The Exit Five CMO Podcast (Hosted by Dave Gerhardt)

Beyond the SaaS Playbook: How Non-SaaS Teams Drive Pipeline with Sandra Rand


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#265 Non-SaaS Marketing | In this episode, Matt sits down with Sandra Rand, a fractional head of marketing who works with early-stage, non-SaaS B2B companies. She’s led marketing for PE-backed, self-funded, and services-based businesses, where big budgets and SaaS-style playbooks aren’t the norm. She’s also building the Non-SaaS Marketers subgroup inside Exit Five to support others facing the same challenges.


Matt and Sandra cover:

  • How non-SaaS teams drive growth without demos, PLG, or huge lead volume
  • Why events, word of mouth, and referrals often outperform funnels in these orgs
  • Tactical ideas for gifting, partnerships, and pipeline-building on a lean budget

Whether you work in SaaS or not, you’ll walk away with creative, scrappy strategies to build trust and drive results in B2B.


Timestamps

  • (00:00) - – Intro
  • (03:18) - – Why Exit Five launched the Non-SaaS group
  • (08:38) - – What makes non-SaaS marketing different
  • (11:58) - – Budgets, sales cycles, and team structure
  • (16:48) - – Why brand and trust matter more
  • (18:58) - – Events > funnels in non-SaaS
  • (28:13) - – How to build brand on a budget
  • (33:43) - – Word-of-mouth and referral tactics
  • (38:23) - – Gifting and relationship-driven growth
  • (44:23) - – Scrappy, creative plays that actually work
  • (49:53) - – What’s next for the Non-SaaS community

  • Send guest pitches and ideas to [email protected]
    Join the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
    Check out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/
    Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership

    ***

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    ...more
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    The Exit Five CMO Podcast (Hosted by Dave Gerhardt)By Dave Gerhardt

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