Ask a group of marketers to define “go-to-market” and clear your calendar. You’re going to be there for a while. Strategy? Plan? Tactic? Guides, templates, and seminars abound detailing an endless number of ingredients and recipes. But in the reality of your operational kitchen, expired expertise and stale business acumen make GTM taste like a bland demand stew.
How does a marketing chef turn their greasy spoon into a Michelin star restaurant? New sous-chef? Better knives? New menu? Yes, to all. But even a Cordon Bleu trained chef knows a restaurant is a business first. A business partner or financial benefactor is a must to transfer a chef’s passion and art to the plate. Not enough plates leave the kitchen each month, then the restaurant closes. Every chef knows this.
Okay, back to the catchall of GTM. Before you get caught up in the endless marketplace of recipes, ingredients, and equipment, take the time to prepare a financial demi-glace that will give your benefactors (CFO & CEO) the confidence and trust to invest in your restaurant. This is not a quick, simple, or easy recipe to make. Your GTM kitchen is going to be cramped, hot, and loud, but mastery of this base will keep you on the line and the door of your restaurant open.
J. Robert Slaughter 