From $80K to $340K MRR in Just Over a Year: Here’s Exactly What We Did

When I was brought in to help a B2B SaaS company stuck at $80K MRR, the situation was both frustrating and familiar. The company had hovered at that revenue mark for nearly two years. The founders were sharp, the product was solid, and the market was real — but sales just weren’t happening. After a quick audit, it became clear: the problem wasn’t the product. It was everything surrounding it — sales process, positioning, pricing, and customer engagement. Here’s exactly what we changed, month by month, and how it led to $340K in MRR just 14 months later.

Months 1–2: We Banned Product Demos

It sounds counterintuitive, but the first major change we made was this: no more product demos. Every sales call was turning into a 45-minute walkthrough of features. Prospects would smile, nod, and vanish. So, for 60 days, we replaced demos with deep discovery calls. Instead of showcasing the product, reps asked: “Walk me through your current process.” “What’s the most frustrating part?” “What happens when things break down?”

The Result:
Conversion from first call to second call jumped from 23% to 67%. By focusing on pain points and context, not features, we earned real engagement.

Months 3–4: We Rebuilt the Qualification Process

The sales team was casting too wide a net — anyone with a pulse was considered a lead. This led to long, unproductive sales cycles and low close rates. We implemented a rigorous qualification checklist: Company size, current tools, budget, timeline, decision-maker involvement. Prospects had to meet at least 4 out of 5 criteria. If they didn’t, we referred them to a competitor. Sounds harsh, but it saved time and focused energy.

The Result:
Sales cycle length dropped from 4.5 months to 2.1 months. Reps were spending time only on high-probability deals.

Months 5–7: We Fixed the Pricing Strategy

Their pricing model was a flat $99/user/month. No tiers, no flexibility, no upsell paths. We introduced a three-tier pricing model with annual discounts to incentivize long-term deals. The real breakthrough? A “Professional Services” add-on for larger customers who needed complex onboarding and integrations.

The Result:
Average deal size increased from $1,200 to $4,800. This single change dramatically improved revenue without needing more customers.

Months 8–12: We Focused on Expansion Revenue

A deep dive into customer behavior showed that most customers were only using about 30% of the product. We launched monthly check-in calls focused on feature adoption, workflow integration, and training sessions. This wasn’t about upselling — it was about helping customers win more with what they already had.

The Result:
Revenue from existing customers grew by 180%. No new features. Just better engagement and support.

Months 13–14: We Built a Referral System That Actually Worked

Instead of just asking happy customers for referrals (which rarely worked), we connected them with each other through a private Slack community. It created real value: peer learning, shared hiring pipelines, and tool/resource swaps. The byproduct? Trust and organic referrals.

The Result:
Referral revenue grew from nearly zero to 40% of new business.

Final Outcome: $340K MRR and Growing

Today, the company is at $340K MRR, growing at ~15% month over month — and we barely touched the product. All growth came from changes in sales process, customer qualification, pricing strategy, post-sale support, and community building.

Takeaway: Most Sales Problems Aren’t Product Problems

In the world of SaaS, we often assume product is the bottleneck. But in reality, it's the systems around the product that drive growth. If your sales are stalled despite having a great product, start by looking at how you’re selling, who you’re selling to, and what happens after the sale.

Question for You:
Have you ever solved a growth problem without touching the product? I’d love to hear your experience — feel free to share it.