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Selling Services vs Saas
Which one's better, and which one should you be doing?
Good Morning! Apparently, the hottest trend of 2025 is going anti-tech. Over 3.2 million people bought basic "dumbphones" last quarter to enjoy a 5-day battery life and the freedom from Slack notifications. But for us sales reps, this sounds like a nightmare scenario. Prospects might not be reachable via cell 24/7? Next thing you know, people will expect us to respect "business hours" and "weekends." Now let’s get into today’s Follow Up. 😁
Answering the ‘send pricing’ ask 🤑
Service sales vs SaaS sales 📦️
Avoiding awkward and cringey DMs 👀
Sales jobs & a meme 😂
Sales Tip of The Day 💡
When a prospect says, ‘Can you just send over pricing?’, use it as an opener for discovery.
❌ Sure, our basic plan starts at $X. Let me know if you have questions.
✅ Happy to share pricing, mind if I ask a few questions first to make sure I’m not just throwing out numbers that won’t make sense?
This does two things:
It keeps you in control of the conversation
It positions pricing as contextual, not commodity
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Selling Services vs. SaaS: Two Different Games
Anyone who says ‘sales is sales’ has clearly never tried to sell two drastically different products.
It's like saying tennis and basketball are the same because they both use balls. The fundamentals overlap, but the games are totally different.
On paper, "B2B sales rep" sounds like one job. In reality, selling services and selling SaaS are two entirely different careers that sometimes happen to share the same LinkedIn title.
One sells time, people, and custom work. The other sells access, speed, and scale.
Today, we’re breaking down what you should know about selling services vs. SaaS.
1. Value Proposition: "Do It For You" vs. "DIY"
When you sell services, you're selling an outcome delivered by humans. Your company's time and expertise is the product. It's intangible, built on trust in your team.
When you sell SaaS, you're selling a tangible product that customers can test-drive. You're handing over a tool and saying, ‘you've got this.’
This difference shapes the sell:
Service buyers want a partner to do the work for them. They want the job done, at a good price.
SaaS buyers focus on features, ease-of-use, and ROI. They can compare options side-by-side and cancel if it sucks.
Think about Accenture pitching a digital transformation project versus Hubspot selling its CRM. Accenture sells expertise, "we'll handle it", while Hubspot sells a product, "here's a tool that helps your team".
2. Sales Process: Custom Projects vs. Product Demos
Selling services can be a marathon, with long, consultative sales cycles. Lots of meetings, custom proposals, and endless revisions.
Selling SaaS (especially to SMBs) is more like a sprint in comparison. Product demos are more standardized, and buyers know what features they need at a minimum.
Service salespeople are consultants. Every deal needs a custom pitch deck and detailed scope of work.
SaaS salespeople use product playbooks: live demos, free trials, and case studies. The product's capabilities are front and center.
But even with the differences, they both share a common goal… They both sell an outcome.
Buyers don’t care about the exact features the SaaS has or the work being done in the service. They care about the outcome that they bring.
3. The Comp Talk
How you get paid has a lot to do with the deal structure.
In service sales, deals are often large, but you might wait longer to see that commission. Many firms only pay after the work is delivered and the client pays, meaning that $100K deal might take 6+ months before hitting your bank account.
SaaS sales can offer a more frequent reward cycle. Reps usually earn commission when the contract is signed, and can get ongoing commissions on the subscription.
In both roles, you’ll typically have a base salary + commission, adding up to an OTE. But SaaS comp plans may include incentives for renewals or upsells due to the importance of recurring revenue. Service sales comp may lean more on the initial deal value and sometimes even include a smaller base since the deals are so large.
The TLDR
• Product vs. People: Selling SaaS means convincing buyers your tool is best; selling services means convincing them your team is best.
• Process & Pace: Do you enjoy fast, repeatable deal cycles (SaaS) or deep, consultative slogs for big wins (services)?
• Paycheck Profile: Service sales means waiting longer for jackpot commissions. SaaS sales reward you more frequently throughout the year.
Do you sell Services or SaaS? |
