How do you decide between focusing on SMB vs. Enterprise when doing messaging where you can only have one?

That's a tough call. What we've found recently is that as we've adapted our messaging for an enterprise audience, it's resonated less with small businesses. Some companies choose to vary their messaging by audience size (e.g. Shopify) others have one-size-fits-all messaging regardless of size. I think another option is somewhere in between where there are different reasons to believe, proofs and sometimes even value propositions depending on the size of the prospect or customer (but with other a ...Read More

This question suggests PMF or an offering that can solve the (or some of the) challenges both segments face. If that's the case, read on.  If that's not the case – stop – do not pass go, and do not collect $200.  Every business wants to be seen as enterprise-grade/ready/insert-your-word-here. That's why early-stage companies often focus heavily on landing big logos with low margins; it's no more complicated than saying: "If Company X trusts us, you should, too". For my money, I'd focus on landin ...Read More

Generally, this comes down to your company priorities. It is hard to do both well so here are a few questions you can ask to determine which approach is correct: What percentage of your new revenue comes from SMB vs Enterprise? How are your sellers organized SMB vs. Enterprise? What customer stories are more compelling to you target audience? Where are your competitors focused and where is there whitespace? Which target will help you get to your revenue goals faster? To make this decision, I wou ...Read More

If you can only have one I would defer to the priorities of the business. Are you investing more in enterprise initiatives or SMB? If that prioritization is unclear, I'd use market indicators, opportunity expectations, and recent successes to break the tie.  You can also take a lower-lift approach to addressing the nuance of both. It is likely that your business operates similarly for both targets, provides similiar benefits for your top level business messaging. Then it could be as simple as an ...Read More