Go-to-Market · Foundations

The GTM Foundations Builder

Consolidate the six major elements of your go-to-market in one place — sales process, buying team, customer journey, tech stack, roles, and campaigns. Fill what you know. Leave what you don't. Ship it, then sharpen.

ForFounders · Heads of GTM
Time60–90 minutes, first pass
OutputsOne living GTM doc (.md)
Version1.0
01
Sales Process
Seven stages from discovery to onboarding.
02
Buying Team
Who sits in the room on the other side.
03
Customer Journey
Five lifecycle stages · strategy and proof.
04
RevOps & Tech
Systems, dashboards, definitions, KPIs.
05
Roles & Ownership
Who owns each stage of the funnel.
06
Campaign Drafter
Messaging and offers by funnel stage.
01
Funnel

Sales Process

Map each stage a deal passes through. For each: how you define it, what success looks like, the motions you run, and the bar to exit to the next stage.

1 · Discovery
Uncover the prospect's challenges, needs, and pain.
Definition
Initial stage where the sales rep uncovers the prospect's challenges, needs, and pain points.
Goal
Understand customer needs and establish rapport.
Key Activities
Introductory call · Needs assessment · Basic qualification (BANT) · Initial demo if relevant
Exit Criteria
Prospect shows clear interest, meets basic qualification, agrees to a follow-up conversation.
2 · Qualification
Evaluate fit — budget, authority, need, timeline.
Definition
Evaluating the prospect's fit based on criteria like budget, authority, need, and timeline (BANT).
Goal
Determine if the prospect is worth pursuing.
Key Activities
Deeper needs analysis · Identify decision-makers · Assess buying intent and budget
Exit Criteria
Prospect is a good fit for the product and has a potential purchasing timeline.
3 · Solutioning
Tailored demos and presentations that map product to pain.
Definition
Demonstrating how the product addresses the prospect's needs through tailored demos.
Goal
Showcase value and align the solution to pain points.
Key Activities
Customized product demo · Use case presentation · Technical feasibility
Exit Criteria
Prospect acknowledges product fit and is willing to explore a formal proposal.
4 · Proposal
Structured offer with pricing, plan, and value case.
Definition
Presenting a structured solution including pricing, implementation plans, and value propositions.
Goal
Secure buy-in from key stakeholders.
Key Activities
Formal proposal · ROI and cost justification · Address concerns via Q&A
Exit Criteria
Prospect agrees to consider the proposal and engage in contract discussions.
5 · Negotiation
Terms, pricing, SLAs — handle final objections.
Definition
Finalizing terms — pricing, contract length, SLAs — while addressing remaining objections.
Goal
Reach a mutually beneficial agreement.
Key Activities
Contract negotiation · Legal & procurement · Revisit objections and finalize pricing
Exit Criteria
Agreement on terms, contract ready for signature.
6 · Closing
Secure the signature and transition to onboarding.
Definition
Final step of securing the deal and transitioning to onboarding.
Goal
Finalize the sale and prepare for onboarding.
Key Activities
Send final contract · Handle last-minute objections · Process paperwork
Exit Criteria
Signed contract and clear next steps for onboarding.
7 · Onboarding
Smooth adoption — setup, training, early support.
Definition
Ensuring smooth adoption by setting up the customer, training users, and providing support.
Goal
Facilitate successful implementation.
Key Activities
Kickoff meeting · Implementation planning · User training and initial support
Exit Criteria
Customer is fully onboarded, actively using the product, and satisfied with the setup.
02
Account Map

Buying Decision Team

Every deal has five roles on the other side. Name the titles, decide who you must engage pre- and post-sale, and split the work across Marketing, Sales, and CS.

InitiatorRaises the problem, drags the team to a solution.
DeciderSigns the check. Veto power. Always engage.
UserLives with the product daily. Adoption hinges here.
InfluencerTechnical or functional authority. Can block or bless.
GatekeeperProcurement, IT, legal. Doesn't pick — can stop it.
Buying Role
Common Titles
Marketing Engages
Sales Engages
CS Engages
Initiator
Decider · Always
User
Influencer
Gatekeeper
03
Lifecycle

Customer Journey

Five stages from first touch to renewal. Each stage has a specific job: demonstrate credibility, show the path, prove ROI, drive value, earn the renewal.

