gtm-pricing

<quick_start> ICP scoring: 80+ = Ideal | 60-79 = Good | 40-59 = Marginal | <40 = Pass

Positioning statement:

For [target] who [need], [product] is a [category] that [benefit].
Unlike [alternative], our product [differentiator].

Value-based pricing: Price at 10-20% of quantified value delivered

Opportunity score: /100 across Market Fit, Technical Fit, GTM Fit, Personal Fit, Economics </quick_start>

<success_criteria> GTM strategy is successful when:

• ICP documented with scoring criteria (firmographics, technographics, psychographics)
• Positioning statement follows April Dunford framework
• Pricing anchored to quantified value (not cost-plus)
• Tier structure follows Good/Better/Best with clear feature gates
• Opportunity scoring identifies red flags and good signals
• Battle cards created for top 3 competitors
• Launch checklist completed (pre-launch, launch, post-launch) </success_criteria>

<core_content> Comprehensive guide for B2B go-to-market strategy, pricing, and opportunity evaluation.

Quick Reference

Part 1: Go-To-Market Strategy

ICP Development Framework

Three Dimensions of ICP

icp_framework:
  firmographics:
    - company_size: "50-500 employees"
    - revenue_range: "$10M-$100M ARR"
    - industry: ["Primary vertical", "Secondary vertical"]
    - geography: "North America"
    - growth_stage: "Series A-C or profitable"

  technographics:
    - current_stack: ["CRM", "ERP", "Industry tools"]
    - tech_maturity: "Mid - has CRM, considering automation"
    - integration_needs: ["ERP", "Accounting", "Field Service"]
    - cloud_adoption: "Hybrid or cloud-first"

  psychographics:
    - pain_awareness: "Problem-aware, solution-seeking"
    - change_readiness: "Has budget, executive sponsor"
    - buying_process: "Committee (3-5 stakeholders)"
    - risk_tolerance: "Moderate - needs proof points"

ICP Scoring Template

Tiers: 80+ = Ideal | 60-79 = Good Fit | 40-59 = Marginal | <40 = Poor Fit

Positioning Framework

April Dunford’s Positioning Canvas

## [Product] Positioning Statement

**Competitive Alternatives**: What would customers use if we didn't exist?
> [List 2-3 alternatives]

**Unique Attributes**: What do we have that alternatives don't?
> [List differentiators]

**Value**: What capability do those attributes enable?
> [Translate features to benefits]

**Target Customers**: Who cares most about this value?
> [Specific customer characteristics]

**Market Category**: What context makes our value obvious?
> [Category or create new one]

Positioning Statement Template

For [target customer] who [statement of need],
[product name] is a [market category]
that [key benefit/differentiation].
Unlike [competitive alternative],
our product [primary differentiator].

Messaging Hierarchy

Level 1: Strategic Narrative (Company)
├── Who we are
├── What we believe
└── Why we exist

Level 2: Solution Messaging (Product)
├── What it does
├── Key differentiators (3 max)
└── Proof points

Level 3: Persona Messaging (Audience)
├── Pain points by role
├── Value props by role
└── Objection handling by role

Persona Messaging Matrix

Competitive Intelligence

Battle Card Structure

## Competitor: [Name]

### Overview
- Founded: YYYY | HQ: Location | Funding: $XXM
- Target market: [description]
- Pricing: [model and range]

### Strengths (acknowledge honestly)
- [Strength 1]
- [Strength 2]

### Weaknesses (our opportunities)
- [Weakness 1 -> our advantage]
- [Weakness 2 -> our advantage]

### Common Objections When We Compete
| Objection | Response |
|-----------|----------|
| "They're cheaper" | [Value-based response] |
| "They have feature X" | [Alternative or roadmap] |

### Win Strategy
1. Lead with [differentiator]
2. Demonstrate [proof point]
3. Reference [customer story]

Channel Strategy

GTM Motion Selection

Launch Playbook Checklist

## Pre-Launch (T-30 days)
- [ ] ICP documented and validated
- [ ] Positioning finalized
- [ ] Messaging hierarchy complete
- [ ] Battle cards created
- [ ] Sales enablement materials ready
- [ ] Pricing approved

## Launch Week
- [ ] Press release distributed
- [ ] Website updated
- [ ] Sales team trained
- [ ] Customer references lined up
- [ ] Outbound sequences activated

## Post-Launch (T+30 days)
- [ ] Win/loss analysis started
- [ ] Messaging refinement based on feedback
- [ ] Pipeline review
- [ ] Competitive response documented

Part 2: Pricing Strategy

Pricing Models Overview

Value-Based Pricing Process

value_pricing_steps:
  1_understand_value:
    - "What problem does this solve?"
    - "What's the cost of the problem?"
    - "What's the value of the solution?"

