Looking to scale something up? Depending on how you're going after your market/ acquiring users, you may need to build a sales organization that's optimized for a top-down or bottom-up sales process (or perhaps both).
Watch the video overview at http://a16z.com/2015/03/06/go-to-market-bootcamp/ and then check out this slide deck, which shares some concrete tips and tools for accelerating time to market -- from the go-to-market experts at a16z, led by 'sales savant' Mark Cranney.
Because selling to enterprises is a lot like getting a bill passed through Congress: it can get stuck. And getting stuck -- or going down the wrong path -- can mean death to startups in a competitive market. Here's how to avoid that.
2. Today’s Presenters
Mark Cranney, Operating Partner
Global Field Operations, Sales Leadership
Tom Butta, Partner
CMO, Challenger Brand Expert
Mahesh Iyer, Partner
Demand Generation, Campaigns
Jaimie Buss, Partner
Sales Development, Channel Sales
3. To provide you with Go-To-Market processes, best practices and
templates required to:
• Validate the right model for your business
• Optimize your sales and marketing efforts
• Hire the right executives
• Reduce your time to market
• Insulate yourself from competition
• Provide situational awareness and direction to scale efficiently
Boot Camp Objectives
5. Customer
Success
Field
Sales
Inside
Sales
a16z Go-To-Market Boot Camp
Marketing & Lead
Generation
Value Proposition
Demand Creation
Lead Nurturing
New
Attempting
Contacted
New Opportunity
Implementation, Training,
and Support
Nurturing & Creating New
Opportunities
Closing Renewals, Up-Sells,
and Cross-Sells
Identify Initiatives
Create Value Proposition
Execute Competitive Strategy
Validate Solution & ROI
Propose Solution
Negotiate & Close
Deploy & Develop
6. Build & Enrich Customer Pipeline
Marketing & Lead Generation
Market Positioning Model,
Brand Elements Pyramid,
Message Stack
Campaign Plan, Design
Template, Content Framework,
Activity Calendar, Reports &
Dashboards
Contact to Contract Workflow,
Lead Scoring Framework,
Nurture Programs
Establish Lead Process • Qualify
& Nurture Leads
Define Campaign Audience • Design Campaign Strategy • Manage
Campaign Workflows • Measure the Results • Refine & Optimize
Identify Target Market & Buyers • Define Competitive Advantage • Establish Positioning Platform
Generate Awareness &
Create Demand
Define Value Proposition
7. New OpportunityContactedAttempting
Inside Sales
Inbound Lead
Prioritization, Outbound
Prospecting
Email Templates,
Outreach Cadence
Qualification
Framework, Call Scripts,
Objection Handling
Qualify • Establish Value • Close for Next Steps
Call Preparation• Outreach Execution • Social Engagement
Lead Prioritization
New
Sales Development to
Account Exec Hand-off
Metrics and Tracking
Templates
8. Field Sales
Deploy and
Develop
Discovery Tool,
Value Framework
Discovery Tool,
Value Proposition
Template, ROI
Tool, On-Demand
Demo
Discovery Tool,
Account Plan,
Competitive Traps,
POC Lockout
Document
POC Lockout
Document, RFI/
RFP Responses,
ROI Model,
Scoping Document
Proposal
Template, Quote
Tool, ROI Model,
Deployment Plan,
Standard
Contracts, SOW
Final Contracts Deployment Plan
Penetration, Discovery and Qualification
Sell Value, Qualify & Test, Develop Champions
Establish Political Alignment, Execute Competitive Strategy & Influence Buying Criteria
Position, Manage & Execute Validation Process
Confirm Decision Process & Propose Solution
Finalize Negotiation & Close
Partner
Negotiate
and Close
Propose
Solution
Validate Solution
& ROI
Executive
Competitive Strategy
Create Value
Proposition
Identify Initiatives
9. Close Renewal &
Up-Sell Cross-Sell
Customer Success
Opportunity Plan, Project
Implementation Plan,
Implementation Review
Checklist, Training Materials,
Status Reports
Proof Point Template, Executive
Scorecard, Value Proposition,
Opportunity Plan, Account Plan
Proposal Template, Quote Tool,
Negotiation Planner, Standard
Contracts, SOW
Negotiate and Close Renewal •
Opportunity
Confirm Value Created • Collect Proof Point • Identify and Develop
Additional Opportunities
Confirm Internal Alignment • Resource Allocation • Deployment Success Criteria •
Managing the Milestones, Measuring Impact
