What is Go-to-Market Strategy?

Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy innovates various areas of a business in order to secure a competitive advantage, improve customer engagement, and ultimately drive revenue growth.

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What is Go-To-Market?

Go-To-Market (GTM) is a business development strategy that secures a market advantage by implementing innovation in various aspects of its operation. The GTM innovates products or services offered, marketing, and sales techniques. For example, GTM innovations are applied to pricing strategies, distribution channels, lead generation methods, or how the product or service is presented to potential buyers.

A GTM (Go-To-Market) innovation is a contemporary method for addressing market demands in product or service development, sales, or marketing. Such an innovation might be introduced through a refined pricing strategy, alternative distribution channels, or updated delivery processes. To decrease a customer acquisition cost within a marketing strategy, GTM innovations can include advanced techniques like SEO or SEM.

A GTM strategy benefits from the customer journey by understanding customer experiences. The GTM collects feedback from the buyer’s journey and applies it to innovate company offerings, sales, and marketing. The GTM strategic feedback loop ultimately enhances customer satisfaction and secures a competitive edge.

What is the GTM strategy in business development?

Go-To-Market Strategy in business development is a comprehensive business plan defining ways of getting an advantage and driving revenue growth. The GTM plan innovates the way how a company brings its offerings to existing market, reaches its target audience, generates leads, and drives sales while ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Strategy Innovations

Go-To-Market Strategy innovates various aspects of a business:

  1. Product or Service: Strategy innovates the development of new products, services, or features to make the offering unique and more valuable than competitive ones.

  2. Sales: GTM innovates ways to sell products or services, with unique pricing strategies, new distribution model, or delivery processes.

  3. Marketing Strategy: GTM innovates ways to generate leads and reach the target customers. Often GTM applies SEO and SEM to increase brand visibility and customer engagement.

  4. Customer Service: GTM innovates the entire customer journey from awareness, consideration, and purchase to the post-purchase experience. 

  5. Operations: GTM innovates company operations with technology like CRM systems (for example, Salesforce) to manage customer relationships effectively, monitor customer satisfaction, and maintain ongoing communication.

GTM Examples

Go-to-market strategy examples employed by Tech companies for business development are:

  1. Software as a Service (SaaS) – applied by tech companies such as Microsoft or Adobe.  The switch from selling one-time licenses to a subscription-based model provides a more predictable revenue stream and better aligns with customer usage.
  2. Freemium Model – used by tech companies such as Ahrefs or Google, it offeris free tools with the option to upgrade to a paid version and engages potential users at no risk, thereby increasing the likelihood of conversion to the paid version.
  3. Affiliate Marketing is used by tech companies such as SEMrush to generate more leads.  Partnerships with other businesses and influencers increase company reach and build the brand name.
  4. Online Sales are implemented by tech companies such as Dell or Apple.
  5. Digital Marketing is used by tech companies such as HubSpot or Salesforce. Use of SEO, SEM, and social media marketing drives more online purchases.
  6. Customer Success is used by SaaS companies like Salesforce. Employing sales and marketing teams for customer success promotes customer satisfaction and retention.

GTM in High-Tech

Yes, Go-To-Market Strategy is effective in High-Tech business development. This is why High-Tech Marketing Companies such as Salesforce or HubSpot allocate a large portion of their budgets to offer innovative solutions and enhanced services. According to HubSpot, companies that have a documented this type of marketing strategy are 466% more likely to report success than those without one. 

high tech marketing

GTM Template

Go-To-Market Strategy Template combines marketing efforts, sales, and product innovation, a deep understanding of the customer journey, effective use of CRM tools, and a commitment to continual optimization based on customer feedback and data insights.

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GTM Template for New Product Release

GTM Template provides a comprehensive guideline to ensure that a new product launch or service is successful upon its release:

  1. Understand the Customer Journey: Map out the stages existing customers go through before making a purchase decision, and use this information to optimize your products, services, and customer service processes.

  2. Product Innovation: Develop new products or features that meet the needs of your customers.

  3. Sales Innovation: Enhance your buying process and address common customer pain points.

  4. Marketing Innovation: Transition from traditional marketing methods to digital and e-commerce strategies. Leverage both inbound (converting website traffic into leads) and outbound marketing techniques (SEO, SEM) to generate leads.

  5. Pricing Innovation: Develop pricing strategies that match the perceived value of your products or services to customer expectations.

  6. Location Targeting and Personalization: Use localization and other personalization techniques in your marketing messages to increase conversions.

