Caren Schwannauer

SaaStock Dublin is three days away. Considering an exit in 2024? At my talk, I'll be answering questions I get every day like: - What are current SaaS multiples? - What metrics matter most? - What do buyers *actually* care about? Don't have a ticket to SaaStock? I have a few extra - reach out and I'll hook you up 😎 #SaaStock #Dublin #founders

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Hiring Your First Salesperson? Don’t Make These Mistakes Your first sales hire is a critical one & it can be the difference between scaling quickly or spinning your wheels for another year. The top mistakes I see SaaS founders make? Hiring too fast without a clear process. Focusing solely on experience, not adaptability. Skipping the cultural fit assessment. Your first hire sets the tone for your entire sales team. Get it right, and you’ll build momentum that drives growth. Get it wrong, and you’ll be back to square one. #hiring #recruiterlife #recruiting #saassales #gsd #agsd #sales #startup #founder #ceo

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🔥How to repel top saas sales talent🔥 Part 1: ICP A clear Ideal Customer Profile is crucial. An ICP defines your perfect customer. The customers your product solves problems for best. Without a strong ICP? Sales hiring gets way harder. Why? Top salespeople want to win. An unclear ICP means... ❎Chasing bad-fit prospects that won't buy ❎Wasting time on crappy leads ❎Low close rates and commission checks No clarity on who to sell to? Top reps will bail for better opportunities. But with a tight ICP? Salespeople know exactly who to pursue. Pitches improve. Closes get easier. Reps earn more. A solid product with a tight vision and ICP will have a much easier time attracting and retaining talent then a company throwing sh*t against a wall hoping it sticks.

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Gender Diversity in Tech Sales: A Closer Look 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♀️ We've been analyzing hiring and diversity trends within SaaS Tech Sales, and the findings are quite eye-opening. From our sample data (based on several active mandates in the US): Among BDR/SDR professionals in B2B SaaS, only 37% are women. However, as roles transition to Account/Client Management, the gender ratio flips, with men comprising just 39% of these positions. Having had the privilege of working with many outstanding women in new business roles within recruitment, this raises a critical question: Why does such a stark gender disparity exist in SaaS Tech Sales, and what steps can we take to bridge this gap?💡

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💼 What should you be paying SaaS Salespeople in Germany in 2024? 🤔 Getting compensation right is critical when it comes to attracting and retaining top SaaS sales talent. If your packages aren’t competitive, you’re not just losing out on great people - you’re putting your growth at risk. That's why, on Tuesday next week, we’re releasing our salary benchmark report for SaaS sales roles across Germany. Stay tuned if you want to know how your compensation stacks up - or if you're losing talent to better offers. 👀 DM me or Robin Guth for priority access. 📅 8th October 2024 LP ✌️ Pack GTM | SaaS Sales Recruitment in Germany #sales #hiring #careers #startups #recruitment 

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It's GO TIME to hire top sales talent for Q1! 🚀 Are you aiming to onboard a sales executive in Q1 2025? Start your search now! It's common to wait until January, assuming the post-holiday, post-commission and -bonus payout period is optimal. This is also when new hiring budgets unleash a flurry of recruiting effort. Many top sales professionals are already locked into new targets by then and not planning exits. The final months of the year paint a different picture. With annual sales goals met or in sight, many are open to exploring new opportunities even if not actively looking. We've had many January/February start dates based on activity initiated during the previous fall. Things do slow a bit during the holiday season but they don't come to a halt unless your recruiting efforts do so. Initiate your search now to factor in any holiday slowdown and to stay ahead of the January rush, tapping into a pool of elite talent poised for their next career leap. Don’t just compete with the masses in early 2025—strategically engage potential candidates now. Note: After accepting your offer, the sales candidate you secure might need to wait until receiving their end-of-year commission/bonus payout in January/February before giving notice, so factor this in. Need strategic recruitment support or assistance in finding the right talent? Let’s connect. #hiring #recruiting #sales #salesexecutive

