The pressure's on for this one. Feels like this is the kind of topic first chapters in business books are devoted to.
A successful GTM is hard to describe in detail. Every business, customer, product, team, and marketplace are different and the right path through can vary widely. And the details shift as the market matures; competitors enter, different problems take priority, macroeconomic uncertainty can loom.
But, there are some characteristics of success you can look towards to judge if you're on the right track:
- It's predictable. You have a process and plan that you can plan to. Whatever the spreadsheet looks like, you can confidently match the inputs (content, $$, people, activities) into outputs (opportunities, pipeline, bookings, recognition) in a measurable way
- It's repeatable. You don't need completely new tactics, markets, products every 6 months to keep it going. You have a relatively steady attainment rate for sales, whether it's 70% or 90% - and adding similar new tactics (add a webinar and an event, for example) adds an incremental amount of output
- It's trainable. You can consistently hire new reps, new demand gen pros, new customer success leads, and they quickly and reliably onboard, certify, and get to fully ramped on a predictable timeline. It means you've figured out the customer, process, and value prop.
- It's copied. Imitation, flattery, you've heard this one. When you start seeing competitors pop up that look like you, talk like you, act like you, try a lot to be like you.... you've hit the fairway. There, I think I mixed Eminem with a sportsball reference. Business allegory achievement unlocked.
Then you get to have some fun. You've got cushion to try new things, push some boundaries, see what else might work.
