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B2B INDUSTRY

B2B SaaS Sales Strategy

Due to the nature of the B2B SaaS industry, it’s vitally important that organizations develop a sound, well-researched B2B SaaS sales strategy.

There are numerous approaches and techniques that your organization can implement in its strategy to achieve your company’s growth and sales objectives – devising which strategy will work best for your organization is a matter of understanding your company’s goals as much as it understands your customers’ goals.

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Due to the advancements within cloud commerce applications, business procurement processes that used to take weeks or even months now only take a few seconds with a high-speed internet connection and a valid credit or debit card.

As the digital economy continues to expand and develop, software companies find themselves deeply entrenched within a highly competitive and at times, precarious market. Despite ample opportunities for success, the overwhelming majority of B2B SaaS companies don’t last beyond a few years either because of a lack of funding or because of an inability to market adequately to a target audience.

SALES STRATEGY

One strategic approach that can be especially helpful for younger SaaS companies or startups is focusing on customer-centric solutions that rapidly and effectively address any of the customer’s pain points.

By investing the time and resources to more fully understand your company’s ideal customers, the more they will come to see your organization as a trustworthy authority in the marketplace capable of providing effectual solutions. But to understand your customers, you must first listen to them – identify their business model, what they do well, what they could do better, and how exactly your organization can provide solutions no one else on the market can deliver. Once your organization has a better understanding of your potential customers’ expectations and pain points, you can more readily address those pain points and highlight the capabilities of your software to ameliorate or completely remedy your customers’ pain points.

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saas process flow

SaaS Sales Process

While the Saas sales process may vary slightly from company to company, the basic principles largely remain the same. The B2B sales process generally involves identifying your ideal customer(s), developing quality sales leads (whether through sales representatives, outbound marketing, or SEO marketing), and ultimately converting those leads into sales. There are a variety of different models that can accomplish these goals, and determine which approach best fits your organization likely depends on the depth and capabilities of your sales and marketing personnel.

B2B SAAS Sales Process 
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Enterprise Model

There’s the enterprise model, the transactional model, and the self-service model, each with its own pros and cons. The enterprise model, for instance, may make for longer sales cycles, but the end result can help your company’s longevity by landing a well-known, high-profile client. This strategy can be high-risk and high-reward and relies heavily on sales representatives developing a good relationship with potential clients. Without adequate brand awareness or enough funding, it may be difficult for younger companies and startups to make this approach work in the short term.

The transactional model, conversely, utilizes a shorter sales cycle and generally works better with clients who have tight budgets and are prioritizing affordable solutions. This is a more standard approach for B2B SaaS companies looking to grow their customer base and develop a positive brand reputation in the marketplace.

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B2B SAAS SALES

Self-Service Model 

The self-service model is more popular with B2B SaaS companies with a dedicated customer success team. The name ‘self-service’ refers to this model’s reliance on your company’s own marketing initiatives in order to bring sales leads into your funnel. For SaaS companies with a more affordable price range and easier onboarding methods, the self-service model effectively raises awareness about your company’s solutions and capabilities.

Developing a fluid and efficient SaaS process flow can take some time, but with the right team and with adequate research, just about anything is possible.

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SaaS Sales Model

While a SaaS sales model might look like any of the aforementioned categories, a robust approach will likely involve a handful of pieces from each model. After all, a diversified approach can help mitigate lulls and other unexpected losses or sales conversion failures.

At the same time, the general sales cycle process remains largely similar across the SaaS industry. Some industry professionals cite any number of necessary stages within the SaaS sales cycle, but there are seven key steps most SaaS veterans can agree upon.

 Your company must first (1) find quality leads, then (2) connect with those leads, learn more about them, and (3) qualify those leads to determine the most likely leads that can be converted into sales. After that, your organization must (4) unveil your demonstrate your product. This can look like a limited trial, a demonstration – as long as your potential customers get a good idea of the kinds of tools and solutions your organization can provide. The next step is to (5) overcome objections or address any concerns your potential customers may have. Once that’s finished, your company can then (6) close the deal and (7) continue to develop your relationship with your new customers.