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I attended the SaaStock 'Revenue and Retention' workshop in Dublin this afternoon. Here's my notes. Have a read if you like: - 52% of buyers expect an increased spend on software tech next year. - 49% of buyers took 4+ months to make a purchase on 20k + level of investment, up 41% on last year. Decision criteria also changes 3 times. - 84% of buyers use review sites for gathering information & referrals on software/ and or services. They’re also using them at the start of their process rather than at the end. - 42% of buyers say its the C-Suite that are the ultimate DM’s - up 29% on last year. - Typically only 5-10% of your TAM will ever be in market to buy at any given time. - Prospects introduced via a partner have a 2 x win rate & 28% short cycle cycle. - It costs up to 25 x more to acquire a new customer than it would to get an existing customer to pay you the same amount. - Nearly 60% of customers would recommend your brand IF they get good customer service. - Existing customers are 50% more likely to try a new product with you and spend 30% more doing it as well. - Increasing customer retention rate by 5% can increase profitability by a 3rd. -- The above stats were shared by various speakers across the afternoon and multiple sources referenced including G2’s Buyer behaviour report. -- There's a lot to think about there - what stat stood out the most for you?

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How to attract top sales talent to your team / company for free: Post relevant content about your industry 1-3x per week. The organic reach element of posting on LinkedIn will get you seen by others in your industry. And your network with grow organically for when you need to hire next. The key is consistency. Happy Friday! #headhunting #sales #industrial #branding

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Companies used to only consider deploying RevOps when they hit 40-50M in ARR. Why? A strong RevOps resource was simply cost prohibitive. This is changing and the fractional Rev Ops practitioner is making it happen. Now companies that are 15-20M ARR+ are bringing in RevOPs experts as part of their arsenal, and at a fraction of the cost. Don't get left behind.

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The 3 biggest mistakes SaaS Founders make when trying to hire a DACH AE! In no particular order... 1. Long Interview process - It's a war on German sales talent right now & long processes are a fast way to ensure you lose out to competition. PS. You can still have a very thorough process take place within 3 weeks. 2. Lack of transparency - Too many founders sell the dream without giving full context to the current situation. PS. Share your challenges, ARR, quota attainment & mistakes to build trust in the interview process. 3. Treat the interviews as a one sided process - Too many founders spend every moment process trying to qualify the credentials of the candidate. PS. Ensure you factor in time to build a relationship and give all the info the candidate needs to make a decision. On average, a German AE we speak with is involved in 3 concurrent interview processes. Optimizing your interview practices will give you the best chance at securing the best talent. How else can we optimise the interview process to be more attractive to candidates? Let's discuss in the comments!

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Nobody cares about your product! But most sales processes are product focussed. It's easy to focus on the demo and try and let that lead for you. But the reality is most product demos are boring. I've found it can be hard for founders to remember that a prospect will not feel as passionately for the product as you do. I get it, you are proud of the product you have built. You can’t wait to show it off. But they don't care. They end up being a features and functions dump. So they switch off. They are about the pain that you can solve for them. Sometimes they just want to see how you solve one thing for them. And thats enough. Because that is causing so much pain for them. So I always advise it’s best to go into new prospect demos with the mind set of not selling your product. You just need to know their problems and show how you solve those through technology. You are selling change. Not a product.

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Don't tell your SEs how to demo the product without also telling them this: How to tell great stories The WOW moments in the product How to ask great questions during the demo The big problems that prospects have, in-depth Give them dessert first; don't leave the good stuff until the end That people are more motivated by loss aversion than gains; talk accordingly What's easy? Giving your SEs a demo script that showcases your product What's hard? Getting your SEs confident and competent, delivering a great demo experience that showcases how the product solves the specific problems a prospect just explained. With insightful questions, powerful language, and wow moments.

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Many SaaS companies underestimate the power of a strong Sales Development Rep team (SDR). Yet, I've seen how skilled SDRs dramatically improve lead qualification and conversion rates. Here's why: Focused Prospecting: SDRs laser-target ideal customers, saving senior sales reps time. Personalised Outreach: They build initial rapport, warming leads for deeper engagement. Pipeline Management: SDRs ensure smooth handoffs, increasing sales efficiency. Any sales leaders agree or have a different experience? I'd love to hear your insights. #SaaSgrowth #SalesTeams #HiringAdvice #SaaSJobs

