Tom Tunguz

NOVEMBER 24, 2018

Bill Binch, former SVP at Marketo, employed this strategy in the early days. The ultimate goal of any compensation plan is to ensure account executive success at each stage. The salary is influenced by traditional goals or OKRs. The key idea: MBOs enable AEs to experiment with new processes to find the right one.

Compensation 195

Compensation Sales Recruiting Sales Hiring Scale 195

SaaStr

MARCH 23, 2025

Let’s unpack the key strategies that drove this remarkable expansion. Create Compelling Economic Incentives For sales talent, compensation is critical. What makes this growth story particularly fascinating is how quickly their go-to-market (GTM) organization scaled from just 3 people to 75 in less than a year.

Sales Recruiting 217

Sales Recruiting Sales Hiring Scale AI 217

SaaStr

MARCH 5, 2025

This early hands-on approach helped them deeply understand their ideal customer profile (ICP), pricing strategy, and product-market fit, creating a solid launchpad for their go-to-market expansion. Their strategy? Make compensation plans competitive and attainable , so early reps succeed and attract others.

Sales Hiring 174

Sales Hiring Scale Sales Recruiting AI 174

SaaStr

MAY 27, 2025

Secondary markets and alternative exit strategies will become increasingly important. #4. Why It Matters : This is forcing LPs to completely rethink their investment strategies and cash flow planning. This affects everything from GP compensation to LP allocation strategies. #5.

Outsourcing Services 164

Outsourcing Services Venture Capital Outsourced Development Data 164

SaaStr

DECEMBER 19, 2022

So they always prioritize the most high-ROI projects, the most high-ROI tasks, and because there is a small group of people working on a multitude of things, they have a very 360-view of business strategy. When it comes to hiring strategy, you must connect your recruiting to your company’s deeper philosophy.

Compensation 261

Compensation Leadership Company Culture Headcount 261

Tom Tunguz

AUGUST 14, 2022

Bill & I exchanged emails about Deliberately Underselling as Sales Strategy. Last, the plan compensates those responsible for growing accounts with a quota - in line with Frank Slootman’s philosophy. Top startups will record 200-300% NDR as PLG becomes a dominant go-to-market strategy. But we covered much more.

Startup 342

Startup Construction Sales Compensation 342

SaaStr

MARCH 6, 2023

SaaS companies must implement flexible and innovative sales strategies that can weather the future. The state of B2B sales in 2023 Before creating a dynamic strategy, it is essential to understand the current state of B2B sales. You can see all of Mary’s slides for this session HERE.

Innovation 246

Innovation Sales Hiring B2B Strategy 246

Sales Hacker

OCTOBER 19, 2022

Sales compensation planning can be a tricky beast to tame — but know that you’re not alone. Then, I’ll help you take it to the next level with QuotaPath’s newest free resource — our Compensation Hub. Then, I’ll help you take it to the next level with QuotaPath’s newest free resource — our Compensation Hub.

Compensation 121

Compensation Sales Recruiting Sales Finance 121

Buffer Resources

AUGUST 7, 2024

Data like this proves that influencer marketing is a valuable strategy for brands looking to reach a large, engaged audience.  Check your competitors Analyzing your competitors can give you a look at effective (and ineffective) influencer strategies.  You just have to plan yours and look for creators who fit.

Social Media 111

Social Media Compensation Technical Review Branding 111

SaaStr

FEBRUARY 8, 2022

To test your go-to-market strategies, understand the different opportunities, verticals, and company sizes in the market. Are you compensating your teams to sell recurring revenue? Compensation is a great motivator to make your team care and think about different clients and which verticals are likely to get higher revenue. .

Scale 291

Scale Sales Hiring Compensation Sales 291

SaaStr

JULY 5, 2023

To align the funnel and reduce waste and friction, Divvy would compensate each group, from marketing to customer support, one stage below where they were actually responsible in the funnel. Sales were compensated based on new logos and what they’d do during the first 90 days of implementation.

Strategy 246

Strategy Marketing Underperforming Technical Team Sales Hiring 246

Tom Tunguz

JULY 28, 2022

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been writing about Deliberately Underselling as Sales Strategy. In addition, many founders & sales leaders have asked questions about the details, the pros & cons, & the alternatives to this strategy. best practices in structuring sales compensation to achieve different sales strategies.

