Cloud GTM
What is Cloud Go-to-Market?
Budget dollars for customers to buy your software are getting harder to come by – but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Cloud budgets continue to expand by 18% year over year, and cloud and software budgets have started to merge. This has created significant opportunities for sellers to reach customers where they are incentivized to buy. Sellers who are successfully capturing these available dollars are all investing in building out a Cloud GTM.
Top Reasons Software Companies are Selling Through the Clouds
With Cloud GTM, software sellers leverage the Cloud Provider ecosystems to drive revenue. Our recent State of Cloud Marketplaces Report reinforces this, citing that cloud budgets continue to increase despite economic conditions, Marketplaces are seen as a catalyst to unlock co-sell opportunities, and the clouds represents a faster, more efficient way to reach new buyers.
As we enter a new era driven by the cloud that will fundamentally change the way buyers and sellers interact, many software companies are left wondering what this means for their business. Tackle’s CEO, John Jahnke, discusses this evolution, how companies are embarking on this journey through clouds, and the signals that represent the future of B2B software sales.
Cloud-aligned (Marketplace) listing and transacting
Buyers expect a consumer-grade experience with simple contracting and a focus on partners in their preferred ecosystems. Cloud Marketplaces align to these expectations and help buyers burn down committed cloud budgets, consolidate spend, simplify vendor management and legal, and more.
Cloud-aligned product strategy
Aligning your product strategy to the Cloud Providers’ strategies, goals, and outcomes requires a roadmap for leveraging the many arms of the Cloud Providers. Marketplace is a key (but not the sole) component of this.
As your buyers invest more with the clouds, you need to align your strategy to the places where your buyers’ businesses run. It’s critical to sell to, through, and with the Cloud Providers, and build a strong “better together” story with your product and the cloud services.
Non-disruptive support for multi-faceted Cloud GTM
Cloud GTM complements direct, channel, consumption-based pricing, product-led growth, and Marketplaces through the clouds without disruption to existing processes. Sellers need to bolt-on Cloud GTM processes that don’t require overhauling their existing operations to provide the right experience for buyers.
Observability and data across the entire revenue system
Data is key to providing observability to stakeholders and teams across an organization. Most organizations are optimized for analog transactions, bookings, and order flows, meaning that order processing, and quote to cash follow arcane processes and tooling of yesterday. This will not work in a digital-forward world.
From generating new sales to lowering CAC payback and increasing gross margin, sellers will need know how to dynamically invest in what’s working based on robust, interconnected analytics.
Cloud-aligned (Marketplace) listing and transacting
Buyers expect a consumer-grade experience with simple contracting and a focus on partners in their preferred ecosystems. Cloud Marketplaces align to these expectations and help buyers burn down committed cloud budgets, consolidate spend, simplify vendor management and legal, and more.
Cloud-aligned product strategy
Aligning your product strategy to the Cloud Providers’ strategies, goals, and outcomes requires a roadmap for leveraging the many arms of the Cloud Providers. Marketplace is a key (but not the sole) component of this.
As your buyers invest more with the clouds, you need to align your strategy to the places where your buyers’ businesses run. It’s critical to sell to, through, and with the Cloud Providers, and build a strong “better together” story with your product and the cloud services.
Non-disruptive support for multi-faceted Cloud GTM
Cloud GTM complements direct, channel, consumption-based pricing, product-led growth, and Marketplaces through the clouds without disruption to existing processes. Sellers need to bolt-on Cloud GTM processes that don’t require overhauling their existing operations to provide the right experience for buyers.
Observability and data across the entire revenue system
Data is key to providing observability to stakeholders and teams across an organization. Most organizations are optimized for analog transactions, bookings, and order flows, meaning that order processing, and quote to cash follow arcane processes and tooling of yesterday. This will not work in a digital-forward world.
From generating new sales to lowering CAC payback and increasing gross margin, sellers will need know how to dynamically invest in what’s working based on robust, interconnected analytics.
Tackle customers who have seen the most success in Cloud GTM execution have product positioning that complements the Cloud Provider, a well-established co-sell discipline, and transactable listings on the Cloud Marketplaces where their customers have an incentive to buy.
Knowing who to sell to and sell with helps sellers adopt this new motion and leads to faster and larger transactions via the Cloud Marketplaces. This data-driven sales approach is the basis for a fresh spin on the flywheel concept specifically for generating the momentum required for a successful Cloud GTM.
FAQs
A Cloud GTM plan should begin with support from the C-suite. Next, develop key KPIs and metrics for the plan, including a well-crafted “better together” story. Ensure that you’re also taking full advantage of Cloud Provider incentives and partner programs.
The five main parts of Cloud GTM are: 1) Invest in Cloud GTM; 2) Leverage data to identify the right buyers; 3) Grow relationships through co-sell; 4) Accelerate deals through Marketplace; and 5) Scale through automation.
The stages of Cloud go-to-market are:
1) Align. Create cross-functional alignment with your product, people, and technology to begin your Cloud GTM strategy.
2) Target. Analyze your pipeline for best-fit opportunities and deals and give sellers confidence to adopt this new channel.
3) Co-sell. Register right-fit deals and work with the Cloud Providers, all while eliminating manual processes.
4) Transact. Launch and execute deals through the Cloud Marketplaces.
5) Scale. Invest in a connected experience that seamlessly brings together Marketplace, co-sell portals, and your CRM.
6) Learn. Understand best practices, access a diverse community to learn from, and get guidance on the tech stack required for success.
A Cloud GTM plan should begin with support from the C-suite. Next, develop key KPIs and metrics for the plan, including a well-crafted “better together” story. Ensure that you’re also taking full advantage of Cloud Provider incentives and partner programs.
The five main parts of Cloud GTM are: 1) Invest in Cloud GTM; 2) Leverage data to identify the right buyers; 3) Grow relationships through co-sell; 4) Accelerate deals through Marketplace; and 5) Scale through automation.
The stages of Cloud go-to-market are:
1) Align. Create cross-functional alignment with your product, people, and technology to begin your Cloud GTM strategy.
2) Target. Analyze your pipeline for best-fit opportunities and deals and give sellers confidence to adopt this new channel.
3) Co-sell. Register right-fit deals and work with the Cloud Providers, all while eliminating manual processes.
4) Transact. Launch and execute deals through the Cloud Marketplaces.
5) Scale. Invest in a connected experience that seamlessly brings together Marketplace, co-sell portals, and your CRM.
6) Learn. Understand best practices, access a diverse community to learn from, and get guidance on the tech stack required for success.
