”
- F. W. Woolworth

53. David Ednie
President & CEO
SalesChannel Europe
Ph: +33 676 60 09 25 (FRA)
Ph: +61 415 94 51 57 (AUS)
Email: david@saleschannel-europe.com
Website: www.saleschannel-europe.com

54. Action Plan: Start building your
SaaS future today
www.flickr.com/photos/myklroventine/4143699557

55. It not a game of chance!
www.flickr.com/photos/kubina/185489325

56. Unique Value Proposition

57. Create a Value Innovation Curve

58. Target key influencers
and customer groups
www.flickr.com/photos/superzelle/4608034587

59. Messaging and positioning

60. SaaS Sales Acceleration 2.0 Program
Search
Refer Find
Support Qualify
GTM and Sales & Marketing
Innovation Workshops
Up-sell Try
Manage Buy
Activate
SalesChannel Europe
Accelerating Time to Revenue

61. 8 Key Success Factors

62. 8 KSF’s in Actions
Mural's SaaS Key Success Factors ©
1
1. SaaS Business Acceleration 2.0
Competitive Online Customer Direct/Indirect Sales Organizational
Level Differentiation Messaging & Positioning Packaging & Pricing Web-Driven Demand Generation Experience Process Effectiveness Focus & Behavior
Provider has created true Blue Vertical (e.g. Real Estate), Micro-market specific Micro-market sales sites for Micro-market specific demand Integrated up-sell and cross-sell Vertical or micro-market focused Organization is designed and
Ocean (aka uncontested market Horizontal specialization (e.g. packaging/bundling of service specific vertical markets (e.g. real- generation campaigns with activities into customer "control channel partners with lead flow internally aligned for change.
space) by differentiating along a Finance), or other micro-market with vertically focused add-ons. estate). Fully integrated PPC/SEO integration across all forms of panel". Pro-active and ongoing integrated into micro-marketing Specific processes for continuous Target Market
5 unique axis that reaches beyond specific positioning. User focus Market research used to and pro-active analysis of web- demand generation (e.g. PPC, customer feedback management campaigns. Channel partner improvement. Healthy balance of Focused w/
(Optimized) current market boundaries and groups or surveys are pro-actively understand customer price-point analytics Banner Ads, email, direct mail, (surveys of customer panels by branded sales sites. Integration of management (stability) and Continuous
existing demand used to incorporate customer sensitivities. print) segment to assess overall channel partner into knowledge leadership (fostering change).
Improvement
Workshop self-scoring snap shot of
feedback into product life-cycle. customer experience, satisfaction, base, live chat, etc.
and future needs).
Today
Provider has differentiated with a Best Practice positioning based Some type of unique Differentiated sub-sites and/or Demand generation campaigns Integrated online knowledge-base Integrated lead/opportunity flow Strong executive sponsorship for
vertical market focus with vertical on a well-defined messaging & differentiation of packaging or landing pages aligned with best- drive to a specific sub-site or and live-chat for both sales for channel partners. Mature improving existing offerings and Transition Phase -
(or micro-market) specific add-on position framework (see pricing that sets the provider apart practice positioning of value landing page. All campaign support and post-sales support. process for lead qualification and adding new value-added service Focused on
4 capabilities/features. template). Customer centric of the reset of the pack. proposition according to activities are well coordinated and Pro-active email communication routing of leads. Customer offerings. Proven organizational Competitive
(Competitive) positioning that blends customer- messaging & positioning integrated. Pro-active PPC/SEO during first 30-60 days provides segmentation and qualification agility and rapid time-to-market in Differentiation &
benefit as the solution for the framework campaign management with training, tips, tricks, etc. "drives" the opportunity response to competitive threats.
Discrete
customer pain point/problem. periodic (e.g. bi-weekly) management. Willing to "walk
your business today
refinement. away" from bad opportunities. Improvements
Provider has differentiated from Customer centric positioning with Small number (2-3) of different Best-practice site that allows Makes use of pro-active Self-guided sales experience, self- Pro-active management of direct Organizational alignment around
the competition by bundling Benefits (e.g. Anytime, Anywhere customer/user "plans" that align customers to 1) Search; 2) Find; PPC/SEO campaigns. All demand admin capabilities, no barriers to sales, inside sales, and channel business objectives and customer
additional services or capabilities access), then supporting benefits correctly with end-user or 3) Self Qualify; 4) Try (Free Trial generation activities lead to one sale via web, or phone. Easy partners. Focus on customer needs. Organizational ability to End-Customer
