Multichannel Selling Strategies

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to GTM. Maja Voje and I studied 12 leading B2B SaaS companies. (including interviews with their teams) Here’s what we learned: 1. PLG is eating the world >80% of the companies in our study employ PLG in some fashion. Even enterprise companies like Snowflake and Salesforce are adding free trials & freemium. It’s the new normal. Why is this working for them? In 2024, the best marketing is often your product. Users rarely want to lock in a $500K+ contract without trying the product first. But you do need to layer on a strong product-led sales motion to make enterprise work. 2. Dominate one at first, then layer on many Every company we studied got one GTM motion massively right. And, in each case, they still use that GTM motion in some form today. But, they layer on other motions over time. The ideal way to layer is symbiotically: • ABM couples nicely with outbound • Inbound supports outbound • Partnerships amplify PLG For instance: Dropbox grew at first massively on referrals. Now, other channels are much more important. 3. ABM and Outbound are pillars of enterprise For 5- and 6-figure deals, it’s difficult to rely on inbound or PLG alone. The buyer is used to a different process. They want to be hand-held. This is where motions like ABM and outbound shine. That’s why you still see the Snowflake’s and Salesforce’s of the world focusing on them. They’re the bread and butter of enterprise. So… bringing it all together, here’s where to start based on your buyer. If you’re selling to consumers or prosumers: • Lean into PLG, community, and partnerships early on • Layer in paid marketing as you find product-market fit and have budget to scale If you're selling to SMBs: • Blend inbound and outbound motions to build awareness and relationships • Paid digital can accelerate pipeline generation as you dial in your ICP If you're selling to enterprises: • Focus on targeted ABM and partner ecosystems • Inbound is great for air cover, but outbound is crucial for landing large accounts If you have a complex or technical product: • Make sure you have developer docs, free tooling, and community support from day one • Don’t underrate channels like partnerships & paid digital; they can still be crucial support And above all: 1. Remember what works at one stage may not work another 2. Remember the law of diminishing returns 3. Be willing to pivot when necessary

Wrong data costs demand planners millions. This document shows 7 must-have dashboards to watch: # 1 - Forecast Accuracy Tracker ↳ Automatically calculate forecasting KPIs like MAPE, WMAPE, Bias, and FVA across SKUs, customers, and regions ↳ No more manual checks, performance is updated live with every forecast cycle # 2 - Demand Trend Dashboard ↳ Blend historical sales, promotions, and seasonality data ↳ Spot shifts early like declining core SKUs or sudden spikes in niche products # 3 - Forecast vs Actual Performance Tracker ↳ Compare last cycle’s forecast vs actuals, side-by-side ↳ Helps you explain misses quickly in the Demand Review with visuals # 4 - Promo Impact Analysis Board ↳ Visualize lift vs baseline after each campaign ↳ Identify which promotions actually drive incremental demand, not just volume spikes # 5 - Customer-Level Forecast Accuracy Monitor ↳ Segment forecast accuracy by top accounts or channels ↳ Know which customers consistently overcommit or underorder, and adjust inputs # 6 - Product Lifecycle Tracker ↳ Monitor new launches, phase-outs, and slow movers in one place ↳ Keep your forecast aligned with product life stages # 7 - Exception Dashboard ↳ Highlight SKUs with sudden volume deviations, low coverage, or missing inputs ↳ Start your day knowing where to focus Any others to add?

India’s digital-first fashion brand journey - from Clicks to Bricks India’s homegrown D2C fashion landscape has entered its next chapter in the last decade or so Cava Athleisure recently launched its first offline store in Bengaluru Orion Mall And not just Cava, after years of building strong digital communities, brands like Freakins, Blissclub, Snitch, The Bear House etc are stepping confidently into the offline world, opening physical stores after initial few years of operating digitally 🔶 Why - the shift 🔸Brand-Building & Community Physical stores offer experiential branding, events & community-led engagement including consumers & influencers, something digital can’t fully replicate The store facade & window, be it in a mall or high-street also works as an impactful billboard in the consumers mind amidst the digital clutter - announcing the brand has arrived 🔸Consumer Trust & Tangibility Fashion is tactile. As brands scale, offline stores become powerful trust signals, letting consumers to see, touch, feel & try before buy Also enables brands to do visual product storytelling and store team engaging with consumers in a much better way 🔸Higher AOV & Better Conversions Stores often deliver higher average order values and far stronger conversion rates than digital channels Customers walking in these stores are mostly brand loyalist with real purchase intent, and more often than not asking - naya kya hai? 🔸CAC Optimization With rising acquisition costs online, offline retail becomes a strategic lever to reduce dependence on paid performance marketing While for customers, they get the flexibility to explore amongst the considered set of brands before zeroing down to their final purchase ◼️Opportunities Ahead Omnichannel flywheel: Unified single view of inventory, possibly endless isles + data + loyalty + flexibility of click-collect or buy-return → seamless journeys and a happy customer Experiential retail: Stores doubling as multiple touchpoints from content studios, event spaces to even micro-warehouses ◼️Challenges to Navigate High real-estate rentals & operational costs Supply-chain discipline needed for consistent in-store experience Balancing product assortment and price parity across channels Maintaining brand freshness in an offline setting ◼️The Way Forward The future belongs to digitally-built, omnichannel-scaled brands While online gives speed & reach, offline gives depth & loyalty The most successful D2C labels are those that treat physical stores not as an afterthought or fomo, but as a strategic extension of their brand ecosystem Interesting fact: The D2C brands who started over a decade ago took slightly longer for online to offline shift (~7 years), vis-a-vis within the last decade (~5 years), and the more recent ones much lesser than that Clicks create the brand, Bricks will only compound it. Your thoughts! #Indian #Fashion #Retail #D2C #Online #Brand #Offline #Expansion

