Go-to-market strategy for tech startups

Post on 14-Jun-2015

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The building blocks you need to create your sales and marketing plan for your technology startup. Presented at FastTrac program, Quebec City, Canada.

Transcript of Go-to-market strategy for tech startups

© 2014 Sovita Chander. All rights reserved.

Go-to-Market Strategy for Tech StartupsFastTrac program, Quebec City

Why we’re here today

Traction

Photo Credit: GrejGuide.dk via Compfight cc

Why should you listen to me?•Entrepreneur. Started when I was 26.•Been in the big company and startup trenches.•I’m not from around here. So I’ve never been able to afford to make market assumptions.

Everybody thinks go-to-market is this…

Marketing is fun and easy, right?•Killer slogans•Slick tradeshow booths and swag•Cool website (get that Bootstrap framework and flat design, baby)

Nope. Go-to-market…

Starts with your buyer

Photo Credit: underwhelmer via Compfight cc

Go-to-market strategy

Initial target

segment

Who they are

How they buy

Buyer profile

Buyer journey

Why target (and limit) segments?•Crossing the chasm•Limited resources (not IBM resources)•Courir plusieurs lièvres à la fois : spend your time and money most effectively

Good vs. bad segmentationDON’T DO THIS

“We target physician practices.”

DO THIS

“Our initial target market is physician practices with 20 or more physicians, in the United States, located in zip codes with >$75k household income and median population over 55.”

But won’t this limit our market reach? Remember: Target Addressable Market (TAM) =/ Initial Target Segment•Drill down to be effective. •Get your revenue (or other proxy metric).•Get your ROI/benefits.•Once you’re successful in that segment, then start moving on.

Skrillex is the product…What is the market?

Go-to-market strategy

Initial target

segment

Who they are

How they buy

Buyer profile

Buyer journey

In this segment, who are the buyers?

Create a Buyer Profile

Need a template? Ask me. sovita@sovitachander.com

Homework: more customer validation•Over the next few weeks, validate your Buyer Profile information•Call folks you know in this segment. •Don’t sell. •Keep it conversational.  

What they tell you is golden.

Mine it. Pay attention and you will craft your messaging, your copy, your pitch, everything.

Go-to-market strategy

Initial target

segment

Who they are

How they buy

Buyer profile

Buyer journey

Buyer’s Journey: marketing and sales

Awareness

• Do I have a problem?

• How painful?

• Impact?• What are

others doing?

Consideration

• Can I ignore it?

• Do I need help?

• What should I look for?

Engagement

• How long?• How much?• How

disruptive?• Impact on

business / performance?

Go-to-market strategies and tactics

Go-to-market ingredients

Tactics Based on Above

Buying Process

Offering & Value

Target Buyer Profile

Hat-tip: April Dunford

How to pick the right tactics?

Test!

Go-to-market success

How to pick the tactics to test?

Segmentation: focus.

Narrow down.

Match to buying

process.

Match to your

resources.

BEFORE: Go-to-Market Excerpt from Client Business Plan 4 step strategy to capture early

adopters:

a. Next 6 months: gain traction and visibility with paid / discounted software.

b. Direct sales for physicians.

c. Starting April 2015: Demo our solution at HIMSS, other industry events, Free HTML5 and App available

d. Starting June 2015: Self-provisioning app online

AFTER: Aim for go-to-market that looks like this…Goal Activity Budget Outcome

(drivers, metrics)

What do you need to do, business-wise?

What specifically are you going to?

How much can you spend? How much will it really take?

What does success look like?

Get early adopters to pay attention

Build a demo video

Ballpark it - $1000

1000 views in first month(So how will you

drive traffic? That becomes a series of tactics.)

….for each phase of the Buyer Journey

Awareness

• Do I have a problem?

• How painful?

• Impact?• What are

others doing?

Consideration

• Can I ignore it?

• Do I need help?

• What should I look for?

Engagement

• How long?• How much?• How

disruptive?• Impact on

business / performance?

Thank you!Sovita Chander

(418) 802-2435

sovita@sovitachander.com