Creating a detailed plan for what you’re selling, who you’re selling to, how to reach your target market, and where you should promote your product. These are the four must-have elements of a GTM strategy. Then, with a strong value proposition, you segment and refine your target market, choose the right channels, and build an effective sales team.
Developing an effective product-led GTM strategy requires companies to analyze each of the four must-have elements of a GTM strategy by answering these questions:
#1 Customer (WHO)
Questions:
Who is your ideal customer?
What pains do your customers experience?
Can you describe a day in the life of your target customer?
How does your product fit into the customer’s daily activities and workflow?
Outcomes:
Ideal customer profile (ICP)
Strategic messaging
#2 Market (WHERE)
Questions:
What markets do you want to pursue?
How big is your addressable market? Is it growing, stable, or declining?
Who are the biggest players in the market?
Outcomes:
Market segmentation and analysis
Competitive positioning
#3 Product Offering and Pricing (WHAT)
Questions:
What product are you selling? What is your product’s unique value proposition?
How do you describe your product’s value?
How are you different from your competitors?
What is your product pricing strategy (based on usage, features, capacity, seats, etc.)?
How do you know which features to build next?
Outcomes:
Product offering
Value proposition
Pricing strategy
Product vision
#4 Channels (HOW)
Questions:
What are the most effective channels to reach your target customers?
What are the most popular publications that your target customers read?
What social media channels do your customers use the most?
What channels enable the optimal CAC?
How do your marketing channels correlate with product signup rates and won deals?
Outcomes:
Demand generation strategy
Content and distribution strategy
Paid media strategy
PR plan
Setting the Foundation for Your Customer Acquisition Process
The previous four elements come together to form your customer acquisition process. Here are the key questions to answer in regard to this.
Leading Questions
How do you acquire your customers?
How do you retain and grow your customers?
What product delivery method should you use (free trials, freemiums, etc.)?
What details or plays do you need to include in your product, marketing, sales, and customer success playbooks?
How do you scale your customer acquisition process?
How do you consistently keep your CLV above CAC? And how can you keep increasing your CLV?
Outcomes & Deliverables
Business model, including product delivery (freemium, trial, etc.)
Sales playbook
Selling strategies, including positioning and competitive insights
Objection handling, prioritization, and forecasting