B2B Go To Market Strategy Development

What is a Go To Market Strategy

A Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy is your roadmap to bringing a product or service to market successfully. It answers key questions: Who is your audience? What value do you offer them? How do you plan to reach them? Without a well-structured GTM plan, even the best products or services can flounder. Let’s break it down step by step.

Define Your Offer

Start by defining what you’re offering and the outcome it delivers. Your customers will need confidence that your product or service delivers on its promise. Some key questions are:

1. What outcome are you promising?
   • For example, "Lose weight in one week" might sound appealing but has a low likelihood of success. A structured plan over three months? More realistic and believable.
     
     
2. What effort does it require from the customer?
   • Is your solution "done for you" or does it demand significant input from the user? Lower effort solutions are often more attractive, but they come with higher expectations for results.
     
     
3. Does your offer or service have defined outcomes?
   • Outline how these outcomes will be reached and when they will be achieved. For example, “By Month 1, clients will see a 20% reduction in processing time.”
     
     
4. Are you moving your client up the decision chain?
   • Your product or service should guide the client from tactical concerns (how to implement) to strategic objectives (what outcomes they achieve). Implementation is how you do it—but clients care about the “why” and the results.
     
     
5. How can you focus on outcomes rather than the process?
   • Clients don’t want to worry about the nitty-gritty of what you do; they want to know the end result. Reframe your pitch to emphasise the “what” and “why,” ensuring your solution aligns with their strategic goals.

By clarifying your offer in these terms, you’ll set a strong foundation for trust with your audience, positioning your product or service as indispensable.

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Positioning

Positioning is about understanding where you stand in the market. Your customers likely have alternatives, so it’s essential to articulate what sets you apart.

Market Alternatives

Consider what your customers would do if you didn’t exist. What solutions are they currently using? If you’re competing against a well-known alternative, your messaging needs to highlight why you’re the better choice.

Key Unique Attributes

Ask yourself: What do you offer that your competitors can’t? Maybe it’s a feature, a level of service, or a unique approach. Write these down and ensure they’re part of your core messaging.

Value

Translate your unique attributes into tangible value for your customers. For example, a consultancy might enable clients to cut costs by 20% or complete a compliance process 50% faster. This develops a value proposition that resonates.

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Customers That Care

Not everyone will value what you offer equally. Identify the specific types of customers who will care the most about your solution. Focus your efforts on this group to get the best return.

Look for the context that makes your value proposition obvious. For example, a cloud-based storage service might resonate most with remote teams struggling with file sharing, while a bespoke consultancy service might appeal to businesses with highly specific compliance challenges.

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Define Your Audience (ICP)

Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is your north star. Use your positioning work to answer these questions:

1. Which industries are you targeting?
2. What is their geography?
3. What is their company size?
4. What technologies do they use?
5. Who are the decision-makers?

If you’re struggling to uncover enough pain points or a willingness to change, it’s a clear signal to qualify out. Don’t waste time chasing the wrong leads.

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Segment, Segment, Segment

Segmentation is critical. By grouping your audience into smaller, more specific segments, you can tailor your messaging and approach. For example, a SaaS company might segment its audience by company size or industry, while a service provider might focus on regions or compliance requirements.

For instance, a data protection specialist could start by targeting highly regulated industries, such as finance or healthcare. However, a more focused segmentation might involve narrowing the scope further to highly regulated companies affected by specific laws or standards, such as DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) or PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). This refined segmentation allows you to address precise pain points and present your solutions with greater relevance and impact.

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Approaches to Market

Once you’ve defined your audience, it’s time to decide how to reach them. Here are three proven approaches, each with actionable insights:

Email Campaigns

Email campaigns remain one of the most effective ways to engage potential customers. The approach you choose can make a significant difference in your results:

1. Machine Gunner
   • This approach involves sending emails to a broad audience with minimal segmentation. It’s a high-volume, “spray and pray” tactic that can generate some leads but may lead to poor engagement rates and high unsubscribe numbers. Best for testing broad interest in early stages.
2. Rifleman
   • A more refined approach, focusing on segmented groups based on criteria like industry, company size, or geography. This balances volume with relevance and works well when you’ve identified clear pain points for your audience.
3. Sniper
   • A highly personalised and specific method where each email is tailored to an individual or a small group. This approach is time-intensive but often yields the highest engagement and conversion rates. Ideal for high-value prospects or key decision-makers.

Tools such as Apollo.io can help streamline this process by generating targeted leads and automating mail campaigns, enabling you to execute all three approaches efficiently.

Cold Calling

Cold calling still works, especially when supported by strong segmentation and a clear value proposition. Success here depends on preparation:

• Why it works: If you’ve defined your audience and offer well, you can address their pain points immediately, building a connection in seconds.
• Enhancing effectiveness: Use tools like JustCall as a dialler to automate and streamline calls. These tools can integrate seamlessly with CRMs like Pipedrive, ensuring that every interaction is tracked and followed up effectively.

Content Marketing

Content marketing builds trust and positions you as an authority in your field. It’s about creating materials that resonate with your audience and address their specific challenges:

• What to create: Blogs, whitepapers, case studies, webinars, and videos that focus on your audience’s pain points.
• Why it works: Content provides long-term value by bringing inbound leads who are already interested in what you offer.
• Pro tip: Map your content to the buyer’s journey—awareness, consideration, and decision stages—to guide them naturally through the sales funnel.

