Go-to-Market Strategy

If you’re preparing to launch a new offer, enter a new market, or expand your customer base, it’s important that you do so strategically.

A Go-to-Market (“GTM”) Strategy is a comprehensive plan outlining how you will launch and promote your products or services to the market.

While the specific details of a GTM Strategy will vary widely depending on your organization and offers, there are several key elements that are typically included:

• Target Market, or your ideal customer for your product or service, including demographic, geographic, and psychographic characteristics.
• Value Proposition, or the unique value that your offer provides to the target customer that sets you apart from competitors.
• Pricing Strategy, to specify the price of your product or service and how it compares to similar offerings in the market.
• Distribution Strategy, to outline how your offer will be delivered to the target customer, including the channels and methods of distribution.
• Promotion Strategy, or how your offer will be marketed to the target customer, including marketing channels, tactics, and messaging.
• Sales Strategy, or your sales process, including the channels and methods used to acquire and retain customers.
• Metrics & KPIs, or the data points that will be used to measure the success of the strategy and make adjustments as needed.

A GTM Strategy is typically needed whenever a company is planning to launch a new product or service, entering a new market, or looking to expand its customer base. It’s also important for companies that are undergoing a significant shift in their business model, or are experiencing an unexpected disruption in their industry.

Essentially, any time a company needs to ensure that they’re targeting the right customers and engaging them effectively, they should have a go-to-market strategy in place.

For example, let’s say a restaurant owner wants to open a new location in a different part of town. They know this area has a lot of foot traffic and that rent is affordable, but they aren’t sure what kind of food people in that area prefer, how much they’re willing to spend on meals, or what kind of atmosphere they’re looking for.

If they jump in without a comprehensive GTM Strategy, they risk investing a lot of time and money into a new location without a clear understanding of its viability. They might end up with a menu that doesn’t resonate with the community, or they could price their dishes too high for the area’s demographic. They could also design a space that doesn’t appeal to local residents, or they could invest in marketing strategies that aren’t relevant. Ultimately, this can lead to failing to generate the expected revenue, and possibly even cause a negative impact on the existing business.

However, if the restaurant owner invests in developing a GTM strategy, they can better understand what they’re getting into, and how to make it work. They can better understand the needs of the local market, and tailor their menu, pricing, and atmosphere to better align with what the community wants. This can help ensure the success of the new location and also help with the long-term growth of the business.

To be clear, while Market Sizing and Research is part of a GTM Strategy, GTM is a more comprehensive look at how to actually enter and succeed in that market.

While the specific stages of creating a go-to-market strategy can vary depending on the company and the market they are entering, there are several common stages that are typically involved:

1. Market analysis: The first stage is conducting a thorough analysis of the market to determine the potential size of the opportunity, key trends and drivers, customer segments, and the competitive landscape. This is often done through market research, which may involve surveys, focus groups, secondary research, and other methods.
2. Customer segmentation: Once the market has been analyzed, the next stage is to segment the potential customers into groups based on shared characteristics and needs. This can help to determine which customer groups are most likely to be receptive to the company’s offering, and how to best reach them.
3. Product positioning: With an understanding of the market and the target customers, the next stage is to position the product or service in a way that is compelling and differentiated from the competition. This involves developing key messaging and value propositions that resonate with the target customers, and that set the company apart from other options in the market.
4. Sales and distribution strategy: With the product positioned and the target customer segments identified, the next stage is to determine the best channels and tactics for reaching those customers. This may involve developing a direct sales force, building partnerships with distributors or resellers, leveraging online channels, or other methods.
5. Pricing strategy: Another important component of a go-to-market strategy is developing a pricing strategy that is both competitive and profitable. This may involve market research to determine what customers are willing to pay, as well as a cost analysis to ensure that the pricing supports the company’s financial goals.
6. Metrics and measurement: Finally, it is important to establish metrics and measurement systems to track the success of the go-to-market strategy. This may include metrics such as customer acquisition cost, customer lifetime value, and other key performance indicators (KPIs) that can help the company to continuously refine and optimize its strategy over time.