Episode 8 Review - Client-Centric SaaS: How to Scale, with Chris Regester

We review our conversation with Chris Regester, CCO of PlanHat, who shared his story of an early-stage startup transforming into a successful global SaaS business. He shared the importance of identifying and nurturing talent, and the power of a client-centric approach in building and scaling a software company. Chris discussed PlanHat's unique focus on post-sale customer management and how bootstrapping shaped their business culture. The conversation offers practical advice on creating value, maintaining profitability, and the critical role of customer objectives in driving business growth.

Episode Transcript

Matt Best (00:00):
Hello and welcome to the growth workshop podcast.
So, wow, Jonny, what a fantasticconversation that we just had there
with Chris Regester from PlanHat.
He shared some really fantastic insightswith us around the importance of long term
customer management and client centricity.
I'd love to get your takeaway.
What was the key thing that stoodout to you from our conversation?

Jonny Adams (00:21):
Thank you, Matt.
And, I can only echo what you sayand have said about the time we
spent with Chris from PlanHat, reallyinteresting and something I resonated
with as a consultant myself, we arereally focused on customer outcomes.
Focusing around what is the return ofthe investment that our clients make?
And Chris made a fantastic point aboutreally shifting cultures towards a

(00:44):
customer approach, really focusing onthe organizational shift, where teams
understand a prioritize the customeroutcomes and that focus possibly
in some locations across the worldis not as prevalent or a priority.
So Chris mentioned about how toachieve that customer centricity by

(01:04):
really pushing that cultural changefrom top down with clear communication
and alignment across all departments.
It's something that we resonatewith importantly, across all of the
commercial engine is having all of those.
Important departments wired togetherwith that common narrative around
customer centricity that willreally drive cultural change.
So yeah, echo what Chris wassaying there and full as a valuable

(01:26):
point, Matt, from, from your side,what was something of interest?

Matt Best (01:31):
It's building on what you said there, Jonny.
I think a lot of what Chris talked aboutwas And how he redefined customer success
is actually long term customer management,I think is so important and looking at
customer success or customer managementas a ongoing motion in your business.
And hence your point around why that'sso important culturally and to build that

(01:53):
culture within your, your wider business,not just within a siloed part of it, i.
e.
your customer success team.
And I think one of the interestingstories that Chris shared around the
B2B organization that really prioritizedsales velocity over anything else.
And the CRO then wondering why,you know, ARR was still going down.

(02:14):
And it's this kind of leakybucket analogy, right?
Where we keep filling in the bucketat rapid pace, but the holes in the
bucket get bigger and bigger and moreand more flows out the other end.
And I think it's really fascinating tothink about what that means and how that
relates to long term customer management.
And I think, you know, when we talk tocustomers about this, we talk about having
a well defined ideal client profile andtruly understanding the client that you're

(02:37):
going after that makes sure that you'rebringing the right clients or partnering
with the right clients in your businessto demonstrate the value and provide
them with the services that they need.
And I think that's one way that youcan help maintain that high sales
velocity and continue to serve yourcustomers well, but I think the
other thing that stood out to me is.
Well, how do you then also look atthis from a handover transition?

(03:00):
And how do you effectively onboardthose customers into your business?
How do you effectively partner with them?
How do you truly understand theirbusiness challenges across their
entire business and across your entirebusiness so that you can really,
truly partner with them and continueto support them for the longterm?
I think that was a really, reallyfascinating bit of insight and a really
great story that he shared with us aswell, that shows that we can't just

(03:23):
focus on one end of the customer journey.
We've got to lookholistically across all of it.
So many insights in this discussion withChris and he talks so eloquently about,
about this topic of customer managementand how PlanHat support their customers
in achieving this and, and helping themachieve this for their own clients.

(03:43):
, We'd love to thank Chris again for beingpart of the podcast and we look forward
to you joining us again soon . Formore insights, make sure you subscribe.
And if you enjoy the journey,don't forget to leave us a review.
Your feedback fuels our growth.
Until next time, keep up thatforward thinking mindset.
Goodbye.