The hottest Sales Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

High churn, low LTV

Top of the Lyne • 275 implied HN points • 17 Jun 23
💼 Business Tech Marketing AI Growth Sales
  1. Generative AI company Murf uses behavioral AI to penetrate the enterprise market and boost self-serve conversions.
  2. Murf's AI engine helped increase enterprise conversions by 10% and boosted revenue closed by 20% for their sales team.
  3. The AI engine improved conversion rates by 7x for pro self-serve conversions during a Black Friday promotion.

The Corner Store vs The Wholesaler

The Data Jargon Newsletter • 59 implied HN points • 21 May 24
💼 Business Consulting Entrepreneurship Marketing Sales Strategy
  1. The corner store model focuses on personal relationships and tailored solutions, while the wholesaler model is more about scale and efficiency. It's important to know what type of service you need for your business.
  2. Consulting firms can operate like either a corner store or a wholesaler, but they can't do both well at the same time. Understanding which approach fits your needs can save you money and frustration.
  3. Often, businesses think they need the efficiency of a wholesaler, but what they really need is the personal touch and problem-solving skills of a corner store. A personalized approach can lead to better outcomes.
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Thanks and Q&A

Optimally Irrational • 3 implied HN points • 23 Jan 25
💼 Business Marketing Entrepreneurship Sales Finance Branding
  1. Paid subscribers are really appreciated because they allow more time for writing and creating content. Supporting through subscriptions shows value in the work being done.
  2. There is a desire for more engagement and interaction with subscribers, encouraging them to share their thoughts and suggestions. It’s a great way to build a community.
  3. Future plans for the platform include expanding topics and content based on subscriber interests, aiming for more relevant and meaningful discussions.

Your guide to sales compensation & PLG

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 631 implied HN points • 26 Jul 23
💼 Business Sales Compensation Software companies SaaS
  1. Sales compensation design involves understanding company goals, seller profiles, and using compensation to drive desired behaviors.
  2. Components of a sales compensation plan include OTE, base salary, variable comp, quota, quota attainment, and more.
  3. When designing a sales compensation plan for a PLG business, consider business goals, roles needed, best practices, and behaviors to incentivize.

What does it mean to be "Enterprise Ready"

Brick by Brick • 18 implied HN points • 18 Nov 24
💼 Business Startups Enterprise Sales Product Development Compliance
  1. Startups need to adapt their processes to meet strict enterprise requirements, especially in compliance and security. This means being ready for audits and ensuring data protection.
  2. Creating a product that fits into the enterprise ecosystem is key. This includes having integrations, customization options, and strong reporting tools that enterprises expect.
  3. When selling to enterprises, startups must change their approach, focusing on value rather than just features. They should also prepare for complex pricing and long contracting processes.

AI must be more than a checkbox

The AI Frontier • 39 implied HN points • 02 May 24
🕹 Technology AI Startups Sales Market Trends Product Development
  1. AI should be seen as more than just a box to tick off. Companies need to genuinely understand how AI can help them, rather than just wanting to say they have an AI strategy.
  2. Startups often waste time on leads that aren’t serious. They need to be smart about who they spend time with to avoid low-quality customers and wasted effort.
  3. When companies buy AI products without knowing the benefits, it can lead to regret and wasted money. It's important for both buyers and sellers to clearly understand the value AI brings.

The inside story of Amplitude’s new self-service plan

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 252 implied HN points • 06 Mar 24
💼 Business Marketing Growth Product Development Sales Revenue
  1. Launching a self-service plan can lead to significant improvements in conversion rates, even if initial numbers are low
  2. It's important to involve the sales team in the self-serve journey to avoid cannibalization and maintain a healthy balance between self-service and enterprise sales
  3. Revisiting pricing and packaging is crucial for the success of a self-service model, including conducting user interviews, analyzing features, and monitoring competitors

Vinyl's dead

The Rectangle • 28 implied HN points • 18 Oct 24
🎶 Music Vinyl Sales Streaming Trends
  1. Vinyl records are still selling well, with a reported 6.2% increase in sales from 2023 to 2024. Despite some confusion about a drop in sales, the overall trend remains positive.
  2. The vinyl revival is driven by people seeking authenticity and enjoying the aesthetics of vinyl. Many collectors are drawn to the 'real' feeling of records compared to digital music.
  3. However, the increased demand has made vinyl more expensive, making it harder for small labels and indie artists to compete. Many believe this shift could hurt the indie scene that helped revive interest in vinyl.

Why some data companies struggle to sell to the financial markets

The Data Score • 138 implied HN points • 18 Apr 23
💼 Business Data Finance Market Investment Sales
  1. In the financial market, selling data can be difficult if data companies don't align their products with the specific needs and capabilities of asset managers
  2. Understanding different types of asset managers and their unique requirements is crucial for data companies to succeed in selling to the financial markets
  3. Data companies must consider financial market outcomes and work backward from there to create data solutions that meet the demands of their clients

Mixed News on iPhone 15 Models

CIRP - Apple Report • 78 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Mobile Electronics Sales Apple
  1. First full quarter results for iPhone 15 models showed decent sales shares compared to iPhone 14 models in the previous quarter.
  2. iPhone 15 Pro Max was the leading model, accounting for 26% of all iPhone sales in the quarter.
  3. Base and Plus models of iPhone 15 had differences in sales performance compared to the Pro and Pro Max models.