Nurture Account &
Create Opportunity
Implementation, Training & Support
10. Upper level management makes a purchase
and forces its use down the organization
Level of Entry: High
Value Justification: Priority at the top, with
support from key stakeholders below
Sales Strategy: Hire Salespeople with sales
experience for face-to-face sales (expensive)
Sales Cycle Length: Long
Avg. Sales Price: $$$$ Higher
Revenue Model: A few sales may be all you need
Top Down Approach
Top Down vs. Bottom Up (User Acquisition Model)
Individual users (typically at the lower, more
technical levels) begin using the solution and
adoption grows organically
Level of Entry: Low
Value Justification: Everyone buys in, every day
Sales Strategy: Initially viral, web-based
(inexpensive)
Sales Cycle Length: Short, Viral
Avg. Sales Price: $ Lower (but scales)
Revenue Model: Requires high volume of
customers paying small amounts each
Bottom Up Approach
Executive
Director · Manager
Individual Contributor
11. I N D U S T R Y
P E R S P E C T I V E S
a16z Go-To-Market Boot Camp
M A R K E T I N G
12. Build & Enrich Customer Pipeline
Marketing & Lead Generation
Market Positioning Model,
Brand Elements Pyramid,
Message Stack
Campaign Plan, Design
Template, Content Framework,
Activity Calendar, Reports &
Dashboards
Contact to Contract Workflow,
Lead Scoring Framework,
Nurture Programs
Establish Lead Process • Qualify
& Nurture Leads
Define Campaign Audience • Design Campaign Strategy • Manage
Campaign Workflows • Measure the Results • Refine & Optimize
Identify Target Market & Buyers • Define Competitive Advantage • Establish Positioning Platform
Generate Awareness &
Create Demand
Define Value Proposition
14. The Modern Marketing Organization
Sales
Product
Management
Content Marketing
Marketing Operations
Product
Marketing
Demand Generation
& Field Marketing
Communications &
Influencer Marketing
Business Operations/IT Sales Operations
Customer
15. Value of Market Segmentation
Prioritizes where
investments will
yield highest return
Aligns sales,
marketing, and
product development
Enables tailored
messages and
selling strategy
16. Aligning Use Cases & Impact by Audience – Template
CxO
Manager
Individual User
(Project, Team, Function)
(e.g. Developer, Administrator)
• Revenue
• Cost
• Risk
• Speed
CxO
• Cost
• Efficiency
• Collaboration
• Quality
Manager
• Ease of use
• Time
• Innovation
Individual User
18. Building Out the Platform
Brand Positioning Platform
Foundational Elements
Sell Sheets · Presentations · Media Relations · Analyst Relations · Website
Thought Leadership Content
Campaigns
19. Generate Awareness & Create Demand
Define Your
Campaign Audience
Design A
Campaign Strategy
Manage Campaign
Workflows
Measure
the Results
Refine &
Optimize
21. Design: Campaign Planning Template - Example
Campaign
Name
Campaign
Objectives
Campaign
Duration
Campaign
Components
Target
Audience/
Segment(s)
Key Messages
Campaign
Goals
Campaign
Budget
Expected
Campaign
ROI ($$)
Next-gen
Analytics
Campaign
Introduce a new
breed of
analytics and
generate
interested
prospects
Feb – Apr
(90 Days)
2-part Webinar
Series, Exec
Brief, Technical
Whitepaper,
Buyer’s Guide,
Display Ads,
AdWords, Tech
Summit
CDO, Data
Scientists, VP
IT Ops
Prescribe next
best action
based on inline
insights, Blow
away the
competition with
real-time graphs
& dashboards
• 1,500
responses
• 15 Optys
• $3M pipeline
• 4 Deals
• $1m closed
bookings
$200k
5X
Program
Spend to
Bookings ROI
Secure First
Campaign
Generate
preference and
consideration for
battling modern
APT with xyz
Threat
Intelligence
Platform
Jun – Nov
(180 Days)
Cyber-Security
Symposium,
Analyst
Roundtable,
Executive
Brief, CIO
Summit, Tech
sponsorship,
Whiteboard &
Videos
CISO, CIO,
CSO, Security
Architect,
Fraud & Risk
analysts
Smart
Prevention
Real-time
detection &
mitigation
Intelligent Threat
Profile Engine
• 1,500
responses
• 12 Optys
• $6M pipeline
• 4 Deals
• $2M closed
bookings
$300k
7X
Program
Spend to
Bookings
22. Measure the Results: KPIs and Benchmarks
Inquiry/Response
INBOUND:
Web site
Social media
PR coverage
OUTBOUND:
Digital Marketing
Events
Webinars
Marketing Qualified Lead
Jointly define MQL criteria with
sales (e.g. by lead score, by
title/company, industry, etc.)
