Every successful business starts with an idea. So you've identified a problem in the market and you're working to develop a solution in the form of either a product or a service. What are the next steps? In this episode of Guaranteed to Grow, Patrick will recap the last nine episodes that cover the steps for building a successful software business. He goes through the framework he has used to build several successful companies. If you missed any previous episodes, you have everything you need here. Let's dive in!

“I know that entrepreneurship is extremely lonely at times, but I want you guys to know that you're not alone. There's an entire community out here of people that are building, just like you.” - Patrick Parker

In This Episode:

- How to Validate Your Software Idea in 30 Days or Less

- Nailing Your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)

- How to Build a Successful MVP (Minimum Viable Product)

- Building an Authentic Sales Organization

- How to Build a Winning Go-To-Market Strategy

- How to Build an Authority Engine Using Social Proof

- Leveraging the Power of Branding

- The UX Is Critical for Your Product

- Building an Award-Winning Customer Success Model

And more…

Connect with Patrick:

- Website

- Instagram

- Facebook

- LinkedIn

- YouTube

- TikTok

It's no secret that businesses need an exceptional sales and marketing strategy to be successful. But in today's environment where customers have endless options, sales and marketing alone aren't enough to cut it. Customer acquisition cost has steadily increased over the past decade. So the question becomes, what else can businesses do to succeed? 

The answer is quite simple–invest in customer success. In today's episode of Guaranteed to Grow, Patrick will discuss the benefits of introducing customer success as a core component of your business and how to build an award-winning customer success model. So let's dive in!

“Customer success focuses on helping customers maximize the benefits of your product or service.” - Patrick Parker

In This Episode:



- How is customer success different from customer support?

- Why is it important to map the customer journey?

- Understanding the impact of customer churn and what you can do to minimize it

- 7 steps to building your customer success model

- Tools to help you build your customer success process

And more…

Resources:

- HubSpot

- ChurnZero

- Intercom

- WalkMe

Connect with Patrick:

- Website

- Instagram

- Facebook

- LinkedIn

- YouTube

- TikTok

If you look at Apple and the products and services they develop and release, you'll see that they're a brand that prioritizes user experience. This principle embodies what Steve Jobs meant when he said, “Design isn't just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

Joining Patrick in today's episode of Guaranteed to Grow is their Chief Product Officer, Derrell Johnson. Together, Patrick and Derrell discuss why UX is critical for your product, examples of brands with excellent UX, the different design methodologies, and some tools you can use for prototyping. Let's dive in!

“There's nothing worse than a product that doesn't work.” -Derrell Johnson

In This Episode:

- When people talk about user experience, what exactly are they referencing?

- The key difference between UI and UX and how they work together

- At what point should people look at user experience when designing products?

- How in-depth should you go with prototypes?

- A look at some companies who have done a great product design

- Waterfall vs. Agile vs. Human Centered Design methodology in product development

- How necessary are product testing and quality assurance in the overall user experience?

- What tools can you use to measure the performance and adoption of a product design?

- The one major takeaway from today's episode

And more…

Resources:

- Lean UX: Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience

- Framer

- Proto.io

- Hotjar

Connect with Derrell Johnson:

- LinkedIn

Email - derrell@saaspartners.io

Connect with Patrick:

- Website

- Instagram

- Facebook

- LinkedIn

- YouTube

- TikTok

Jonah Sachs said, “Your brand is a story unfolding across all customer touchpoints.” It means that your brand is more than just your logo, the colors you choose, or your website. Instead, your brand is the collection of everything that creates a desired experience for your customers. Great companies embody the power of branding. 

Joining Patrick in today's episode of Guaranteed to Grow is their VP for Marketing, Nathan Stout. Tune in to find out more about the difference between branding and marketing, what to focus on, and what you can do to build your brand. 

“You've got to figure out where your brand fits in the market and what your customers want. Ultimately, you want to know that first before you do anything.” - Nathan Stout

In This Episode:

- What exactly is branding?

- How does building a personal brand play into the corporate brand?

- How can brands build trust with their customers?

- The role of branding in influencing buyer behavior

- How does knowing your customers guide you in crafting the perfect brand messaging?

- How branding impacts your overall marketing strategy

- Simple tips for building your brand

- Is there any room for ego in branding?

And more…

Connect with Nathan:

- LinkedIn

Connect with Patrick:

- Website

- Instagram

- Facebook

- LinkedIn

- YouTube

- TikTok

In his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Robert Cialdini said, “We view a behavior as more correct in a given situation to the degree that we see others performing it.”

