SaaS. It has exploded in popularity, accessibility, and efficiency in recent years. Now, SaaS companies are looking for new ways to stand apart from the crowd and become a dominant force in their respective industries.
Along with the explosion of software innovation, many newer SaaS companies are looking for ways to unleash their power.
What is the power of SaaS?
Software as a Service (SaaS) has become increasingly popular in recent years, due to its flexibility and scalability.
It has revolutionized the way businesses operate, allowing them to access software applications from any device with an internet connection. SaaS can be used for a variety of tasks, such as customer relationship management (CRM), project management, accounting, sales assistance for sales managers, and more.
Today, we are going to be looking at one specific way for SaaS companies to achieve this dream: through sales agency collaboration.
And especially since the onset of the pandemic, now that so many companies have turned to offering their services or products remotely, SaaS solutions have become an extremely attractive option for businesses looking for an efficient and cost-effective way to access software.
The power of SaaS is its ability to deliver applications and cutting-edge solutions remotely over the internet, saving money, time, and energy.
Today, we are going to be looking at one specific way for SaaS companies to achieve the dream of truly unleashing their power: utilizing sales agency collaboration.
For businesses looking to get the most out of their SaaS solution, sales collaboration is key.
With the right combination of technology and human resources and expertise, companies can use their SaaS solution to its full potential, allowing them to achieve maximum success in both sales and customer service.
TL;DR
A quick summary of the benefits of sales collaboration and why you should invest in a partnership.
Benefits of Collaboration with Sales Agencies
So, how exactly can a SaaS company benefit from collaborating with a sales agency?
Especially for newer SaaS companies trying to break into the market and create credibility, it can be extremely difficult to scale the company. With a sales agency though, SaaS companies can increase their reach and acquire new customers without having to think about building additional features or doing a sales process audit.
Below is an overview of 3 forms of partnerships SaaS companies can choose from: technical, channel, or strategic.
Collaboration with a sales agency can be a great sales strategy for your company if you are eager to tap into new audiences or even if you simply don’t have all of the necessary skills or experience. Additionally, sales can assist sales leaders or marketing teams that don’t have enough sales representatives to scale your company.
By partnering with an experienced sales agency, SaaS companies can explore new verticals, enter regional or global markets, and gain access to the agency’s existing customer base. This can help them to expand their user base and grow their business.
Also, as written by Revenue Grid, collaboration with a sales organization can help your company identify opportunities and manage your sales pipeline. When multiple individuals work together with the same data, they can share their respective insights into how they use it and what conclusions they draw. This can prove useful in spotting details that may have gone unnoticed by other people – providing valuable guidance when attempting to progress with a sale.
Increased Reach and Accessibility
The old African proverb reads, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
That proverb is true in most areas of life, including the world of SaaS.
If you want to “go far” and create an untouchable company, then collaboration is the way to go.
By partnering with sales agencies, SaaS companies can tap into the resources and expertise of these agencies to help them reach more potential customers. Sales agencies can provide valuable insights into customer needs and preferences, as well as access to networks of independent retailers that may not have been accessible before.
Additionally, sales agencies can help SaaS companies develop effective marketing strategies that will help them reach their target audience more effectively. Below is an example of successful sales agency collaboration selected from Insivia’s website.
This is exactly the kind of work that Insivia excels at. With decades of experience in the SaaS industry, our collaboration with SaaS companies has repeatedly helped them increase their visibility and accessibility in ways they never thought possible.
On the whole, collaborating with sales agencies is a great way for SaaS companies to “go far” and maximize their reach and accessibility. Such collaborations provide access to resources, expertise, customer insights, and networks of independent retailers that may not have been accessible before.
Additionally, effective marketing strategies can be created through these collaborations that help target the right audience in the most successful way.
Leveraging Expertise to Improve Operations
According to an article by Referral Rock, some of the biggest SaaS brands, including HubSpot CMS, SEMrush, Zendesk, and Databox, launched partner programs early on, which were instrumental in helping them scale.
These brands continue to use their partnerships to accelerate growth, improve the sales process, encourage user retention, and increase revenue.