Sales Accepted Lead
(aka Pre-Opportunity)
Sales Qualified Lead
(aka Opportunity)
Closed Won
($$$ Bookings)
Lead Conversion Rate Benchmarks
(source: SiriusDecisions)
SaaS: Traditional:
21%
50%
38%
21%
8%
72%
65%
27%
8 closed won per
1,000 inq/resp
10 closed won per
1,000 inq/resp
• New Inquiries/Responses Generated
• Sources of Inquiries/Responses
• Cost per Inquiry/Response
• Number of Touches to Qualify
KPIs
• Number by Source (Quantity)
• Conversion Rate (Quality)
• Duration in Stage (Velocity)
At each stage in Funnel:
• New Inquiries/Responses Generated
• Sources of Inquiries/Responses
• Cost per Inquiry/Response
• Number of Touches to Qualify
Pipeline and Closed Business
23. Contact to Contract Process
Contact
(New Inquiry/
Response)
Attempting Contacted
Marketing
Qualified
Lead
Sales
Accepted
Lead
Sales
Qualified
Lead
Contract
(Closed Won
Deal)
24. Lead Management: Nurturing and Drip Campaigns
Example:
Feb 14: Offer 2
(white paper)
Mar 30: Offer 4
(free trial)
Feb 1: Offer 1
(case study)
Mar 1: Offer 3
(webinar)
Analyst
Report
Product
Announcement
Quarterly
Newsletter
Quarterly
Newsletter
Drip Campaign:
Long-term lead nurturing campaign:
No response or
not sales ready
Yes: remove from drip
No: remain in drip
Lead score threshold met.
Triggers sales follow-up.
Send offer every 7-30 days
(based on campaign and
sales cycle)
Score triggers inside sales
follow-up to determine sales
readiness
Opt-out option with
every touch: it’s a
legal requirement
Database segmentation
is critical: don’t
look uncoordinated
25. I N D U S T R Y
P E R S P E C T I V E S
a16z Go-To-Market Boot Camp
I N S I D E S A L E S
26. New OpportunityContactedAttempting
Inside Sales
Inbound Lead
Prioritization, Outbound
Prospecting
Email Templates,
Outreach Cadence
Qualification
Framework, Call Scripts,
Objection Handling
Qualify • Establish Value • Close for Next Steps
Call Preparation• Outreach Execution • Social Engagement
Lead Prioritization
New
Sales Development to
Account Exec Hand-off
Metrics and Tracking
Templates
27. Inbound Prioritization
H O T L E A D S — C A L L A S A P
Response time affects conversion rate
Remember, the minute a hot lead is created,
the clock is ticking.
29. Outreach Execution
L E V E R A G E A L L A N G L E S
Call
Email
Google+Facebook
LinkedInTwitter
Voicemail
Github
30. Example Prospecting Strategy
“ 8 3 % O F H I G H P E R F O R M E R S H A V E A D E F I N E D S T R A T E G Y A N D M A K E 4 – 8 A T T E M P T S . ” – K I N S E I P A R T N E R S
Outbound Only
24 hrs. 48 hrs.
No Connect:
Send email
Connect:
Qualify in/out
Last Chance: Email/Voicemail
“Are you still interested?”
32. Track It!!
H O W D O Y O U K N O W I F T H E P R O S P E C T O P E N E D Y O U R E M A I L , A N D W H E N T H E Y O P E N E D I T ?
Applications like
ToutApp allow you to:
Collaborate on email
templates,
increasing efficiency
Measure email open
rates, optimizing
effectiveness
Track when emails
are opened in
real time
34. Inside Sales to Sales Handoff
A S U C C E S S F U L H A N D O F F : T H E D E V I L I S I N T H E D E T A I L S
Create calendar
invites
Send letter of
understanding
Send email reminder
to client day of call/
meeting
Launch Call,
introduce both
parties
Post-call analysis:
Was it a qualified
call?
