GTM Glossary
All key terms around Go-To-Market, SaaS Sales and Revenue Operations – clearly explained.
Account Executive (AE)
Sales role responsible for closing deals – from initial conversation to contract signing. In SaaS, often segmented by SMB, Mid-Market or Enterprise.
ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue)
Annual Recurring Revenue – the most important metric for SaaS companies. Calculated from the sum of all active subscriptions on an annual basis.
BDR / SDR
Business/Sales Development Representative – responsible for generating qualified leads and building the sales pipeline through outbound activities (cold calls, emails, social selling).
Churn Rate
The percentage of customers who cancel their subscription within a given period. Low churn is critical for sustainable SaaS growth.
CRO (Chief Revenue Officer)
C-level role responsible for the entire revenue funnel – from marketing through sales to customer success. Unifies all revenue-relevant functions under one strategic leadership.
Customer Success Manager (CSM)
Role ensuring customers get maximum value from the product. Focus on onboarding, adoption, retention and expansion (upselling/cross-selling).
Demand Generation
Marketing discipline aimed at creating qualified demand – through content, events, paid media and community building. Differs from lead generation by focusing on awareness and education.
Go-To-Market (GTM)
The overall strategy a company uses to bring its product to market. Includes positioning, pricing, sales channels, marketing and customer success. In SaaS, GTM describes the interplay of all revenue-relevant functions.
GTM Recruiting
Specialized recruiting for go-to-market roles in SaaS & Tech. Unlike traditional recruiting, GTM recruiting evaluates candidates by operational SaaS potential rather than résumé keywords.
ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)
Description of the ideal customer – industry, company size, tech stack, pain points. Foundation for targeted outbound and efficient marketing.
MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue)
Monthly Recurring Revenue – calculated from the sum of all active subscriptions on a monthly basis. Key metric for managing SaaS companies.
NRR (Net Revenue Retention)
Net Revenue Retention – measures how much revenue from existing customers is retained over time (incl. expansion, contraction and churn). NRR above 100% indicates organic growth.
PLG (Product-Led Growth)
Growth strategy where the product itself is the primary driver for acquisition, conversion and expansion. Users experience value before purchase (freemium, free trial).
Product Marketing
Bridge between product, sales and marketing. Responsible for positioning, messaging, competitive intelligence and go-to-market launches.
Revenue Operations (RevOps)
Cross-functional discipline connecting sales, marketing and customer success operationally. Focus on processes, systems (CRM), data and analytics for predictable revenue growth.