Product and Engineering best practices for GTM enablement
In today’s competitive business environment, bringing a product to market is not just about having a superior product—it’s about ensuring that your Go-To-Market (GTM) teams are fully equipped to effectively position, message, and sell that product.
GTM enablement involves a collaborative process where product and engineering teams work closely with sales and marketing throughout the product development lifecycle. This ensures that the product’s features are not only technically sound but also aligned with market needs and that the GTM teams have the tools and knowledge they need to drive success. Effective GTM enablement is critical because it bridges the gap between product development and market execution, directly impacting revenue growth, customer satisfaction, and competitive positioning.
The importance of early collaboration
The foundation of effective GTM enablement lies in early and continuous collaboration between product, engineering, and GTM teams. The process begins during the feature specification phase. At this stage, the product and engineering teams collaborate to define the scope, objectives, and technical requirements for a new feature. Involving GTM teams early in this process is essential because it allows them to provide insights into market demands, customer pain points, and competitive landscapes that might influence the feature’s design and prioritization. It also allows them to get early insights on what is being developed and its potential value to customers.
Maintaining open communication during development
As the feature moves into the development phase, continuous communication between product + engineering, which I will refer to as product development teams, and GTM teams becomes even more important. Product development teams should provide regular updates on development progress, including any changes in scope or timelines. These updates allow GTM teams to adjust their plans and prepare for the feature’s launch accordingly. For instance, if the development team encounters technical challenges that delay the release, informing GTM teams promptly enables them to manage customer expectations and adjust marketing campaigns to align with the new timeline.
During development, engineering can also collaborate with product marketing managers (PMMs) to create technical content that will later be used for sales enablement. This content might include detailed documentation, white-papers, or technical briefs that explain how the feature works, its benefits, and its competitive advantages. By working together to produce these materials, engineering ensures that the technical accuracy is maintained while PMMs translate the complex details into clear, compelling messaging that resonates with potential customers. For example, if the new feature involves a sophisticated algorithm, the engineering team could help explain how the algorithm outperforms competitors in terms of speed or accuracy, while PMMs craft this information into digestible points that sales teams can easily communicate.
Joint launch planning
As the feature development approaches the final stages, product development teams must collaborate with GTM teams to plan the launch strategy. This planning includes determining the right messaging, identifying target customers, and preparing the sales force with the knowledge and tools they need to sell the feature effectively - product managers on the development team usually take the lead on these activities.
Additionally, engineering can assist by conducting training sessions for sales and support teams, where they explain the technical details, use cases, and potential objections they might encounter from customers. For instance, if the feature is a security enhancement, engineering could educate sales reps on how the feature mitigates specific security risks and complies with industry standards, enabling them to confidently address customer concerns.
In parallel, engineering should support marketing efforts by contributing to the creation of marketing assets such as blog posts, webinars, and case studies. Engineers can provide expert insights and participate in content creation, ensuring that the technical aspects of the feature are accurately represented and that the content appeals to a technical audience. For example, an engineer could co-author a blog post with a PMM, explaining the unique challenges the team overcame during development and how these challenges shaped the final product. This type of content not only helps to build credibility but also attracts technically-savvy customers who appreciate the transparency and depth of information.
Seamless knowledge transfer at release
Finally, upon the feature’s release, the product engineering team should ensure seamless knowledge transfer to GTM. This includes providing detailed feature documentation, technical training, and support resources. When releasing a new cybersecurity feature, for example, the engineering team could conduct comprehensive training sessions for the sales team, enabling them to effectively communicate the feature’s value proposition to customers.
Moreover, product and engineering should remain engaged with GTM teams to gather feedback and address any post-launch issues that may arise. This ongoing collaboration ensures that any bugs or customer concerns are quickly resolved, maintaining customer satisfaction and protecting the company’s reputation. Product management can also help GTM teams collect and analyze customer feedback to identify areas for improvement or additional features that could be developed in the future. This feedback loop is essential for continuous product improvement and for informing future development efforts.
Post-Launch: Continuous improvement through feedback
The journey of a new feature doesn’t end at its launch; in many ways, it’s just beginning. After the initial release, both product management and GTM teams play a crucial role in ensuring the feature’s ongoing success by closely monitoring its performance and gathering feedback from customers and prospects. This post-launch phase is critical for refining the feature, addressing any unforeseen issues, and capitalizing on opportunities to enhance its value.
Product management serves as the central hub for collecting and analyzing feedback during the post-launch phase. This feedback comes in two forms: qualitative and quantitative.
Qualitative feedback often involves direct interactions with customers, such as interviews, surveys, or user forums. Product managers actively engage with users to understand how they are using the new feature, what aspects they find most valuable, and where they encounter challenges. For example, after launching a new project management tool, product managers might conduct interviews with key customers to learn about their experiences. They might discover that while the tool’s task management capabilities are well-received, users are struggling with the integration features. This qualitative insight allows the product team to prioritize enhancements that address these pain points.
Quantitative feedback, on the other hand, involves analyzing data from usage metrics, support tickets, and sales performance. Product managers can use analytics tools to track how frequently the feature is being used, which aspects are most popular, and where users are dropping off. For instance, if usage data shows that a significant number of users abandon the feature after the initial setup, it might indicate that the onboarding process is too complex or not intuitive enough. By identifying these patterns, product managers can work with engineering to simplify the onboarding process, thereby improving user retention and satisfaction.
Finally, GTM teams, including sales and marketing, are often the first to hear customer reactions to the new feature. Their close interaction with customers and prospects allows them to capture immediate feedback, both positive and negative, which they relay back to the product team. Sales teams, in particular, are on the front lines, receiving real-time input from customers who are either excited about the new feature or have concerns or suggestions. For example, a salesperson might report that multiple prospects have expressed interest in a particular feature enhancement that wasn’t included in the initial release. This feedback is invaluable for informing future development priorities.
Marketing teams also gather insights from campaign performance and customer engagement metrics. They might notice that certain messaging resonates particularly well with the target audience, indicating a strong selling point for the feature. Conversely, if a marketing campaign fails to generate expected interest, it could signal that the feature’s value proposition needs to be reevaluated. These insights help refine marketing strategies and ensure that the feature continues to attract and retain customers.
This feedback loop established post-launch helps the entire organization stay agile and responsive to customer needs. It enables the company to quickly pivot if necessary and ensures that the product continues to deliver value as the market evolves. This ongoing process of learning and adaptation is critical for long-term success in a fast-paced, competitive environment.
In summary, early and continuous collaboration between product and engineering teams and GTM is crucial for successful enablement and maximizing learnings. Involving GTM teams from the outset, particularly during the specification phase, ensures that the feature is aligned with market demands and customer needs. Maintaining open lines of communication throughout development allows GTM teams to effectively prepare their positioning, messaging, and sales strategies. By working together to provide necessary training, demo environments, and content, engineering equips sales teams to confidently communicate the feature’s value to customers. This collaborative approach not only drives a successful product launch but also fosters ongoing growth and customer satisfaction.