Inside Saalt's viral content strategy, the 10-customer weekly call framework, and the DTC education approach that drives 5x higher AOV

Hey everyone,

Welcome back for another bite to chew on.

We recently sat down with Brendan Leach, head of sales and marketing at Saalt, the sustainable period care company that's cracked the code on cross-channel growth.

And their approach breaks every conventional wisdom about attribution. 

Instead of optimizing each platform in isolation, they've built a strategy where viral TikTok content drives Amazon sales, systematic customer calls shape product development, and DTC education generates 5x higher order values.

Today we're breaking down exactly how they do it.

🍽️ On the Menu:

You can watch the whole conversation with Brendan here:

Listen on Spotify 🎧 and Apple 🍎 as well.

But that backwards thinking leaves serious money on the table.

That's exactly why Aftersell created "The Yes Ladder" playbook with Simpli Scaled, the agency behind some of the highest-performing post-purchase funnels in ecommerce.

The numbers show just how much profit most brands miss:

The playbook breaks down Simpli Scaled's exact framework for building these high-converting funnels on Aftersell's platform. 

You'll get their step-by-step process for creating offers that clear 50% net margin, sequencing that improves conversion at each step, and the testing methodology behind their most profitable funnels.

Whether you're just getting started with post-purchase optimization or looking to scale what's already working, this playbook gives you the proven framework to turn your transaction moment into a profit engine.

👉 Download "The Yes Ladder" playbook (free)

Recently, Brendan attended an Amazon agency accelerator event where he learned that 71% of people who discover a product on TikTok actually buy it on Amazon.

Think about what this means for your business.

You're running TikTok campaigns that look like failures in your dashboard, but they're actually driving Amazon sales you never knew about. And Amazon gets credit for conversions that TikTok created.

Saalt experienced this firsthand. Their wedding ring test video demoing their menstrual discs went viral on TikTok—"if it fits through a wedding ring, it'll fit inside you"—but instead of seeing DTC sales spike, their Amazon revenue exploded. 

People discovered the product on TikTok but bought where they felt comfortable.

This insight changed everything about how Saalt creates content. 

They stopped trying to force TikTok conversions and started building for viral awareness instead. The wedding ring test evolved into eating a bagel after passing the disc through it. Then came the gummy peach ring version. 

Each iteration came from reading comments and giving people what they asked for.

The real lesson here isn't about TikTok specifically. 

It's about understanding that viral moments create purchase intent that converts wherever customers prefer to buy. Stop optimizing each platform in isolation and start building cross-channel awareness.

"Go call 10 customers a week and talk to them about your products."

Brendan brought this philosophy from Procter & Gamble, where "customer is boss" was drilled into everyone. 

But unlike most startups, where customer feedback means looking at survey responses or review data—Saalt actually picks up the phone.

These aren't quick satisfaction calls. Brendan and his team have real conversations about how customers use the products, what challenges they face, and what they wish worked differently. 

One conversation in particular stuck with Brendan.

A customer told him her doctor had dismissed her heavy bleeding concerns, saying she didn't have endometriosis like her family members. After switching to Saalt's menstrual disc, she could quantify exactly how much she was bleeding and document her blood clots. When she brought this concrete data to her OB/GYN, the doctor realized she needed medical intervention and finally got her proper treatment.

That's not just a product review. That's a life-changing impact you only discover through real relationships.

But beyond the human impact, these conversations are also pure business gold for Saalt. They directly shape how the company builds products and positions them:

If you want to try this approach:

1) Start small with 5 calls per week rather than jumping to 10

2) Skip the surveys and have actual conversations about their specific situation and what's still frustrating them

3)  Take notes on the language they use to describe benefits—that becomes your marketing copy

4) Most importantly, involve your whole team in these calls so everyone understands the humans behind the business

The difference between brands that do this and brands that don't show up everywhere—in product development, marketing messaging, and customer retention.

Here's a telling stat: Saalt's website generates 5x higher AOV than Amazon. Customers buy 3-4 products on their site but only 1 on Amazon.

This isn't an accident—it's the result of treating each channel for what it does best.

On their DTC site, Saalt controls the entire education process. Most people switching from tampons to menstrual cups have never used anything like this. 

There's a real learning curve, but also a real payoff. Nine out of 10 customers who make the switch never go back to tampons, and "life-changing" shows up constantly in reviews.

Saalt's customer experience team helps people get the right size if they order wrong. They guide customers through usage and regimen development. They provide ongoing support during the learning process. They even help customers find alternatives when the products don't work.

Amazon can't do any of this. It captures people who've already been educated elsewhere and want the convenience of quick purchasing. What Amazon does provide is instant trust through familiar checkout and fast shipping that DTC sites can't match.

The key insight is that each channel serves different customer needs:

Instead of trying to make every channel do everything, Saalt optimizes each one for its natural strengths. 

The result is a flywheel where content creates awareness, education drives higher-value conversions, and convenience captures volume.