Customers expect seamless interactions across every channel, whether they’re online, in-store, or on social media. While this is the backbone of customer satisfaction and loyalty, ensuring that every interaction feels seamless and personalized can often be a challenge. It’s not just about solving problems as they arise but also about truly understanding your customers' journeys, addressing their pain points, and creating a unified experience across all platforms. So, how do we make this happen? Here are five steps to delivering a consistent omnichannel experience: 1. Know Your Customer Understanding your customers’ preferences, behaviors, and challenges is the foundation of a great omnichannel strategy. Dive deep into your customer data to truly know who they are and what they need. 2. Integrate Your Systems Seamless integration between your systems ensures smooth communication and data sharing across all channels. This prevents disjointed experiences and empowers your team with the right insights at the right time. 3. Maintain a Consistent Brand Image Whether it’s a social media post, an in-store interaction, or an email campaign, your brand identity should remain consistent. A cohesive message builds trust and reinforces your brand’s promise. 4. Create Seamless Customer Journeys Transitions between channels should feel effortless. Customers shouldn’t feel like they’re jumping between disconnected silos but rather engaging with one cohesive system. 5. Implement Personalization Strategies Customers expect personalization. Tailor your offerings, interactions, and messaging to each customer to make them feel valued and understood. Are these steps easy to implement? Not always. I believe that just as empathy in customer service requires ongoing effort and training, delivering a consistent omnichannel experience demands constant evaluation, refinement, and investment. But the payoff is undeniable nevertheless – you realize that stronger customer loyalty, better brand reputation, and more meaningful connections with your audience. What’s your biggest challenge in creating a seamless omnichannel experience? Share your thoughts or insights in the comments. We’d love to learn from your journey! #CustomerExperience #Omnichannel #CustomerJourney #EmpathyInBusiness #CX #KSA

5 Ways Semiconductor Companies Forecast Demand Despite Long Lead Times and Highly Cyclical Markets 1. Customer Collaboration & Long-Term Supply Agreements (LTSAs) Companies secure 12–36 month forecasts from major customers. Use NCNR (non-cancellable, non-returnable) contracts to lock demand. Example: TSMC receives long-range demand plans from Apple for iPhone SoCs, enabling early wafer allocation. Infineon gets multi-year volume commitments from automotive OEMs for power MOSFETs and MCUs. 2. Multi-Quarter Order Backlog & Pipeline Analysis Continuous analysis of book-to-bill ratios, backlog ageing, and order cancellations. Sharp reductions in bookings often signal a market downcycle. Example: During the 2021 chip shortage, NXP and STMicroelectronics used 6–9 month backlogs to justify increasing wafer starts at foundries. When PC demand crashed in 2022, Intel’s falling book-to-bill warned of overcapacity. 3. Market Intelligence & Macro Indicators Track global semiconductor reports, sector growth, and end-market signals (EVs, cloud, consumer electronics). Example: ON Semiconductor monitors EV adoption forecasts to model future SiC MOSFET needs. Smartphone shipment trends from IDC/Gartner help Qualcomm and MediaTek predict next-year modem and SoC demand. 4. Statistical & Scenario-Based Forecast Models Use historical patterns (seasonality of consumer devices), inventory ratios, and regression models. Run best-case, base-case, and worst-case scenarios. Example: NVIDIA forecasts GPU demand by modeling cloud capex cycles from Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Memory makers (Samsung, Micron) use scenario models when DRAM/NAND prices swing due to oversupply. 5. Channel Monitoring & Inventory Tracking Track distributor inventory, sell-in vs. sell-through, and sudden stock build-up. A spike in distributor stock often indicates demand softening. Example: Texas Instruments (TI) closely monitors distributor inventory days; rising inventory signals that the industrial market is slowing. Analog Devices (ADI) checks if sensor ICs are stuck in channels instead of reaching OEMs. ~~~~~~ If you are looking to invest in semiconductors and need expert insights, drop us a DM.

