Scale to Sale: Stories from Salesforce ISV founders

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In this episode, James is joined by Loic Deo Van, CEO & Co-Founder of Everready.AI, as he shares his journey in the Salesforce ecosystem.

Loic shares insights on the challenges salespeople face in using CRM systems and how EverReady addresses these challenges. Loic and James also cover the importance of using internal data instead of relying on external data sources like LinkedIn. Loic highlights the value of creating a collective self-intelligence using AI and customer data. He shares insights into marketing strategies in the Salesforce ecosystem and offers advice for ISV founders entering the French marketplace.

Loic's deep experience of the French marketplace make this a must-listen episode for ISVs looking to grow their presence in one of Europe's biggest Salesforce marketplaces.

Takeaways:

• Salespeople often struggle with using CRM systems effectively, leading to incomplete and inaccurate data.
• EverReady addresses this challenge by using internal data and creating a solution that syncs activities and contacts automatically.
• The French marketplace has a longer sales cycle and requires building trust and relationships with decision-makers.
• Marketing strategies in the Salesforce ecosystem include creating valuable content, engaging with the Salesforce community, and leveraging SEO.
• Focus on simplicity, be clear about your value proposition, and specialize in one area to stand out in the market.

About Everready.ai

EverReady.ai is a next-gen tool designed to take the hassle out of CRM management by using artificial intelligence to handle time-consuming tasks for sales and account teams. Think of EverReady as your dedicated assistant, ensuring that your CRM data—like contacts, emails, meetings, and calls—is always up-to-date without lifting a finger. It’s the easiest way to keep your records accurate, giving you more time to build customer relationships and close deals.

Want to join the podcast?

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

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In this episode, James Gasteen is joined by Carl Carell, CRO and Co-Founder of GetAccept. GetAccept is a digital sales room platform and graduate of the Winter 2016 cohort of Y-Combinator.

Carl shares insights on acquiring the first few customers, transitioning from founder-led sales to employee-led sales, and evolving the ideal customer profile (ICP) over time. They also explore strategies for building a strong relationship with Salesforce and leveraging the Salesforce community to generate demand and awareness. Carl's advice for himself nine years ago is to hire Salesforce developers internally earlier.

Takeaways

• GetAccept is a digital sales room platform that helps buyers and sellers collaborate to make informed decisions.
• Acquiring the first few customers involved founder-led sales and building relationships with trial customers.
• Transitioning from founder-led sales to employee-led sales requires finding entrepreneurial individuals who are willing to do the job and giving them the right circumstances to succeed.
• The ideal customer profile (ICP) evolved from transactional B2B sales to mid-market segments with a focus on companies using Salesforce.
• Building a strong relationship with Salesforce involves focusing efforts on specific teams, finding ways to help Salesforce achieve its objectives, and participating in the Salesforce community.
• Leveraging the Salesforce community, such as Salesforce Ben, can generate demand and awareness through in-depth reviews and targeted events.

About GetAccept

GetAccept is a digital sales room platform that helps sales teams improve their win rates by providing a better buyer experience. Learn more at https://www.getaccept.com/

Want to join the podcast?

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

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In this episode, James is joined by Luke Sims, CEO and co-founder of Booknow Software. Luke shares the journey from trampoline park owner to building a prominent software platform for the leisure industry.

The initial idea came from Luke's experience in the USA, where he discovered a trampoline park concept that didn't exist in the UK. They built the UK's first trampoline park and eventually expanded to four locations. Luke realized the need for better software to manage their business and developed an online booking system. They later sold their consulting business and focused solely on the software, partnering with Salesforce as an OEM.

Luke discusses the challenges of selling as an OEM and the importance of targeting specific industries and mapping out potential customers. He also emphasizes the need for a product-focused approach and the confidence to say no to customers' requests.

Takeaways

• Booknow started as a trampoline park and evolved into a software platform for the leisure industry.
• Luke Sims emphasizes the importance of targeting specific industries and mapping out potential customers.
• Selling as an OEM has its challenges, but it also provides opportunities to access larger customers and expand the market.
• Marketing strategies that have been effective for Booknow include direct sales, SEO, and PPC campaigns.
• A product-focused approach is crucial, and it's important to have the confidence to say no to customers' requests.

About BookNow

BookNow is a comprehensive venue management solution built on the world's best CRM, giving business owners everything they need to drive ROI. Learn more at https://booknowsoftware.com/ 

Want to join the podcast?