Part 1: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-February 2024

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 148 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
💰 Finance Housing Market Real Estate Mortgage Rates Inventory Sales
  1. The 2-part overview offers insights into the current state of the housing market for mid-February 2024, covering aspects like house prices, sales, inventory, mortgage rates, and rents.
  2. New listings for existing homes were up 2.8% year-over-year in January 2024, showing a slight increase from the previous year's record low for January, potentially signaling an increase in overall inventory for the market.
  3. It's important to note that December and January are typically the weakest months for new listings, and while new listings are expected to show year-over-year growth in 2024, March data will provide a clearer picture of their proximity to normal levels.

Our conference season watchlist

Top of the Lyne • 117 implied HN points • 02 Aug 23
💼 Business Tech Marketing Events Sales Product
  1. September is a busy month for conferences and tech events.
  2. Major conferences like Inbound, SaaStr Annual, and Dreamforce are key events to attend for marketing, sales, and revenue teams.
  3. Various events like Sales Enablement Summit and Pendomonium offer specialized learning opportunities for specific teams within organizations.

Generative AI will not kill the sales profession...

EarlyGTM | Craft Ventures • 117 implied HN points • 31 May 23
💼 Business Sales AI Impact Customer success
  1. Generative AI will have profound impacts on the economy, but won't replace sales professionals soon due to the complex nature of sales cycles.
  2. The intricate steps of the sales cycle require human guidance to avoid 'lossiness' between interactions that AI cannot manage effectively yet.
  3. AI can assist in sales processes, but trust in human sellers is essential for revenue goals, as AI lacks the social, nuanced aspects crucial in high-stakes sales.

🙌🏽 Community spotlight: hottest AI startups & tools, funds that lead pre-seed rounds, term sheet guide, VC trends, Barbie and more

Lolita's Newsletter • 98 implied HN points • 02 Jul 23
💼 Business Startups Funds Community Venture Capital Sales
  1. Monthly newsletter for underestimated founders, funders, and friends with curated insights and resources
  2. Importance of leaning on community for personal and professional success, highlighted with examples like Beyoncé and Barbie
  3. Announcements of funds raised by various ventures and empowerment initiatives for underrepresented founders

Account Based What?

42 Slash • 98 implied HN points • 11 May 23
💼 Business Marketing Sales Campaigns Technology
  1. ABM is about focusing on your top dream accounts with sales leading the way
  2. Start small with 1 BDR and 1 Marketer for a pilot campaign
  3. ABM success comes from targeted account lists, personalized creatives, and leveraging events for face-to-face interactions

How to Craft a Compelling Offer That Buyers Can't Say No To

Michael’s Newsletter • 98 implied HN points • 15 Aug 23
💼 Business Sales Value Effort
  1. Craft a compelling offer that speaks to the customer's dream result, provides certainty, reduces time to value, and minimizes effort needed.
  2. The way you position your offer can significantly impact buyer response and lead to higher close rates.
  3. Creating a grand-slam offer involves addressing the dream result, certainty, time to value, and effort or cost for the customer.

Weekly Micro Market: Linkedin Automation Tools

Micro Markets Newsletter • 2 HN points • 29 Aug 24
💼 Business Marketing Sales Technology Automation Entrepreneurship
  1. LinkedIn automation tools help salespeople and recruiters connect with potential clients or candidates more efficiently by automating repetitive tasks like sending messages.
  2. This market is worth about $2-4 billion and has many competitors, but most tools struggle with user-friendliness, creating opportunities for new, simpler tools.
  3. Running these tools is complex and risky because they may violate LinkedIn's terms of service, but there's potential for innovation by creating complementary services that improve outreach success.

How I learnt to do sales, despite being a coder

Recontact • 39 implied HN points • 29 Feb 24
💼 Business Sales Entrepreneurship Networking Customer Relations Communication
  1. Always be passionate and excited about talking about your work and shamelessly sell to potential clients.
  2. In sales, key strategies include outbound, inbound, personal network sales, and handling calls for closing deals.
  3. Engage with clients genuinely, be a good listener during calls, follow up with gratitude, and strategically approach asking for payments.

Frankly Speaking - Cloudflare is the most underrated security company

Frankly Speaking • 254 implied HN points • 18 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Security Networking Infrastructure Sales Market Analysis
  1. Cloudflare is considered an underrated security company in the industry, focusing on SASE and zero-trust solutions.
  2. Cloudflare's infrastructure is seen as a strong advantage and moat, making it valuable and defendable against competition.
  3. Cloudflare is making a bet on the future by targeting DevOps and security engineers for their products, showing a shift in the market towards software being purchased by technical personnel.