Go-To-Market and the Ease of Sale: Where Strategy Becomes Momentum

Go-to-market strategy, July 21st 2025 Sarah Huang, Managing Partner H&F Advisers

In today's hyper-competitive and rapidly evolving business landscape, the pursuit of sustainable growth is a paramount challenge for organisations of all sizes. The digital age has democratised access to information and empowered customers, making it more difficult than ever to capture attention, build loyalty, and drive revenue. In this environment, simply having a great product or service is no longer enough. The difference between market leaders and laggards often lies in their ability to translate a compelling vision into a tangible market presence. This is where a robust Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy becomes the linchpin of success.

A Go-To-Market strategy is more than just a marketing plan, it is a comprehensive, cross-functional blueprint that orchestrates every aspect of an organisation's interaction with its customers. It is the bridge between product development and revenue generation, a detailed roadmap that answers the fundamental questions of what to sell, to whom, where, and how. A well-conceived GTM strategy aligns sales, marketing, product, and customer success teams around a single, unified vision, ensuring that every action and investment is directed towards a common goal.

H&F Advisers explores the critical relationship between a strategic GTM approach and the creation of what we call "ease of sale." Ease of sale is the deliberate reduction of friction in the buying process, making it simpler, more intuitive, and more rewarding for customers to engage with and purchase from a company. When the path to purchase is clear and compelling, the result is not just a single transaction, but the generation of sales momentum, a self-sustaining cycle of growth that propels a business forward. Our thesis is that a strategic and integrated GTM approach is the cornerstone of achieving frictionless sales and sustained business growth. Through a detailed examination of GTM frameworks, best practices, and real-world case studies, we will demonstrate how your organisation can transform its market strategy from a series of disjointed efforts into a powerful engine of momentum.

Deconstructing the Go-To-Market Strategy

A Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy is a comprehensive action plan that specifies how a company will reach target customers and achieve competitive advantage. The purpose of a GTM strategy is to provide a blueprint for delivering a company's product or service to the end customer, taking into account all aspects of the customer journey. It is a holistic approach that extends beyond marketing to encompass sales, product development, and customer support. While a marketing plan focuses on the promotional aspects of a product or service, a GTM strategy is a broader, more strategic framework that guides the entire organisation in its efforts to penetrate a market and capture market share.

A successful GTM strategy is built upon a deep understanding of the target market and the competitive landscape. It is a dynamic and iterative process that requires continuous monitoring and adjustment based on market feedback and performance data. The GTM strategy should be a living document that evolves with the business and the market.

The Four Pillars of a GTM Strategy

What should we ask ourselves?	What does it mean?
What are you selling?	This goes beyond a simple product description. It involves a deep understanding of the unique value proposition of the product or service. What specific problem does it solve for the customer? How is it different from and better than the competition? A clear and compelling value proposition is the foundation of a successful GTM strategy.
Who are you selling to?	Identifying the target audience is a critical step in the GTM process. This involves creating detailed Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) and buyer personas to understand the demographics, psychographics, pain points, and buying behaviours of the target customers. A well-defined target audience allows for more effective and efficient marketing and sales efforts.
Where will you sell your product?	This question addresses the distribution channels and markets that the company will target. It involves decisions about geographic markets, online vs. offline channels, direct vs. indirect sales models, and partnerships. The goal is to make the product easily accessible to the target customers.
How will you reach your target customers?	This is the execution-oriented part of the GTM strategy. It encompasses all the marketing and sales activities that will be used to create awareness, generate leads, nurture prospects, and close deals. This includes everything from content marketing and social media to paid advertising and direct sales outreach.

When is GTM strategy essential? A GTM strategy is not a one-time exercise. It is a critical tool that should be revisited and updated regularly, especially in the following situations

New Product Launches, introducing a new product to the market is a high-stakes endeavor. A GTM strategy is essential to ensure a successful launch by aligning all teams and resources around a common plan.

Market Expansions, entering a new geographic market or a new customer segment requires a tailored GTM approach. A one-size-fits-all strategy is unlikely to succeed in a new and unfamiliar market.

Product Relaunches or Pivots, when a product is not performing as expected, a GTM pivot may be necessary. This involves re-evaluating the target audience, value proposition, and marketing and sales strategies.

Changes in the Competitive Landscape, the emergence of new competitors or changes in the strategies of existing competitors can have a significant impact on a company's market position. A GTM strategy should be agile enough to adapt to these changes.

My framework for establishing a winning GTM strategy

Product Market Fit

Identify the Core Problem

ICPs & Buyer Personas

Define the target audience

Do your homework

Research the Competition & what the Market Demand is

The foundation of any successful product is its ability to solve a real and pressing problem for a specific set of customers. This is the essence of product-market fit. Before launching a product, it is crucial to validate that there is a strong market demand for the solution it provides.

A deep understanding of the target audience is essential for effective marketing and sales. Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) define the characteristics of the companies that are the best fit for the product, while buyer personas represent the different types of individuals within those companies who are involved in the buying process.