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

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In this episode, James is joined by Stephanie Betters, CEO and founder of Left Main REI. Stephanie shares her journey into the world of Salesforce and how she built a real estate solution on the platform. This product was built out of a frustration of a lack of suitable CRM solutions for her Real Estate business and how the only alternatives were high cost enterprise solutions.

Stephanie goes on to explain how she took matters into her own hands and built a solution on Salesforce, which eventually led to the creation of LeftMain REI. She also talks about the pros and cons of being an OEM partner and the importance of partnerships and industry-specific products in the Salesforce ecosystem.

Takeaways

• Finding the right tools for your business can be challenging, especially in industries like real estate that are traditionally pen and paper oriented.
• Building a solution on Salesforce can be a cost-effective alternative to expensive enterprise tools, but it requires a deep understanding of the platform and the industry.
• OEM partnerships can be beneficial for both the ISV and Salesforce, as they allow for control over the sales process and the ability to deliver pre-configured products.
• Lead generation strategies like conferences, thought leadership, and social media can be effective in reaching potential customers.
• Saying no to certain customers and customizations in the early stages can help maintain focus and scalability.
• Partnerships and industry-specific products are likely to play a significant role in the future of Salesforce, as the platform looks to expand into new industries and verticals.

About Left Main REI


Left Main REI is a CRM specifically designed for Real Estate businesses. Join thousands of brokers, agents and investors who win more deals with our all-in-one application built on Salesforce, the worlds #1 CRM.  Available on the AppExchange and backed by Salesforce’s scalability and vigorous screening protocols, it grows with your business without compromising security and reliability.

Want to join the podcast?

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

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In this episode, James is joined by Jason Hoult, founder and CEO of Anvil App Works (now part of Tractor Zoom), as he shares his journey into the Salesforce ecosystem and how he came up with the idea for Anvil App Works.

Takeaways

• The importance of starting a business in a niche that you already know well and leveraging industry clouds.
• The challenges and strategies of acquiring the first customers, including targeting the right market and building confidence with AEs
• The considerations and benefits of being an OEM partner, such as providing support and training to customers.
• Focus on building features that have a significant impact and to think about scalability and software development principles from the beginning.

About Anvil App Works (Acquired by Tractor Zoom)

Anvil App Works is now part of Tractor Zoom. Anvil App Works is a respected Salesforce OEM partner with CRM solutions built specifically for equipment dealerships of all brands.

Want to join the podcast?

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

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In this episode, James is joined by Jessica Jeffries, co-founder of Chorum, as shares her journey into the world of Salesforce, the challenges and opportunities for the customer success function, and her experience of being an ISV founder.

Chorum’s easy-to-use Salesforce integration enables Customer Success teams to view key data, prioritize daily workflows and act decisively to reduce churn.

During the episode, Jessica discusses the pain points that led to the creation of Chorum and the challenges of customer onboarding and adoption. Jessica also reflects on the Australian ecosystem, the struggles of being a founder, and the need for authentic conversations in the Salesforce community.

Takeaways

• The challenges of customer success and the need for technology to empower this part of the business.
• Embedded change management into customer onboarding to increase adoption
• The struggle of being an ISV founder and the expectations around collaboration and investment.
• How to success in the extroverted world of Salesforce events and conferences
• The importance of authentic conversations and the need for relatable content in the Salesforce community.

About Chorum

Chorum enables Customer Success Managers to achieve their customer satisfaction and revenue goals by making data-driven decisions, prioritizing key tasks and acting based on evidence.

Want to join the podcast?

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

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In this episode, James is joined by Mahesh Baxi, Co-Founder & CEO at Provus.

Throughout the episode, Mahesh shares his journey in the Salesforce ecosystem and his previous 30 years experience in the world of quote-to-cash.

Mahesh talks to the  challenges of the quote-to-cash domain and the evolution of the Salesforce platform. James and Mahesh cover Provus automating services coding processes and the benefits of a data-driven configuration approach. Mahesh also shares effective marketing strategies, including participating in events like Dreamforce and establishing thought leadership through content generation.

Takeaways

• Understand the quote-to-cash domain and the challenges it presents in order to develop effective solutions.
• Consider the evolution of the Salesforce platform and its features when deciding to build an app on force.com.
• Prioritize adoption and user personas when designing and architecting a product.
• Establish credibility and position yourself as a knowledgeable authority in your domain to win large customers.
• Templatize and use a data-driven approach to onboarding to reduce service overhead and improve customer success.
• Participate in events and establish thought leadership through content generation to generate buzz and attract customers.
• Build relationships with Salesforce AEs and SEs to gain traction in the Salesforce ecosystem.
• Be aware of the challenges and competition in the ISV ecosystem within Salesforce and develop a go-to-market strategy accordingly.

