If you’re growing a SaaS company, there often comes a moment when success with SMBs isn’t enough. You’re ready to move upmarket. But selling to larger organisations requires more than just a bigger sales target – it means changing how you think about customers, teams, tools, and messaging.
Here’s a straightforward checklist, based on what I’ve seen work, to help you scale from SMBs to enterprise.
1. Hire a Sales Team That Can Sell to Committees
You can’t grow into the enterprise if your sales team isn’t ready for it. Selling to one or two decision-makers in a small company is very different from selling into a team of senior stakeholders with complex buying processes. Even if your organisation is small, make sure you have at least one or two people who can manage enterprise deals properly – structured sales approach, strong qualification, and an ability to drive deals forward across a buying group.
2. Redefine Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
In the early days, your ICP might’ve been simple: one end-user, one pain point. That changes when you move into larger organisations. Now you need to understand who your senior decision-makers are – IT, Finance, Operations—and what matters to them. And you still need to win over the end-users. Most enterprise deals depend on both.
3. Understand Why Your Product Solves Their Problems (What is the “Job to be Done”)
Enterprise buyers won’t connect the dots for you. It’s not enough that your product worked well for a team lead at an SMB. You need to be clear about which problems your target stakeholders are trying to solve, and why your product is the right solution. This takes more than just positioning work – it takes real insight from customer conversations and a solid understanding of the world they operate in.
4. Build a Target Account List
You need a focused list of the right organisations to go after. Use data — firmographics, technographics, and any buying signals you can get hold of. If you’ve already got larger organisations using your product, even in a limited way, start there. Prioritise warm accounts.
5. Set Up Account-Based Marketing (ABM)
You’ll need marketers who can work alongside sales and run targeted campaigns for specific accounts. Whether it’s one-to-one or one-to-few, the key is relevance and coordination. This isn’t cheap or quick to build – but it’s essential.
6. Align Sales and Marketing at the Frontline
If sales and marketing aren’t working from the same account list, or aren’t aligned on messaging and strategy, things break down. Bring in BDRs and SDRs who can work directly with field marketers. Shared goals, shared plans.
7. Build the Right Tech Stack
You’ll need the basics: a good CRM (usually Salesforce) and a solid marketing automation platform (like HubSpot). On top of that, I recommend:
These help you run coordinated outreach and target the right accounts at the right time.
8. Revisit Pricing and Packaging
Your pricing needs to match how enterprises buy. That’s not just about the number—it’s about the model. Whether you go per-user, per-transaction, annual or monthly—make sure your pricing is clear and credible. If pricing becomes a point of confusion, you’ll lose momentum. Tools like ProfitWell can help here.
9. Build Out Case Studies and Thought Leadership
If you’re not already the market leader, your content needs to show that you understand the market better than anyone else. That means writing clearly about customer problems and how to solve them. Get case studies from the best-known companies you’ve already worked with – even if the deals were small.
10. Don’t Forget PR and Analyst Relations
Enterprise buyers do their research. That includes the press, analyst reports, and third-party content. Make sure your message shows up in the places they look.
If you’re moving from SMB to enterprise, I’ve created a detailed checklist in the Resources section.