How to add $100,000 MRR. Let’s work backwards

Setting a goal to add $100,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) is ambitious, but without knowing the input required, it’s just a wish.

Most SaaS founders or marketers focus on their revenue targets but don’t bother to break them down into actionable input targets.

If you’re not clear on how many MQLs, SQLs, cold emails, ad spend, campaigns etc you need, you’re flying blind.

Let’s work through an example…

Start with the end goal

To reach your additional $100K MRR target, reverse-engineer the process. Here’s how to break it down:

Revenue target: Adding $100,000 MRR by the end of 2025 (12 month target)

If your average revenue per customer is $3,000 per month, you’ll need 34 new customers to hit your goal.

Sales: 34 new customers

If your close rate is 40%, you’ll need 85 sales calls, demos, or free trials to land those 34 deals.

Qualified leads (SQLs): 170 SQLs

If 50% of SQLs convert to a sales call, you’ll need 170 SQLs to generate enough calls to close 34 deals.

Split the funnel: inbound vs. outbound

To hit your target, let’s assume 50% of revenue comes from inbound marketing and 50% from outbound sales efforts. That means you’ll need to generate 85 SQLs from inbound marketing and 85 SQLs from outbound sales.

Now, let’s break down how to achieve these SQL numbers.

Outbound sales efforts

Outbound sales is about direct, targeted outreach to prospects. Here’s what it looks like:

• Cold calls and emails: If your cold outreach has a 2.5% conversion rate, you’ll need to send 3,400 outreach messages or calls to generate 85 SQLs.
• Follow-ups: Leads rarely convert on the first try. Use a consistent follow-up strategy to nurture colder prospects into SQLs.

Inbound marketing

Inbound marketing drives leads through engaging content and well-optimised campaigns. Here’s what it takes to hit 85 SQLs via inbound:

Ad spend: With a cost per SQL of $500, you’ll need $3,500 in monthly ad spend to generate 85 SQLs to hit your annual target.

Content creation: High-quality content is critical for nurturing leads into SQLs. I’d recommend:

1–2 lead magnets (eBooks, webinars, scorecards etc) per month

• 4–8 blog posts per month
• 1 – 2 case studies per month
• 10+ social posts per month
• 1–2 email campaigns per month

Inbound efforts should complement outbound sales, creating a balanced, scalable funnel.

Diagnose your funnel’s weak points

With your numbers in place, you can begin identifying where your funnel might be underperforming. Here’s how to pinpoint and address issues:

Struggling to generate SQLs?

• Outbound efforts: If outreach isn’t converting, refine your messaging or improve your prospecting to better target decision-makers.
• Inbound marketing: Revisit your ads, content, or landing pages to improve engagement and conversions.

Low conversion from SQL to sales call?

• Lead qualification: Tighten your qualification criteria to ensure only high-quality leads move to sales.
• Sales enablement: Provide your sales team with better resources like tailored case studies or ROI calculators.

Sales calls not converting?

• Demo quality: Ensure your demos solve specific pain points and highlight clear benefits.
• Sales process: Analyse whether the issue lies in handling objections, follow-ups, or closing techniques.

Bottlenecks in the funnel?

If one stage of the funnel is consistently underperforming, it will drag down your entire process. Use analytics to monitor performance and focus resources on the weak link.

By continuously evaluating each stage, you can fix inefficiencies and ensure every part of the funnel contributes to your revenue target.

Ready to add $100K MRR?

If your inbound marketing efforts aren’t delivering, me and my agency, Rocket SaaS, can help.

Whether you are a founder with no in-house marketing resources or if you’re a marketer and desperately need support, Rocket SaaS can slot into your team and empower you with marketing strategy, content, LinkedIn/Google Ads, lead magnets and website updates.

Book a marketing strategy call with me to discuss.

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By Ryan James

Founder of Rocket SaaS