3 not offered by the competition. points, then features as customer personas. Value where possible); 5) Make the place -- the web-site. signup and activation. segmentation and lead repeatedly follow a relatively short
Focused & Service-
(Predictable) appropriate. Consistent differentiation between different buying decision; 6) Buy; 7) qualification. Pro-active training. and defined life-cycle for the
application of messaging price plans is clear and Activate. Web-site is the focal Overlay sales team with deep successful introduction of new or Driven
throughout ALL collateral. significant. point of the business. solution expertise supports all revised product offerings.
channels.
Provider's offering is functionaly Still product and feature centric Competitive pricing and correct Customers can search, find, and PPC/SEO and other demand Self-guided signup, support, Direct Sales, indirect channels, Good executive leadership in
equivalent to that of other positioning with progress towards packaging, but actively working to buy. Provider is actively working generation capabilities are and/or self-administration but telesales, but with ineffective place and committed to drive
providers, resulting in a "my customer-centric benefits eliminate other inhibitors (e.g. to ensure that all of the leveraged, but with some inhibited in some way -- e.g. processes for lead qualification change and improve business
2. Identify key actions / improvements
feature X beats your feature X" positioning. Typically a lack of contract minimums). information required to make a inhibiting factors that limit their overly complex registration and routing of leads to "best performance by driving Transition Phase -
2
competitive differentiation tactic, consistent application of successful buying decision is on effectiveness (e.g. mismatch process, complex activation. qualified" channel. Provider is improvements in accordance with Focused on Initial
(Inhibited) but ultimately resulting in a price- messaging across all channels the site and correctly presented, between PPC terms and landing Active progress is being made to actively working to train sales and the "key success factors". Change
competitive sale. and collateral. eliminating any final inhibitors to page positioning). Active progress eliminate remaining inhibitors. revise processes to improve
selling. is being made to eliminate effectiveness.
remaining inhibitors
Provider is offering the exact Positioning is completely product Typically characterized by Customers are unable to find No PPC/SEO campaigns. Other No self-signup capability, direct Direct sales only. No pro-active Ad-hoc organizational and
same service offering as other and feature centric. Positioning is uncompetitive pricing, minimum offering, presentation is demand generation activities (e.g. sales interaction required. No lead qualification. No customer departmental behaviors with a
providers (perhaps based on third- effective only for customers who contract terms, minimum # of confusing, no online self- Print ads, direct mail, etc) do not offering self-administration. segmentation by size or industry. lack of internal alignment towards
you can undertake for each KSF
party technologies) with no already know what they need and users, confusing pricing, too many subscription is available. leverage the web-site. Characterized by tendancy to achieving a common vision or Product-Dependent
1
opportunity for true differentiation, are already familiar with the tiers of service, multiple tiers focus too far up-market. Long business objectives. Focus & Ad-Hoc
(Ineffective) resulting in a Red Ocean in which specific application domain. instead of "add-on" options. sales cycles. Lack of "solution Behavior
the only remaining competetive specialist" capability results in
differentiator is price. inability to overcome common ob
area Mural's SaaS Key Success Factors ©
2 Level
Competitive
Differentiation Messaging & Positioning Packaging & Pricing Web-Driven Demand Generation
Online Customer
Experience
Direct/Indirect Sales
Process
Organizational
Effectiveness Focus & Behavior
3. Implement actions / improvements
Provider has created true Blue Vertical (e.g. Real Estate), Micro-market specific Micro-market sales sites for Micro-market specific demand Integrated up-sell and cross-sell Vertical or micro-market focused Organization is designed and
Ocean (aka uncontested market Horizontal specialization (e.g. packaging/bundling of service specific vertical markets (e.g. real- generation campaigns with activities into customer "control channel partners with lead flow internally aligned for change.
space) by differentiating along a Finance), or other micro-market with vertically focused add-ons. estate). Fully integrated PPC/SEO integration across all forms of panel". Pro-active and ongoing integrated into micro-marketing Specific processes for continuous Target Market
5 unique axis that reaches beyond specific positioning. User focus Market research used to and pro-active analysis of web- demand generation (e.g. PPC, customer feedback management campaigns. Channel partner improvement. Healthy balance of Focused w/