Why?
Because they each understood how valuable collaboration and partnerships could be to leverage expertise, improve operational efficiency, enhance the sales process, and eventually scale their company.
By leveraging the collective knowledge and skills of the sales agency, SaaS companies can improve their operations and increase their revenue potential.
For example, a sales team of a SaaS company could collaborate with a sales agency to create a comprehensive customer profile that includes insights into their needs and preferences. This would enable the team to better understand their customers and tailor their approach accordingly.
Additionally, by sharing information about successful strategies, sales agencies can help teams learn from the successes of others and apply those lessons in their own operations.
Finally, sales agency partnership helps foster a collaborative culture of innovation within an organization. By bringing in unique insights and encouraging open dialogue within the company, agency collaboration can help create an environment where new ideas are welcomed and explored.
This encourages team members and sales professionals to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions that may not have been considered before.
Overall, sales agency collaboration is an invaluable tool for any SaaS company looking to maximize its sales success and improve internal operations.
Potential Challenges and Solutions
Even though the benefits of sales agency collaboration are obvious, it is important to review any potential challenges and solutions as well.
When a SaaS company collaborates with a sales agency, there are several possible issues they may face.
One of the most common is the lack of knowledge and experience that the sales agency may have in the SaaS industry. This can lead to difficulty establishing a customer base, or not generating revenue from the collaboration.
Additionally, there may be difficulty in finding an agreement on usage-based pricing and monetization reengineering between the two parties.
Lastly, hybrid work and dispersed team management can be difficult to coordinate when working with an external agency.
These potential challenges can be serious and can greatly impact how quickly and effectively the SaaS company can scale, but like with most problems or challenges, there are also solutions. Here is how we resolve each of these challenges in our own collaborative efforts with SaaS companies.
Lack of Knowledge
One of the biggest challenges is partnering with an agency that is an expert in sales, but has no understanding of SaaS. To combat this challenge, consider collaborating with a SaaS specific agency instead.
Not to toot our own horn (again) but because of our extensive experience in the world of SaaS specifically, our collaboration with SaaS companies is seamless, effective, and consistently productive. While we might be pretty lousy at sales collaboration for boutiques and beauty salons, we do know our stuff in SaaS.
Pricing Agreements
Another common challenge is pricing agreements, or lack thereof.
Luckily though, in this age of technology, new software has come to the aid of sales reps, teams, and sales agencies: digital sales rooms. These sales tools help streamline the sales process while maintaining positive relationships with customers.
Throughout our pricing conversations with SaaS companies, we use Saleslion’s digital sales room to ensure a transparent interaction. And with mutual action plans and pricing calculators (above), we are able to create a partnership that both serves the SaaS company and meets their budget needs precisely.
Coordination and Time-Zones
Especially since the onset of the pandemic, hybrid or even fully remote work has become the norm. And with remote work, that often means that individuals are working and operating in multiple time-zones.
But, unlike others, we are a very results-obsessed agency. Quick response times are one thing that we excel at.
Regardless of the fact that we have team members from the west coast to Turkey, we prioritize helping the SaaS companies we work with get their hands on the results as soon as possible.
Key Takeaways
Although there are many paths that SaaS companies can take to unleash their full potential, collaboration with a sales agency is often one of the most successful. The benefits and opportunities associated with such collaborations far outweigh the risks, so if you’re looking for ways to get your SaaS company off the ground, this is the place for you to start.
Utilizing sales agency services can provide your company with access to new markets, tools and capabilities that may have been unattainable on your own. Sales agency collaboration also has the power to drastically improve operational efficiency by bringing in some of their trusted expertise and advice.
Starting a partnership with a sales agency in order to unlock your business’s true capabilities may just be among one of the best investments you will ever make.
If you’re interested in leveraging and experiencing these advantages, reach out to us today! We’d love to chat about how our team can become an invaluable asset for making your SaaS company reach its highest potential.
Written by: Andy Halko, CEO & Founder
I started Insivia in 2002 and for over 22 years I have had the chance to work directly with hundreds of companies and founders to redefine or reinvent their businesses.