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Mapping Content to the Buyer's Journey

Aligning your content with the buyer’s journey ensures you meet customers where they are, guiding them naturally toward a decision.

In the Awareness stage, buyers recognise a problem but don’t fully understand it. Educational content like blogs or videos helps highlight the issue and establish your authority. For example, “Top 5 Risks of Not Protecting Your Business Data” can spark their interest.

During Consideration, buyers actively research solutions. This is your chance to showcase your value with comparison guides, whitepapers, or case studies. For instance, “How Our Cybersecurity Service Saves Mid-Sized Companies £50,000 a Year” positions your offering as a top choice.

In the Decision stage, buyers are evaluating providers. Use demos, testimonials, or free trials to build trust. A case study showing measurable results can provide the final push.

By tailoring content to each stage, you build credibility and help customers move smoothly toward choosing your solution.

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Qualification with MEDDPICC

Qualification is key to ensuring you’re focusing on the right opportunities. The MEDDPICC framework provides a structured process to guide your efforts and should be used continuously throughout the sales cycle—not just at the beginning. Qualification is an ongoing activity where you’re always learning, refining, and adapting. Think of yourself as a cartographer, mapping out an organisation’s structure, pain points, and decision-making process. The more you understand, the better you can align your solution with their needs, and the more informed you are to close the deal effectively.

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What is MEDDPICC

MEDDPICC stands for:

1. Metrics:
   • What measurable results is the customer looking for? Quantify their pain points and your solution’s impact. For example, “reduce processing time by 30%” or “increase revenue by £100,000 per year.”
2. Economic Buyer:
   • Who controls the budget? Identify this person early and tailor your pitch to address their priorities. Ensure you understand their perspective and objectives.
3. Decision Criteria:
   • What factors influence their choice? These could be cost, speed, reliability, or other key attributes. Align your solution to meet these criteria.
4. Decision Process:
   • What steps will they follow to make a decision? Map out their process in detail, including timelines and key milestones.
5. Paper Process:
   • What’s their approval process? Know the paperwork involved, such as contracts, legal reviews, and procurement steps. This helps you avoid delays.
6. Identify Pain:
   • What specific problem are they trying to solve? Ensure your solution addresses their most critical and pressing issues.
7. Champion:
   • Who will advocate for you internally? Champions are essential to driving your deal forward within the organisation. Build strong relationships with these individuals.
8. Competition:
   • Who else are they considering? Be prepared to differentiate your offer clearly and convincingly.

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Always be Qualifying

MEDDPICC is not a one-time checklist or a rigid set of questions to bombard your prospect with on the first call. It’s a dynamic framework that evolves as you gather information and deepen your understanding of the customer’s needs. Every interaction—whether it’s a discovery call, a demo, or a follow-up email—should add a new piece to the map you’re building.

• Why continuous qualification matters:
  The more you learn about the organisation’s structure, pain points, and decision-making process, the more effectively you can tailor your approach. You’ll also be better positioned to anticipate objections and overcome hurdles.
• How it helps close deals:
  By continuously refining your understanding, you’ll not only demonstrate value but also build trust and credibility. This ensures that both you and the customer are aligned, making it easier to get the sale over the line.

Pro Tip: Build Your Qualification Map

Create a shared internal document or CRM field where you can capture and update MEDDPICC insights as they evolve. This document becomes your go-to resource for keeping track of progress, identifying gaps in your knowledge, and planning your next steps.

By embracing MEDDPICC as a continuous process, you’re not just qualifying opportunities—you’re actively building a roadmap to success, ensuring you and your customer achieve your goals.

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Building Your GTM Plan

A successful GTM plan integrates all key elements into a seamless strategy. Here's a concise approach:

1. Define Your Offer: Clearly outline what you’re offering, the outcomes it delivers, and how it addresses customer needs. Focus on strategic results, not just tactics.
2. Positioning: Identify competitors and highlight what makes you unique, such as distinct features or cost savings. Emphasise how your solution solves customer problems better.
3. Know Your Audience: Focus on the customers who benefit most from your solution. Narrow your target by industry, region, or specific needs, such as compliance with DORA or PCI-DSS.
4. Segment and Approach: Break your audience into smaller groups and tailor your strategy. Use email campaigns, cold calling, and content marketing aligned with the buyer’s journey to engage effectively.
5. Qualify Continuously: Apply the MEDDPICC framework throughout the sales cycle to refine your understanding of customer needs, pain points, and decision processes.
6. Proven Strategies: Learn from examples—B2B SaaS can leverage content marketing and emails, while professional services may focus on LinkedIn and targeted resources.

By tying these elements together and refining them over time, your GTM plan becomes a powerful tool for success.

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Conclusion

A Go-To-Market strategy isn’t a one-size-fits-all template. It’s about aligning your offer, audience, and approach to maximise your chances of success. Follow the steps outlined here, and you’ll be on your way to crafting a GTM plan that delivers results.

Remember, the key to success is constant iteration. Test, learn, and refine as you go. Good luck!

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How we can help

At Athena, we specialise in helping businesses create winning Go-To-Market strategies. Whether you need to define your offer, refine your positioning, or target the right audience, we have the expertise to guide you. Let us help you craft a GTM plan that delivers measurable results and gives you a competitive edge. Ready to take your business to the next level? Get in touch with us today.‍