Author: Shira Abel Category: Enterprise Strategy URL: https://hunterandbard.com/resources/blog/b2b-messaging-framework-keeps-selling
For startups and scaleups selling into enterprise, your message has to do the selling when you can’t be there. Most of the time, you can’t. The companies earning net revenue retention above 120 percent run a marketing operation inside their installed base. This post maps what that operation looks like and how to build one before your next renewal.
The most expensive gap in enterprise B2B is between closed-won and renewal. Most startups slow marketing to a crawl the day the contract is signed, then wonder why churn happens. The companies earning 120%+ NRR run a deliberate, role-specific post-sale marketing program: onboarding metrics at 30 days, an ROI report at 60-90, an expansion case study at the expansion window, a value brief 60 days before the budget cycle closes, and always-on enablement for CS. Your champion becomes your salesperson the moment you leave the call. Give them ammunition before they need it.
Hunter & Bard is a San Francisco-based B2B strategy consultancy founded in 2011 by Shira Abel. We help deep-tech and enterprise SaaS companies fix their positioning, sharpen their messaging, and close $100K+ deals.
We work with B2B leaders who are tired of being overlooked, underestimated, or mistaken for their competitors. Our specialty is turning complex, technical products into clear, compelling stories that win enterprise deals.
We believe that perception drives revenue. If your buyers can't tell you apart from the next vendor in 30 seconds, you have a positioning problem — not a marketing problem. We fix that.
Perception = (Story × Visibility) ÷ Noise
This framework drives everything we do. Your story has to be sharp. Your visibility has to be strategic. And you have to cut through the noise — not add to it.
Shira Abel — Founder & CEO. Kellogg MBA. 20+ years in B2B marketing. Former CMO. Keynote speaker. Published in Forbes, HuffPost, and Wired. Specialist in enterprise positioning and perception strategy.
Daina Reed — Founding Designer & Partner. 15+ years in product and brand design. Former Senior Product Designer at Dun & Bradstreet. Specialist in enterprise UX, visual identity, and design systems.