RAVI TANDRA · PROVENBASE
A $65K contract in 6 weeks, won against a major competitor.
THE SITUATION
ProvenBase had strong delivery and a real product, and every contract in company history had come through someone who already knew them. Enterprises wouldn't take the conversation; to them, ProvenBase was too small to matter. Meanwhile the giants in the space were circling the same accounts and communicating their value more sharply than Ravi could. He knew what the product did. The market couldn't tell what made it different.
Growth capped at the size of the rolodex.
THE OLD MARKET — PEOPLE WHO ALREADY KNEW THEM
A closed loop. When the introductions run out, so does the pipeline.
THE NEW MARKET — FOUND BY SIGNALS
The whole market, with the in-market buyers lit up. No introduction required.
WHAT WE INSTALLED
More than a channel. The research came first: weeks of digging into who would care most about what ProvenBase does, which produced the positioning, the messaging, and the offer. Then the Signal Channel went in: signal detection across five platforms and a booking system, plus a setter role we built on Ravi's own team, trained to make the dials and to know exactly who should be called that day. He still runs it.
When the $65K opportunity opened, we stayed in the deal with him. How to arm the champion. How to reach the decision-makers above them. How to keep momentum until the yes. That deal closed against one of the biggest competitors in his space.
ProvenBase has been with us since October 2024. The work now covers his ICPs and personas, and the content strategy that runs his inbound.
Same account. Two pitches.
THE GIANT
- Bigger brand, bigger team
- A pitch written for everyone
- Nobody working the room after the meeting
PROVENBASE + MDL
- Positioning built for the segment that cared most
- Champion armed, higher-ups reached
- Momentum kept until the yes
THE NUMBERS
BEFORE
Referrals
every contract in company history
Too small for enterprise conversations. Giants circling the same accounts with sharper positioning. No real USP.
AFTER
first-ever contract outside the referral network
IN THEIR WORDS
"Totally worth it for any founder for a very friction free experience. Kara and her team are there to answer questions. That is extremely important for us."
WHAT THIS RESULT KILLS
Five beliefs a head-to-head win put in the ground.
"Our industry only buys through referrals."
First-ever contract outside the network, signed within 6 weeks.
"Enterprises won't take a call with a company our size."
The positioning made size irrelevant. The segment that cared most took the meeting.
"You can't beat a giant competitor head-to-head."
The $65K deal closed against one of the biggest names in the space.
"Agencies disappear once the meeting is booked."
We stayed in the deal: champions, higher-ups, momentum, close.
"This only fixes outbound."
Positioning, offer, ICPs, personas, and a content strategy that feeds his inbound. Still running since October 2024.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
Referral dependence feels safe until you watch a competitor take an account you never got introduced to. Ravi didn't get better at asking for referrals. He got a channel that doesn't need them. The first deal it produced beat the competitor directly.
NEXT STEP
See if your pipeline fits the Signal Channel.
45-minute signal check · No obligation · Limited spots available