Listening First: An Unexpected Way to Make an Impact

In the fast-paced world of SaaS and digital transformation, the pressure to act quickly is immense.

New leaders, whether executives or individual managers, often feel compelled to prove their value immediately—making bold decisions, implementing strategies, and driving quick wins.

But “what if” the most effective way to make an impact wasn’t about taking immediate action, but about listening first?

That’s the philosophy I adopted when stepping into a new role. Instead of diving headfirst into execution, I committed to a Listening Tour—a series of structured conversations with colleagues, stakeholders, and shadowing customer calls to understand the landscape, uncover hidden challenges, and identify high-impact opportunities.

The results? Not only did I gain valuable insights, but I also quickly learned to understand the bigger picture, ensuring that when I act, it is with precision and purpose.

Listening tours aren’t just for executives taking on leadership roles—they’re valuable for anyone looking to drive meaningful change in their organization.

In SaaS, where innovation cycles are rapid and customer expectations evolve quickly, a deep understanding of needs and pain points is critical. By taking the time to listen first, leaders can accelerate learning, build stronger relationships, and gain the clarity needed to prioritize impactful initiatives.

More than just a passive exercise, listening strategically positions leaders as thoughtful decision-makers who go beyond execution to understand the core needs of the business and its customers.

During my listening tour, I identified key themes that have significant implications for a SaaS company aiming for growth and long-term success. One crucial insight was the importance of framing product demos around business value rather than features.

Many SaaS companies fall into the trap of showcasing functionality without clearly articulating how it saves time, reduces costs, or enhances efficiency. A simple shift in how features are presented can make a meaningful difference in engagement and adoption, ensuring customers understand the tangible ROI of a solution.

Another lesson learned was that onboarding is a make-or-break moment for customer retention.

Many companies invest heavily in sales and marketing, but without a structured onboarding experience, they risk losing customers before they see the value of the product. A repeatable, outcome-driven onboarding process helps new users get up to speed quickly, reducing churn and fostering long-term engagement. Prioritizing onboarding is not just a customer service initiative—it is a growth strategy.

Beyond onboarding, I also observed how essential it is for companies to operationalize customer-centricity. While many organizations claim to be customer-focused, their internal processes often do not reflect this priority. The best SaaS companies integrate continuous customer feedback into product development, ensuring that innovation aligns with actual user needs.

Moving from feature-based roadmaps to outcome-driven strategies enables teams to deliver solutions that create measurable business impact rather than just shipping new functionality.

A Listening Tour is only valuable if it leads to meaningful action. Insights gathered should be validated with stakeholders, refined through qualitative feedback, and translated into small but significant changes.

Quick wins create momentum, but the real value lies in how these insights inform larger transformations. By making listening a continuous process, SaaS leaders can ensure they remain adaptive, responsive, and strategic in their approach.

For leaders in SaaS and digital transformation, the challenge isn’t just to innovate—it’s to innovate in ways that drive measurable business outcomes. The best way to do that? Start by listening.

Have you ever taken a similar approach in your career? How did it shape your impact?

-Jef Kalil, AECO SaaS Software Leader | Digital Construction & BIM | Driving Project Efficiency | BuildingSMART Certified | Dalux Customer Success