Commercial Guide for Founders

Three Reasons Founders Fail in their Go-To-Market Strategy: A Guide to Growing Your Customer Base and Revenue with Confidence

WHY THIS GUIDE MATTERS

It’s a new financial year, and for founders, that often means fresh targets and sharper investor expectations. Yet too many early-stage companies stall because their go-to-market (GTM) strategy isn’t landing.

After working with 50+ startups last year, we’ve seen what works - and what doesn’t. The best founders know how to turn this moment into momentum.

This guide shows how to turn product traction into a scalable sales engine, by avoiding the three most common GTM pitfalls. It’s for founders who are ready to turn a solid product into a repeatable, scalable sales engine.

Inside, you’ll discover:

✓ How to avoid common GTM pitfalls and focus on what works

✓ The metrics that matter - and how to use them

✓ Why a deliberate pipeline strategy drives results

✓ How to align with your customer’s buying cycle

✓ Simple tactics to turn pitches into wins

✓ Proven tools and outreach techniques

✓ How Scalare supports your growth

Avoiding the GTM Traps: Focus on What Works

1.  From One-Track Mindset to Multi-Threaded Approach

Too many founders commit to a single go-to-market motion - direct outreach, content, or paid ads -and double down without testing what actually works.

Here’s what the most effective founders do instead:

• They test top-performing channels like referral and tech partnerships, outbound sales, and content-led demand gen - then adjust quickly, based on results.

• Leverage partnerships for reach and trust, and explore different models.

• Run lean outbound campaigns to validate and sharpen ideal customer profile (ICP)

• Design tactics that fit their business model, whether that is B2B, B2C, or B2B2C

• Cut underperforming channels quickly to focus on what scales.

Example: One founder in our portfolio tripled pipeline within six weeks by testing outbound messages across two industries, refining their ICP on the go.

OUR TIP: Lean into feedback. The goal is learning, not just leads.

2. Track What Matters - Religiously

A founder told us recently, “I thought we had momentum, until I looked at the conversion rate.”

Too many teams focus only on outcomes (e.g. closed revenue) and miss what drives them.

Good founders talk pipeline. Great founders know their numbers cold.

Be obsessive about the metrics that matter:

• How many prospects are you reaching each week?

• What’s your conversion rate per stage?

• What’s your average price point?

• What is your deal velocity (time to close)?

OUR RECOMMENDATION:

•  Set up simple dashboards with conversion by stage, win rate, lead source

•  Do weekly reviews with your team

•  Test pricing models that drive growth and align with customer value and margin goals

•  If you have a CRM, use it properly. If you don’t, get one - even if it’s just a spreadsheet for now.

•  Track for tomorrow - not just today. Focus on outreach volume, stage-by-stage conversion, deal velocity and size, CAC, and LTV.

• Understand your acquisition cost. Track the time, effort, and spend required to close each deal. If the return doesn’t justify it, move on.

This sort of ‘sales hygiene’ may not sound sexy, but it saves time and makes your forecasting real.

Sales isn’t magic, it’s knowing the math. Being ‘pedantic’ about metrics weekly is a winning habit.

3. Manifest the Pipeline with Intent

Yes, ‘manifesting’ has become a buzzword, but stay with us. We’re not talking crystals and vision boards. The best founders don’t sit back, and hope leads will appear - they create momentum by being proactive and intentional. Sales is about understanding customer problems and leading conversations that solve them.

Manifesting your pipeline means:

✓ BUILDING YOUR LIST

Start with a named list of ideal customers

✓ PREPARE WITH INTENT

Research their business, role, goals - know your buyer, map decision makers, and tailor your pitch. Great selling is great listening!

✓ TAILOR YOUR OUTREACH

By using the 4 lenses: industry context, company insights, personal drivers, and timing

✓ NURTURE STRATEGICALLY

Use warm intros and layered follow-ups – keep nurturing and growing

✓ RESPECT THE TIMING

Understand your customer’s sales cycle – don’t underestimate the time required for stakeholder engagement and their decision-making process.

One founder used the ‘four-lens’ preparation method to close a $120K multi-year deal after two years with no traction. This preparation turned their pitch into a win.

Sales is a mindset game as much as a numbers game. Know who you are going to target, and why. Then visualise success and act like it’s yours to win, then go after it with intent!

The founders who succeed are those who become customer-obsessed - and know exactly why their customers can’t live without them.

TOOLS & TACTICS THAT WORK

The Challenges - and Types of Approach

From founder coaching to fractional sales execution, we’ve seen these approaches accelerate growth:

‘Do It With You’ Coaching Models:

Sales support that works alongside founders to build GTM muscle

Activity Calculators: Track what’s controllable:

Who you speak to, what you say, and how often

Story-Driven Sales:

Lead with founder passion and customer pain, not your product features

 Sales Methodologies:

Adapt SPIN, Challenger, or 4-Lens Prep to your style

Leveraging Commercial Services:

Fractional Sales and Business Development professionals, best practice go-to-market tools, templates and methodologies

Sales doesn't have to be 'salesy'. Just structured, intentional, and persistent.

SUMMARY: A PLAYBOOK FOR THE NEW FINANCIAL YEAR

If you're starting this financial year with growth in mind, we encourage you to reset your GTM like this:

• Test Multiple Paths to Market

• Track metrics obsessively

• Manifest your pipeline with intent

The first quarter of the the financial year is your launchpad. Use it to sharpen your value proposition, build repeatable systems, and create momentum. With the right structure and support, you can grow faster and more confidently.

The best startups don't wait for growth; they build the systems and mindsets that drive it.

CASE STUDY:

How One Coachable Founder Turned Nerves into a Six-Figure Deal

A founder we were working with (part of our ‘do-it-yourself’ coaching model) had a big moment coming up: their first proper sales call with a dream client they’d been chasing for two years. Naturally, they were nervous. When we asked how they’d prepped, the answer was... they hadn’t.

Instead of bluffing their way through, they leaned in. We walked through our ‘four lenses’ prep: understanding the company’s business model, the industry dynamics, the buyer’s role, and the person behind the job title. The founder took it all on board, did the work, and came back with real clarity and confidence.

On the call, they didn’t just pitch, they brought insights, asked sharp questions, and connected the dots in a way that showed real understanding. That one conversation landed a six-figure, two-year deal.

It wasn’t just about the win; it was how they showed up for it.

HOW SCALARE CAN HELP

Need Help?

Founders know their product better than anyone - but great products don’t sell themselves. But not every founder is a salesperson. You may need experienced commercial talent to help build repeatable processes that scale, which is where we come in.

Scalare’s commercial services team can help you design, test, and scale your GTM strategy, whether you need playbooks, pipeline reviews, or someone to sell with you. Book a call to explore how we can support your revenue goals this year.

Scale-Up Service: Sales & Partnerships

Through dedicated support and experienced sales, strategy and commercial professionals, Scalare Partners is committed to supporting your continued growth. Looking for help with sales?

Book a complimentary, no obligation 30 minute virtual call with Scalare's Chief Revenue Rocketeer, Lauren Calautti.