You know your GTM isn't working. You just can't pinpoint why.
ICP, messaging, sales, qualification, somewhere it breaks.
I find out where, and fix it with you.
Blackbird GTM is a B2B SaaS GTM consultancy for founders and early sales teams in the Netherlands and the Benelux.
The problem
You feel it before you can name it.
At €0 to €2M ARR, the commercial foundation is usually the part nobody built on purpose. Growth came faster than the structure underneath it, and the gaps only show up later.
The problem usually is not one part of sales, but the connection between ICP, messaging, qualification, sales process and pipeline.
So pipeline is unpredictable. Messaging works one week and lands flat the next. The team is busy, but no one can point to what's actually driving results. You sense something is off, you might even be doing the wrong things, but you can't tell which part to fix.
That's the hardest part. Not that something is broken, but that you can't tell which part.
Pipeline is unpredictable and you can't tell why
Why is my B2B SaaS sales pipeline unpredictable?You want to scale the sales team, but the engine underneath isn't ready
When are you ready for your first sales hire?Messaging isn't converting, and it's unclear where it's losing people
Stress-test your ICP and messagingYour founder is still selling, but the process cannot be handed over.
When does founder-led sales become founder dependency?The fix depends on where it actually breaks. That's what the audit is for.
How I work
Diagnosis first. Then we fix it together.
I don't show up with a fixed package. Every engagement starts with finding out where your GTM actually breaks, because the right fix only comes from the right diagnosis.
If you want to see what this looks like in practice, you can read more about how I work as a GTM consultant.
Diagnosis
I pinpoint where growth is actually breaking, ICP, messaging, qualification, sales process, or the handoff between them. Founders usually sense something is off. They rarely know exactly what.
Foundation
Based on the diagnosis, I build what is missing: a sharp ICP, messaging that works across the full customer journey, a structured sales process, and qualification criteria that protect pipeline quality.
Execution
I work hands-on. I do not hand over a document and leave. Where needed, I work directly with the founder or the sales team to implement, improve outreach, and raise the commercial bar.
Because I've worked in both marketing and sales, I see where the handoff breaks, the moment where what attracts buyers stops matching what closes them. Most consultants fix one side. I fix the connection.
Who this is for
- →B2B SaaS founders in the Benelux at €0–€2M ARR
- →Early sales teams with unpredictable pipeline
- →International companies entering the Dutch market without local GTM
Who this is not for
- ✕No revenue yet, no traction
- ✕Looking for lead generation or campaign management
- ✕Wants a strategy deck without execution
Expertise
Where I solve commercial problems
The parts of B2B SaaS go-to-market that usually break, and what Blackbird GTM works on.
B2B SaaS GTM
How I work as a GTM consultantICP
Stress-test your ICPPositioning & messaging
Find where your messaging breaks downSales qualification
Find the leaks in your qualificationSales process
Make your sales process more predictablePredictable pipeline
Why is my pipeline unpredictable?Founder-led sales
Understand founder-led salesSales hiring
When are you ready for your first sales hire?
About me
Merel Roest
Most founders I work with sense something isn't right.
They just can't pinpoint what to fix.
Who they're really selling to. Why their messaging isn't converting. Where their pipeline is actually breaking. I see the same pattern over and over.
Rotterdam, NL
ARR growth after rebuilding the commercial foundation
Average contract duration, most deals closing on 3-year terms
Direct sales pipeline built from a standing start
Worked with
Freshworks
Valantic
KnowBe4
Guardey
Voltico
AIHRThe same issues kept coming up.
The ICP was too broad. Messaging did not reflect what buyers actually cared about. There was no clear qualification process. Money was being spent on outreach and campaigns, but no one could tell which leads were actually worth pursuing.
The sales process leaked value at every stage. Trials drifted without deadlines. Calls ended without a next step. Pipeline looked full, but was not forecastable.
What I noticed was how little sense of direction teams had without a clear foundation underneath.
I spent years in both marketing and sales, most recently as Head of Sales at a SaaS company in the Netherlands.
I inherited a commercial setup that was unpredictable and hard to scale. I left it structured, predictable, and performing.
More importantly, the team knew what good looked like and how to repeat it. Not because of a clever framework, but because the fundamentals were finally in place.
That is why I started Blackbird GTM.
The foundation
I know what the commercial foundation looks like when it is built properly, and what it costs when it is not.
Both sides of the handoff.
Six years in marketing before moving into sales means I have worked on both sides of the commercial handoff. I know where it breaks, and why fixing only one side never works.
Hands-on, not advisory.
I work both on strategy and execution. I work with a small number of clients at a time, because the work requires it.
Blackbird GTM
Head of Sales, SaaS Scale-up / Award-winning Enterprise AE / 6 Years in Marketing
Frequently asked questions
What does a B2B SaaS GTM consultant do?
A B2B SaaS GTM consultant helps a SaaS company decide and improve how it reaches, convinces and converts the right customers. That can cover ICP, positioning, messaging, qualification, sales process, pipeline and commercial organisation. Blackbird GTM starts by diagnosing where the commercial system breaks down.
Why is my B2B SaaS pipeline unpredictable?
An unpredictable pipeline is not always a lead problem. It can come from an ICP that is too broad, weak qualification, inconsistent sales processes, insufficient pipeline coverage, or opportunities that do not move clearly through the process.
When should a SaaS founder stop selling themselves?
Founder-led sales is not automatically a problem. It becomes one when too much of the selling depends on knowledge, relationships or intuition only the founder has. Before you hand sales over, it has to be clear what works and why.
When should a B2B SaaS company hire its first salesperson?
Not only when there are enough leads, but when there is enough evidence that the sales motion is transferable and repeatable. ICP, positioning, messaging and sales process have to be clear enough for someone else to sell successfully.
What is the difference between a GTM consultant and a fractional Head of Sales?
A GTM consultant helps solve a specific commercial problem. A fractional Head of Sales temporarily takes ownership of an ongoing commercial function. Which one fits depends on the problem that needs solving.
How do I know if my ICP is too broad?
Your ICP is probably too broad when different types of companies have very different problems, buying reasons, decision-making processes or sales cycles. A good ICP helps you decide which companies get priority and which do not.
If something in your sales isn't working, the reason is rarely the one you suspect.
If this sounds familiar, book a call. I'll tell you directly whether I can help.
No pitch. No obligation. Direct answers only.