SaaStr 699: CRO Confidential: The Proven Customer Acquisition Strategies Behind Toast's Record-Breaking Growth with Toast's CRO, Jonathan Vassil and Founders Fund Partner Sam Blond

This podcast episode features Jonathan Vassil, the CRO at Toast, who shares his insights on the company's success, go-to-market strategy, the significance of local ecosystems, the alignment between sales and marketing, the importance of data-driven sales strategies, and the power of referrals in driving business growth. He emphasizes the importance of teamwork, social proof, and a deep understanding of the market in achieving success. Takeaways • Toast's success can be attributed to its strong partnership between sales and marketing, understanding of its TAM, and leveraging the density of restaurants to its advantage. • Field-based sales reps play a crucial role as trusted advisors, providing social proof and personalized service to customers. • Penetrating and becoming part of the local ecosystem is essential for influencing decision-making and gaining a competitive advantage. • Strategic alignment between sales and marketing, including territory planning, incentive structures, and product-driven segmentation, is key to driving sales growth. • Data-driven sales strategies help non desk workers optimize their sales efforts and identify potential customers. • Referrals are a powerful tool for driving business growth and can be generated through various methods, including asking existing customers, implementing referral programs, and partnering with other businesses. • Continuous improvement, learning, curiosity, and exceeding expectations are key factors in achieving career success and growth.