TL;DR – Predictable traction starts by having the guts to say no

This quote from my interview with Lars van Wieren, CEO of Starred, represents a valuable lesson worth reflecting upon. 

In 2019 he reset the company that he started in 2013. 

When I asked him what he did differently to get the traction he’d always hoped for, this is what he answered:

“It’s a lot of fun when you start saying no. In the beginning, we went after every opportunity. I often compare it to Philippine dynamite fishing. Just throw some dynamite in the water, and some fish will come up. You just don’t know which fish. 

We’re now looking at our most successful clients and searching for similar companies in the market. So we have a team of scrapers from all around the world. And they’re constantly scraping websites of potential clients for insights. 

Then we know precisely; these companies are the most interesting because they fit our ideal customer profile. Once you know your target audience, it’s also a lot more fun to target those companies because you can spend more money to make it far more personal to reach out to them.”

 

Here’s the thing

A core principle underpinning Lars’ company’s success is having the guts to acknowledge you can’t please everyone. 

Getting over that hurdle makes everything easier – not only in marketing and sales but also in customer success, professional services, and Research and Development.

They’re focusing only on the right customers – not those who pay the most money, but those with the highest likelihood of becoming their biggest fans. 

These companies see their value from the right perspective, are prepared to pay a premium, will buy more, more often, and will bring their look-alike peers.

 

Listen to the interview with Lars (the quote starts at the 13.35 mark)

 

Question for you to reflect upon

What’s the % of SaaS opportunities you’re disqualifying? What if you’d double that?

  

Be Remarkable

 

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