Existing Frameworks

Strategic Sales & Revenue Frameworks

These frameworks provide a structured methodology for managing the entire customer lifecycle and revenue process.

• Winning by Design (The Bowtie Funnel): Unlike the traditional "leaky funnel," this focuses on the customer journey as a bowtie. It places equal importance on Pre-Commit (Sales/Marketing) and Post-Commit (Onboarding, Retention, Expansion) to drive recurring revenue.

• SiriusDecisions Demand Waterfall: A classic B2B framework that tracks the transition of a lead from "Inquiry" to "Marketing Qualified Lead" (MQL), then "Sales Qualified Lead" (SQL), and finally to a "Closed Deal."

• ABM (Account-Based Marketing): A "flipped funnel" approach where you identify high-value target accounts first and then create personalized campaigns specifically for those accounts, rather than casting a wide net.

• SPICED Framework: A diagnostic sales framework used to align the team on Situation, Pain, Impact, Critical Event, and Decision criteria.

Growth & Motion Frameworks

These define the "engine" of your growth—specifically how a user first interacts with and eventually pays for your product.

• Product-Led Growth (PLG): The product itself is the primary driver of acquisition and retention (e.g., Slack, Zoom). It usually features a "freemium" or free-trial model where users experience value before paying.

• Sales-Led Growth (SLG): Relies on a human-centric sales team to prospect, demo, and close deals. This is the standard for complex, high-ticket enterprise software (e.g., Salesforce).

• Ecosystem-Led Growth: Leveraging a network of partners, integrations, or marketplaces (like the Shopify App Store or Salesforce AppExchange) to find and win customers.

• Community-Led Growth: Building a loyal community around a problem or craft (e.g., Figma for designers, dbt for data engineers) where members advocate for the product.

• Hybrid Motion: A mix of the above—often using PLG for "bottom-up" user adoption while using Sales-Led tactics to "top-down" enterprise-wide contracts.

Product-Market Strategy Frameworks

These help you define what you are selling and who you are selling it to.

• The 4 P’s (The Marketing Mix): A foundational framework focusing on Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.

• The Jobs to be Done (JTBD) Framework: Focuses on the "job" a customer is "hiring" your product to do, helping you refine messaging and features based on outcomes rather than just demographics.

• ICP & Persona Framework: A system for defining your Ideal Customer Profile (the company type) and Buyer Personas (the specific humans within those companies) to ensure marketing isn't wasted on low-fit leads.

• The Value Proposition Canvas: A tool to ensure your product features actually map to the specific pains and gains of your target customer.

A 10-Step GTM Checklist is a tactical roadmap that moves from high-level research to day-to-day execution. While various versions exist, the most effective industry standard (used by firms like HubSpot and Gartner) follows this logical progression:

The 10-Step GTM Strategy Checklist

Phase 1: The Strategy Foundation

• Step 1: Identify the Problem & Product-Market Fit Clearly define the specific pain point your product solves. Validate that the market actually needs this solution now (not just that it’s "nice to have").

• Step 2: Define your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) & Personas ICP: The types of companies you target (industry, revenue, size).

  Personas: The specific people within those companies (their roles, goals, and fears). Map the "Buying Center" (e.g., the User, the Budget Holder, the IT Gatekeeper).

• Step 3: Conduct Competitive & Market Research Map out direct competitors and "status quo" alternatives. Identify the "white space" where your competitors are weak and you are strong.

Phase 2: The Value & Offer

• Step 4: Create a Value Matrix & Messaging For every persona identified in Step 2, draft a specific value proposition.

  • Example: The CEO cares about ROI; the End-User cares about saving time. Your messaging must pivot for each.

• Step 5: Define Pricing & Packaging Strategy Determine how you will charge (subscription, usage-based, flat fee). Align your tiers with the value realized by the customer.

Phase 3: The Distribution Engine

• Step 6: Select your GTM Motion (Sales vs. Product-Led) Decide if users will sign up themselves (PLG), if a sales rep needs to demo the product (Sales-Led), or if you’ll use partners (Channel-Led).

• Step 7: Choose your Marketing & Demand Gen Channels Identify where your ICP spends time. Will you use LinkedIn Ads (Outbound), SEO/Content (Inbound), or targeted Account-Based Marketing (ABM)?

• Step 8: Map the Customer Journey & Funnel Define the stages a lead takes from "Stranger" to "Customer." Identify the specific assets (case studies, whitepapers, webinars) needed at each stage to move them forward.

Phase 4: Execution & Feedback

• Step 9: Set Goals & Success Metrics (KPIs) Define what "success" looks like for the first 90 days. Common metrics include Sales Velocity, Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), and Win Rate.

• Step 10: Build a Feedback Loop & Iterate Establish a "Post-Mortem" or weekly sync between Sales, Marketing, and Product to share what objections buyers are raising and adjust the messaging in real-time.

Execution & Launch Frameworks

Used for the tactical rollout of a new product or feature.

• The GTM Strategy Checklist (10-Step): A standard operational roadmap including:

  1. Market Research/SWOT

  2. Pricing Strategy

  3. Distribution Channels

  4. Messaging & Positioning

  5. Sales Enablement

  6. Launch Timeline

• The "Market, Message, Motion" Framework: A simplified three-pillar approach:

  • Market: Who is the buyer?

  • Message: What is the unique value?

  • Motion: How do we deliver the product to them?