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Meet Alex, a SaaS sales leader at a fast-growing fintech company. Alex was under constant pressure to hit aggressive growth targets. Their company had an incredible product, but scaling the sales team to match its potential felt impossible. Every hiring process was a grind. Alex spent hours sifting through irrelevant CVs, interviewing candidates who didn’t understand the SaaS world, and watching top talent slip away to faster competitors. Worst of all, the recruitment agencies they relied on promised results but rarely delivered candidates who could close deals and thrive under pressure. Frustrated and running out of time, Alex knew something had to change. That’s when they discovered TecPool, a game-changing portal designed specifically for SaaS sales hiring. Using TecPool, Alex stopped wasting time on irrelevant CVs and speculative candidates. Instead, they gained access to pre-vetted, SaaS-savvy salespeople who were ready to hit the ground running. With TecPool’s insights, Alex could benchmark candidates against industry standards and quickly identify the perfect fit for their team. Within weeks, the transformation was undeniable. Alex hired faster, with 50% less time spent on recruitment. The new hires didn’t just fill roles—they started hitting quotas in record time. For the first time, Alex felt in control of the hiring process and confident in every decision. With less time wasted on hiring headaches, Alex focused on building a high-performance sales culture. They trained and empowered their team, celebrated wins, and saw targets turn into achievements. The company began exceeding growth expectations, and Alex’s reputation as a leader who could build winning sales teams soared. If Alex’s story feels familiar, it’s time to rewrite your recruitment narrative. Let’s help you take control of your hiring process and build the SaaS sales team you’ve always dreamed of. Talk to Artis today and discover how TecPool can change everything for your sales team. #SaaS #SaaSSales #TecPool #SaaSRecruitment #Sales

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🚨 "The ultimate guide to landing your dream sales engineering role" 🚨 Julia Lustig and I sat down a couple of months back on the ARRtist Circus podcast for a brilliant conversation, jam-packed with hints & tips on some of the most important topics to consider in today's job market... - 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗖𝗩 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁? - 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀? - 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀? Tune in via the Spotify link below in the comments 🎙💥 Thanks for having me Julia & ARRtist Circus! 💜 #PreSales #SalesEngineering #CareerTips #InterviewPreparation #CareerGrowth The Sales Recruitment Company

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What most founders get wrong with their first sales hire. Your first sales hire can make or break your company. But many founders fall into the same traps: They hire for charisma instead of process. In other words, they really “like” the candidate's energy. A great personality doesn’t close deals (it does help), but discipline, systems, and a proven process do. They expect one hire to solve everything. Your first sales hire isn’t a superhero (or if they are, even Clark Kent / Superman needed a phone booth and a 2nd job to pay the bills…). They need support, a clear playbook, and resources to thrive. They wait too long. The best candidates won’t wait while you “figure things out.” Hiring slow in this market means losing top talent. It starts with knowing exactly who you need and why. At GSD, we are more than happy to help you get it right the first time. #hiring #recruiterlife #recruiting #saassales #gsd #agsd #sales #startup #founder #ceo

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Good vs bad hiring processes for SDRs/BDRs ✅ ❌ Which one do you think attracts the best talent? A - gives feedback after each stage B - doesn't give feedback to candidates at all A - let candidates know the salary range and keep to a small variance b - doesn't make the salary clear in the job description and has a large range A - 2-4 stage process and includes a task/role play B - 5-8 stage process that feels like a repetitive interrogation A - offers as soon as they have the right person B - waits a few days/even weeks and keeps the candidate in the dark It doesn't take much to provide a great candidate experience. But people remember how you made them feel. #sales #salescareers #hiring #interviews P.S. Have you had a good/bad interview experience before?

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Interested in expanding your network in 2025 to SDRs Leaders in other companies? Want to find out about how other SDR Leaders are solving the issues you are struggling with? Struggling find other SDR Leaders with whom to network? Introducing SDR Leader 1:1s - your solution to networking and learning from peers! This innovative platform automatically schedules meetings with other SDR Leaders based on your availability, background and experience level. For just $20/month, you can: * Connect with SDR Leaders tailored to your background and level of experience. * Share best practices and learn new strategies. * Get valuable feedback and insights. * Expand your network and build relationships. It's like having your own personal SDR mastermind group! And the best part? You can try it FREE for your first month with the code "LEADER". Don't miss this opportunity to take your SDR leadership to the next level! Sign up today: * Become a Pending Member: https://lnkd.in/e2FqJ_2t * Monthly Subscription Link ($20/month): https://lnkd.in/eQSWcvKy Invest in yourself and your career this year. Make SDR Leader 1:1s your New Year's resolution! Thank you to Dale Thorn for creating this networking platform!!! #SDRLeadership #Networking #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerGrowth

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