Go-to-Market Strategy & Planning

Determining a clear Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy and plan helps companies overcome challenges associated with business expansion, new product introduction, extending geographic coverage, broadening customer relationships, establishing new channels to market, or improving marketing and sales performance.

Devising and implementing a GTM strategy and plan calls for cross-function collaboration, orchestration and teamwork.  It draws upon input from core business disciplines including market research, analysis, sales, marketing, brand management, pricing, product management, service and support. In turn, GTMs must also support a company’s operating model and organisation structure.

Developing GTMs Requires Business Discipline & Process Rigour

The business discipline required to develop and implement a GTM plan often serves to identify further areas for business improvement or new growth opportunities.  For example:

  • How well equipped is the sales organisation to align the chosen strategy to the existing customer base?
  • Is our product development strategy in line with market needs & potential?
  • Does the marketing organisation possess the requisite skills and resources to implement the GTM strategy?
  • By which metrics will we define the success of the strategy?
  • Do we have the necessary systems, tools and processes through which to monitor and measure metrics?
  • Do we need additional support and input in the areas of positioning, messaging and communications?

Identifying Growth Strategies

The process of developing a GTM plan serves to identify new opportunities for long-term growth as well as define additional areas of potential cost savings and efficiencies.

Furthermore, as enterprises and consumers alike increase their use of cloud computing and web-based services, organisations need to assess and understand their impact as a means to not only reduce operating costs but also to build and maintain stronger customer relationships.

Technical advances, most notably in the areas of communication, partnering and product or service delivery, require companies to rethink their GTM strategies and plans.  Such advances call for fresh and innovative thinking often only available from outside the organisation.