35. Key Metrics - Template
CALLS/DAY: ___
EMAILS/DAY:___
CONVERSATIONS/DAY: ___
AVERAGE TALK TIME:___
MEETING/WEEK:___
OPPORTUNITIES
CREATED
CLOSED/WON OPPORTUNITIES
Calls/Emails to Conversations: 15%
Conversations to Meetings: 50%
Meetings to Opportunities: 50%
Opportunities to Wins: 25–30%
36. I N D U S T R Y
P E R S P E C T I V E S
a16z Go-To-Market Boot Camp
F I E L D S A L E S
37. Field Sales
Deploy and
Develop
Discovery Tool,
Value Framework
Discovery Tool,
Value Proposition
Template, ROI
Tool, On-Demand
Demo
Discovery Tool,
Account Plan,
Competitive Traps,
POC Lockout
Document
POC Lockout
Document, RFI/
RFP Responses,
ROI Model,
Scoping Document
Proposal
Template, Quote
Tool, ROI Model,
Deployment Plan,
Standard
Contracts, SOW
Final Contracts Deployment Plan
Penetration, Discovery and Qualification
Sell Value, Qualify & Test, Develop Champions
Establish Political Alignment, Execute Competitive Strategy & Influence Buying Criteria
Position, Manage & Execute Validation Process
Confirm Decision Process & Propose Solution
Finalize Negotiation & Close
Partner
Negotiate
and Close
Propose
Solution
Validate Solution
& ROI
Executive
Competitive Strategy
Create Value
Proposition
Identify Initiatives
39. Sales Process
I T A T E A M S P O R T ! ! !
S U P P O R T I N G A C T I V I T I E S A N D R E S O U R C E S
Through A Non-Linear Sales Process
Step 1
Identify
Initiatives
Step 2
Create Value
Proposition
Step 3
Execute
Competitive
Strategy
Step 4
Validate
Solution & ROI
Step 5
Propose
Solution
Step 6
Negotiate &
Close
Step 7
Deploy &
Develop
Rapid Prototyping Capability
Pre-Sales
Marketing
Sales
Engineering Product Management
Customer Success
Discovery
Demo
POC
Pilot
Deployment
Opportunity executionDiscovery
40. Develop the Value Framework
Business
Strategies
Initiatives
Solution Set
Critical Capabilities
ObjectivesStep 1: Focus is on identifying what
is happening with the business
Step 2: Tie Initiatives,
Critical Capabilities,
& Solution Set
back to the
business issues
42. Opportunity Management & Account Planning
M A N Y M O V I N G P A R T S …
Funding
Process
Account
Plan
Validation
Competitive
Positioning
Decision
Process
Decision
Criteria
Political
Position
43. Business
Strategies
Initiatives
Solution Set
Critical Capabilities
Objectives
Focused on and accountable for
Aware of and understand their relationship to
Executives
Directors
and
Managers
Individual
Contributors
Individual
Contributors
Individual
Contributors
Individual
Contributors
Individual
Contributors
Individual
Contributors
Directors
and
Managers
ROI/POV Creation
S T E P 1 : I D E N T I F Y T H E I N I T I A T I V E S ( T H E Y A R E A L R E A D Y F U N D E D )
44. Typical Use Cases
Green field,
differentiated,
both (why
anything, why
you, why now)
Scope
Applicable
subset
Benefit
Areas
Iterative and
validated with
anecdotes
Input Data
Based on
capability
maturity
Improvement
Levels
Phases &
timelines
Estimate
Implementation
TCO
implications
Cost
Estimate
Schedule
Cost
Benefit
45. Summary of ROI Analysis (Example)
$ 1 4 . 5 M M I N A N N U A L S A V I N G S I D E N T I F I E D
$3,744,396
$2,713,425
$649,702
$3,022,835
$11,142,323
$1,763,815
$692,461 $3,886,332
Current Cost by Activity
Provisioning
SW Updates & Config
Business App Change
Patching & Maintaining
Troubleshoot & Repair
Audits & Compliance
Producing Reports
Other Activities
$1,123,319
$1,628,055
$519,761
$604,567
$4,891,480
$264,572
$173,115
$3,886,332
Reduced Cost by Activity with
MyCo
Over $14,524,087 Savings
46. Components of a Proposal
C H E C K L I S T
Quote with
Terms
✓
License
Description
✓
Statement
of Work
✓
Tech Validation
& ROI Results
✓
Software License
Agreement
✓
Support and/or
Services Agreement
✓
47. Deal Review Process
Account Plan
and Competitive Strategy
Proposal
Structure
Strategy
Options
Quote & Terms
License Desc
SOW
Business Case
Marketing Ask
Components for ReviewSales Management
Customer Success
Sales Engineering
Marketing
Finance
Legal
ROI/Business Case
Development
48. Forecasting Best Practices
Q U A L I F I C A T I O N C R I T E R I A
M
E
D
D
I
C
C
Metrics: Quantifiable measurements of the business benefits of the solution. (Before and After comparison).
