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GTM Strategy

GTM KPIs You Should Track Before You Scale Your SaaS

SaaS Consult Editor
Apr 22, 2025
4 min read

Scaling without measuring the right metrics is a shortcut to chaos. If you’re planning to grow your SaaS, especially post product-market fit, aligning on go-to-market KPIs (GTM KPIs) is non-negotiable.

This guide outlines the most important GTM KPIs SaaS companies should track before they scale. It focuses on what matters: pipeline, conversion, retention, and revenue acceleration – not vanity metrics.

Why GTM KPIs Matter Before You Scale

Before you hire more SDRs, spend on ads, or expand to a new market, you need proof that your GTM engine works. GTM KPIs:

  • Reveal gaps in your funnel
  • Align product, sales, and marketing
  • Help avoid overhiring or wasted spend
  • Make your startup fundable and scalable

These metrics create focus and accountability, allowing you to invest behind what’s already working.

Core GTM Metrics by Funnel Stage

1. Top of Funnel (TOFU)

  • Website Traffic (Organic, Paid, Referral)
    Track by source to identify high-performing channels. Link to your SaaS SEO strategy.
  • Content Engagement (Time on Page, Scroll Depth)
    Helps validate messaging and ICP resonance. Track against intent pages like GTM strategy or ICP definition.
  • Cold Email Open + Reply Rates
    If using outbound, benchmark 60–70% open and 8–15% reply rates using tools like Instantly or Maildoso. Cold email strategy must align with segmentation.

2. Middle of Funnel (MOFU)

  • Lead-to-Qualified Lead Rate (MQL→SQL)
    Measures how well your nurturing and lead scoring systems work. If this drops below 20%, revisit your ICP definition or landing page offers.
  • Demo Requests / Signup to Demo Rate
    PLG or SLG, this metric tells you if the offer creates urgency. If <10%, your messaging or CTA is weak.
  • Lead Velocity Rate (LVR)
    Are you generating more qualified leads this month than last? LVR = (Current Month SQLs – Previous Month SQLs) / Previous Month SQLs.

3. Bottom of Funnel (BOFU)

  • Opportunity-to-Customer Rate (Win Rate)
    Measures sales effectiveness. Sub-15% indicates deal quality or misalignment.
  • Sales Cycle Length
    How many days from lead → close? Track across segments (SMB vs mid-market).
  • Average Contract Value (ACV)
    Tells you the maturity of your monetization. Useful in budgeting CAC and channel mix.

4. Retention & Expansion Metrics

  • Activation Rate
    % of users hitting the “aha” moment. Key for PLG motions. User activation should be part of your KPI list.
  • Churn Rate (Logo and Revenue)
    Reveals gaps in onboarding, value delivery, or pricing.
  • Expansion Revenue (NDR or Net Dollar Retention)
    NDR >100% = strong upsell engine. If <90%, prioritize customer success.

Strategic KPIs for GTM Alignment

Not all GTM KPIs are funnel metrics. Some are alignment indicators:

  • CAC Payback Period – How long does it take to recover CAC?
  • Blended CAC vs Paid CAC – Are your acquisition costs efficient?
  • Marketing-Sourced vs Sales-Sourced Revenue – Useful to decide inbound vs outbound budget allocation.
  • Pipeline Coverage Ratio – Pipeline value / Quota. 3–4x is healthy.
  • Attribution Clarity – Can you confidently say which channel caused revenue?

These give the GTM team a shared language and dashboard.

Tools to Track GTM KPIs

  • HubSpot / Salesforce – CRM + reporting stack
  • ChartMogul / Baremetrics – Subscription metrics
  • Segment + Amplitude – Product analytics
  • Google Looker Studio – Custom dashboarding
  • Apollo / Instantly – Outbound analytics

Start simple. A shared Notion or Google Sheet is better than no visibility.

How KPIs Tie to Your GTM Strategy

  • Use your KPIs to prioritize channels (Channel selection guide)
  • Clarify what to scale or pause based on CAC, LVR, and demo conversion
  • Support your fundraising story with strong KPI visibility

Don’t track everything. Track the right things. Then act on them.

Before You Scale: What to Validate

Before you pour money into GTM:

  1. Do you have at least 3 months of KPI stability?
  2. Are you hitting healthy ranges for MQL→SQL, SQL→Win?
  3. Do you know your best-performing channel and segment?
  4. Can you deliver repeatable revenue at a scalable CAC?

If yes – scale. If not, fix the engine first.

Final Thoughts

GTM KPIs are more than dashboards – they’re decision-making tools. Every SaaS founder, marketing leader, and fractional CMO should know what to track, what it means, and what to do next.

Link your GTM KPIs to your ICP, messaging, and growth motion.

Ready to build your GTM dashboard? Talk to us about setting up strategic KPIs before you scale.