The hottest Sales Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

Happy 2024 🥂!

FontDiscovery • 39 implied HN points • 05 Jan 24
💼 Business Sales
  1. Creating an idea bank for marketing content makes promotion easier and can help reach more followers on social media platforms.
  2. Running a sales campaign in parallel with a product launch can generate more sales and help in product promotion.
  3. Experimenting with shorter sales windows can be more effective than longer sales campaigns.

How to 'test' your messaging to find Message-Market Fit

Startup Business Tips 🚀 • 25 implied HN points • 10 Aug 25
💼 Business Sales
  1. Finding message-market fit (MMF) is crucial for SaaS businesses before they aim for product-market fit. You need to ensure your messaging connects with your ideal customers to avoid future marketing problems.
  2. To test your messaging effectively, create clear hypotheses and target relevant audiences on appropriate channels. Keep track of what messages are used and how they perform.
  3. Use structured methods to analyze results after testing. Look for significant improvements in lead conversion rates and take feedback from your sales team to refine your messaging.

This is NOT your value prop

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 394 implied HN points • 03 May 23
💼 Business Sales
  1. Time savings should not be your central value proposition.
  2. Connect your value proposition to the customer's priorities and hard ROI business outcomes.
  3. Differentiate your product, create urgency, and demonstrate real monetary value beyond just time savings.

Hippie CEO Life #47 - Selling Like a Farmer

Hippie CEO Life • 58 implied HN points • 03 Mar 23
💼 Business Sales
  1. Building relationships is key in sales to create trust and positive experiences.
  2. Adaptability in sales is crucial as each prospect is unique with varying needs.
  3. Nurturing prospects with valuable content and perseverance in face of rejection are important in sales.
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Avenged Sevenfold, P.O.D., Staind

Stream N' Destroy • 58 implied HN points • 05 Oct 23
🎶 Music Sales
  1. The post discusses recent music video and album charts for Avenged Sevenfold, P.O.D., and Staind.
  2. There are updates on recent music industry signings, like Alex Vile with Paladin Artists and Bloom with Pure Noise Records.
  3. The post highlights the top Hard Rock and Metal music videos and albums in the US and UK, featuring various popular artists like Sleep Token, Linkin Park, and Staind.

Is Stripe expensive, or is Adyen cheap?

Alex's Personal Blog • 65 implied HN points • 28 Feb 25
💼 Business Sales
  1. Startups are growing faster than ever, hitting $5 million in annual revenue quicker than before. This shows that today's startups have better opportunities and strategies to scale up.
  2. Self-driving technology is making great progress, with companies like Waymo doubling their paid rides in less than a year. This suggests that self-driving cars are becoming more reliable and popular.
  3. Comparing Stripe and Adyen reveals that Stripe is investing heavily in future growth while Adyen focuses on efficiency and profits. This difference shows how each company has its own strategy to succeed in the market.

Introducing WhatsApp Domination: The All In One Course to Monetize WhatsApp.

Day One • 579 implied HN points • 10 Jul 20
💼 Business Sales
  1. To make money on WhatsApp, focus on effective strategies beyond just posting products or sending broadcast messages.
  2. Module One of the course teaches essential steps to grab attention on WhatsApp, like avoiding common mistakes and building an audience.
  3. Module Two covers creating sales-driven content and understanding key principles to sell more effectively to your WhatsApp audience.

How to optimize your pricing page

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 315 implied HN points • 07 Jul 23
💼 Business Sales
  1. Reinforce the value proposition on your pricing page to help prospects understand how your product solves their pain.
  2. Focus on the foundational aspects of your pricing page before diving into pricing hacks.
  3. Avoid overwhelming prospects by providing clear and concise information, emphasizing benefits over features.

GTM Foundation: How SaaS Founders grow from €0 to €1M ARR (Part 1)

Startup Business Tips 🚀 • 34 implied HN points • 01 Jun 25
💼 Business Sales
  1. To grow from €0 to €1 million in annual recurring revenue, founders need to go through three stages: Hustle mode to find initial customers, Focus mode to identify the best-fit customers, and Expansion mode to scale further.
  2. A strong Go-to-Market (GTM) foundation is essential for success. This involves defining your Ideal Customer Profile, clear positioning of your product, and effective messaging to communicate what makes your product unique.
  3. Building the GTM foundation includes 10 key elements like pricing, sales strategy, and tracking systems, all of which help sustain growth and reach new milestones.

Replacing SaaS

Abe • 47 implied HN points • 29 Mar 25
💼 Business Sales
  1. Building software in-house can give companies a competitive edge since popular SaaS tools are often not tailored to specific needs. Developing custom solutions can lead to better efficiency and unique advantages in the market.
  2. The cost of creating in-house software has significantly decreased, making it easier for businesses to shift from relying on SaaS to building their own tools. This allows companies to focus on features that truly matter to them.
  3. More businesses should assess their current software expenses against potential in-house solutions. Companies that wish to stay competitive should consider building unique tools that enhance their operations, especially if they’re earning over $5 million annually.