  7. CRM Implementation: Implement a CRM tool to monitor user satisfaction and manage customer communications.

  8. Reverse 80:20: Develop a proactive approach to customer acquisition and post-purchase service to enhance customer engagement and loyalty, aiming to distribute revenue more evenly across your client base.

How to build a go-to-market strategy?

To build a Go-To-Market Strategy use a framework that outlines how a business will sell its products or services to prospective customers. Market Strategy Framework enables companies to launch their products or services more effectively, reach and engage their target audience, build customer loyalty, and ultimately drive growth and profitability.

What does the framework include?

Go-To-Market Strategy Framework includes  several key components:

  1. Target Market Definition: Identify the specific customer segments that the company aims to serve, understand their needs, and how products or services can address these needs.

  2. Value Proposition: Define the unique value that the product or service provides to the target market. This should highlight the unique selling points or key differentiators from competitors.

  3. Product Innovation: Develop new or improved products, services, or features to meet customer needs more effectively or differently than competitors.

  4. Sales Strategy and Channel Selection: Identify the most effective ways to sell products or services. This might involve direct sales, third-party distributors, online sales, or a combination.

  5. Pricing Strategy: Determine how to price the product or service to appeal to the target market while also ensuring profitability. This may involve discounts, installment plans, or cross-selling strategies to enhance perceived value.

  6. Marketing and Lead Generation Strategy: Develop a plan for promoting the product or service to the target market and attracting potential customers. This may involve traditional marketing, digital marketing, SEO, SEM, or other innovative lead generation strategies.

  7. Customer Journey Optimization: Understand the stages customers go through from awareness to purchase and post-purchase. Tailor the product, service, and customer service processes to optimize this journey.

  8. Use of Technology: Implement tools, such as a CRM system, to manage customer relationships effectively, track customer satisfaction, and facilitate ongoing communication.

Go-To-Market Plan

Go-To-Market Plan outlines how a company will sell its products or services to customers. The framework is intended to provide a clear path to attract customers, deliver value, and create a successful business model. A typical business plan for GTM would include the descriptive and analytical sections:

Descriptive Section:

  1. Value Proposition: Clearly articulate the unique value your product or service offers to customers.

  2. Market Segmentation: Define your target market and ideal customer profiles.

  3. Competitive Analysis: Describe your competitors and how your product or service is differentiated.

  4. Channels: Outline the best ways to reach your customers, whether that’s through digital marketing, direct sales, partnerships, etc.

  5. Customer Journey: Describe the process your customers will go through from discovery to purchase and beyond.

  6. Marketing and Sales: Summarize your strategies for attracting, converting, and retaining customers.

  7. Execution Plan: Define the steps you’ll take to implement Go-To-Market strategy, including timelines, roles, resources, and key milestones.

Analytical Section:

  1. Pricing and Revenue Model: Provide detailed information about your pricing strategy and how you will generate revenue.

  2. Financial Projections: Include estimates of your revenue, costs, and profitability for the next 3-5 years.

  3. Measurement and Adjustment: Define your key performance indicators (KPIs), how you will measure success, and how you will adjust your strategy based on performance and market changes.

GTM Checklist

GTM Checklist is a comprehensive guide that outlines various techniques, roles, campaigns, and marketing channels integral to a successful G0-To-Market strategy. It provides a roadmap for understanding the customer journey, and innovating in product, sales, marketing, and pricing, along with the roles of key stakeholders and the steps for creating effective marketing campaigns and choosing the right sales channels.

personalization gtm success key

Techniques Checklist

  1. Understand the Customer Journey: Use data analytics, customer feedback, and market research techniques to map out the customer journey.

  2. Product Innovation: Apply design thinking, lean startup, and agile techniques for the creation, testing, and iteration of new products or services.

  3. Sales Innovation: Leverage sales techniques like consultative selling, value-based selling, and customer relationship management.

  4. Marketing Innovation: Implement digital marketing techniques including SEO, SEM, content marketing, email marketing, and social media marketing.

  5. Pricing Innovation: Develop dynamic pricing, value-based pricing, and promotional pricing techniques.

  6. Personalization and Location Targeting: Utilize data-driven marketing techniques for personalized messaging and location-based targeting.

Roles Checklist

  1. Product Development Team: Responsible for product innovation and development.

  2. Sales Team: Handles sales innovation, client interactions, and deal closures.

  3. Marketing Team: Takes care of marketing innovation, content creation, and campaign execution.

  4. Pricing Analyst: Works on pricing innovation and strategy.

  5. Customer Success Manager: Understands the customer journey, manages customer relationships, and provides post-purchase support.