(Optimized) current market boundaries and groups or surveys are pro-actively understand customer price-point analytics Banner Ads, email, direct mail, (surveys of customer panels by branded sales sites. Integration of management (stability) and Continuous
existing demand used to incorporate customer sensitivities. print) segment to assess overall channel partner into knowledge leadership (fostering change).
Improvement
+ 6 m.
feedback into product life-cycle. customer experience, satisfaction, base, live chat, etc.
and future needs).
giving priority to the Top 3 KSF
Provider has differentiated with a Best Practice positioning based Some type of unique Differentiated sub-sites and/or Demand generation campaigns Integrated online knowledge-base Integrated lead/opportunity flow Strong executive sponsorship for
vertical market focus with vertical on a well-defined messaging & differentiation of packaging or landing pages aligned with best- drive to a specific sub-site or and live-chat for both sales for channel partners. Mature improving existing offerings and Transition Phase -
(or micro-market) specific add-on position framework (see pricing that sets the provider apart practice positioning of value landing page. All campaign support and post-sales support. process for lead qualification and adding new value-added service Focused on
4 capabilities/features. template). Customer centric of the reset of the pack. proposition according to activities are well coordinated and Pro-active email communication routing of leads. Customer offerings. Proven organizational Competitive
(Competitive) positioning that blends customer- messaging & positioning integrated. Pro-active PPC/SEO during first 30-60 days provides segmentation and qualification agility and rapid time-to-market in Differentiation &
benefit as the solution for the framework campaign management with training, tips, tricks, etc. "drives" the opportunity response to competitive threats.
Discrete
customer pain point/problem. periodic (e.g. bi-weekly) management. Willing to "walk
refinement. away" from bad opportunities. Improvements
areas for your business
Provider has differentiated from Customer centric positioning with Small number (2-3) of different Best-practice site that allows Makes use of pro-active Self-guided sales experience, self- Pro-active management of direct Organizational alignment around
the competition by bundling Benefits (e.g. Anytime, Anywhere customer/user "plans" that align customers to 1) Search; 2) Find; PPC/SEO campaigns. All demand admin capabilities, no barriers to sales, inside sales, and channel business objectives and customer
additional services or capabilities access), then supporting benefits correctly with end-user or 3) Self Qualify; 4) Try (Free Trial generation activities lead to one sale via web, or phone. Easy partners. Focus on customer needs. Organizational ability to End-Customer
3 not offered by the competition. points, then features as customer personas. Value where possible); 5) Make the place -- the web-site. signup and activation. segmentation and lead repeatedly follow a relatively short
Focused & Service-
(Predictable) appropriate. Consistent differentiation between different buying decision; 6) Buy; 7) qualification. Pro-active training. and defined life-cycle for the
application of messaging price plans is clear and Activate. Web-site is the focal Overlay sales team with deep successful introduction of new or Driven
throughout ALL collateral. significant. point of the business. solution expertise supports all revised product offerings.
channels.
Provider's offering is functionaly Still product and feature centric Competitive pricing and correct Customers can search, find, and PPC/SEO and other demand Self-guided signup, support, Direct Sales, indirect channels, Good executive leadership in
equivalent to that of other positioning with progress towards packaging, but actively working to buy. Provider is actively working generation capabilities are and/or self-administration but telesales, but with ineffective place and committed to drive
providers, resulting in a "my customer-centric benefits eliminate other inhibitors (e.g. to ensure that all of the leveraged, but with some inhibited in some way -- e.g. processes for lead qualification change and improve business
feature X beats your feature X" positioning. Typically a lack of contract minimums). information required to make a inhibiting factors that limit their overly complex registration and routing of leads to "best performance by driving Transition Phase -
2
competitive differentiation tactic, consistent application of successful buying decision is on effectiveness (e.g. mismatch process, complex activation. qualified" channel. Provider is improvements in accordance with Focused on Initial
(Inhibited)
4. Evaluate results based on changes
