Most business leaders already know that a strong go-to-market (GTM) strategy is essential when launching a new company, service, or product.
Approximately 85% of companies say their GTM strategies help them boost revenue and sales.
Gartner
But how do you know if your go-to-market strategy is actually going to work?
One option is to use go-to-market interview questions to make sure you’ve covered all your bases, done the right research, and ensured your team is on the same page.
During the go-to-market testing phase, asking strategic marketing questions gives you a chance to avoid potential missteps that could lead to poor adoption, overspending, and endless headaches down the road. So, which questions should you be asking? Based on our experience working with some of the world’s top business leaders and sellers, here are the questions you can’t afford to overlook.
The Value of GTM Testing and Strategic Marketing Questions
Skipping Go-to-market testing is like assembling IKEA furniture without instructions—messy, wasteful, and bound to leave you with spare parts (or worse, no finished product). It’s almost as bad as overlooking your GTM strategy altogether.
A go-to-market test is how you validate any assumptions you’ve made about your audience, their preferences, pain points, and their overall buyer journey”. You ensure your ideas align with real-world conditions, and have a chance to uncover hidden blind spots you might have missed in your plan. During the GTM testing phase, each sales and marketing strategy question you ask your team gives you deeper insights into ways you can:
- Improve your marketing and sales strategy (or eliminate potential gaps).
- Save money and maximize your ROI.
- Enhance alignment between sales, marketing, and customer service teams.
In short, GTM testing and go-to-market interview questions are your insurance policy against launch-day disasters. Overlook these tools, and you set yourself up for disaster.
5 Strategic Go To Market Interview Questions to Ask
Realistically, there are dozens of strategic marketing questions you can ask your team before launch. You could look at everything from prior marketing results to whether you should be hiring new staff for your sales and marketing teams. But five core queries identify whether you’ve actually developed a strong GTM strategy.
Here are our top marketing strategy questions and answers to consider.:
Question 1: Who is Your Ideal Customer
Let’s start with the basics: who do you want to reach (and convert) with your new product, service, or brand? Your ideal customer profile (ICP) is the foundation of your entire go-to-market strategy. If you don’t know who you’re targeting, you’re wasting time and resources. Create a series of GTM interview questions for your team, asking about your ICP’s:
- Demographic or Firmographic details: Age range, location, gender identity, etc. for B2C, company size, industry, years in business, etc. for B2B.
- Problems they’re trying to solve: Pain points and ongoing issues.
- Motivations: What guides their buying decisions?
Take it a step further by identifying your buyer personas. For instance, are you targeting tech-savvy millennials who prioritize convenience or enterprise decision-makers who value reliability?
Analyzing customer data, conducting surveys, and leveraging insights from previous campaigns will give you the clarity you need. Remember, you’ll need to keep upgrading your understanding of your customer over time, too – with more research, feedback, and insights.
Question 2: What Unique Problem Does Your Product Solve?
This is one of the most essential go-to-market interview questions to ask any customer-facing team member. If your product doesn’t solve a problem, it won’t sell. If your team doesn’t understand the problem your product solves – and how to convey its benefits – they won’t get results.
This marketing strategy question forces you to pinpoint the unique value your offering brings. Start by mapping out:
- The specific pain points your product addresses.
- How your solution outshines competitors.
- Why is now the perfect time for this product?
For example, let’s say you’re launching a project management tool. Is your edge affordability, AI-driven insights, or a user-friendly design? Be precise, data-driven, and honest.
Question 3: How Do You Communicate Your Product’s Value?
This question builds on the marketing strategy questions and answers we’ve already covered. Once you understand your audience and their needs – and your product’s value – how do you align the two? How do you communicate about what makes your product great? Ask yourself:
- What language resonates with your target audience?
- Are you focusing on benefits rather than features?
- Do all of your customers respond to the same messaging?
The key to success is being benefit-focused and understanding exactly what your customer needs from you. Be detailed. For instance, instead of saying, Our software tracks inventory, say, Our software prevents costly stockouts and boosts profitability.
Conducting A/B tests and using customer feedback are effective ways to refine your messaging. Remember, even the most amazing product will flop if your messaging doesn’t connect.
Question 4: Which Channels Are Most Effective for Your Target Market?
Now, it’s time to think about reaching your target audience. When asking strategic marketing questions, understanding which channels to use is crucial. Pick the wrong channel, and you could waste your budget on a pointless strategy. Create GTM interview questions that cover:
- Where your target audience spends most of their time.
- How they move through the buyer journey.
- The ROI for each channel you’re considering.
- How competitors reach similar audiences.
- The resources you have for each channel.
For example, platforms like TikTok or Instagram might dominate your strategy if you’re targeting Gen Z. For B2B products, LinkedIn or targeted email campaigns could be more effective. Testing your channels early in your GTM strategy ensures you’re not throwing money at ineffective platforms. The goal? Show up where your customers already are—and make an impact.
Question 5: How Will You Track and Evaluate Performance?
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Before launching, define the KPIs that will tell you whether your go-to-market strategy is succeeding. Key questions include:
- What metrics align with your goals? (e.g., conversion rate, customer acquisition cost, or lifetime value).
- How often will you analyze performance?
- What tools will you use to track progress?
For example, if you’re running a multi-channel campaign, tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, or Tableau can help you monitor performance in real-time.
Regular evaluation allows you to pivot quickly if something isn’t working, ensuring you stay on track to hit your targets.
Asking the Right Questions for GTM Success
Go-to-market interview questions are more valuable than you might think. When you ask your team questions about your ideal customer, unique selling proposition, messaging, promotional strategy, and measurement efforts, you can double-check you’re on the right path.
Testing isn’t just about refining your strategy but building confidence. By addressing these marketing strategy questions and answers, you can avoid costly missteps, align your teams, and boost your ROI. Remember, every question you ask brings you closer to a launch that’s informed, efficient, and ready to deliver results.
Need an extra insight into whether your GTM strategy is on track? The Hard Skill Exchange skill development platform doesn’t just offer mentorship programs and guidance to help you build your GTM plan. It also offers a pre-built GTM test, designed by business leaders, to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the success of your strategy – before you launch it.
Give yourself a crucial competitive edge with HSE today
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