Proof of where and how we’ve accomplished similar objectives before
Economic Buyer: The individual within the customer’s organization who has the final “yes.” Typically has access to
discretionary funding.
Decision Criteria: These are the formal solution requirements against which each participant in the decision process will
evaluate the available options. They are always from the customer’s point of view.
Decision Process: The process by which the customer will evaluate, select and purchase a solution.
Identify Pain: Pain is the catalyst for the buyer solving the problem within a set timeframe. There are Business pains and
Technical pains and both must be identified and quantified.
Champion: The person with power and influence inside the customer’s organization who is actively selling on your behalf.
Competition: The competition’s strengths, weaknesses and differentiators, including Champions and their relative power and
influence. You must understand your competition (including “Do Nothing” and “Do it Internally) and have a strategy to compete.
49. Forecasting Best Practices
F O R E C A S T I N G O U T L I E R S
Sales Stage
! Current Quarter "
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13
Identifying
Initiatives
Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline
Create a Value
Proposition
Best Case Best Case Best Case Best Case Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline
Execute
Competitive Strategy
Commit Commit Best Case Best Case Best Case Best Case Best Case Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline
Validate
Solution &
ROI
Commit Commit Commit Commit Best Case Best Case Best Case Best Case Best Case Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline
Propose
Solution
Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit Pipeline Pipeline
Negotiate &
Close
Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit Commit
Deploy &
Develop
Closed Closed Closed Closed Closed Closed Closed Closed Closed Closed Closed Closed Closed
50. I N D U S T R Y
P E R S P E C T I V E S
a16z Go-To-Market Boot Camp
C U S T O M E R S U C C E S S
51. Close Renewal &
Up-Sell Cross-Sell
Customer Success
Opportunity Plan, Project
Implementation Plan,
Implementation Review
Checklist, Training Materials,
Status Reports
Proof Point Template, Executive
Scorecard, Value Proposition,
Opportunity Plan, Account Plan
Proposal Template, Quote Tool,
Negotiation Planner, Standard
Contracts, SOW
Negotiate and Close Renewal •
Opportunity
Confirm Value Created • Collect Proof Point • Identify and Develop
Additional Opportunities
Confirm Internal Alignment • Resource Allocation • Deployment Success Criteria •
Managing the Milestones, Measuring Impact
Nurture Account &
Create Opportunity
Implementation, Training & Support
52. Program, Delivery, and Project Management
• Responsible for managing long-term
PS relationship with customer
• Manages multiple projects within
single customer – MAM, PAM, News
• Typically working on Strategic
Accounts in each geo
• Works closely with Sales to develop
new, add-on opportunities
• Billable resource and part of Project
Team on larger deployments
Program Management
• Manages the Delivery team of
Project Managers and Engineers
• Responsible for Resourcing,
Budgeting and Forecasting
• Works closely with Sales, Solutions
Design, Program and Project
Management
Delivery Management
• Owns Project P&L and ultimately
responsible for success of project
• Schedules Project Engineering,
Training and Workflow resources
for each project
Project Management
53. Training Services & Support Programs
E S C A L A T I O N P R O C E S S E X A M P L E
Standard Escalations Code Red Code Blue
Issued for all situations needing
escalation, but not meeting
Code Blue criteria
Issued proactively as “stand-by”
alert for heightened
preparedness for a significant
event or series of events
Issued when there is immediate
harm or damage requiring
emergency response or if
immediate and sustained
response is needed outside of
business hours
54. Customer InterviewCustomer Questionnaire Customer Facts Doc
Guide consistent interviews and
facts gathering aligned with
reference information needs
Conduct comprehensive customer
interview to obtain needed level of
information to support all needs
Conduct comprehensive customer
interview(s) to obtain needed level
of information to support all needs
Central Repository
Single location to store all
Customer Facts Docs and
related info for reference
Sales Tools Developed Post Contract Sales Tools Developed Post ‘Go Live’
Press ReleaseWin Wire Web/PDF Case Study Reference Video ROI CalculatorsPPT Reference Slide(s)
It Starts By Creating Reference Customers
55. Driving Customer Lifetime Value
T H E M A J O R I T Y O F R E V E N U E I S G E N E R A T E D A F T E R T H E I N I T I A L S A L E .
Customer
Acquisition
Creating Customers for Life: The New Formula for Success in the Subscription Economy. Service Source, 2014.
Renewal
Up-Sell
Cross-Sell
Revenue