The Enablement Edge

Sangram Vajre on Telling a Compelling ROI Story (and Overcoming Other GTM Challenges)

Episode Summary

<p>Learning how to help your customers tell a good ROI story is critical to success as a go-to-market organization these days.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sangramvajre/">Sangram Vajre</a>, Co-Founder and CEO of <a href="https://gtmpartners.com">GTM Partners</a>, joins the show to share how to overcome today’s common GTM challenges and his vision for the future of go-to-market. The discussion touches on the importance of velocity in scaling a business, the role of customer success in delivering value, and how to align go-to-market organizations by using the right metrics. </p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Here are the key takeaways from our conversation with Sangram: </strong></p><ol><li><strong>Why Marketing teams should focus on the flywheel, not the funnel: </strong>Instead of fine-tuning the funnel to acquire new customers, Sangram argues that it’s more financially lucrative to retain and upsell existing ones. </li><li><strong>Why Customer Success should focus on ROI, not product features:</strong> Sangram makes the case for Customer Success teams learning to align with their customers’ business objectives. By telling a compelling ROI story, renewals are a no-brainer. </li><li><strong>How to align your GTM organization with a “North Star” metric: </strong>Decide on a shared metric that drives your organization toward a common goal. Sangram recommends NRR to unite Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success teams toward a cohesive strategy. </li></ol><p><br /></p><p><strong>Jump into the conversation: </strong></p><p>[00:42] Who is Sangram Vajre </p><p>[03:25] 15 common go-to-market problems </p><p>[04:38] How flywheels are the new funnels</p><p>[13:03] The importance of showing customers ROI to help prevent churn</p><p>[20:09] Heather and Steve’s highlights from the episode </p><p>[20:52] How to measure value and promote customers through customer success</p><p><strong>Continue the conversation with these resources: </strong></p><ul><li>Read Sangram’s book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/MOVE-4-question-Go-Market-Framework-ebook/dp/B09DLBF3S1"><em>Move: The 4-Question Go-to-Market Framework</em></a><em>, </em>to learn more about the concepts discussed in this episode. </li><li>Use <a href="https://seismic.com/enablement-roi-calculator/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=podcast-hosting&utm_campaign=all-wf_2023-06_podcast-subscribe&utm_content=podcast&utm_contenttype=web-page&utm_contentstage=tofu">Seismic’s ROI calculator</a> to learn about the potential savings and ROI of an investment in Seismic. (Yes, we drink our own champagne.) </li><li>Check out <a href="https://gtmpartners.com/gtmguide/">The Comprehensive Guide to GTM</a>, including the 15 common GTM challenges that Sangram mentions in today’s episode. </li><li>In this <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2023/04/20/what-does-it-mean-to-operationalize-outcomes/?utm_campaign=Social%20Member%20Articles&utm_content=246068071&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&hss_channel=tw-845063280955707394&sh=57be06b03fe6">Forbes article</a>, Seismic’s CRO and President Hayden Stafford breaks down three steps to operationalizing outcomes to create a compelling ROI story, putting customer experience at the forefront. </li></ul>

Episode Notes

Learning how to help your customers tell a good ROI story is critical to success as a go-to-market organization these days.


Sangram Vajre, Co-Founder and CEO of GTM Partners, joins the show to share how to overcome today’s common GTM challenges and his vision for the future of go-to-market. The discussion touches on the importance of velocity in scaling a business, the role of customer success in delivering value, and how to align go-to-market organizations by using the right metrics. 


Here are the key takeaways from our conversation with Sangram: 

  1. Why Marketing teams should focus on the flywheel, not the funnel: Instead of fine-tuning the funnel to acquire new customers, Sangram argues that it’s more financially lucrative to retain and upsell existing ones. 
  2. Why Customer Success should focus on ROI, not product features: Sangram makes the case for Customer Success teams learning to align with their customers’ business objectives. By telling a compelling ROI story, renewals are a no-brainer. 
  3. How to align your GTM organization with a “North Star” metric: Decide on a shared metric that drives your organization toward a common goal. Sangram recommends NRR to unite Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success teams toward a cohesive strategy. 


Jump into the conversation: 

[00:42] Who is Sangram Vajre 

[03:25] 15 common go-to-market problems 

[04:38] How flywheels are the new funnels

[13:03] The importance of showing customers ROI to help prevent churn

[20:09] Heather and Steve’s highlights from the episode 

[20:52] How to measure value and promote customers through customer success

Continue the conversation with these resources: