Validating the Nordic market for Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software

How do you retain customers, conduct interviews, and upsell new functionality with limited resources?

Dassault Systèmes (3DS) is a French multinational software corporation that develops software for 3D product design, simulation, manufacturing, and other 3D-related products. Since 1981, Dassault Systèmes has been a catalyst for human progress. To continue that mission, 3DS began a collaboration with VAEKST to better understand how well they met their customers’ needs in the Nordic region – and to explore opportunities for upselling or improving their offering.

As 3DS’s internal sales and marketing resources were limited to existing projects, they required an external partner who could spark conversations with their customer base and represent the brand professionally. VAEKST allocated a team of business developers and spent 600 hours talking with 3DS customers, qualifying which had a high probability of extending contracts, which were at risk of switching to a new supplier, and which were in the market for additional functionality.

Starting conversations with customers increases upsell opportunities, brand awareness, and insights

VAEKST and 3DS designed an outbound campaign using phone and email to target existing 3DS customers across Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Belgium. The purpose was to understand the main benefits and challenges customers associated with 3DS’s CAD software solution.

Through a pitch framework based on Power Questions to spark conversations and explore the current and desired states of prospects, VAEKST identified which customers were about to either terminate or extend their contracts. VAEKST also collected insights into customers’ opinions of the CAD software and presented 3DS with the key benefits and challenges, so these could be addressed in product development and marketing material.

This led to several positive outcomes:

1. Brand awareness improved within the customer base, creating top-of-mind awareness during the contract extension process, which in turn led to more contract renewals.
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2. Upsell opportunities were identified, and Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) were delivered to Account Executives at 3DS.
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3. Unique selling points were identified to strengthen marketing and sales messages.
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Boost upselling across key markets with an external partner

VAEKST spent more than 600 hours conducting market research, qualifying leads, and assessing upselling opportunities across Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, the UK, and Belgium. 3DS was able to retain and renew contracts, begin upselling, and mitigate potential churn – all without lifting a finger.