B2B SaaS Sales: A Cold Text That Landed McDonald's - The SaaS Podcast - AI, Growth & Product-Market Fit for SaaS Founders Recap
Podcast: The SaaS Podcast - AI, Growth & Product-Market Fit for SaaS Founders
Published: 2026-01-15
Duration: 46 min
Summary
In this episode, Yosef Petersil of Blinks shares how a cold text led to a pivotal meeting with McDonald's, illustrating the importance of targeting the right customer segments and the challenges of enterprise sales.
What Happened
In the episode, host Omar Khan interviews Yosef Petersil, co-founder and CEO of Blinks, a personalized video platform designed for enterprise brands. Yosef recounts the beginnings of Blinks, which started when he and his partner, Yonatan, identified a persistent problem in creating personalized videos at scale. After numerous customer interviews, they discovered that their initial target market lacked budget, prompting a strategic pivot towards marketing teams where funding was more accessible.
A serendipitous moment arose when Yosef received a phone number for the CMO of McDonald's, which led him to send a cold text that ultimately secured a meeting. To prepare, they crafted a custom video for McDonald's that impressed the CMO. However, despite this initial success, closing a proof of concept took nine months, highlighting the long sales cycles typical in enterprise environments. Yosef also shared the challenges they faced with lead follow-ups and hiring salespeople without a proper playbook, emphasizing the importance of persistence in the face of setbacks.
Key Insights
- Charging for proof of concepts can significantly change the engagement dynamics with enterprise customers.
- A mindset shift helped Yosef secure numerous customer interviews and meetings with decision-makers.
- Validating the ideal customer profile (ICP) is crucial after initially targeting buyers without budgets.
- Understanding when to hire salespeople is essential to avoid costly mistakes in early-stage sales strategies.
Key Questions Answered
How did Blinks land a meeting with McDonald's?
Yosef received a phone number for the CMO of McDonald's, which led him to send a cold text. This proactive approach, along with a custom video tailored for the brand, caught the CMO's attention and secured the meeting, demonstrating the power of direct outreach.
What challenges did Blinks face in their sales process?
Blinks encountered several challenges, including long sales cycles typical in enterprise sales and setbacks like losing 70 leads from events due to lack of a follow-up system. Additionally, they struggled with hiring talented salespeople without a clear playbook, which hindered their ability to close deals.
What key insights did Yosef share about targeting the right customer segment?
After realizing that their initial target buyers had no budget, Yosef and his team pivoted to focus on marketing teams where funding was available. This shift was crucial in enabling them to engage with customers who had the financial means to invest in personalized video solutions.
Why is charging for proof of concepts important?
Yosef emphasized that charging even a small amount for proof of concepts changes the engagement dynamics with enterprise customers. It shows that the project is valued and prioritized, which can significantly impact the customer relationship and commitment.
What does Yosef say about validating the ideal customer profile?
Yosef learned the importance of validating the ideal customer profile after spending months targeting buyers who ultimately had no budget. This experience taught him the necessity of understanding customer needs and budget constraints before pursuing leads.