but ultimately resulting in a price- messaging across all channels the site and correctly presented, between PPC terms and landing Active progress is being made to actively working to train sales and the "key success factors". Change
competitive sale. and collateral. eliminating any final inhibitors to page positioning). Active progress eliminate remaining inhibitors. revise processes to improve
selling. is being made to eliminate effectiveness.
remaining inhibitors
Provider is offering the exact Positioning is completely product Typically characterized by Customers are unable to find No PPC/SEO campaigns. Other No self-signup capability, direct Direct sales only. No pro-active Ad-hoc organizational and
same service offering as other and feature centric. Positioning is uncompetitive pricing, minimum offering, presentation is demand generation activities (e.g. sales interaction required. No lead qualification. No customer departmental behaviors with a
providers (perhaps based on third- effective only for customers who contract terms, minimum # of confusing, no online self- Print ads, direct mail, etc) do not offering self-administration. segmentation by size or industry. lack of internal alignment towards
party technologies) with no already know what they need and users, confusing pricing, too many subscription is available. leverage the web-site. Characterized by tendancy to achieving a common vision or Product-Dependent
1
opportunity for true differentiation, are already familiar with the tiers of service, multiple tiers focus too far up-market. Long business objectives. Focus & Ad-Hoc
made and update scoring on each
(Ineffective) resulting in a Red Ocean in which specific application domain. instead of "add-on" options. sales cycles. Lack of "solution Behavior
the only remaining competetive specialist" capability results in
differentiator is price. inability to overcome common ob
KSF Mural's SaaS Key Success Factors ©
3 Level
Competitive
Differentiation
Provider has created true Blue
Messaging & Positioning
Vertical (e.g. Real Estate),
Packaging & Pricing
Micro-market specific
Web-Driven
Micro-market sales sites for
Demand Generation
Micro-market specific demand
Online Customer
Experience
Integrated up-sell and cross-sell
Direct/Indirect Sales
Process
Vertical or micro-market focused
Organizational
Effectiveness
Organization is designed and
Focus & Behavior
5. Translate lessons-learned from one
Ocean (aka uncontested market Horizontal specialization (e.g. packaging/bundling of service specific vertical markets (e.g. real- generation campaigns with activities into customer "control channel partners with lead flow internally aligned for change.
space) by differentiating along a Finance), or other micro-market with vertically focused add-ons. estate). Fully integrated PPC/SEO integration across all forms of panel". Pro-active and ongoing integrated into micro-marketing Specific processes for continuous Target Market
5 unique axis that reaches beyond specific positioning. User focus Market research used to and pro-active analysis of web- demand generation (e.g. PPC, customer feedback management campaigns. Channel partner improvement. Healthy balance of Focused w/
(Optimized) current market boundaries and groups or surveys are pro-actively understand customer price-point analytics Banner Ads, email, direct mail, (surveys of customer panels by branded sales sites. Integration of management (stability) and Continuous
existing demand used to incorporate customer sensitivities. print) segment to assess overall channel partner into knowledge leadership (fostering change).
+ 12 m.
Improvement
feedback into product life-cycle. customer experience, satisfaction, base, live chat, etc.
and future needs).
Provider has differentiated with a Best Practice positioning based Some type of unique Differentiated sub-sites and/or Demand generation campaigns Integrated online knowledge-base Integrated lead/opportunity flow Strong executive sponsorship for
vertical market focus with vertical on a well-defined messaging & differentiation of packaging or landing pages aligned with best- drive to a specific sub-site or and live-chat for both sales for channel partners. Mature improving existing offerings and Transition Phase -
KSF area to another, share across
(or micro-market) specific add-on position framework (see pricing that sets the provider apart practice positioning of value landing page. All campaign support and post-sales support. process for lead qualification and adding new value-added service Focused on
4 capabilities/features. template). Customer centric of the reset of the pack. proposition according to activities are well coordinated and Pro-active email communication routing of leads. Customer offerings. Proven organizational Competitive
(Competitive) positioning that blends customer- messaging & positioning integrated. Pro-active PPC/SEO during first 30-60 days provides segmentation and qualification agility and rapid time-to-market in Differentiation &
