In episode #291 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray breaks down one of the most important—and often debated—questions in SaaS finance:

💰 How much should we invest in sales and marketing this year?

Ben explores how to frame your sales and marketing spend using two key concepts:

• Sales & Marketing as a % of Revenue (OpEx Profile)

• Cost of ARR (Net New Annual Recurring Revenue Cost)

You'll hear current SaaS benchmarks from Ray Rike’s latest data set, which shows how spending evolves from early-stage startups to companies with $100M+ in revenue. Ben explains why high spend isn't bad—as long as there's ROI—and how to use GTM efficiency metrics to stress-test your budget and forecasts.

Key Topics Covered:

• Sales & marketing spend benchmarks by revenue tier

• Understanding your OPEX profile: R&D, S&M, and G&A as % of revenue

• Why spend ratios alone don’t tell the full story

• How to use the Cost of ARR to validate GTM efficiency

• Why growing is NOT scaling, and why that matters for every SaaS operator

• The two-metric combo every SaaS CFO should use

🎯 Takeaway: Don’t fly blind. Use these benchmarks and efficiency metrics to create informed, ROI-driven sales and marketing budgets.

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