GTM Alliance Ambassador

David Bressler -

I'm trying something new. Well, maybe not so new as I've spoken at conferences on my own dime before to share what I know. So this is similar, but different.

I've volunteered to be an ambassador for the GTM (Go-to-Market) Alliance, the go-to-market learning platform for individuals, teams, and organizations that ensures repeatable, scalable, and predictable revenue gains.

You can read more about this in The Alliance's own words on their LinkedIn page. There's even a short video.

I've watched a related org, the Product Marketing Alliancee, grow from zero to a large org, and thought this one is similar and targeted at what I think one of my core competencies is - (B2B) go-to-market (with complex technology solutions). Why not see what I can contribute?

I'm excited to be a part of this program, and look forward to shaping what it becomes. To sharing what I know, and for the program forcing me to think more systematically about how I do what I do.

I'm also secretly hoping it helps me write a bit more, as I've been kinda quiet here lately. Two things on my mind when it comes to GTM that I've been thinking about writing about, things that I've created my own systems for:

  1. Minimum Viable Sales Plays. I've seen too many companies want sales plays to be perfect before launching them to sales. They also have a 'launch schedule' on a regular cadence with sales. I turn these plays upside down, and do the least amount of work as possible as fast as possible to see what sticks. I use modern technologies like audio and asynchronous video to deliver just-in-time enablement. What sticks gets more development. If product management teams can take a 'minimum-viable' approach, why can't product marketing?
  2. Ripped from the Headlines. This is my way of being relevant in my messaging. If I'm reading a story, my buyer is likely reading it. How can I use the news to hammer home my value proposition, or even just my ideas to get people thinking about problems the way I think about them (so they naturally gravitate towards the solutions in a way I think about them). I've taught sales teams how to use headlines (and other info that I provide - mostly stats about the space and customer stories) to get in their customers' and prospects inboxes constructively.

I've been doing GTM work since long before GTM was a word. In the naughts, I led what would today be called GTM for Actional, a product at Progress Software. I did similar with industries and APIs at CA, first financial services, then healthcare and IOT. And of course, at Axway where that was my main role because I owned product marketing for a product the sales team was challenged to sell better than they had been.

I do wonder how generally useful some of what I do is, or how it was a function of the complex integration space that underlies every bit of business technology.

Anyways, wish me luck and follow along if you're curious.