Foundations for 2024 Planning: SlidesAre you aligning your business plans with the right horizons? Buckle up, as we break down the Three Horizons concept in business planning and operations in this episode. We explore the potential pitfalls of focusing solely on the first horizon (current year's revenue and execution), and why envisioning your long-term goals (third horizon) could be a game-changer. Drawing upon the second horizon, which harmoniously blends the first and third, we illuminate its pivotal role in amplifying success. Venturing into the second half of our podcast, we steer our conversation towards the complexities of business growth, particularly in the lower middle market. Illustrating this journey with a bowling alley analogy, we underline the importance of learning from one segment before progressing to the next. What's more? We delve into the concept of the solution landscape and the importance of understanding your market and competition. With the Byerled Growth Framework in focus, we stress the essence of defining your ideal customer profile, segmentation, and understanding buyer dynamics. Gear up for a comprehensive understanding of strategies that propel sustained business growth and success.

References:Sam Jacobs PostThe Complete Guide to Moving Up-Market in SaaSHow to Use Positioning in Sales Qualification and DiscoveryReady to demystify the process of moving up market? We are here to challenge your preconceived notions and guide you through the complexities of this pivotal shift. We'll be debunking the myth that it's solely a go-to-market team's task and exploring how this strategic move affects every function within the organization - from product development to onboarding. Expect a candid conversation as we express our frustrations over the oversimplification of this process and the unrealistic expectations of instant revenue escalation.Taking a deep dive into the murky waters of moving up market, we'll shed light on the potential roadblocks that can stifle a Lower Middle Market company's growth. Is it fair to assume that larger companies should pay more automatically? We challenge this notion as we stress the need to demonstrate value swiftly to bigger organizations. We'll also examine the crucial elements of moving up market, such as product positioning, pricing, packaging, and strategic market entry, underlining the need for these components to harmonize for a successful market transition.In the final leg of our journey up market, we switch our focus to the pivotal role of the CEO in driving revenue growth. Join us as we caution against the perils of hastening this market transition without fully understanding its complexities. We underscore the importance of a clear strategic plan, gauging the company's current market status against its aspirations, and the concept of three horizon thinking. We wrap up with some practical strategies on selling up market, emphasizing the need to comprehend the economic buyer and crafting targeted messaging. Buckle up, it's time to aim higher!

Andrew Chen, The Law of Shitty Clickthroughs: https://andrewchen.com/the-law-of-shitty-clickthroughs/Jen Allen Knuth, Google is taking nunchucks away from the kids: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/demandjen1_if-you-gave-your-10-year-old-kid-nunchucks-activity-713057...Alex Vacca, The end for Outreach and Salesloft?: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alex-vacca_the-end-for-outreach-and-salesloft-outreach-activity-71302...What if everything you knew about outbound marketing was about to change? Join us as we embark on a comprehensive discussion, probing the imminent transformation in the outbound marketing landscape. With tightening restrictions on emails by giants like Google and Yahoo, we shed light on the subsequent downfall of sales automation tools. As leaders navigating the realm of B2B software and services, we arm you with insights and predictions essential for embracing the future of outbound marketing.Think outbound sales is a breeze? Think again. It's time to unravel the challenges one step at a time and discuss conventional outreach tactics from emails to calls. But as we unmask these strategies, we also underline the importance of credibility and relationship-building, which often get lost in the rush for short-term gains. We examine the diminishing returns of relying solely on outbound tactics and warn against the temptation of over-dependence on automation tools. It's all about finding that perfect balance - complementing outbound strategies with a genuine intent to build relationships. Lastly, we journey through the crucial mindset shift needed in sales - moving from a focus on sales numbers to providing value. We delve into our experiences with CEO and CFO client relationships, where proactive and helpful outreach made all the difference. Remember, automation and AI are here to assist us, not replace the human touch in sales. Tune in as we underline the importance of delivering value to customers and prepare yourself for a radical shift in outbound marketing. 

If you got asked to present a Go-to-Market plan to the Board, how would you feel?gtmPRO is designed from the ground up to help revenue leaders at lower middle market companies (<$50mm in revenue) take on this challenge with confidence.Your hosts for gtmPRO include:Gary Schwake - Managing Partner at Yield Group (Go-to-Market advisory firm), Operating Partner at Boathouse Capital, Limited Partner at Stage 2 Capital and 2x Founder.Andy Monahan - Partner at Yield Group, Operating Partner at Boathouse Capital and an OG data-driven growth expert (AOL, Capital One).Tiana Quiroga - Manager of Marketing & Community at Yield Group and empathetic moderator of the podcastRevenue leaders at lower middle market companies face unique challenges that the commonly available “hyperscale” thought-leadership doesn’t adequately address. They are simultaneously a Coach, a Player and, without a lot of guidance, an Executive.