- \n
- To successfully attract and retain users, SaaS companies have to tailor products to their subconscious needs as well. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The most successful sales tactics are based on psychological research that goes beyond the conscious mind. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Sometimes, a tweak in color or design can be the key to keeping a customer. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Tapping into the subconscious of how people make decisions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Offering a quality product isn\u2019t enough to attract and retain customers. A huge reason for this lies in the fact that 95% of our buying decisions are made on the subconscious level<\/a>. Therefore, no matter how much time we put into researching deliberate consumer choices, we can\u2019t overlook the subconscious aspect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Peter Lewis<\/a>, Chief Marketing Officer at Strategic Pete, explains, \u201cin SaaS, choices become so overexposed.\u201d<\/em> Understanding how users\u2019 brains process the information and where their attention goes \u201cmeans everything between conversion and bounce\u201d.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A product that stands out comes with the onboarding process and design that reflects how users process information and what catches their attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, the most effective sales techniques are based on psychological tactics that tap into:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Users\u2019 awareness that they need a specific product, and <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The subconscious way their brains work \u2014 by limiting the offer duration or providing customer testimonials.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Both of these techniques have the purpose of speeding up decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Create a more intuitive design by understanding user attention<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The way you design your software can be the key to making your product stand out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Filip Mujkic<\/a>, Brand Design Director at CAKE.com, explains, design has two key components for SaaS companies: design related to marketing efforts and product design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mujkic describes the first component: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Filip-Mujkic.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cThe main job of design is to get people to sign up and try the product. Here, branding plays a key role: choosing the colors that subconsciously evoke positive associations, getting the typography right, and presenting the product in an attractive, cohesive package.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
The Chief Marketing Officer at HEAVY Equipment Appraisal, Tracie Crites<\/a>, agrees with the first component Mujkic pointed out. She highlights how important it is for SaaS companies to\u201cdevelop interfaces that activate positive emotional response along with <\/em>cognitive ease<\/em><\/a> [the ability to process information with minimal brain activity] while ensuring their applications appear effortless to use.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it comes to the design of the product itself<\/strong>, Mujkic notes that \u201cmaking the product as easy as possible to onboard and navigate increases user retention while wrapping good UX in an attractive interface is important to make the product stand out, a sort of confirmation of the promise made by the product’s branding beforehand.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perfecting both of these aspects is crucial, as the Founder of VoidSEO, Firdaus Sateem<\/a>, explains:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Firdaus-Sateem.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cBusinesses that comprehend subconscious choices tend to build interfaces that better serve user needs. Customers face fewer obstacles during their purchasing path because of this reduction, leading to better conversion rates.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n
\n\n\n\nMax efficiency with CAKE.com tools<\/p>\n \n
Boost your team communication with Pumble, time tracking with Clockify, and task management with Plaky. <\/p>\n \n
\n \n Get started <\/a>\n \n \n Learn more <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n![\"Max](\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/banner-standard.png\")
\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n\n\nChoose effective sales tactics based on psychology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Taking time to come up with sales tactics that bring the best results is crucial for SaaS companies with subscription-based models. That\u2019s because, as Biljana Gogic<\/a>, Customer Success Manager at CAKE.com, explains, \u201cin SaaS, clients lease the license and have a short-term commitment \u2014 they already know the end date to their subscription, and they keep having that negotiation power since they remain in the renewal cycle.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, SaaS companies have to constantly improve their processes and find effective sales techniques to ensure their users continue their subscriptions. One of them is scarcity. Lewis explained how scarcity creates emotional pressure for users:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Peter-Murphy-Lewis.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cWhen people think they have all the time in the world to decide, they procrastinate. But when they come across a limited-time offer, a countdown, or proof that others are already signing up, their brain fears missing out \u2014 a phenomenon popularly called FOMO.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Another tactic companies apply is social proof. Lewis notes that people seek validation before making a decision, which is why \u201cSaaS brands that include dynamic social proof, such as \u2018Sarah from Denver just signed up\u2019 or \u20185,000 marketers use this tool every day,\u2019 increase their conversions.\u201d<\/em> He tested this out on a SaaS client:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cWith a SaaS client, we introduced real-time customer activity on a pricing page. We saw a 17% lift in sign-ups because this product suddenly felt like the obvious choice.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Lastly, a crucial point in sales tactics for SaaS companies is converting free customers to paid ones. As tech entrepreneur and co-founder of Movadex, Salome Mikadze<\/a>, notes, freemium models are designed to bring conversion by applying psychological tactics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Salome-Mikadze.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cThe \u201cfree trial\u201d model taps into loss aversion \u2014 once a user experiences value, the pain of losing it drives conversion.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\nFurther reading<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re promoting your SaaS product using a product-led growth strategy, here\u2019s what you can expect in 2025: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Product-Led Growth in 2025: Challenges and Predictions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Optimize onboarding based on users\u2019 needs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As Gogic notes, the process of adopting software could be challenging for new customers. If the onboarding isn\u2019t user-friendly, they can have a difficult time understanding the software, resulting in frustration and even service cancellation. To avoid this, Gogic says that CAKE.com offers free onboarding and applies the \u201cbegin with the end in mind\u201d <\/em>approach: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Biljana-Gogic.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cThrough the tailored <\/em>onboarding process<\/em><\/a>, we make sure that our customers use our products in the right way. We strive to understand the end goals and root needs of our clients, we dissect their problems, comprehend their workflows and business specifics, and we create a tailored onboarding plan that ensures the right configuration and proper adoption and product usage.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\nElevate productivity with CAKE.com<\/p>\n \n
Combine time tracking, team communication, and project management to boost your organization\u2019s productivity \u2014 with the CAKE.com Suite.<\/p>\n \n
\n \n Get started <\/a>\n \n \n Learn more <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n![\"Elevate](\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/banner-productivity-suite.png\")
\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n\n\nFurther reading<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Service cancellation can also happen due to subscription fatigue. Learn how SaaS companies can prevent it here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Subscription Fatigue in SaaS: How to Overcome It<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
To better understand what users need, Gogic\u2019s team takes on a proactive approach based on data analysis:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cThrough careful assessment and creation of best practices, we help clients understand and execute the right configuration decisions, organize the knowledge transfer sessions, and make sure that all [customers] will know how to use the app. That way, we help [them] feel confident using our product so they can integrate it seamlessly into their daily workflows.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
The way onboarding is designed is important as well. For instance, marketer and CEO of Hire Developers Biz, Evgen Kushnirchuk<\/a>, explains how a minor change with users in mind streamlines onboarding processes<\/a>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Evgen-Kushnirchuk.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cFor one SaaS client, we reworked their onboarding flow to include friendly animations and short, encouraging prompts. That one change boosted their user activation rate, as it made people feel welcome and curious instead of overwhelmed.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Lewis highlights another successful method of designing good onboarding: progressive disclosure<\/a>. Progressive disclosure prevents people from becoming overwhelmed with \u201ctoo much information upfront\u201d<\/em> by separating key info into different onboarding steps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\nFurther reading<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Preventing information overload is also important for remote communication in general. Learn how to avoid it in this blog post:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Subscription Fatigue in SaaS: How to Overcome It<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
- Product-Led Growth in 2025: Challenges and Predictions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n