In our latest Nauta Collective session we welcomed Gonzalo de Lomana, Coach, Co-Founder & CEO of SaaS Growth, a firm which specialises in supporting early-stage companies in Europe to build robust sales functions. Gonzalo led a virtual workshop focused on one of the biggest challenges B2B software companies face as they scale: transitioning away from founder-led sales.

Despite advances in AI adding clear value to parts of the sales process (market research, outreach, messaging and CRM), in B2B software sales - especially in enterprise - humans are still a fundamental part of doing it successfully. This session focused on making the process as a whole more scalable, rather than focusing on AI tools which could simplify certain aspects.

Early traction often comes from founder networks, events and referrals. These sources eventually dry up, making it essential to build a predictable pipeline.

Drawing from methodologies used by leading companies like Salesforce and HubSpot, Gonzalo shared a structured, process-driven approach adapted specifically for software startups.

The framework was broken down into four key areas: marketing, prospecting, sales and customer success. The session focused primarily on prospecting and sales execution.

Prospecting

Two Growth Channels

1. Inbound (Marketing-led)

• Leads come through website or campaigns
• Best for broad, horizontal products

2. Outbound (Direct outreach)

• Targeting specific companies proactively
• Best for more niche solutions

Whichever strategy you adopt will fit into the same system.

Targeting Strategy

Companies should be segmented by target industry, geography and size (I,G,S).

Market Research

Market research is all about finding the right companies to target and prioritise. This is traditionally a manual process but now increasingly AI-driven:

• AI identifies and ranks companies by likelihood to convert using signals and ICP background from your company
  
  • Example signals: presence of a digital leader hired within the last three years‍

SDR Role

The responsibility of the SDR is to identify the right people to speak to within your target companies.

• Decision-makers - sign the contract
• Champions - can bring the decision-maker to the next meeting
• Referrals - can open doors to the other two types, but not a priority with no influence on the final decision.

Again, much of this work can now be automated through a range of different AI tools.

Outreach Process

• Aim for around 10 touch points - LinkedIn messages, emails, phone calls
• Phone calls can achieve a lot in a short space of time, with two primary goals:
  
  • Understand the prospect's current scenario:
    
    • No solution in place
    • DIY solution (e.g. Excel)
    • Existing solution from another provider (e.g. a competitor)
  • Identify pain points
    
    • Ask diagnostic questions to dig deeper.

‍Building a Scalable System

Why this works:

1. Systematic execution: SDRs need high volume task targets (e.g. 60 calls and 40 emails daily) which removes decision fatigue and ensures high quantity of activity
2. Personalisation at scale: messaging is tailored by target market and scenario, resulting in higher conversion rates due to quality of outreach

‍

‍Sales Process

When the fit seems perfect but a prospect goes silent, it usually comes down to one of three things:

• Lack of trust
• Lack of commitment
• Lack of urgency

Meeting Structure

As humans, we trust others more through repeated exposure. This is why the process is ideally split into three 30-minute meetings, and designed so that the prospect is excited for and committed to the next stage.

1. Discovery & Vision (30 min)

• Find out how they are currently solving the problem
• Highlight inefficiencies and introduce a better way (without pitching your product)
• Key concept: "The Gap" - the difference between current vs ideal state. The bigger the gap, the stronger the sale
• Don't be afraid to surface objections - this allows them to be addressed early

2. Demo (30 min)

• Avoid a full product tour
• Focus only on relevant solutions to the prospect's specific pain points

3. Proposal & Path (30 min)

• Implementation, timeline and cost context
• Present clear next steps and define the journey forward

4. Decision Call (10 min)

• After the third meeting an inflection point is reached; the ball is fully in the prospect's court
• Schedule in a 10 minute call for them to give a simple answer - "yes or no, both are fine". This creates a sense of urgency.

Handling Ghosting

What not to do:

• Long, emotional follow-ups signalling desperation

Effective approach:

• Short email suggesting 2 more time slots
• Follow-up calls (2x)
• Another short email with 2 meeting options
• Final closing email: "Should we close this opportunity?"
  

People are much more likely to respond when faced with the loss of opportunity.

Stakeholder Management

When multiple decision-makers are involved:

• Turn decision-makers into validators
• Always maintain a clear next step
• Pre-empt internal approval needs

Key Takeaways

• Sales is process-led, not talent-led
• Build a repeatable system, not ad-hoc efforts
• Combine high volume and high personalisation
• Structure sales into clear stages and meetings
• Control momentum with commitment and urgency

Building a repeatable, process-driven sales function is one of the most critical steps founders can take to scale beyond early traction. You can explore more insights from previous Nauta Collective sessions below and learn more about Gonzalo’s work through SaaS Growth.