SaaS sales models and cycles can be complex and involve undertakings, even in the best circumstances. They require good communication and collaboration across all departments, and developing the most effective strategy can sometimes be an impassioned, contentious endeavor. It’s highly important, however, not to lose sight of your organization’s mission statement and primary objectives. Endlessly chasing after sales may help boost revenue streams in the short term, but the key to operating a successful B2B SaaS enterprise is not neatly wrapped up in a successful sales cycle or two. Developing positive customer relationships can be challenging work, and it requires a great deal of attentiveness and resources to accomplish sincerely.

SaaS Sales Training

For SaaS companies in particular, it’s crucial for sales teams to have sufficient SaaS sales coaching. B2B SaaS sales training differs from other software sales training initiatives due to the niche audience B2B SaaS companies are trying to target with their marketing outreach efforts.

By providing adequate training to your sales and marketing teams, you’re preparing your workforce to make the most of the resources available to them and providing them with the knowledge necessary to help assuage potential clients’ doubts.

SaaS sales training can empower your organization’s marketing team to make the most of the tools at their disposal to help improve and broaden revenue streams. B2B SaaS companies must develop a unique approach to their sales and marketing initiatives due to the fact that no physical goods are being exchanged in the sales process – the product itself, software, is an intangible entity. Because of this, B2B SaaS marketers and sales personnel are tasked with explaining how exactly the product can be beneficial for potential customers. Not only that, but since SaaS organizations operate in highly specialized industries, the pool of possible clients is much smaller than it is for most commercial enterprises selling physical goods or tangible services.

 In typical sales training initiatives, the sales team is thoroughly educated about the product – its attributes, capabilities, special features, potential drawbacks, everything. The same is generally true in a B2B SaaS marketing setting. And because each business is its own unique entity with its own list of problems and issues, many sales representatives must adopt a highly personalized approach in order to close the deal. For some SaaS companies, a skilled sales representative can be the difference between going under after a couple of difficult years and landing one or two high-value clients that can sustain your company’s operations long enough for your brand to gain some recognition and prestige.

B2B SAAS INDUSTRY

SaaS Sales Examples

SaaS sales jobs are generally highly competitive and lucrative positions. Some SaaS sales jobs can be done remotely; some may require travel or in-person meetings. It’s common for SaaS sales representatives to make a 10% commission on all sales, although there are certainly organizations that deviate from this figure, and commission percentages will likely increase alongside a salesperson’s experience and expertise. While the B2B SaaS industry may differ in many ways from more conventional consumer markets, the goal at the end of the day remains the same – to sell a product to customers that need it.

SaaS sales examples may look like a company with healthcare software reaching out to small and privately-owned practices to help manage their daily operations (including things like appointment scheduling, record keeping, managing promotional materials and email marketing initiatives, etc). On the other hand, there are larger SaaS companies that are capable of appealing to a much broader customer base. Whether your organization adheres to a horizontal or vertical SaaS structure, it’s a competitive industry that’s only going to get more competitive as technology advances and customer expectations rise.

 Within the entirety of the SaaS market, there are innumerable categories and applications that provide businesses with solutions to their problems. It can be difficult to make your company stand out against all the competitors and noise, but it’s far from impossible. By developing a solid product and employing skilled professionals to help sell it to the companies that stand to benefit most, your organization can grow and become an authority in your respective marketplace.

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From our MVP in 2015 to demonstrated Product Market Fit to strategic support with our growth funding, the Golden Section team has been an indispensable partner and resource for System Surveyor.

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Founder & CEO, System Surveyor

Since QMSC’s inception, Golden Section has provided valuable direction regarding strategic market alignment, branding, and most importantly intuitive guidance for our technology roadmap.

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Founder, QMSC

As an entrepreneur, I need to have a partner who understands my vision, not just a digital order taker. Golden Section has exceeded my expectations, providing tools and people to help grow my business rapidly.

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Founder & CEO, KARE

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