benefit as the solution for the framework campaign management with training, tips, tricks, etc. "drives" the opportunity response to competitive threats.
Discrete
customer pain point/problem. periodic (e.g. bi-weekly) management. Willing to "walk
refinement. away" from bad opportunities. Improvements
Provider has differentiated from Customer centric positioning with Small number (2-3) of different Best-practice site that allows Makes use of pro-active Self-guided sales experience, self- Pro-active management of direct Organizational alignment around
the competition by bundling Benefits (e.g. Anytime, Anywhere customer/user "plans" that align customers to 1) Search; 2) Find; PPC/SEO campaigns. All demand admin capabilities, no barriers to sales, inside sales, and channel business objectives and customer
the organisation
additional services or capabilities access), then supporting benefits correctly with end-user or 3) Self Qualify; 4) Try (Free Trial generation activities lead to one sale via web, or phone. Easy partners. Focus on customer needs. Organizational ability to End-Customer
3 not offered by the competition. points, then features as customer personas. Value where possible); 5) Make the place -- the web-site. signup and activation. segmentation and lead repeatedly follow a relatively short
Focused & Service-
(Predictable) appropriate. Consistent differentiation between different buying decision; 6) Buy; 7) qualification. Pro-active training. and defined life-cycle for the
application of messaging price plans is clear and Activate. Web-site is the focal Overlay sales team with deep successful introduction of new or Driven
throughout ALL collateral. significant. point of the business. solution expertise supports all revised product offerings.
channels.
Provider's offering is functionaly Still product and feature centric Competitive pricing and correct Customers can search, find, and PPC/SEO and other demand Self-guided signup, support, Direct Sales, indirect channels, Good executive leadership in
equivalent to that of other positioning with progress towards packaging, but actively working to buy. Provider is actively working generation capabilities are and/or self-administration but telesales, but with ineffective place and committed to drive
providers, resulting in a "my customer-centric benefits eliminate other inhibitors (e.g. to ensure that all of the leveraged, but with some inhibited in some way -- e.g. processes for lead qualification change and improve business
feature X beats your feature X" positioning. Typically a lack of contract minimums). information required to make a inhibiting factors that limit their overly complex registration and routing of leads to "best performance by driving Transition Phase -
2
competitive differentiation tactic, consistent application of successful buying decision is on effectiveness (e.g. mismatch process, complex activation. qualified" channel. Provider is improvements in accordance with Focused on Initial
(Inhibited) but ultimately resulting in a price- messaging across all channels the site and correctly presented, between PPC terms and landing Active progress is being made to actively working to train sales and the "key success factors". Change
competitive sale. and collateral. eliminating any final inhibitors to page positioning). Active progress eliminate remaining inhibitors. revise processes to improve
6. Repeat cycle, starting at 2 (above)
selling. is being made to eliminate effectiveness.
remaining inhibitors
Provider is offering the exact Positioning is completely product Typically characterized by Customers are unable to find No PPC/SEO campaigns. Other No self-signup capability, direct Direct sales only. No pro-active Ad-hoc organizational and
same service offering as other and feature centric. Positioning is uncompetitive pricing, minimum offering, presentation is demand generation activities (e.g. sales interaction required. No lead qualification. No customer departmental behaviors with a
providers (perhaps based on third- effective only for customers who contract terms, minimum # of confusing, no online self- Print ads, direct mail, etc) do not offering self-administration. segmentation by size or industry. lack of internal alignment towards
party technologies) with no already know what they need and users, confusing pricing, too many subscription is available. leverage the web-site. Characterized by tendancy to achieving a common vision or Product-Dependent
1
opportunity for true differentiation, are already familiar with the tiers of service, multiple tiers focus too far up-market. Long business objectives. Focus & Ad-Hoc
(Ineffective) resulting in a Red Ocean in which specific application domain. instead of "add-on" options. sales cycles. Lack of "solution Behavior
the only remaining competetive specialist" capability results in
differentiator is price. inability to overcome common ob

63. David Ednie
President & CEO
SalesChannel Europe
Ph: +33 676 60 09 25 (FRA)
Ph: +61 415 94 51 57 (AUS)
Email: david@saleschannel-europe.com
Website: www.saleschannel-europe.com