A contributing factor to startup and early-stage failure is a lack of market intimacy. Getting the market strategy right the first time is hard, and many companies do not figure it out but through iterations of tried-&-failed. Broadly, confidence about market strategy is low and results are lacking. For startups and early-stage enterprises, what’s at stake is greater than mature companies; often there is no safety net. These young enterprises need insight about if and where they can get market traction and they need that insight with speed. There is a process that will provide that insight with speed, while ensuring discipline and rigor.

1. Chief Revenue Office
For Startups and Early Stage enterprises

2. Often, startups and early-stage companies……
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Don’t have time for…. Instead, need….
to get traction in-market

3. But, smart strategy to drive revenue is hard & there is a
cost of being wrong
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Startups have no safety net to mitigate strategy failure
HubSpot2017

4. So, 3 key elements to get smart – fast – then get in-market
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Art
Ability to assimilate
“science” into an
actionable
Go2Market plan
Science
Proven methods to
gather Voice of the
Customer insights
and market trends
Speed
Experienced,
savvy resources
to get answers
and make
decisions – fast
Startups have no safety net to mitigate strategy failure

5. The Chief Revenue Office…
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 Develops, provides insights for and builds confidence in the Go2Market Strategy:
‐ Voice of the Customer: understanding the pain customers experience and words they use to describe
that pain, translating voice of the customer into optimal Go2Market strategy
‐ The context of the decision to use – or not - a particular product or service; how the decision is made
and who makes it
‐ How customers and prospects describe the value desired and evidence of that value before they buy
‐ Forces at work that affect the markets served: compliance, risk, service, price, competitive advantage
 Guides companies to sustain market position and continually innovate
 Dives deep into market trends and indicators to understand macro forces at work
 Develops succinct value messaging and a strong value proposition statement
 Ensures adherence to Go2Market principles and Value Model
 Identifies unserved and/or under-served markets
 Transfers all tribal knowledge: market strategy principles, best practices,
methodologies, disciplines, insights, tool development, assimilating insight into
actionable, go-to-market initiatives, etc.
 Aligns sales and marketing where appropriate and can help with recruiting

6. Step 1
Implement Value Model

7. Immerse principals in the Value Model as a foundation
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Value Proposition
‐ The experience with your company; part journey, part destination
‐ For markets served best, the improved outcomes as a result of
using your product or engaging your service
‐ In the context of all competing alternatives available to solve a
problem, how your offer is superior, including DIY and ‘do nothing’
Value Messaging
‐ Communicate the empirical evidence of the issue(s) at hand for
customers and prospects; remind them of the pain
‐ Communicate the empirical evidence to support the improved
outcomes with your offer: ROI from cost savings, increased
revenue, etc.
Value Delivery
‐ The evidence of the post-sale service that makes customers
advocates
2 to 3 weeks including Voice of the Customer exercise

8. Step 2
Implement Go2Market Strategy
Think, Build & Run

9. 9
‐ Market fact base and voice
of the customer
‐ Strategic market choices,
macro forces, and trends
‐ Competitive intelligence
‐ Validation of the value
proposition
‐ Segmentation and market
focus
‐ Value messaging platform &
content strategy
‐ Portfolio of offerings
‐ Broad sales & marketing
design and function
‐ Branding and specific marketing
functions
‐ Lead generation and sales
‐ Content & campaign mapping
‐ Service management
‐ Customer advocacy &
continuing innovation

10. Step 3
Develop Go2Market Tactics

11. Go2Market “Run” tactics
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Tactics can include, but not limited to, all sales, service and
marketing tasks to execute the strategy:
 Lead generation
 Branding, logo design, user experience
 Sales playbook
 Customer support, Service, Delivery
 Pricing
 Content creation
 Lead2Revenue management
 Innovation process
1 to 2 weeks

12. CRO Delivery

13. Possible Chief Revenue Office delivery scenarios
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 Triage – on-demand resources to help with questions/issues developing Go2Market strategy
or executing tactics against the strategy: Workshops, labs
‐ Obstacles often arise when determining communications methods/channels in the context of lead
generation campaigns, i.e.
‐ Overcoming obstacles to growth and scalability
 Advisory/Fractional
‐ For ‘new’ enterprises that need discipline developing the Go2Market strategy with hands-on
guidance (approximately 1 week)
‐ For established enterprises, monthly and/or quarterly sessions to review strategy, execution of the
strategy, achievement against goals, outcomes from sales/marketing efforts, etc.
‐ Overcoming obstacles to growth and scalability
 On wheels – for those organizations that need help in the field with projects involving sales or
marketing projects
 Transitional - for those enterprises that want to build an internal sales and marketing
capability and leverage best practices, tools and methods necessary to be self-sufficient
Average 300% ROI since 2000

14. Thanx
Tim Steele
tsteele@cortgrp.com