Goals by stage

Awareness — demonstrate you understand their problems and are credible on what they care about.

Consideration — show how they solve their problems and reach their goals, generally and with your software.

Decision — prove ROI, prove you can deliver, prove that doing nothing is the worst option.

Stage →
Awareness
Consideration
Decision
Onboarding
Ongoing
Renew / Upsell
Churn
Strategy
Proof Points
Tactics
Channels
04
RevOps

Systems, Definitions & KPIs

The plumbing that makes the rest run. Name your systems, write your definitions down once, and set numeric targets for every KPI that matters.

GTM Systems

Where each capability lives — one tool or many. Write the vendor and link to the admin.

CRM
Marketing Automation
Sales Automation
Contact Enrichment
Customer Success
Other

Definitions

Write these down once — every team reads the same words.

ICP
Target Accounts
Prospects
Leads
MQLs
SALs
SQLs
Opportunities
Customers

Activity & Quality KPIs

Volume metrics prove motion. Quality metrics prove the motion works. Set a target for each.

Leads created — Marketing
Leads created — Sales / BDR
BDR activity — touches
BDR activity — qualifications
Sales activity — demos held
Progress to quota
Lead → MQL %
MQL → Sales %
Qualify → Opportunity %
Opportunity Win %
Average Contract Value (ACV)
05
RACI

Roles & Ownership

For every stage across the lifecycle — who owns it, how you engage, and what defines success. No gaps, no overlaps, no assumptions.

Awareness
Marketing Campaigns · Cold Outbound Sequences · Events
Prospect
Goal
Tactics
Owner
Lead
Goal
Tactics
Owner
Consideration
Nurture Programs · AE Sequences · 1:1 Engagement
MQL
Definition
Goal
Owner
SAL · Discovery
Goal
Tactics
Owner
Decision
1:1 Engagement · Customer References · Executive / Network Referrals
Demo · Opportunity
Goal
Tactics
Owner
Customer
Onboarding Sequences · Knowledge Base · 1:1 CS Engagement
Onboard
Goal
Tactics
Exit
Realize Value · Stay Engaged
Goal
Tactics
Exit
Renew · Upsell
Goal
Tactics
Collab
Churn
Goal
Tactics
Collab
06
Campaigns

Campaign Drafter

One campaign per funnel stage — the goal, the activity, the asset, the message, the offer. Hover any field for the reference example from the workbook.

Prospect
Create awareness. Generate initial interest.
Goal
Create awareness and generate initial interest.
Activities
Social media ads · Cold outreach · Display ads
Content
Blog posts · Infographics · Industry reports
Messaging
"Discover how [Product] transforms [Process]."
Offer
Free eBook · Industry benchmarks
Gaps
Lead
Capture contact info. Nurture interest.
Goal
Capture contact info and nurture interest.
Activities
Lead capture forms · Webinar invitations · Email series
Content
Webinar · Whitepapers · Case studies
Messaging
"Join industry leaders to learn [Key Trend]."
Offer
Webinar registration · Gated whitepaper
Gaps
MQL
Qualify. Educate. Get them to product.
Goal
Qualify and educate leads about the product.
Activities
Product demos · Personalized email follow-ups
Content
Product comparison sheets · Customer stories
Messaging
"See how [Product] saves [X]% time for companies like yours."
Offer
Product demo · ROI calculator
Gaps
Opportunity
Address pain. Solidify fit. Close.
Goal
Address pain points and solidify product fit.
Activities
ROI analysis · Customer testimonials
Content
ROI calculator · Product videos · Case studies
Messaging
"Your peers in [Industry] cut costs by [X]% with [Product]."
Offer
Customized proposal · Free pilot / trial
Gaps
Customer
Drive adoption. Expand engagement.
Goal
Drive adoption and expand account engagement.
Activities
Onboarding guides · Customer success webinars
Content
Best-practice guides · Product update newsletters
Messaging
"Maximize your ROI with expert tips on [Feature]."
Offer
User training · Loyalty programs
Gaps

Write it down once. Every team reads the same words. That's the whole game.

Ship it

Export your draft.

Blueprint · GTM Foundations Builder · v1.0
Blueprint