The Long Game 171: Fatigue, Unfair Advantage, Vertical vs. General AI, Sales Learnings

The Long Game by Mehdi Yacoubi • 2 implied HN points • 16 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Sales
  1. Being physically tired from real work or regular exercise quiets overthinking and forces action, so most people would actually feel and perform better with more controlled physical fatigue.
  2. Identify the unfair advantages you already have — such as time, connections, money, or skills — and use them relentlessly instead of pretending everyone starts on an even playing field.
  3. General coding or program‑synthesis AI is becoming a powerful horizontal tool that can automate many tasks, but domain‑specific work still matters for enterprise data access, compliance, integration, and closing the last 5–10% of value.

How we built a business out of recession - chapter 52 - tick tock, one year and counting.

The ZIPster • 26 implied HN points • 27 Jun 25
💼 Business Sales
  1. CitNOW started from a small kitchen table and grew significantly over time, eventually selling for £30 million. It shows that with hard work and determination, big things can begin in small places.
  2. During the sale process, Tenzing had concerns about CitNOW’s growth potential, which led to a renegotiation of the sale price based on achievable sales targets. This illustrates the importance of clear, honest projections in business.
  3. The final sale agreement included a performance target that required the remaining team to prove they could generate more revenue. This highlights the necessity of aligning incentives to ensure everyone works towards the same goal.

Send Samples To Your Customers

The Polymerist • 166 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
💼 Business Sales
  1. Sending samples to customers is crucial for establishing trust and getting feedback.
  2. Develop a valuable product and communicate effectively with customers about it.
  3. Ensure proper paperwork, send multiple samples, get feedback, and iterate until a sellable product is achieved.

10 GTM Tactics You Can Steal for H2 2025

Startup Business Tips 🚀 • 21 implied HN points • 13 Jul 25
💼 Business Sales
  1. Using customer success stories can help you close sales faster. Share case studies in your emails, ads, and social media to show potential clients how your product has helped others.
  2. Partner programs are a great way to expand your reach. Consider referral programs for both customers and partners to encourage them to spread the word about your product.
  3. Creating a content hub related to your competitors can attract potential customers. Use comparisons and alternatives to help guide people towards choosing your product.

Your guide to growth marketing & PLG

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 268 implied HN points • 31 May 23
💼 Business Sales
  1. As a first growth marketer, be comfortable with solving problems and focusing on the important ones.
  2. For PLG products, prioritize paid channels with high intent and strong attention.
  3. When advertising on social media, make it easy for users to engage with the product without too much friction.

Diary Entry #2: Discovery Numbers (And a Quick Favor)

Shades of Greaves • 39 implied HN points • 22 Oct 23
💼 Business Sales
  1. The author's book has launched on Reedsy Discovery, a platform connecting authors with readers. Getting support through upvotes, comments, and reviews can help increase visibility for the book.
  2. Paid press opportunities like Reedsy Discovery can cost money but may lead to more book sales and broader exposure. For instance, with a $50 cost, selling 10 books could break even and expand the book's reach.
  3. Free press through interviews, newsletter features, and social media shoutouts has been crucial in promoting the author's book, demonstrating the value of media coverage in reaching potential readers.

AI lets you scalably do things that don't scale

Generating Conversation • 70 implied HN points • 14 Nov 24
💼 Business Sales
  1. AI helps businesses do tasks that usually require a lot of personal attention but can now be done at a larger scale. This means companies can reach more people without losing that personal touch.
  2. Using AI can improve customer support and technical help by automating common questions and providing quick solutions, allowing teams to handle more inquiries efficiently.
  3. Startups can grow faster with AI because it lets them do more with less staff. This ability to automate and customize tasks helps them stay lean while still offering great service.

My Chem, Alestorm, Ghost

Stream N' Destroy • 39 implied HN points • 04 Apr 23
🎶 Music Sales
  1. The post discusses recent attendance and ticket sales of various hard rock, metal, and punk artists worldwide.
  2. It mentions top performers like Red Hot Chili Peppers, My Chemical Romance, Paramore, and Linkin Park.
  3. The post also highlights Brit sales certifications for bands like AC/DC, Bring Me The Horizon, and Rammstein.

PARAMORE By The Numbers

Stream N' Destroy • 39 implied HN points • 28 Feb 23
🎶 Music Sales
  1. Paramore has a huge online following with millions of listeners and social media followers.
  2. Their top songs like 'Misery Business' and 'Still Into You' have hundreds of millions of views and streams.
  3. Paramore has achieved multiple platinum and gold certifications for their albums and singles.