Compensation 272

Compensation Sales Strategy 272

SaaStr

AUGUST 9, 2021

Here’s how: Align Compensation: If you plan to close enterprise deals, you must be prepared to pay for the right salespeople. At TripActions, the sales reps are compensated based on the customer’s adoption and successful use of the platform. Subscribe. Create a Sales Engine. Pick Your Lane.

Scale 293

Scale Sales Hiring Enterprise Sales 293

SaaStr

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

Product-led growth (PLG) is the consumerization of software—a strategy B2B software companies can learn from growth teams at successful consumer tech companies. . Mistake #3: Not designing a sales compensation plan for PLG. “We Free users adopt the product deeper before the salespeople reach out, and PLG continues.

Technical Review 284

Technical Review Technical Advisors Scale Compensation 284

SaaStr

DECEMBER 2, 2023

Where, roughly speaking, each sales rep brings in at least 4x-5x the total compensation they take out. If you can raise a ton of capital, it’s one strategy to win and crush the competition. Dear SaaStr: What Is The Optimal Structure of an Initial SaaS B2B Sales Team? The optimal structure is one that is accretive.

Sales Hiring 273

Sales Hiring Scale B2B Sales 273

SaaStr

MAY 19, 2022

1Password saw success with this strategy when members of the customer support team started to transition into full-time developers. As a small company, you can not compete with tech giants in terms of compensation alone. Benefits and compensation: Benefits and compensation are a crucial part of taking care of your employees.

Development Team Review 292

Development Team Review B2C Compensation Technical Review 292

Sales Hacker

APRIL 19, 2022

In this article, I’ll outline the principles of compensation design , how to build sales compensation plans , and include resources to set OTEs and quotas that keep your reps happy and hungry for more. Bravado’s 2022 State of Sales Compensation Guide showed that 54 percent of reps missed their quota.

Compensation 98

Compensation Sales Recruiting Sales Hiring Retention 98

ChurnZero

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

There are several different models of compensation plans , but not all can be guaranteed to produce the same results for your organization. We’ve found that, when looking to build a strong team of Customer Success Managers (CSMs), an incentive compensation plan , otherwise called a variable compensation plan , produces the best results.

Compensation 97

Compensation Customer Success Churn Retention 97

SaaStr

SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

Tie compensation to these metrics to incentivize performance. A classic on founder compensation, always one of the most searched topics. The company will need a Sales Ops/Enablement professional for every 30-50 salespeople to manage training, onboarding, territories, and compensation plans.

Sales Hiring 283

Sales Hiring Technical Advisors Compensation Outsourced Development 283

Tom Tunguz

FEBRUARY 24, 2024

They vote on technical roadmap, compensation, & their own operations, governed by this license & manage a treasury with $3b of assets. Steven’s perspective on the future of web3, the deliberate developer relations strategy, & the Community Source license can be found here.

Government 269

Government Compensation Development Technology 269

Buffer Resources

AUGUST 13, 2024

This detailed level of analysis helps marketers refine their strategies for better outcomes. Shopify Collabs ​​Best for Shopify merchants' influencer marketing strategy Shopify Collabs is an influencer marketing tool specifically designed for Shopify store owners.

Branding 113

Branding Payments Merchant Services Payment Methods 113

Sales Hacker

MARCH 30, 2023

If you’re new to sales (or don’t have an economics degree), decoding the sales compensation plan on offer can make your head spin. I have over a decade of sales compensation and strategy experience, including my new course, The Practical Guide to Sales Compensation. What’s the pay mix in this compensation plan?

Compensation 96

Compensation Underperforming Technical Team Sales Recruiting Sales Hiring 96

Sales Hacker

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

Prior to Klaviyo she was the Group Vice President of Customer Success at DocuSign, where she built and lead successful strategies that delivered key customer outcomes and results. 15:10) Implementing shared compensation goals across teams. (20:37) 15:10) Implementing shared compensation goals across teams. (20:37)

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Compensation Business Customer Success AI 104

Predictable Revenue

JANUARY 31, 2022

Learn how to incentivize sales team behaviors that drive revenue, reduce turnover, and create a positive work environment–without relying on financial compensation. The post How To Incentivize Sales Team Behaviors appeared first on Predictable Revenue.

Sales 260

Sales Compensation Revenue Strategy 260

SaaStr

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

The four stages of growth are: Early stage Early growth Growth Pre-IPO Each of those stages has key GTM milestones, benchmarks, and team-building strategies that allow you to grow effectively. But to develop a GTM strategy, you must have Product Market Fit. Without it, you don’t have a business.

