How to Build a SaaS GTM Team

Great SaaS products won't sell themselves, which is why a company's success heavily depends on building a great GTM team that not only understands your product but also knows how to position it, sell it, and scale it.  The right GTM team bridges the gap between product innovation and market adoption, driving growth, customer acquisition, and long-term retention.

Building a GTM team is complex. It requires defining a strategy, establishing the necessary roles, balancing hunters and farmers, and embedding the right culture and processes. Your approach will determine whether you achieve recurring revenue or stall before scaling.

Your Strategy

A GTM team can only perform as well as the strategy that guides it. Without clear milestones and measurable goals, even the best and most experienced GTM hires will struggle to make a meaningful impact. Your GTM strategy should define what success looks like, whether that's rapid revenue growth, acquiring new customers, strengthening retention, or a combination of all three. It should also outline a realistic timeline that aligns with your resources, budget, and growth stage. No two GTM strategies are the same; the right approach will vary depending on your industry, target verticals, and the stage of your business's journey.

Key Strategic Components

Building anything requires the right foundations, and that is no different when building a high-performing GTM SaaS team.

These are just a few key strategic components that you need to create a strong foundation for success.

A clear Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and segmentation. Knowing who your ideal customers are ensures that your team targets the right people and companies. Segmenting by company size, industry, or use case allows for sharper targeting and more substantial ROI.

Well-crafted positioning, messaging, and buyer journey design. Strong GTM teams are aligned on how the product solves problems and what makes it different. Understanding the buyer journey gives sales and marketing a shared playbook.

Strong collaboration, open communication, and a data-driven decision culture. The best GTM teams thrive on transparency and accountability. Data should drive decisions, but collaboration ensures the full customer lifecycle is covered.

Regular training and stakeholder engagement. SaaS evolves quickly, and so do customer expectations. Ongoing training keeps your team sharp, aligned, and motivated.

Core GTM Functions

A SaaS GTM team is often made up of Sales, Presales, Customer Success, and Marketing. Each function requires a blend of leadership, strategy, and execution roles.

Sales

Sales drive revenue growth. Executive Leadership sales roles, such as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), Chief Sales Officer, or VP of Sales, create the strategy, while mid-level leaders, including Heads of Sales, Business Development Directors, and Sales Development Managers, execute it. Account Executives, Account Managers, and Sales Development Representatives (SDRs/BDRs) engage directly with prospects and customers, often segmented by SMB, Mid-Market, or Enterprise focus.

Find out more about Sales hiring with Oakstone

Presales

Presales bridges the gap between sales and product, ensuring technical alignment and value demonstration. Leadership roles, such as Presales Directors and Enablement Leads, provide direction, while Solution Architects, Value Consultants, Sales Engineers, and Presales Consultants bring product expertise into customer conversations. This function builds trust by validating solutions against customer needs and requirements.

Find out more about Presales hiring with Oakstone

Customer Success

Once a deal closes, Customer Success ensures that value is delivered and customers remain loyal. Leadership is typically driven by a Chief Customer Officer or VP of Customer Success, supported by Directors and Heads of Customer Success. Execution roles, such as Customer Success Managers (CSMs), Technical Account Managers, Onboarding Specialists, and Renewals Managers, protect and grow revenue by keeping customers engaged and supported.

Find out more about Customer Success hiring with Oakstone

Marketing

Marketing fuels awareness, pipeline creation, brand and market positioning. Executive Leaders within marketing, such as Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs), VPs of Marketing, and Growth/Product Marketing leads, set direction, while execution roles, including Demand Generation Managers, Content Marketers, Brand Strategists, and Marketing Operations professionals, ensure the GTM engine runs effectively. Partner and channel marketing roles expand reach into new markets and ecosystems.

Find out more about Marketing hiring with Oakstone

A SaaS GTM team is a coordinated system designed to capture, convert and retain customers.

By defining a clear ICP, aligning messaging, selecting the right GTM motion, and strategically sequencing roles, you can build a team that not only drives revenue but also sustains long-term growth.

Want to know more? Read this blog on scaling your SaaS GTM team effectively.

At Oakstone International, we specialise in building GTM teams for B2B SaaS companies globally. To learn more about how Oakstone International assist your business, contact our team.