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Campaign Checklist

  1. Audience Identification: Understand and define your target audience.

  2. Campaign Goals: Set clear and measurable objectives for your marketing campaign.

  3. Campaign Channels: Determine which channels you will use to reach your audience.

  4. Content Creation: Develop content that will resonate with your audience.

  5. Execution: Launch your campaign across the chosen channels.

  6. Measurement & Analysis: Track campaign performance and analyze the results to identify areas for improvement.

Channels Checklist

  1. Direct Sales: Selling directly to the end-user, perhaps through a dedicated sales team or an e-commerce website.

  2. Indirect Sales: Utilizing third-party entities like distributors, resellers, or affiliates.

  3. Content Marketing: Blogs, videos, webinars, e-books, and other types of content shared across various platforms.

  4. Email Marketing: Regular communication with customers or potential customers through email.

  5. Social Media: Presence on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and others, depending on where your target audience is active.

  6. SEO/SEM: Ensuring your online content is optimized for search engines, and using paid online advertising to reach potential customers.

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B2B Strategy

B2B Go-To-Market Strategy is a detailed plan that guides how a business markets and sells its products or services to other businesses, aiming to create an advantage, improve customer engagement, and ultimately increase sales and revenue growth. This includes innovating in product development, sales methods, and marketing tactics, in order to gain a competitive edge.

What are the key components of a strategy for B2B?

The key components of a Go-To-Market Strategy for B2B  are:

  1. Product Innovation: This involves developing new products, services, or features that address gaps in the market or provide better solutions than those currently available. It requires significant investment in research and development and a thorough understanding of customer needs.

  2. Sales Innovation: This includes creating innovative pricing strategies, exploring new sales channels, and enhancing the buying or delivery process. It requires an in-depth understanding of the customer, which is often achieved through direct research.

  3. Marketing Innovation: This component focuses on finding unique ways to generate leads and reach the target audience. It could involve SEO, SEM, content marketing, social media marketing, or other digital marketing methods that can drive brand visibility and customer engagement.

  4. Customer Journey Understanding: In a B2B setting, understanding the customer’s journey is crucial for tailoring products, services, and customer service processes to users’ needs. The aim is to optimize the customer experience from the initial point of contact through to post-purchase service, in order to boost customer satisfaction and loyalty.

  5. Pricing Innovation: Since price often plays a significant role in the customer’s decision-making process, innovating pricing strategies is a crucial part of the effective GTM strategy. This could involve offering discounts, installment systems, or employing cross-selling strategies to enhance perceived value.

  6. Technology Utilization: Leveraging technologies like CRM systems (for example, Salesforce) allows businesses to effectively manage customer relationships, monitor customer satisfaction, and maintain direct communication.

What is the use of CRM in Go-To-Market Strategy?

In a GTM strategy, the primary use of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems is to streamline and enhance the management of customer interactions and data across the customer lifecycle. This ensures that businesses understand their customers’ needs, can segment their market for targeted initiatives, and improve sales efficiency. Furthermore, CRM tools, by their design, facilitate consistent and meaningful engagement with customers, helping businesses cultivate and sustain long-term relationships. Efficiently leveraging a CRM within go-to-market strategies can lead to more informed decision-making and, consequently, better market performance.

Go-To-Market: Key Takeaways

  1. A Go-To-Market strategy is a vital business development tool, primarily aimed at securing a market advantage for the company in its market.

  2. The GTM plays a crucial role in improving customer engagement, thereby creating a more interactive and satisfactory experience for the customers.

  3. A well-planned and executed Go-To-Market strategy is key to driving revenue growth, ultimately enhancing the company’s profitability.

  4. One of the central components of a GTM is product or service innovation. It implies that businesses need to continually innovate their offerings to remain relevant and appealing to their customers.

  5. Sales innovation, which involves developing unique pricing strategies and exploring new sales channels, is another integral part of a successful go-to-market strategies.

  6. The GTM also emphasizes marketing innovation, which includes deploying techniques like SEO, SEM, and digital marketing to increase brand visibility and customer engagement.

  7. Understanding the customer journey is essential to the Go-To-Market strategy, allowing businesses to better tailor their products, services, and customer service processes according to users’ needs.

  8. Innovating pricing strategies, including offering discounts, installment systems, or cross-selling tactics, is crucial in a GTM strategy, as it directly impacts the customer’s decision-making process.

  9. The GTM heavily relies on leveraging technology, such as CRM systems, to manage customer relationships effectively and monitor customer satisfaction.

  10. Lastly, a robust GTM strategy aims to boost customer satisfaction and loyalty, which can lead to increased customer retention and a sustainable growth path for the business.