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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