The Biggest Competition in SaaS? Nothing.
Not “no one owns the market in X industry.” Your biggest competition is the prospective buyer… doing nothing. According to Harvard Business Review, 40% of sales engagement end with indecision.
The prospects ghost. Backtracks. Abandons the project. And defaults to “the way it’s always been done.”
That should send a chill down every SaaS leader’s spine. You’ve worked so hard to build a product that solves the pain point and you lose to indecision.
But there’s hope. I’ve seen it. It happens at the edge of the sales cycle, when the buyer finally hops on a call and shares why they’re there.
A peek behind the curtain:
It usually starts like this: The boss says in a meeting, “Something’s off with XYZ process.” Heads nod, someone jots it down, and before they know it, one unlucky soul gets voluntold to figure it out. That simple checkmark in the meeting notes becomes a low-key haunting. They dig in, defining the actual problem, pouring hours into research, drafting internal documents, and doing their best to translate ops-speak into something the rest of the business can understand. After combing through Google results and narrowing it down to a few promising solutions, they start scheduling demos. Stakeholders are looped in. Calendars are juggled. Demos are rescheduled when someone inevitably gets sick. And finally, after all that legwork, they’re sitting on your call at the decision point, hoping it’s worth it.
The Buyer is waiting for you to be their golden goose, the one that lets them finally check this thing off their list. But if they can’t come up with 2–3 solid recommendations that they feel confident putting their name behind, they'll default to:
“Let’s revisit this next quarter.”
So, here’s what the prospective buyer wants from you in that moment: Clarity. And here's 6 ways to provide that:
1. Frame their messy problem in your world.
SaaS founders have often lived the very problem their product is solving. Use that expertise to frame the buyer’s challenge in a way that resonates. Educate them on the headwinds, tailwinds, and market trends, then connect it directly to their specific pain. Yes, it takes more work and nuance, but that’s what enterprise buyers expect.
2. Show them the market and how you fit.
Position your product clearly within the competitive landscape. What niche are you leading, and how are you different? Now translate that into how your product supports the specific use case the buyer is trying to solve. If they say, “We need to send custom-branded monthly progress reports that PMs can’t reformat, with attached docs from other systems,” show exactly how your solution does that and where it stands in the market.
3. Tell them what you solve and what you don’t.
Founders who clearly communicate what their product does (and doesn’t do) earn more trust. Robust feature sets are great, but what matters most is whether your solution directly addresses the buyer’s current problem, or their leadership’s. Precision creates momentum.
4. Give them proof (case studies, not fluff).
Buyers, especially in enterprise, can’t run with gut feelings alone. They’ll need case studies, metrics, third-party reports, competitive comparisons, and possibly references to make the case internally. The more prepared you are to support their internal pitch, the easier it is for them to advocate for your solution.
5. Show them pricing.
Pricing shouldn’t feel like a standoff. Be transparent. Many buyers have some form of budget in mind, but they often don’t control it fully. Leadership may want to see clear value before sharing exact numbers. If you sense hesitation, communicate flexibility and share the product roadmap to reinforce long-term value.
6. Help them get to a yes.
After the call, follow up quickly with the promised materials- don’t leave them waiting. Sales collateral, decks, internal summaries; anything that helps them pitch your solution internally. The founder who equips buyers with the most compelling information often wins. Reiterate how your product meets their specific needs: “Here are your requirements and here’s how we check every box.”
Want help positioning your product so the buyer doesn’t ghost, but becomes your advocate?
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