The Proven Process for Developing a Go-to-Market Strategy

Identify the buying center and personas

As cliché as it might seem, the first thing to do when preparing your product for market is to consider your customer.

On average, there are 6.8 decision makers for every sale who have a say in whether a product is purchased. These people make up what is called the “buying center.”

The roughly seven roles are as follows -- though it’s important to note some job titles might occupy more than one role.

Initiator: Starts the buying process or shows initial interest

User: Uses your product regularly

Influencer: Convinces others the product is needed

Decision maker: gives final approval for the purchase

Buyer: Owns the budget

Approver: Final approver who pushes the initiative on a larger scale (typically someone in the C-suite)

Gatekeeper: Blocker in getting a product implemented or approved

These roles vary based on the product, industry, and vertical you’re selling to. Get your team together and brainstorm the various job titles that could be impacted by your solution.

Research each role to get a general sense of what they do, their goals, and their pain points. It’s critical to learn who these people are, what motivates them, and what their problems are, as they will be the ones to put your product on the map.

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