When Macro Questions Appear, Focus on the Micro

When Macro Questions Appear, Focus on the Micro

April had a whole lot of macroeconomic whiplash - with promises of more to come. 

When the economy gets bumpy, it’s easy to get caught up in all the big-picture questions: What’s happening with interest rates? Will tech budgets freeze? How long will sales cycles stretch? These are important questions—but in B2B SaaS, the companies that stay resilient don’t just track the macro. They double down on the micro: deepening customer relationships and proving real value, day in and day out.

Here’s why it matters. In tight markets, customers who already trust you are your best source of expansion revenue. This may seem obvious, but the differential seems to be growing in B2B SaaS – for most companies in all industries it’s 5–7 times cheaper to retain an existing customer than to acquire a new one (hat tip to Harvard Business Review on this stat). Existing customers are also your best advocates—critical at a time when word-of-mouth and peer references carry even more weight.

Another hard truth: buyers are demanding rock-solid ROI before signing anything. According to Gartner, 77% of enterprise technology buyers require clear, quantified ROI before approving a purchase, up from 54% just five years ago. (And for what it’s worth, we think that percentage is only going to go up now based on what Big Band sales teams and CEOs report back.) So, no matter how promising your features are, if you can’t show real financial outcomes—cost savings, productivity gains, direct revenue impact—you’ll struggle to get deals over the line.

That means now is the time to get serious about data. Build ROI calculators, create case studies with real numbers, and hold regular business reviews that tie your impact directly to customer goals. In a market where every dollar is under the microscope, being able to prove your value isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Focusing on existing customers and measurable impact isn’t just about survival, either, it’s about prospering via retention. Loyal, successful customers expand more, churn less, and open the door to new opportunities through referrals and upsells. So, the ROI calculators and the hard data on how you help your customers aren’t just for new sales: they are also for customer success teams and expansion revenue.

The bottom line? You can’t control the macro. But you can control how valuable you are to your customers right now. Focus where it counts—on delivering clear, provable outcomes—and let that momentum carry you through whatever the market throws your way.

THE PLAYLIST (What We're Watching, Reading, and Listening to)

HBR Roundtable: Adapting to the New Reality of Tariffs - Three experts give their weigh-in on how organizations are navigating the prospect of new U.S. tariffs.

Real-Time Inflation Tracking & Forecasting – Our majority investors, ParkerGale Capital, speak with their portco OpenBrand and Chief Economist Ralph McLaughlin on their approach to tracking inflation through CPI-DPG.

A Reminder from Warren Buffett – Circle of competence and patience matters.

IRL (Where You Can Find Us)

Kevin, Chris, and Chloe are looking forward to representing the Band in New Orleans from June 23-27 at SaaS Academy, connecting with driven SaaS founders. Feel free to reach out if you attended and want to continue conversations!

The Band is also hosting a founder Jam Session office hours and happy hour in Philly this upcoming week. Register here and spread the word!