From In-House Marketing to Go-to-Market Partnering

Growth is getting harder to find.

Most organisations are facing: Slower economic growth, Increased competition,  procurement-led buying, longer decision cycles and increased pressure on margins.

This means winning future work is no longer about responding to opportunities.

Businesses need a deliberate growth strategy focused on: priority sectors and clients,  market positioning, account growth and cross-selling, all of which requires the muti-faceted talents of a partner-led approach from its marketing and sales resource.

The business to business market is seeing an increase in Go-To-Market business partnering; where organisations can lean on in-house teams to help steer a clear path to growth.

The role of the Go-To-Market business partner is to go beyond the campaign or the event and apply holistic strategies across the entire client cycle. This is nothing new, though what was perhaps the exception is becoming the norm.

Every business reaches a point where doing more of the same is no longer enough.

The next stage of growth isn’t unlocked by working harder. It’s unlocked by changing the conversation about how they are perceived in the market.

For too long, marketing functions have been viewed as response teams—responsible for communications, events, collateral and internal requests. Valuable work, but work that often begins once the commercial decisions have already been made.

Through a partnering model, business to business marketing now looks very different and the organisations that outperform their competitors don’t simply have better marketing. They partner with those teams to drive growth and performance and be ‘in the room’ where commercial decisions are shared.  As ‘partners’ they can shape commercial strategy, influence market approach, challenge assumptions and help the business win.

Start with the market, not the organisation.

The most dangerous assumption any organisation can make is believing the market sees it the way it sees itself. This is where the Go-To-Market partner can ask:

·        Do our clients understand what makes us different?

·        Would they describe us as experts?

·        Do they know where we lead?

·        Instinct is useful. But evidence is better.

·        Before we  build campaigns, we build on our listening.

The market will tell us exactly where we need to improve—if we ask.

Competition isn’t the point.

It’s commonplace to ask who the competitors are. The better question is…

Are we genuinely different?

Do we disrupt the market? Do we solve problems, do we innovate? Can we articulate our expertise around sector challenges rather than organisational structures? Do we show the value?

If we cannot clearly explain why a client should choose us over anyone else, then competition will define that answer for us.

Differentiation isn’t something we write. It’s something clients experience.

From services to solutions (and being sector led).

Clients rarely buy organisational charts, but they buy do outcomes: Growth; Certainty; Confidence; Expert advice. It is our job to package our capability around client needs rather than internal teams.

When clients understand how everything connects, conversations become richer and opportunities become real. It is showing our clients we understand their business, and the markets they operate through true sector expertise. It is surprising how many organisations can miss the simple trick of saying, “we understand your sector and we know your market.”

Reputation creates momentum.

Growth becomes harder when awareness is low. If there’s no relationship in place, having neither brand nor reputation awareness means that every opportunity starts from zero.

Consider the ‘new from new’ conundrum.

Every sales conversation becomes an explanation. Every proposal works harder than it should. Brand isn’t about recognition; it’s about helping clients understand who we are before we ever enter the room.

A simple equation might be: awareness builds trust; trust creates conversations, conversations = opportunities. And here a Go-To-Market partner can help frame this and gather the key ingredients that make this compelling to clients.

Finally, it’s about the relationships we create.

People don’t remember every presentation. They remember how you made them think or feel.

We should be recognised for being:

• Strategic before tactical.

• Commercial before promotional.

• Client-led before internally driven.

• Collaborative rather than protective.

• Trusted enough to challenge.

• Curious enough to keep listening.

Logic builds the case. Magic creates belief.

I have mentioned in a previous article that a little magic helps move decision making. While commercial decisions need evidence and teams need process; we also need belief.

The best brands combine logic with emotion: data with storytelling; structure with imagination.

Every launch follows preparation, discipline and relentless planning and growth should be no different. And in the business to business environment, it takes all of this  to get you there, bringing together sales, pursuits, technical expertise and strategy.

The role of the Go-To-Market Partner.

The role of the Go-to-Market Partner if done well can act as the bridge between business strategy and commercial delivery. The strongest partners will increasingly act as:

Growth Advisors - Helping sector and business leaders identify where growth will come from.

Market Strategists - Using market intelligence to shape investment decisions.

Opportunity Architects - Connecting:

• Client insight

• Market demand

• Proposition development

• Campaigns

• Account management

• Pursuits

All designed to be built into one coherent growth approach. It takes a composite of skills, experience and ability to see beyond the list of asks to add value.

Collaborating with the business means find the jumping-off point as one team.

As in-house teams are quickly recognising this approach, or way of working it does however rely on a collaborative mindset of the business. There is no reward in bringing in talent that cannot advise and guide and might end up  as  an ‘us and them’ dilemma. Winning is done as a team, combining all facets of organisational capability and expertise to help the business succeed.

This is where we not only create opportunity and enable commercial value, but…. change the conversation.