  2_quantify_value:
    - "Time saved x hourly rate"
    - "Revenue increased"
    - "Costs avoided"
    - "Risk mitigated"

  3_capture_value:
    - "Price at 10-20% of value delivered"
    - "Anchor to alternatives"
    - "Leave money on table for adoption"

  4_communicate_value:
    - "ROI calculators"
    - "Case studies with numbers"
    - "Value-based proposals"

Value Calculation Template

## Value Calculation: [Product/Service]

### Time Savings
- Hours saved per week: __
- Hourly rate of user: $__
- Weekly savings: $__
- Annual savings: $__

### Revenue Impact
- Additional deals/month: __
- Average deal value: $__
- Monthly revenue increase: $__
- Annual revenue increase: $__

### Cost Avoidance
- Errors prevented: __
- Cost per error: $__
- Annual savings: $__

### Total Annual Value: $__

### Suggested Price Point
- 10% of value: $__/year
- 15% of value: $__/year
- 20% of value: $__/year

Tiered Pricing Structure

Good/Better/Best Framework

## Tier Structure

### Good (Entry)
**Price**: $X/month
**Target**: [Entry segment]
**Core value**: [Primary use case]
**Limitations**: [What's not included]

### Better (Growth) <- ANCHOR
**Price**: $Y/month (most popular)
**Target**: [Primary segment]
**Core value**: [Expanded use cases]
**Includes**: Everything in Good, plus:
- [Feature 1]
- [Feature 2]
- [Feature 3]

### Best (Scale)
**Price**: $Z/month or Custom
**Target**: [Enterprise segment]
**Core value**: [Full platform]
**Includes**: Everything in Better, plus:
- [Advanced feature 1]
- [Advanced feature 2]
- [Enterprise requirements]

Feature Gating Strategy

feature_gating:
  gate_by_scale:
    - "Number of users"
    - "Number of projects"
    - "API calls"
    - "Storage"

  gate_by_sophistication:
    - "Advanced features in higher tiers"
    - "Integrations at higher tiers"
    - "Automation at higher tiers"

  gate_by_control:
    - "Admin controls"
    - "SSO/SAML"
    - "Audit logs"
    - "Custom roles"

  never_gate:
    - "Security features"
    - "Core functionality"
    - "Data export"

Pricing Psychology

pricing_psychology:
  anchoring:
    principle: "First price seen influences perception"
    application: "Show enterprise tier first, or '60% choose Pro'"

  decoy_effect:
    principle: "Irrelevant option changes preference"
    application: "Add tier that makes target tier look good"

  price_ending:
    principle: "9s feel like deals, 0s feel premium"
    application: "$99 for SMB, $100 for enterprise"

  bundling:
    principle: "Bundles feel like better value"
    application: "Package features vs. selling a la carte"

  annual_discount:
    principle: "Upfront commitment = better terms"
    application: "20% discount for annual (2 months free)"

Discounting Strategy

discount_types:
  volume:
    trigger: "Commitment to scale"
    range: "10-30%"
    example: "20% off for 100+ seats"

  term:
    trigger: "Annual commitment"
    range: "15-25%"
    example: "2 months free on annual"

  competitive:
    trigger: "Switching from competitor"
    range: "20-40%"
    example: "Match remaining contract"

  strategic:
    trigger: "Reference customer, logo value"
    range: "Up to 50%"
    example: "Name brand + case study"

When NOT to Discount

• Customer hasn’t articulated value
• No competitive pressure
• Early in negotiation
• Customer is price shopping
• Deal doesn’t meet minimum size

Alternatives to Discounting:

• Extended payment terms
• Additional services/training
• Extended trial
• Success milestones unlock features
• Multi-year lock-in

Part 3: Opportunity Evaluation

Brainstorming Lens

I’m a sounding board, not a scorecard. I’ll help you:

• Think out loud about what excites you (and what doesn’t)
• Spot patterns you might be missing
• Ask the uncomfortable questions early
• Explore angles you haven’t considered

Key Evaluation Angles

For Project Ideas

For Potential Clients/Customers

For Partnerships/Collaborations

Quick Opportunity Score

Interpretation:

• 80-100: STRONG PURSUE – Prioritize this
• 60-79: EXPLORE – Worth time investment
• 40-59: CONDITIONAL – Only if specific factor changes
• 0-39: PASS – Opportunity cost too high

Red Flags to Watch

These aren’t deal-breakers, but point them out:

• Unclear who’s paying or how
• Scope that keeps expanding before you start
• “We’ll figure out the details later” on important things
• Pressure to decide quickly without good reason
• Misalignment between what they say and what they do
• You’re more excited than they are
• The economics don’t make sense even optimistically

Good Signals

• Clear problem with clear customer
• Builds on what you already know/have
• You’d do a version of this anyway
• The timing makes sense for you
• Reasonable worst case
• Good people involved
• Learning opportunity even if it fails

GTM Complexity Levels

Reference Files

• reference/gtm.md – ICP templates, launch playbooks, channel strategy
• reference/pricing.md – Models, value-based pricing, psychology
• reference/opportunity.md – Scoring, unit economics, complexity