A thorough analysis of the competitive landscape is necessary to identify opportunities and threats. This includes understanding the strengths and weaknesses of competitors, their pricing and positioning, and their marketing and sales strategies. Market demand analysis helps to size the market opportunity and forecast potential revenue.

Value Proposition

Why should a customer buy this product instead of the competition?

Pricing Strategy

Determine the pricing strategy

Distribution Channels

Choose the right distribution channel

 The value proposition is a clear and concise statement that communicates the unique benefits of the product to the target audience. It should answer the question, "Why should a customer buy this product instead of the competition?"

When it comes to Price, its a critical element of the GTM strategy that has a direct impact on revenue and profitability. The pricing strategy should be aligned with the value proposition, the target audience's willingness to pay, and the competitive landscape.

Get the fundamentals right, the distribution channels are the paths that the product takes to reach the customer. The choice of distribution channels depends on the nature of the product, the target audience, and the competitive landscape. Options include direct sales, indirect sales through distributors, integrators, software-houses, and ecosystem players, all of which has ancillary products to yours.

Create a Comprehensive Marketing Strategy, the marketing strategy outlines the tactics that will be used to create awareness, generate leads, and build a strong brand. This includes content marketing, social media marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO), paid advertising, public relations, and events.

Align the Sales Strategy, the sales strategy defines how the sales team will engage with prospects and close deals. It should be tightly aligned with the marketing strategy to ensure a seamless customer experience. This includes defining the sales process, training the sales team, and providing them with the necessary tools and resources.

If you have an organisation where one person is doing all of the above, trust me. It won't yield to the results you are after that beats your competitors. A well thought out proposition, requires a team or fractional executive firepower without the overhead.

Lastly, measure, analyse, and optimise, the GTM strategy is not static. It is a dynamic and iterative process that requires continuous measurement, analysis, and optimisation. Key performance indicators (KPIs) should be established to track the performance of the GTM strategy and identify areas for improvement.

The Pursuit of Effortless Engagement, achieving ease of sale

The ultimate goal of a Go-To-Market strategy is not merely to launch a product or enter a market, but to create a sustainable engine for growth. This engine is fueled by a critical, yet often overlooked, element: the ease of sale. Ease of sale is the principle of systematically identifying and eliminating friction from every touchpoint in the customer's buying journey. It is about making the process of discovering, evaluating, purchasing, and adopting a product as seamless and intuitive as possible. In an era of unprecedented choice and information overload, the path of least resistance is often the path to purchase.

Friction in the sales process can manifest in countless ways. It can be a confusing website, a convoluted pricing structure, a slow response to a customer inquiry, a complex onboarding process, or a sales team that is not equipped with the right information. Each of these friction points creates a barrier to purchase, and in a competitive market, customers will quickly gravitate towards a competitor that offers a smoother, more pleasant experience. As a recent PwC study revealed, a staggering 55% of consumers would stop buying from a company they like after several bad experiences, underscoring the high cost of a friction-filled customer journey.

Here's how I identify 'High Cost of Friction'

Friction point	What is it
Longer Sales Cycles	The more obstacles a customer encounters, the longer it takes for them to make a purchasing decision. This ties up valuable sales resources and delays revenue recognition.
Lower Conversion Rates	Friction increases the likelihood that a customer will abandon the buying process altogether. This results in lost opportunities and a lower return on marketing and sales investments.
Higher Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC)	A leaky sales funnel caused by friction means that more resources must be spent to acquire each new customer. This erodes profitability and makes it more difficult to scale the business
Reduced Customer Lifetime Value	A negative buying experience can tarnish a customer's perception of a brand, making them less likely to make repeat purchases or recommend the company to others. This limits the long-term value that can be derived from each customer relationship

What is the playbook for a 'Frictionless sale process'

Achieving ease of sale requires a deliberate and systematic approach to identifying and eliminating friction, this is trail and error, in most startups, MNCs and even enterprises. It doesn't matter what stage of the business you are in.

Here's how my team and I have helped enterprises become 'easy to transact' with. 

Friction point	What do you need to overcome it?	Steps to execute
Longer Sales Cycles	Clarity & Simplicity	From the initial marketing message to the final purchase confirmation, every communication and interaction should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. This includes a simple and transparent pricing model, a website that is easy to navigate, and product documentation that is clear and accessible.
Lower Conversion Rates	Personalisation and Proactivity	A one-size-fits-all approach to sales is no longer effective. Customers expect you to deliver the right data points, relevant content, a working demo and proactive support. By anticipating the customer needs, companies can build a stronger relationship and accelerate the buying process.
Higher Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC)	Be organic and discoverable	Prospects should be able to easily find the information they need, this includes investing in search, ecosystem partners for content sydnication and distribution channels.
Reduced Customer Lifetime Value	Fix your house	nothing beats more than learning from the last and understanding to fix problems that would lead to churn.

Ready for Generating Sales Momentum?