Scale 274

Scale Sales Hiring Scaling Outsourced Development 274

SaaStr

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

Q: Should sales reps be compensated differently based on how much prospecting they do? 250k+ deals do come in from inbound, but in many SaaS companies, most come from a targeted account and proactive strategy. It’s a named account strategy, and everyone is covering their accounts one way or another. Some guidelines.

Sales Hiring 243

Sales Hiring Compensation Sales Strategy 243

SaaStr

JUNE 22, 2021

In the report, they pursue the latest customer success trends and predictions, including significant challenges, top goals, team organization, key benchmarks, compensation and various technologies. . When you see a spike in customer volume, the same strategies from the past may not work anymore.

Scale 275

Scale Customer Success Scaling Compensation 275

SaaStr

NOVEMBER 24, 2021

It’s 2021, but surprisingly, a significant number of SaaS companies still use outdated sales compensation plans. Salespeople are often compensated at the highest rate when they win brand new business, but that might not be good for revenue expansion and might contribute to churn.

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Sales Hiring Scale Compensation Sales 255

SaaStr

OCTOBER 3, 2022

When approaching a GTM exercise, one thing needs to be very clear: the company’s revenue strategy. This revenue strategy consists of three core questions: What is the market opportunity—the problem that needs to be solved? What is the product strategy? Develop a simple strategy that drives interest to the top of the funnel.

Scale 272

Scale Sales Hiring Sales Recruiting Scaling 272

SaaStr

MAY 15, 2025

Split-Test Approaches Encourage your SDRs to experiment with different messaging or outreach strategies. Pay Attention to Compensation (and Incentives) Are you incentivizing them properly? But dont just focus on volume, make sure theyre targeting the right prospects and using effective messaging. Quality matters as much as quantity.

Compensation 152

Compensation AI Investment Metrics 152

SaaStr

FEBRUARY 11, 2021

It used to really bug me because I am a firm believer in the strategy of Zero Voluntary Attrition and trying to hire fewer, more committed resources over a higher volume of mercenaries that turn over more often. Sales Strategy. VP of Sales Compensation Plan. The thing is, it turns out the VCs are basically right.

Sales Hiring 363

Sales Hiring Scale Sales Recruiting Sales 363

Intercom, Inc.

JULY 30, 2018

Most models for SDR compensation require sales opportunities to reach a certain stage before they count toward an SDR’s quota. The post License to sell: 5 strategies to hit your sales quota appeared first on Inside Intercom. Don’t be afraid to own your leads from first touch to qualified opportunity.

Strategy 157

Strategy Sales Compensation Communication 157

Tom Tunguz

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

As Mark told me, “Most founders fail to understand that 95% of sales leaders will implement exactly the total market strategy they employed at the last company.” ” They will hire the same people from their network, structure the compensation plan identically, and apply the same sales processes and strategies.

Sales Hiring 184

Sales Hiring Sales Recruiting Startup Compensation 184

SaaStr

JANUARY 3, 2023

RevOps as a unifying force in go-to-market strategy. You need to resource multiple functions to make such a machine, starting with strategy and operations and then followed by core operations, enablement, and analytics. Drive the customer experience strategy and prioritization of your frontline teams. .

Enterprise 261

Enterprise Sales Sales Funnel Compensation 261

Buffer Resources

JANUARY 23, 2023

Social media is always evolving – as should your strategies for creating content. Here are four examples from small businesses and content creators who’re implementing new social media strategies in 2023. Here are how these four small businesses are doing exactly that.

Social Media 143

Social Media Strategy Business Compensation 143

Tom Tunguz

MARCH 27, 2025

Sales Strategy Fundamentals Start with the right price : Establish pricing that reflects value rather than just covering costs. Compensation Design Structure effective comp plans : Balance base salary, commission, and accelerators to drive desired behaviors. Set appropriate quotas : Establish attainable targets that still drive growth.

Scale 182

Scale Sales Hiring Startup Compensation 182

SaaStr

JANUARY 12, 2023

Strategy to win. The right strategy to win means reassessing fundamental issues like the product-market fit and centering on the best ICP. A simple way to achieve this is to align sales compensation with LTV to reward good behavior and disincentivize poor behavior. Key takeaways. The current market conditions are unprecedented.

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Consulting Underperforming Technical Team Management Marketing 49