Ryan Battles Co-Founder Harpoon

Sarah and Bill started off the show talking about a recent a16z Podcast with the CEO of Optimizely, which reminded Sarah and Bill of the interview in Episode 4 with Adam Avremescu, the Head of Education from Optimizely. The a16z Podcast is a great podcast if you are into following distruptive technology and startups. 

Click to Tweet: Listen now! #HelpingSells Radio Episode 8 | @RyanBattles, Author of Using Periscope for Business: http://bit.ly/1PnmIbh

About Our Guest - Ryan Battles

In this episode, we talked with Ryan Battles who is the co-founder of Harpoon, a financial goal-setting, time-tracking, and invoicing app for freelancers and consultants. Ryan is also author of two books and we talked to him about both of his books:

• SaaS Marketing Essentials: The Ultimate Guide to Launching and Growing Your SaaS Application
• Using Periscope for Business: How to Engage Your Audience with Live Streaming

How Businesses Use Periscope

• Southwest Airlines broadcasted a behind-the-scenes look at what happens as they re-stock food and drinks between flights.
• Bands use Periscope to stream behind-the-scenes looks at concerts not as a means to replace the show, but to add to it. 
• Software companies can: some parts of the events. The in-between sessions, interview people live between sessions,
• Ryan mentioned Dan Martell and how he uses Periscope to live stream.

Episode Sponsor - SkillStore 

We are excited to have this episode sponsored by SkillStore. It’s a cool new social-learning app. The team behind it is on a mission to transform how we do soft skills training – you know, things like leadership development, communications and management training. Most organizations need a solution for developing talent.

Mainly because current approaches don’t work. Instructor-led workshops are expensive and time-consuming. And web-based training largely puts most people to sleep – and don’t help much with soft skills. Bill tried these guys out (he actually took one of the modules on change management). What’s cool is how SkillStore helps you learn by doing, using live video practice and feedback from your peers in your organization. We thought our audience would love to hear about this because they just recently launched publicly (after working with some leading companies like Western Union and SAP), and are offering popular modules from its app “free forever” to anyone who signs up by March 31.

So check them out at www.skillstore.com and go sign up before March 31.

How SaaS Marketing Fits into the Concept of Helping Sells

We talked about several techniques and ideas:

• Writing useful articles, like this one, for your audience.
• Once people realize you are there to help, they will begin to know, like, and trust you. Then, of course, they will likely buy from you.
• Renowned culinary chefs are a good example of helping sells. Chefs give away books, recipes, etc., and people still come to restaurants. Even though recipes on on websites, etc. 
  • Chefs can even do instructional videos how to cook. Software people could do the same. How could you scope instructional videos on your software? Product Managers, Trainers, Engineers, etc. other subject matter experts. Who are the chef's of your software company.

SaaS Marketing Predictions

We asked Ryan about his predictions for SaaS Marketing in the context of Helping Sells. 

• Content will continue to play a huge role...Content that educates.
  • Here is a link to Ryan's friends at Audience Ops
• Podcasting will continue to grow.
• In general, companies will continue to share knowledge, which will be key to getting people (customers, prospects, etc.) to know, like, and trust you and your brand.

How can Freelancers Use a Helping Sells Approach

• Freelancers (just like any business) need a target audience. They should start with a niche becauseIthout a niche, you have no target audience.
  • Add value to that community. Help people in that target audience solve problems or otherwise be better. 
• Amy Hoy and her Sales Safari.
  • Do you think we should get Amy Hoy on our show to talk about her Sales Safari? Comment below or tweet to Sarah and Bill using the hashtag #helpingsells.