We buy products endorsed by athletes and celebrities because we want to look and perform like them. We trust user reviews because they have experienced the products and services. We tend to accept the opinions of others simply because of our lack of experience. So whether consciously or subconsciously, people with perceived authority have an influence on us.

In this episode, you will learn how to build your authority engine for your business using social proof so you can extend your influence and reach and reap the benefits for your business.

“Social media is now one of the most popular destinations for people to ask questions and get feedback from peers and other people that they are connected to within their network.” - Patrick Parker

In This Episode:

- The 6 Types of Social Proof

- The 5 Stages of Buyer Awareness and the types of content that you need for each stage of your funnel

- How to leverage your authority to attract new customers and unlock new levels of growth in your business

And more…

Connect with Patrick:

- Website

- Instagram

- Facebook

- LinkedIn

- YouTube

- TikTok

What is the most important startup activity for any software business? Building and executing a winning go-to-market strategy. How do you do that? With Patrick Parker’s super insightful 9 Step framework. 

In this episode, Patrick will walk you through the critical components required to see customers flocking to you, credit cards in hand. Learn how to identify the problem, define your target audience, and research the competition and demand as it relates to your software business. Develop a roadmap for success with clearly defined metrics and values that will get your whole sales team on board as you turn market awareness into sales conversions.  

“To be effective, you need to have everyone in the same boat, rowing in the same direction, at the same time.” - Patrick Parker

In This Episode:

- What is a go-to-market strategy and why do you need one from the get-go?

- How to map your buyers’ journey, from when they become aware of your product to when they pay for it?

- Patrick’s 9 Step framework that will allow you to create clear strategies and goals.

- How and when to implement objectives and processes that you can measure your success by?

And more…

Connect with Patrick:

- Website

- Instagram

- Facebook

- LinkedIn

- YouTube

- TikTok

How can software take your business to the next level? By remaining authentic. 

Join host Patrick Parker as he interviews long-time friend and business colleague, Patrick Micklewright, on the fundamentals of building your first sales organization. Learn the value of consistency, ‘keeping it real’, and how to break down barriers of transparency to achieve scale in your business. Understand the importance of nailing down your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile), while simultaneously motivating, training, and rewarding staff in a way that breeds confidence. 

“What better way to learn what people want than to look them in the eye and ask them?” – Patrick Micklewright 

In This Episode:

- Patrick Micklewright’s business journey as a tech entrepreneur.

- How to build a motivated sales team?

- Leadership lessons regarding authenticity, transparency, and understanding your client’s business needs.

- Shifting from a salesperson to a ‘hero’ – know your customers’ childrens’ names.

- How to get better response rates and connections on LinkedIn?

- How to build a repeatable process within your first sales team structure?

- Stand out from the online crowd with business networking that drives scalability.

And more…

Resources:

- Link Bridge

- Thoroughbred Solutions

Connect with Patrick Micklewright:

- Linked in

Connect with Patrick:

- Website

- Instagram

- Facebook

- LinkedIn

- YouTube

- TikTok

LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman once said, “If you're not embarrassed by your first iteration, you launched too late.” Many founders make the mistake of investing a great deal of time and effort into perfecting their product before launching, only to realize that nobody cares about it. So how do you avoid the same mistake? 

First, you must validate your assumptions in the least expensive way possible. That's where the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) comes in. Piyush Pamecha joins Patrick in today's episode to discuss the fundamentals of building a successful MVP.  Piyush is passionate about building great products and consumer experiences by continuously keeping in touch with the latest trends and technologies.

“One of the most successful MVPs ever is Amazon.” - Piyush Pamecha

In This Episode:

- What is an MVP, and why should you build it first?

- How to start building your MVP?

- What mapping out a user flow means, and why it is important?

- Avoiding the common mistakes when building your MVP.

- Pros and cons of using low code and no code platforms when building your MVP.

- What we need from the client before building their MVP.

- Estimated cost and timeline for building an MVP.

- Red flags to watch out for when interviewing companies who will build your MVP.

- How to measure the success of your MVP and determine if you should move forward with product enhancements or shut down the effort.

And more…

Connect with Piyush Pamecha :

- LinkedIn

Connect with Patrick:

- Website

- Instagram

- Facebook

- LinkedIn

- YouTube

- TikTok