I spoke with 25 EMEA SDR leaders last week in Amsterdam. These 3 tactics are the difference between missing quota and hitting it. (Share this in your Slack channel) 1. The 100-to-1000 Rule SDRs need to do 100 of ANYTHING (cold call connections, LinkedIn video DMs, etc) before saying "it doesn't work." If someone tells me: "My rep sent 5 videos and got nothing." My response is: "Cool. Michael Jordan missed 5 shots once too. Then he took 20,000 more. The 5 videos you made are just the warmup. Come back at 100. Here's the math: • 1 SDR = 100 attempts minimum • 10 SDRs x 100 = 1,000 data points • Now you know what actually works The reason for the 1,000 data points is to collect overall data for the team to adopt this across the board. It also builds belief on the team that these tactics that you want your team to do ACTUALLY can work. Stop accepting "it doesn't work" from reps who tried it twice. 2. Test Your Messaging With Actual Buyers Most LinkedIn advice comes from sellers selling to sellers. Again, guilty as charged. So let's get messaging straight from your actual buyers. The play that's booking meetings: • Message your internal champion that is your potential buyer (CTO, CMO, etc.) • Ask: "What's the best outreach you've received?" • Use AI to decode why it worked • Test that approach with similar buyers • Scale what gets responses We did this with our CMO when I worked at Terminus and we booked a ton of meetings from it. 3. Find Your Team's Unique Strength Every SDR has a superpower waiting to be unleashed. Map it out: • Sarah is nailing it on cold calls? Document her opener • Mike gets 30% email reply rates? Emulate his templates • Lisa owns LinkedIn? Make her teach everyone I tried to be the email guy when I realized I am more of a cold call / social guy. Know your lane and maximize it. Then you can build multi-channel plays using each person's strength. I did this with my SDR team and we hit above our quota for 6 straight months. The real talk here is start demanding mastery from your teams instead of going through the motions. This is the way. P.S. Which takeaway are you testing with your team this week?

Did you see that coming? I didn’t. TikTok banned in the USA. Imagine building your whole business strategy around one platform, only to have it pulled away overnight. It’s something that keeps me up at night as a founder. At Ocushield, I remember the exact moment we realised this risk. We were running a campaign on Meta, and they changed their algorithm. Bam – traffic dropped overnight, and so did our conversions. From that point on, we knew we couldn’t rely on just one platform for everything. So, we built multiple safety nets. First, we diversified where we sell: ✅ Direct-to-consumer sales through our own website. ✅ Retail partnerships like WHSmith & John Lewis ✅ Corporate sales by partnering with employers. ✅ International marketplaces like Amazon. Then, we diversified how we market: ➡️ Google advertising and SEO. ➡️ Email and SMS marketing (because owning your audience matters). ➡️ Meta’s platforms, but as part of a wider mix. ➡️ Even non-traditional channels, like QVC. Here’s the thing – you don’t need to rely on just one platform to grow. Diversifying might feel like extra work, but it’s what protects your business when the unexpected happens. Here’s how you can start: 👉 Build an email or SMS list. This gives you a direct line to your customers that no algorithm can take away. 👉 Test new sales channels. Look at retail, B2B partnerships, or marketplaces to expand your reach. 👉 Spread your marketing budget. Experiment with platforms like Google Ads, LinkedIn, or even influencer partnerships. The TikTok ban is a wake-up call for all of us: no platform or channel is guaranteed. Diversification isn’t just a smart move – it’s essential. What’s one way you’re diversifying your business to prepare for the future?

**Maximizing B2B Marketing Success: The Power of Including Channel Partners in Your Strategy** In today’s competitive B2B landscape, a robust marketing strategy is essential. However, one critical element often overlooked is the inclusion of channel partners. Integrating these partners into your marketing plan can significantly amplify your reach, enhance brand credibility, and drive sales growth. Here’s why and how you should include channel partners in your B2B marketing strategy: **1. Amplified Reach and Visibility** Channel partners have established networks and customer bases that you can leverage. By collaborating with them, you can extend your brand’s reach far beyond your direct efforts. Co-branded marketing initiatives, joint webinars, and shared content can introduce your products or services to new, highly relevant audiences. **2. Enhanced Credibility and Trust** Trust is a cornerstone of B2B relationships. Channel partners often have long-standing relationships with their clients, who trust their recommendations. **3. Optimized Resource Utilization** Channel partners can provide additional resources for your marketing efforts. They can contribute to content creation, share insights on customer preferences, and participate in events or campaigns. This not only saves time and costs but also enriches your marketing initiatives with diverse perspectives and expertise. **4. Improved Customer Engagement** Channel partners often have deep insights into their customers’ needs and pain points. Collaborating with them allows you to tailor your marketing messages more effectively, ensuring they resonate with the target audience. **5. Increased Sales and Revenue** Ultimately, the goal of any marketing strategy is to drive sales and revenue. Channel partners can play a pivotal role in this by actively promoting your products or services. Their involvement can accelerate the sales cycle and open up new opportunities, leading to increased revenue growth. **How to Effectively Include Channel Partners in Your Marketing Strategy:** - **Develop a Collaborative Plan:** Work closely with your channel partners to create a joint marketing plan. Align your goals, define roles, and set clear expectations to ensure everyone is on the same page. - **Leverage Joint Marketing Initiatives:** Engage in co-marketing activities such as webinars, whitepapers, and case studies. These initiatives can showcase the combined expertise of both parties and provide valuable content to your audience. - **Provide Marketing Support:** Equip your channel partners with the necessary tools and resources. Offer training, marketing collateral, and access to your marketing platforms to enable them to effectively promote your products. - **Measure and Optimize:** Track the performance of your joint marketing efforts. Analyze the results, gather feedback, and make data-driven adjustments to continuously improve the effectiveness of your strategy.

