Marketing Beyond with Alan B. Hart
Episode 6: Powering Commerce from Text to Checkout: Insights from Mike Manheimer, CCO at Postscript
Release Date: April 2, 2025
Introduction
In Episode 6 of Marketing Beyond with Alan B. Hart, host Alan Hart engages in a deep conversation with Mike Manheimer, the Chief Customer Officer (CCO) at Postscript. Postscript is an advanced SMS marketing platform powered by AI, tailored to help businesses forge personalized connections with their customers through text messaging. This episode delves into Mike's extensive experience in B2B SaaS, the evolution of Postscript, the burgeoning field of conversational commerce, the strategic balance between specialized and consolidated marketing technology (martech) platforms, and the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in SMS marketing.
Guest Background: Mike Manheimer
Mike Manheimer brings a wealth of experience to Postscript, having led marketing teams in various technology-driven companies. His career began during the Great Recession when he joined an early-stage bootstrapped SaaS company in Phoenix, Arizona, responding to a Craigslist advertisement. This pivotal move allowed him to immerse himself in the SaaS industry, navigating multiple facets of a startup environment. Mike's journey continued with a significant tenure at Gainsight, a customer success software company, where he was instrumental in defining customer success as a distinct profession. This blend of marketing and customer success expertise uniquely positioned him for his current role at Postscript.
Notable Quote:
"Becoming CCO at Postscript kind of feels like the end of a full circle moment for me."
— Mike Manheimer [06:36]
Understanding Postscript
Postscript operates as a revenue platform focusing on SMS marketing within the Shopify ecosystem. With over six years in operation, the company boasts more than 300 employees and serves upwards of 20,000 Shopify merchants. Postscript empowers businesses—from budding startups to nine and ten-figure brands like Brooklinen and Thrive Cosmetics—to enhance their sales and customer engagement through tailored text messaging strategies.
Notable Quote:
"Postscript exists at the intersection of digital commerce growth and the dominance of messaging in how people spend their time online."
— Mike Manheimer [08:34]
Conversational Commerce and SMS Marketing
The conversation shifts to the concept of conversational commerce, emphasizing the unique position of SMS as a two-way communication channel. Mike highlights that while many have attempted conversational commerce through apps or social platforms, SMS remains underutilized despite its inherent advantages.
Key Insights:
- Two-Way Communication: Unlike emails or traditional ads, SMS inherently allows for two-way interactions, fostering higher engagement and customer loyalty.
- Opt-In Nature: SMS marketing requires customers to double opt-in, ensuring that messages are welcomed and reducing the likelihood of them being perceived as intrusive.
- Engagement and Revenue: Brands utilizing SMS see higher engagement rates and significant revenue boosts, with some experiencing a 35% lift in earnings per message when leveraging Postscript's AI-driven tools.
Notable Quotes:
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"Text for marketing use cases is not that way. You can only text people if they double opt in to receiving your messages."
— Mike Manheimer [12:10] -
"People who text a brand back buy four times as much from that brand than someone who does not."
— Mike Manheimer [16:00]
Best of Breed vs. Martech Consolidation
Alan and Mike discuss the ongoing debate between adopting best-of-breed specialized tools versus consolidated martech platforms. Mike argues in favor of specialization, citing Postscript's focused approach on SMS as a driver of innovation and superior results compared to broader platforms that juggle multiple channels.
Key Points:
- Specialization Drives Innovation: By concentrating solely on SMS, Postscript can continuously refine its technology and strategies, offering more effective solutions than generalized platforms.
- Cost Considerations: Unlike email, which is often perceived as a free channel, SMS incurs per-message costs. Specialized platforms like Postscript help maximize the return on investment by optimizing every sent message.
- Integration Robustness: Modern integration tools are highly capable, ensuring that specialized platforms can seamlessly work within a diversified martech stack without significant orchestration challenges.
Notable Quote:
"The merchants that are maximizing their total cost of ownership and their ROI are finding specialists to be able to deliver those results."
— Mike Manheimer [17:23]
The Role of AI in SMS Marketing
AI emerges as a transformative force in SMS marketing, with Postscript leveraging it in two primary areas:
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Infinity Testing: An advanced A/B testing tool that allows marketers to test hundreds of message variations simultaneously. This method accelerates the discovery of high-performing messages, leading to an average 35% increase in earnings per message.
Notable Quote:
"Our AI product will earn you 35% more earnings from that same campaign than it will anywhere else."
— Mike Manheimer [22:49] -
Conversational AI: Enhancing the shopping experience by enabling interactive, consultative conversations between brands and customers via SMS. This AI-driven interaction aims to replicate the personalized assistance found in physical stores, thereby increasing conversion rates.
Notable Quote:
"Providing a conversational experience over text to aid in the digital shopping experience is incredibly exciting for us."
— Mike Manheimer [28:42]
Mike envisions a future where AI facilitates one-to-one marketing, automatically crafting personalized messages that resonate with individual consumers.
Personal Insights and Advice
Beyond marketing insights, Mike shares personal anecdotes and advice:
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Adaptability from Childhood: Growing up with frequent relocations taught Mike resilience, adaptability, and the importance of emotional intelligence—traits that have been invaluable in his professional journey.
Notable Quote:
"Given that no one thinks about you at all. They're way too busy thinking about themselves."
— Mike Manheimer [33:46] -
Embracing AI: Mike emphasizes that AI is not a threat to marketers but a tool to enhance creativity and effectiveness. He urges marketers to become "AI-first thinkers" to harness its full potential.
Notable Quote:
"The biggest threat to marketers is throwing out the baby with the bathwater and rejecting what's coming with AI."
— Mike Manheimer [41:12]
Emerging Trends and Future Outlook
Mike observes a cultural shift towards valuing analog and in-real-life (IRL) experiences as a counterbalance to the pervasive digital landscape. This trend manifests in areas like vinyl music, retro-styled products, and a renewed appreciation for physical interactions, presenting unique opportunities for marketers to blend digital and analog strategies.
Notable Quote:
"We're at a point where everyone's been living in a technology-enabled sort of digital world for enough time now that we'll start to see a lot more on the other end of the cycle."
— Mike Manheimer [39:02]
Conclusion
Episode 6 of Marketing Beyond with Alan B. Hart offers a comprehensive exploration of the evolving landscape of SMS marketing and conversational commerce through the lens of Mike Manheimer’s expertise. The discussion underscores the pivotal role of specialized platforms like Postscript, the transformative potential of AI, and the importance of adaptability in both personal and professional realms. For marketers striving to stay ahead of the curve, embracing these insights can lead to more engaged audiences, increased revenue, and sustained growth in an ever-changing digital marketplace.
References:
All quotes are attributed to Mike Manheimer with corresponding timestamps from the podcast transcript.