The GTM Playbook: Strategies for Every Stage of Growth

The term “go-to-market” is thrown left and right in the B2B enterprise space, but it’s applicable and indirectly used in every single business out there.

What is GTM?

Go-to-market (GTM) strategy is your action plan for launching a new product or service (and pivoting existing ones). It figures out who your ideal customer (ICP) is, how to reach them, and convinces them why your offering is the best solution for their needs.

Ultimately, a strong GTM strategy helps you win in the marketplace.

Old-school sales tactics and generic marketing campaigns just don't cut it anymore. To succeed in 2024 and push through the noise, you need a GTM strategy that's as dynamic and adaptable as your customers.

That's why we're breaking down the top GTM motions available today.

Whether you're a startup seeking rapid growth or an established business looking to revamp your strategy, there's a winning approach out there for you.

The essential GTM playbook

Let's dive into the core GTM motions that should be on your radar:

Product-Led Growth (PLG): When your product does the selling

If you've built a product that's easy to use, delivers immediate value, and spreads like wildfire, PLG is your golden ticket.

Freemium models, frictionless trials, and self-serve onboarding attract users organically.

The goal? Turn free users into paying customers through seamless upgrade paths.

Best for: Intuitive software, low-touch solutions targeting individuals and smaller teams.

PLG Success Stories: Slack, Dropbox, Zoom (and every other viral product with freemium plans you’ve seen)

Inbound-Led: Attract, educate, convert

I bought into inbound marketing in 2014, got certified by HubSpot, and moved my blogging passion into a content marketing engine.

But the Inbound motion isn't just about blogging.

It's about becoming a trusted resource that solves your ideal customers' problems.

High-quality content, SEO mastery, and thought leadership position you as the expert. Nurture leads through the funnel with valuable content, making them seek you out when they're ready to buy.

Best for: Companies with strong content creation capabilities and solutions addressing well-understood pain points

Inbound Champions: HubSpot, Ahrefs, SEMrush

Outbound-Led: The proactive approach

When your target market is niche, solutions are complex, or deals have high price tags, outbound is still king.

This means targeted outreach, strategic account-based marketing, and skilled sales development reps (SDRs) to identify and qualify high-potential leads.

Compared to Sales-led (described below), Outbound is either merged together (same motion) or treated as an advertising, PPC model with paid ads and complex funnels. Either works as long as you know the principles.

Best for: Enterprise solutions, products with longer sales cycles, and personalized sales processes.

Outbound Powerhouses: Salesforce, Oracle, SAP

Sales-Led (top-down): Closing complex deals

The classic enterprise sales model still has its place.

Highly customized solutions, large-scale implementations, and seven-figure contracts often demand a dedicated sales team.

This approach is all about building relationships, understanding complex needs, and negotiating tailored solutions.

A common mistake nowadays is throwing random SDRs with no understanding of a product to dial in random numbers.

Wrong. The sales-led approach requires in-depth expertise of the product and the ability to sell even during events, webinars, interviews, PR appearances.

Best for: High-touch, expensive products and services aimed at large enterprises.

Partner-Led: Expand your reach with partner collaboration and ambassadors

Got a product with broad appeal but lack the sales bandwidth?

Tap into the power of partners.

Resellers, distributors, and systems integrators can open up new markets, industry verticals, and customer segments you couldn't reach on your own.

Affiliates are the most impactful advice that Alex Hormozi shares in his $100 Leads book. This referral network is what 100X’s a product when done right.

Best for: Companies scaling rapidly, entering new territories, or selling to industry-specific audiences.

Partner Power Players: Microsoft, Cisco, and countless SaaS companies with thriving partner ecosystems.

Community-Led: Let your users be your evangelists

Open-source software, developer tools, and products with passionate user bases thrive on this model.

Build a vibrant community of users who contribute, provide support, and spread the word organically.

Word-of-mouth becomes your most potent growth engine.

Best for: Technical products, customizable platforms, and companies fostering a sense of shared ownership.

Community Champions: Linux, WordPress, Figma

Many of them expand into event-led motions which I consider a separate chapter:

Event-Led GTM - Growing through on-site exposure and networking at scale

Events are undergoing a transformation.

They're no longer just about lead generation or brand awareness.

Event-Led Growth (ELG) is a holistic GTM strategy that turns events (virtual, in-person, or hybrid) into central hubs for customer acquisition, engagement, and expansion.

Think beyond webinars and trade shows. ELG means:

• Immersive experiences: User conferences, workshops, and summits that provide in-depth product knowledge and foster a sense of community.

• Targeted networking: Intimate gatherings that matchmake high-potential prospects with sales teams or partners.

• Data-driven insights: Every event interaction becomes a touchpoint, fueling targeted marketing and sales follow-up.

Best for: Companies of all sizes seeking deeper customer relationships, driving product adoption, and accelerating their sales pipeline.

ELG Trailblazers: SplashThat, Airmeet, many B2B SaaS companies embrace event-led strategies.

Why Event-Led GTM matters in 2024

• Cutting Through the Noise: Personalized, engaging experiences stand out in the digital marketing onslaught.

• Building Trust: Events allow customers to interact directly with your brand and team, fostering loyalty.

• Community-Driven Growth: Passionate customers sharing event experiences act as powerful advocates.

It’s about consistent and continuous effort

There's no single "best" GTM motion. The smartest companies blend elements of these strategies to match their product, market, and growth stage.

Don't be afraid to experiment and find the formula that unlocks exponential growth.

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