About Provus

Provus help organizations to optimize their quoting process with a purpose-built platform for enterprise services organizations.

Want to join the podcast?

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of the Scale to Sale podcast, James Gasteen interviews Jon Jessup, CEO and founder of 1440. They discuss Jon's journey into the Salesforce ecosystem, the challenges of customer acquisition, effective marketing strategies, and the future of the Salesforce ecosystem. Jon shares insights on building a successful SAS software company, the importance of being strategic in decision-making, and the potential of the Salesforce Data Cloud. He also highlights the advantage of being in the retail e-commerce industry and the need for strong go-to-market strategies.

Takeaways

• Building a SAS software company is challenging, and it requires being strategic in decision-making.
• Focus on a strong go-to-market strategy and identify the key features that customers are willing to pay for.
• The Salesforce Data Cloud presents a huge opportunity for ISVs, but it also requires understanding the market and customer needs.
• Being in the retail e-commerce industry provides an advantage in the Salesforce ecosystem due to the availability of data.
• Consider the global aspects of Salesforce and explore opportunities outside the US market.
• Translation and AI technologies can help businesses go global with Salesforce.

Chapters

00:00
Introduction and Background

02:57
Building a Successful SAS Software Company

09:09
Strategic Decision-Making and Go-to-Market Strategies

25:18
Advantage of the Retail E-commerce Industry in the Salesforce Ecosystem

29:29
Exploring Global Opportunities with Salesforce

30:01
Translation and AI Technologies for Global Expansion

1440.io helps businesses to unify conversations across the customer journey. Businesses can build experiences once and deploy them on many channels with the only Salesforce Native tool to streamline customer engagement across the entire journey. 

Learn more at https://www.1440.io/ 

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

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In this episode, Taylor Lint, Founder & CEO of Swantide, discusses her journey into the Salesforce ecosystem and the story behind Swantide. Swantide helps automate the setup and implementation of Salesforce.  Organizations can connect Swantide AI to their Salesforce org and automate changes, debug issues, and ask questions. Think of Swantide as instant access to a 10x Salesforce admin. 

During this conversation, James and Taylor cover a range of topics. The key takeaways:

• Taylor provides an overview of Swantide. The company automates the setup and implementation of Salesforce, typically for SMBs, and provides tools for SIs and admins to manage Salesforce more efficiently.
• Their main focus is on solving the UI/UX and education challenges faced by organizations new to Salesforce.
• They offer industry-specific solutions and are building relationships within the Salesforce community.
• Referrals have been a successful acquisition channel for Swantide, and they are now exploring partnerships with SIs and ISVs.
• Taylor shares advice from her entrepreneurial journey so far -  celebrate the wins and quickly move past setbacks in the rollercoaster journey of building a business.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Background of Swantide
• 01:21 Automating Salesforce Setup and Implementation for SMBs
• 08:48 Partnerships with SIs and ISVs
• 22:07 The Future of Salesforce Apps and the ISV Marketplace
• 23:16 Advice for Entrepreneurs

To learn more about how Swantide offers founders, sales, marketing and operations a new way to design, build and manage their GTM systems, visit www.swantide.com.

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, James is joined by Lorenzo Frattini, founder and CEO of Clayton,  who shares his journey into the Salesforce world and how he identified the need for his company. Clayton helps companies reduce risk and improve agility in Salesforce implementation programs. Clayton finds flawed code, written by humans or generative AI, twice as accurately as any code scanner. 

Takeaways

• Clayton helps companies reduce risk and improve agility in Salesforce implementation programs.
• Marketing strategies that have worked well for Clayton include content creation and engaging with the audience.
• The primary buyer persona for Clayton is the enterprise buyer in charge of Salesforce, but SIs also value the technology.
• Customer success is a key focus for Clayton, and they prioritize building a strong relationship with their customers.
• The future of the Salesforce ISV app ecosystem is expected to be more crowded, but there are opportunities for disruptors to stand out.
• Advice for founders includes focusing on the right problem, building the right team, and getting the technology foundations right.

Chapters

00:00
Introduction and Background

04:55
Acquiring the First Customers

09:52
Buyer Persona and Customer Success

14:30
Challenges of Bootstrapping

25:06
The Future of Salesforce and Advice for Founders

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to [email protected] and we'll be in touch.