ResourcesBlogA Guide for Product Marketing Managers on Overcoming Go-To-Market Struggles 

A Guide for Product Marketing Managers on Overcoming Go-To-Market Struggles 

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Product Marketing Managers discussing Go-to-Market Strategies

Launching a new product or service successfully requires navigating various challenges along the way. From understanding the product thoroughly to aligning internal teams and measuring success, product managers and product marketing managers face a range of hurdles when it comes to executing effective go-to-market (GTM) strategies.  

Identifying Key Struggles 

Recently, we reached out to the product management community on LinkedIn with a simple yet critical question: “What is your biggest struggle with your Go-To-Market Plan?” 

The responses shed light on common pain points faced by product managers and product marketing managers: 

Lack of Product Understanding: One of the recurring themes was not understanding the product well enough to determine the correct messaging and channels to capture the target audience effectively. This often leads to misalignment between product and marketing teams, impacting the quality and effectiveness of GTM efforts  

Late Involvement of Marketing: Another challenge highlighted was the late involvement of marketing in GTM discussions, often resulting in a rush to launch without a well-defined strategy. This can undermine the success of the launch and diminish the product’s impact in the market. 

Unclear Goals and Objectives: Many product managers mentioned the importance of having clear launch goals and objectives established before launching a product. Without these benchmarks, it becomes challenging to measure the success of the GTM strategy and make informed adjustments. 

Internal Alignment Issues: Aligning key departments such as sales, customer support, and operations is crucial for a successful GTM. However, internal alignment issues can undermine the product’s launch and its ongoing success in the market. 

Lack of Iteration and Adaptation: Building an effective GTM strategy is an ongoing process that requires continuous iteration and adaptation based on customer feedback and market insights. Failure to adjust the GTM strategy based on learnings can lead to weak GTM execution and missed opportunities. 

So How Do We Solve For This

To tackle these challenges, product marketing managers can embrace a range of strategies and best practices: 

  • Deep Product Understanding: Invest time and resources in understanding the product thoroughly, including its value proposition, target audience, and competitive landscape. This knowledge will inform the GTM strategy and messaging effectively. Also of importance is ensuring there is a clear product positioning statement which accurately reflects both the value and differentiation the product possess.
  • Early Involvement of Marketing: Ensure that marketing teams are involved from the early stages of product development to collaborate on crafting a comprehensive GTM strategy. This early involvement enables better alignment and coordination between product and marketing efforts.
  • Define Clear Goals and Metrics: Establish clear goals, objectives, and success metrics for the GTM strategy. This includes defining key performance indicators (KPIs) such as customer acquisition, retention rates, and revenue growth to measure the effectiveness of the launch.
  • Foster Internal Alignment: Facilitate cross-functional collaboration and communication among key departments to ensure alignment on GTM goals and execution. Regular meetings, workshops, and shared documentation can help foster a cohesive approach. 
  • Iterate and Adapt: Embrace a culture of continuous iteration and adaptation based on customer feedback, market trends, and performance data. Leverage beta testing, feedback loops, and data-driven decision-making to refine the GTM strategy over time.

Navigating go-to-market challenges requires a combination of strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous improvement. By addressing key struggles such as product understanding, early marketing involvement, goal setting, internal alignment, and iterative adaptation, product marketing managers can pave the way for successful GTM execution and market impact. Empowering teams with these insights and practices not only enhances the launch process but also sets the stage for long-term growth and success in the competitive market landscape.  

To further support product managers in overcoming GTM struggles, we offer a comprehensive Go-To-Market Pack. This pack includes templates and resources for stakeholder alignment, beta goals & success metrics, and go-to-market enablement. By leveraging these tools, product managers can enhance their GTM strategies and drive successful product launches. 

Navigating go-to-market challenges requires a combination of strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous improvement. By addressing key struggles such as product understanding, early marketing involvement, goal setting, internal alignment, and iterative adaptation, product managers can pave the way for successful Go To Market execution and market impact.  

Download our Go-To-Market Pack today and empower your team to excel in launching products with confidence and effectiveness.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joe Ghali
Principal Consultant & Trainer

Joe Ghali is a Principal Consultant and Trainer at 280 Group. He has over 20 years of experience in Product Management working for Fortune 100 & 500 organizations. Joe’s experience includes working in a variety of industries including travel, publishing, financial services, manufacturing, and consumer packaged goods. He has been part of several significant product launches throughout his career and is passionate about the Product Management and Change Management space. Outside of work, he is an active participant in several Product Management roundtables and has been a PM and PO mentor.

His experience as both Product Manager, Change Management practitioner and Product Owner has given a strong conviction that the most successful products are the result of strong Product and Agile teams who are transparent, collaborative, and vulnerable. He believes that product management is a team sport 100%.

Joe has a Bachelor of Science (IT- College of Business) from Marquette University as well as an MBA from Marquette University (focus on Marketing). Joe is Change Management certified and holds several Product Manager/Owner certifications.

Joe and his family are active outside the house. He and his wife have participated in several marathons. Joe is also a volunteer softball coach for his youngest daughter. At the moment, they are spending their free time attending their daughter’s (17 and 14) cross country, track and softball games.

March 21, 2024