GTM Club Newsletter

🚀 GTM Club Newsletter #23: Retention Is The Real Revenue Game

You close deals. The team hits targets. And still, revenue is not compounding the way it should. This newsletter explores what could be going on and how to fix it.

Ilkka Vertanen - GTM Club Founder

29 Mar 2026 — 6 min read

Welcome to GTM Club Newsletter #23. Here's what we're dropping for you today:

NRR is the metric that tells you the truth
Churn is a silent killer coming for you…
…while expansion might save you

In addition, we have updated our take on free trials and how to ace them.

Retention Is Your Growth Engine

Most teams celebrate the close. As they should. Logos in, pipeline moving, board presentation looking good. Then someone looks at the revenue number, and it is not where it should be.

That is an NRR problem.

Net Revenue Retention tells you whether your business is compounding or just surviving. Not the pipeline coverage. Not the new logo count. NRR tracks how much revenue you retain and grow from customers you have already worked to acquire. If that number is below 100%, you are losing ground each month, regardless of how well new business sales are performing. In the current economic situation, growing existing accounts is stealing the spotlight.

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NRR = (Starting MRR + Expansion – Churn) ÷ Starting MRR × 100

The single most impactful change I have seen move NRR was not a pricing restructure or ICP tightening. It was getting customers live faster. The longer the onboarding took, the higher the churn risk and reduced upsell potential we faced. Not because the product was wrong or bad. Because slow time-to-value gives doubt somewhere to grow. Customers want certainty. They want to see it working before they commit to more of their budget.

Churn Is Like a Bucket with a Hole In It

You're closing deals. The team is hitting targets. But your business still isn't growing as it should. AAR growth stays below expectations. Your issue is probably churn. Here's what to do about it.

A sales leader seeing warning sings regarding free trials.

Free Trials in Sales-led Growth

Free trial requests are rarely about the trials themselves. For GTM leadership, here is how to handle free trials and how to measure their success. For sales reps: when to say no, when to say yes, and how to win those opportunities.

Net Revenue Retention Decides If You Actually Have a Business

NRR tells whether your business compounds or just survives. It's the one metric that shows whether existing customers are growing or quietly leaving.

A sales leader opening a door to a new account as part of land-and-expand motion.

Land-and-Expand Motions are Now Winning

Land-and-expand is no longer just one growth strategy among others. It's gaining in popularity among B2B tech companies that want predictable, compounding revenue. Here's what it is, how it works, and whether it fits your business.