As a DTC brand, have you considered the risks of relying solely on Amazon as your growth engine, especially as its dominance in the e-commerce landscape continues to surge? Amazon’s share of US e-commerce sales is projected reach an impressive 40.9% by 2025, a clear signal of Amazon’s tightening grip on the retail market. I see this trend as a wake-up call. While Amazon offers unparalleled reach, its growing dominance amplifies the risks of over-dependence. Policy shifts, escalating fees, and fierce competition can destabilize your profitability and erode your control over your brand. The solution? Diversify your sales channels to build a more resilient business. Here are 2 actionable strategies for diversification every Amazon brand should pursue today: 1. Embrace Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Sales: Invest in your DTC infrastructure. This is the time to focus on building a real brand that stands independently to the vast search intent that Amazon offers. Use Shopify, Klaviyo, Meta, and Google as your "core four" to begin generating and converting demand to your DTC business. Selling directly to your customers lets you bypass Amazon’s fees and regain control over your brand's narrative. By forging stronger relationships with your audience, you not only mitigate the impact of Amazon’s rule changes but also unlock opportunities for higher margins and customer loyalty. 2. Tap into TikTok Shops: With now over a million creators thriving on TikTok Shops and search volumes surpassing Google in certain product categories, it’s a vibrant marketplace waiting to be explored. Partner with influencers and leverage TikTok’s powerful discovery tools to connect with new audiences and drive sustainable growth. You'll also find the discovery on TikTok drives new customers to both your Amazon and DTC business as a bonus. Why act now? Relying solely on Amazon leaves you vulnerable to unexpected disruptions, whether it’s a policy change or intensified competition. But by branching out to platforms like TikTok Shops, building a DTC presence, and exploring multiple revenue streams, you can safeguard your business and seize untapped opportunities. The data is undeniable: Amazon’s meteoric rise is both an opportunity and a risk. Don’t wait for the next policy shift to catch you off guard. Take action today—diversify your strategy, harness innovative platforms, and position your e-commerce brand for long-term success.

Sales folks, take note! Spamming a target company's employees with your services and requests for meetings will result in your company making its way onto a buyer's blocklist. As a buyer in the localization industry, I receive dozens of emails and LinkedIn requests every single day from vendors looking to showcase translation, AI, QA services, and more. It's not humanly possible to give personal replies to every outreach. When vendors can't get through to me, they often reach out to everyone on my team... and sometimes to many others across my company. I'd love for this practice to stop. It wastes valuable company time and makes a vendor appear desperate and non-strategic. Here's what to do instead: 1. Appeal to ego! Invite a target company’s decision-maker to a panel, or start a vlog series and ask buyers to appear and discuss industry topics. It’s also a great opportunity to reposition your company as a thought leader. 2. Offer genuine insight, not just services. Share a case study, white paper, or benchmarking data that’s actually useful to the buyer’s role, and do it without a sales pitch. 3. Build a reputation before you build a pipeline. Comment thoughtfully on posts. Contribute to community conversations. If you consistently show up with value, you’re far more likely to get noticed. 4. Target smarter, not broader. Don’t shotgun your message to an entire company. Learn the org. Understand the buyer’s scope. Then send one well-researched, personalized note that shows you actually did your homework. 5. Focus on mutual value. Can you help solve a known pain point or offer perspective on something changing in the market? Frame your outreach around collaboration, not consumption. 6. Use timing to your advantage. Keep tabs on when companies are hiring for roles associated with your offerings, launching in new markets, or attending conferences. That’s when buyers are more receptive to new solutions. 7. Lead with generosity. Offer a no-strings-attached resource, intro, or suggestion that doesn’t benefit you directly. Reciprocity is a powerful trust builder. And please! Don't ever ever call me on the phone! ;)