Hey Reader,

Welcome to The Middle, your midweek rundown of the most interesting things we've read this week.

It’s officially June and we’re almost halfway through the year. Say it ain’t so.

One quick thing for you, I’m hitting the virtual stage at Matik’s Scale + CS Summit on Thursday to talk about 3 Non-Obvious Pillars to your Scaled Strategy. (I think some people get a free lunch if you use the link above).

Cheers.

Jeff

Building a durable SaaS business

In a recent article on Mostly Metrics, CJ Gustafson discussed the importance of durable revenue.

His point is that many SaaS businesses think they already have a more durable business because they’ve chosen a subscription model. That’s not the right way to think about it.

Durable revenue is not just about the initial sale but ensuring that the technology becomes indispensable over time - you are reducing your risk every step of that journey.

I believe that there are two critical factors holding teams back from creating a more durable revenue base:

1. Building a suite of complementary products that can be sold to the same buyer
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   Why does it matter: You are likely to increase your share of wallet and expand your footprint.
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2. Getting their product engrained into mission-critical workflows within their customer’s operations
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   Why does it matter: It forces your product and engineering teams to make sure we are solving the correct problems
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3. Finding ways that product data can be presented in crucial decision-making meetings
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   Why does it matter: Businesses are increasingly data-driven and to be included means that our data is valuable to the outcome of their business.

Too often, SaaS companies focus on things that don’t truly move the needle; it's too soft and oftentimes activity-based.

Vanity metrics are one reason businesses get caught with a leaky bucket.

Different Leads, Different Speeds

​Mark Kosoglow nails a crucial concept for modern go-to-market teams: understanding customer intent and tailoring your approach accordingly.

To paraphrase Mark: High intent needs urgency, low intent needs value, and no intent needs patience.

Marketing and sales teams have not been focused enough on building specific experiences based on future customers' needs. This approach usually involves a one-size-fits-all approach.

Here’s how I start to break down what Mark refers to in his post…

Speed is key when dealing with high-intent prospects (aka speed to lead). These are the folks ready to make a decision. Don’t delay—respond quickly, provide clear next steps, and remove any obstacles to closing the deal. Create a sense of urgency that matches their readiness to buy.

For low-intent prospects, you should focus on delivering value (maybe someone who downloads content or attends a webinar). These customers need more information to see the benefit of your solution. Share case studies, offer demos, and provide thought leadership highlighting your unique value. Build a compelling reason about why your product is worth their consideration.

No-intent prospects require a different approach—patience (you might think of these as outbound leads). These individuals aren't ready to buy so that pushy tactics will backfire. Instead, nurture the relationship over time. Share relevant content, stay in touch, and be there when they’re ready to engage — value over time. Your patience can turn a cold lead into a warm one when right.

By aligning your sales strategy with the intent of your prospects (or customers), you can maximize your effectiveness and build stronger relationships.

Remember: urgency for high intent, value for low intent, and patience for no purpose.

Every Executive Plays for 2 Teams

​Dave Gerhardt writes about what it means to become a great marketing leader - while his message was speaking directly to marketers, I think it applies to any future executive.

TLDR: The best (marketing) leaders are the ones who can influence change across the organization.

A former CEO once told me that every executive plays for two teams: the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and the Functional Team they oversee (see our thoughts here). The key for every executive is to understand that you play first for the ELT and then for your Functional Team.

TLDR: You should be solving problems across the business.

Across my career, I’ve seen the best leaders do three things:

1. Communicate, clearly and often

2. Build flexible plans that you can execute

3. Rally the team to follow as you charge ahead

These aren’t sexy or some fancy formula.

But the absolute best leaders do these three things consistently.