The SaaS sales market value reached $253 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow into the next decade. One of the reasons the market has grown so enormously is due to the efforts of SaaS sales reps.
An effective SaaS sales rep, one who understands how to procure leads and turn them into long-term paying customers, is an invaluable asset for any SaaS company. However, finding a SaaS sales rep who can close deals consistently is no cakewalk.
Fortunately, you can improve your SaaS sales practice and become a sales rep worth their weight in gold. To become a SaaS sales rep of note, use these top tips to master lead prospecting and the sales cycle.
What Does a SaaS Sales Rep Do?
SaaS (software as a service) sales reps sell software. They understand the SaaS sales cycle and know how to convert prospects into paying customers.
Software-as-a-service sales reps are different from traditional sales consultants. Normal sales consultants only need to convince a consumer to hit the “Buy” button once. Software, which usually works on a subscription basis, is a long-term payment commitment.
It’s much harder to turn consumers into customers when the payment period continues indefinitely.
So, what does a SaaS sales rep do?
- Intimately understand the pain points of customers.
- Put prospects in touch with software that alleviates these pain points.
- Showcase engaging product demos and explain the software as if they are the ones who built it.
- Get leads to engage with free trials or demos.
- Convince leads to purchase a subscription.
Some sales reps also take on customer service roles to manage customer inquiries. This role continues with clients after they have become paying customers.
SaaS Sales Rep: Top Tips
Not all SaaS sales reps are created equal. Fortunately, your capabilities are not set in stone. To become a master of the SaaS sales cycle, implement these top tips into your sales process.
- Know Your Product
If you don’t understand how your software works, you won’t have the necessary confidence or information to sell it effectively. Clients can pick up when a sales rep is confident in what they sell and when they doubt or don’t know the product’s capabilities.
So, before you try and sell your SaaS to prospects, take time to learn the ins and outs of your software.
You must understand the software from both a customer and IT professional perspective.
Sit down with your dev team and let them walk you through the technical aspects of the software. Also, consider what you as a customer would like to know about the product.
By the time you approach customers, you need to know how the software works, why it’s a great competitive option, how to troubleshoot common issues, and provide detailed overviews of the software features.
- Know the Customer Pain Points Profile
With the help of your dev team and marketing department, create a customer profile for the ideal customer. Beyond the traditional customer profile markers like age, demographics, etc, also create a customer pain points profile.
This profile should feature the ideal pain points in customers. What pain points is your software good at fixing? Once you know who needs your software, it becomes much easier to sell.
Selling to people who don’t need your product is a waste of time and resources.
- Take Advantage Of Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is a must for any thriving brand and SaaS is no different. Create a compelling digital marketing campaign for people who fit your customer profile and use social media, email, and other ad and marketing platforms to share this campaign.
From there, get in touch with prospects immediately and be persistent in your marketing tactics.
- Use Engaging Product Demos
We all know the adage “Show, don’t tell”. It’s a powerful technique in the creative world and is just as effective with SaaS sales.
Talking about your software capabilities is tiring. It’s also not effective, as jargon often overwhelms prospects.
Instead, show how effective your software is with an engaging product demo. Product demos, especially interactive product demos, provide real-time insight into the software features, benefits, and capabilities. Interactive demos also increase sales.
So, create captivating sales demos and take advantage of all the benefits.
- Encourage Free Trial Use
If a prospect hesitates to commit to a subscription, encourage them to use a free trial instead. If you are honest and the product has the necessary features to soothe the prospect’s pain points, the software will do the talking.
As for how long the trial period should be, consider the software complexity. As a general rule, the more there is to learn about the software, the longer the trial period should be.
That being said, offering a trial period longer than 30 days is a bit excessive, especially if you’re a startup. Instead, offer between 7 and 30-day trial periods.
- Follow Up During the Free Trial Period
The free trial period is an important time. Keep in touch with the prospect, check in on their experience, answer any questions they might have, and gently encourage them to use the software full-time.
- Offer Long Term Discounts
During or immediately after the free trail, offer the prospect a long-term sign-up discount. Many software companies offer monthly and annual subscriptions. Make the monthly subscription the most expensive and the annual the most affordable.
A noteworthy discount will encourage users to commit to the annual subscription. This guarantees a customer for at least a year and provides upfront revenue for your company.
- Always Be Honest
It might seem obvious, but always be honest about your software and its capabilities. Don’t promise features the software doesn’t have. Prospects will quickly realize the software can’t do what they need it to and you lose customers. Schemes like these will also slowly chip away at your reputation.
Sell your software’s strengths, utilize demos to ensure customers get the software they need and always provide honest and helpful information.
- Take Customer Feedback Seriously
Customer feedback is an invaluable resource for any SaaS company and SaaS sales rep. Feedback provides insight into the software’s capabilities and issues. Feedback about the sales process can also help you determine your strengths and weaknesses.
So, use customer feedback to improve your software and your sales tactics.
- Upsell With Existing Customers
The majority of software companies offer product payment tiers. Lower tiers have fewer features but are more affordable. Higher tiers have more features and are less affordable.
Upselling is the process of getting an existing customer to move from a lower payment tier to a higher payment tier.
To upsell, never stop selling to lower-tier customers. Continue to promote the features and benefits of a higher tier subscription and gently encourage them to move up with discounts.
- Use Analytics To Track Sales Growth
To ensure your SaaS sales rep tactics are hitting the mark, use analytics software like CRM (Customer Relationship Software) to track sales, customer feedback, and engagement.
Conclusion
The SaaS industry continues to grow. SaaS sales reps are a big part of this growth!
SaaS sales reps understand the SaaS sales cycle and use the knowledge to optimize the sales experience and turn prospects into paying customers.
Know your product, know your customer, take advantage of free trials and digital marketing, be honest, and use customer feedback to become a pro-SaaS sales rep.
Every SaaS sales rep needs a great sales demo. With Saleo, you can create captivating and interactive demos that turn leads into revenue. Request a demo today!