Sales momentum is not about high-pressure tactics or aggressive selling. Instead, it is the natural outcome of a customer-centric approach that prioritizes value, clarity, and convenience. It is the tangible result of a business that has so effectively aligned its products, processes, and people with the needs of its customers that the act of buying feels less like a transaction and more like a logical and satisfying conclusion. This momentum is a powerful competitive advantage, creating a virtuous cycle where each successful sale makes the next one easier.

To understand sales momentum, it is helpful to borrow a concept from the world of sales analytics: sales velocity. Sales velocity is a metric that measures the speed at which deals move through the sales pipeline and generate revenue. It is a powerful indicator of the health and efficiency of a sales process. The formula for sales velocity is typically expressed as

(Number of Opportunities x Average Deal Value x Win Rate) / Length of Sales Cycle

This equation reveals the four key levers that can be pulled to increase sales velocity and build momentum.

At H&F we pride ourselves in always communicating when a customer says 'No', nothing kills the company quicker then a 3-year pipeline of zombie leads, a steady flow of qualified leads is the lifeblood of any sales organisation.

This is where the top of the GTM funnel marketing, brand awareness, and lead generation plays a critical role. Your marketing efforts must drive a desire, by effectively targeting the right audience with the right message, companies can increase the volume of high-quality opportunities entering the sales pipeline. If you publish a white paper with a bunch of gmails attached to it, trust me, you're doing something wrong, a well-thought out campaign provides clear execution, and identification.

Being highly obsessed, to identify your targets, means being granular, a higher win rate is a direct reflection of sales effectiveness. It is the result of a well-trained sales team, a compelling value proposition, that is localised but also serves niche problems, and a sales process that is aligned with the customer's buying journey and remember the secret sauce, not all customers want to hear the same thing.

Work on decreasing the length of a sales cycle, the faster deals close, the faster revenue is recognised. A shorter sales cycle is a direct result of a frictionless sales process. By making it easy for customers to get the information they need, make decisions, and complete the purchase, companies can significantly accelerate the sales process, RFP or no RFP.

The Flywheel of Momentum

Sales momentum can be visualized as a flywheel. In the beginning, it takes a significant amount of effort to get the flywheel spinning. This initial effort is the work of building a robust GTM strategy, defining the target audience, crafting a compelling value proposition, and aligning the sales and marketing teams. However, as the flywheel begins to turn, each subsequent push requires less effort. The momentum of the flywheel itself does the heavy lifting.

In the context of sales, the initial push is the acquisition of the first few customers. As these customers have a positive experience, they become advocates for the brand. They write positive reviews, refer their friends and colleagues, and provide valuable feedback that can be used to improve the product and the sales process.

The Role of Customer Success in Sustaining Momentum

If your business is in a subscription based economy, the sale is not the end of the customer journey, it is the beginning. Customer success has emerged as a critical function for sustaining sales momentum. A dedicated customer success team is responsible for ensuring that customers achieve their desired outcomes with the product. This involves a proactive approach to onboarding, training, and support. So prepare the necessary materials, as if your life depends on it, if you're not documenting it, then how do customers process it, don't create more work for them.

My Modern GTM Playbook strategies for a Digital-First World, things I've tried and worked out and things I've failed at. Remember a failure is never a failure, it just means you found a way never to market your product.

Content Marketing is the Engine of Inbounds

A successful content marketing strategy is not about creating promotional materials for your product. It is about providing value to your target audience by helping them to solve their problems and achieve their goals. The Arsenal

Blog Post by you and your team

Articles written by partners

Whitepapers

Case Studies

Infographics

Interviews

By consistently creating high-quality content that is optimised for your ICPS and promoted through the right channels, companies can attract a steady stream of qualified inbound leads, my next suggestion is Account-based marketing (ABM), in the world of B2B sales, a small number of high-value accounts often drive a disproportionate amount of revenue. Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a strategic approach that focuses sales and marketing resources on a clearly defined set of target accounts. Instead of casting a wide net, ABM is about fishing with a spear. It is a highly personalised and targeted approach that treats each account as a market of one.

An effective ABM strategy involves the following steps 1. Identify and prioritise your target accounts 2. Research and understand the accounts 3. Create personalised content and messaging 4. Execute coordinated campaigns

Our consultants are experts in ABM strategy and execution. As H&F Advisers, our experience has shown us time and again that the companies that win are not always the ones with the biggest budgets or the most revolutionary products. They are the ones that are the most strategically aligned, the most customer-obsessed, and the most committed to creating a seamless and valuable customer experience. They understand that a Go-To-Market strategy is not just a plan for launching a product; it is a blueprint for building a sustainable and resilient business.

We encourage you to use the frameworks and insights presented in this document as a guide for evaluating and refining your own Go-To-Market strategy. By embracing the principles of strategic alignment, frictionless sales, and customer-centricity, you can transform your GTM strategy from a series of disjointed activities into a powerful engine of momentum that will propel your organisation to new heights of success.