Influencer marketing may not be a good fit for your developer-focused startup

thedevmarketer • 39 implied HN points • 17 Jul 23
💼 Business Sales
  1. Influencer marketing may not work for developer-focused startups with specialized solutions and top-down strategies.
  2. Consider alternative community-building strategies like podcasts, workshops, and articles for reaching the right target audience.
  3. Community involvement goes beyond influencers and should focus on engaging relevant communities for your product.

Why LinkedIn is not a sales channel

Nate is Learning • 39 implied HN points • 28 Jun 23
💼 Business Sales
  1. LinkedIn is not a sales channel, it's for brand marketing and awareness.
  2. Understanding the different use cases of platforms leads to a better buyer experience.
  3. Email is a sales channel due to the built-in expectation in the user's inbox.

NAR: Existing-Home Sales Increased to 4.03 million SAAR in May; Down 0.7% YoY

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 23 implied HN points • 23 Jun 25
💼 Business Sales
  1. Existing-home sales rose by 0.8% in May compared to April, but they are still down 0.7% from last year. This trend indicates a mixed market performance.
  2. The total housing inventory increased significantly, showing a rise of 20.3% year-over-year. More choices for buyers could ease some pressure on the market.
  3. The months of unsold inventory went up to 4.6 months, which means houses are staying on the market longer. This level is higher than before the pandemic, suggesting a shift in buyer demand.

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

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 148 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
💰 Finance 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.

What I'm doing in GTM as B2B SaaS founder as of Dec 25

nonamevc • 4 implied HN points • 01 Dec 25
💼 Business Sales
  1. Finding the right pricing strategy is key. It helps to define your product's position and understand customer willingness to pay.
  2. Using multiple channels for outreach lets you see what works best. Experimenting with content, LinkedIn presence, and cold outreach can help attract your first customers.
  3. Engaging authentically and sharing real experiences builds trust. Writing from a personal perspective and participating in niche communities can create stronger connections.

1st Look at Local Housing Markets in December

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 52 implied HN points • 08 Jan 25
💰 Finance Sales
  1. In December, closed home sales saw an 18.1% increase from the previous year, indicating a positive trend in some local markets.
  2. There was a significant jump in active housing inventory, up 27.2% compared to last year, with more homes available for buyers.
  3. New listings also grew by 11.8% year-over-year, but overall levels are still historically low compared to 2019.

Frankly Speaking - Cloudflare is the most underrated security company

Frankly Speaking • 254 implied HN points • 18 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Sales
  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.

The 21 GTM Channels to grow your SaaS

Startup Business Tips 🚀 • 56 implied HN points • 15 Dec 24
💼 Business Sales
  1. There are 21 different channels to grow your SaaS business. Some channels focus on direct interactions, while others rely on partnerships and external platforms.
  2. When choosing a channel, consider your product's complexity, market maturity, and your team's skills. Not every channel works for every product.
  3. It's important to engage with your customers through valuable content and be visible on social media to attract and retain them.

Can GTM out hire it's data problem?

Human Capitalist • 19 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
💼 Business Sales
  1. Companies are changing how they think about growth. They want to be efficient and use data smarter, rather than just trying to grow for the sake of it.
  2. There’s a big push to hire more data roles in go-to-market (GTM) teams. This is seen as important for improving things like sales and marketing efficiency.
  3. Positions like RevOps and Chief AI Officers are becoming popular. Companies want these roles to help them run better and innovate with technology.

9 tactics to get your first 50 SaaS customers in 2025

Startup Business Tips 🚀 • 47 implied HN points • 19 Jan 25
💼 Business Sales
  1. Networking can help you find your first SaaS customers. Reach out to people you know for introductions and referrals.
  2. Creating comparison and alternative pages on your website can attract customers in crowded markets. Show how your product stacks up against competitors.
  3. Understanding customer feedback is crucial. Ask customers how they heard about you and track why deals were lost to improve your sales process.

Shinedown, HARDY, Disturbed

Stream N' Destroy • 19 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🎶 Music Sales
  1. Green Day's new album is set to reach their fifth UK No. 1.
  2. Shinedown has broken records as the greatest rock band in Mediabase chart history.
  3. Updates on top songs, albums, and recent ticket averages in the hard rock genre.

Starbucks Shares Plunge After Sales, Earnings Miss

Dr.John B’s Newsletter • 8 HN points • 01 May 24
💼 Business Sales
  1. Starbucks experienced a significant drop in sales and earnings, leading to a plunge in shares due to a 4% decrease in global comparable store sales
  2. The decrease in sales was particularly notable in China where competition with lower prices impacted transactions and average spend negatively
  3. Despite new store openings, Starbucks struggled to offset the declining sales in existing cafeterias due to various factors like colder weather, cautious consumers, and conflicts globally