marketing-strategy-pmm skill

---
name: "marketing-strategy-pmm"
description: Product marketing skill for positioning, GTM strategy, competitive intelligence, and product launches. Use when the user asks about product positioning, go-to-market planning, competitive analysis, target audience definition, ICP definition, market research, launch plans, or sales enablement. Covers April Dunford positioning, ICP definition, competitive battlecards, launch playbooks, and international market entry. Produces deliverables including positioning statements, battlecard documents, launch plans, and go-to-market strategies.
triggers:
  - product marketing
  - PMM
  - positioning
  - GTM strategy
  - go-to-market
  - competitive analysis
  - battlecard
  - product launch
  - market entry
  - sales enablement
  - win loss analysis
---

# Marketing Strategy & PMM

Product marketing patterns for positioning, GTM strategy, and competitive intelligence.

---

## Table of Contents

- [ICP Definition Workflow](#icp-definition-workflow)
- [Positioning Development](#positioning-development)
- [Competitive Intelligence](#competitive-intelligence)
- [Product Launch Planning](#product-launch-planning)
- [Sales Enablement](#sales-enablement)
- [International Expansion](#international-expansion)
- [Reference Documentation](#reference-documentation)

---

## ICP Definition Workflow

Define ideal customer profile for targeting:

1. Analyze existing customers (top 20% by LTV)
2. Identify common firmographics (size, industry, revenue)
3. Map technographics (tools, maturity, integrations)
4. Document psychographics (pain level, motivation, risk tolerance)
5. Define 3-5 buyer personas (economic, technical, user)
6. Validate against sales cycle and churn data
7. Score prospects A/B/C/D based on ICP fit
8. **Validation:** A-fit customers have lowest churn and fastest close

### Firmographics Template

| Dimension | Target Range | Rationale |
|-----------|--------------|-----------|
| Employees | 50-5000 | Series A sweet spot |
| Revenue | $5M-$500M | Budget available |
| Industry | SaaS, Tech, Services | Product fit |
| Geography | US, UK, DACH | Market priority |
| Funding | Seed to Growth | Willing to adopt |

### Buyer Personas

| Persona | Title | Goals | Messaging |
|---------|-------|-------|-----------|
| Economic Buyer | VP, Director, Head of [Department] | ROI, team productivity, cost reduction | Business outcomes, ROI, case studies |
| Technical Buyer | Engineer, Architect, Tech Lead | Technical fit, easy integration | Architecture, security, documentation |
| User/Champion | Manager, Team Lead, Power User | Makes job easier, quick wins | UX, ease of use, time savings |

### ICP Validation Checklist

- [ ] 5+ paying customers match this profile
- [ ] Fastest sales cycles (< median)
- [ ] Highest LTV (> median)
- [ ] Lowest churn (< 5% annual)
- [ ] Strong product engagement
- [ ] Willing to do case studies

---

## Positioning Development

Develop positioning using April Dunford methodology:

1. List competitive alternatives (direct, adjacent, status quo)
2. Isolate unique attributes (features only you have)
3. Map attributes to customer value (why it matters)
4. Define best-fit customers (who cares most)
5. Choose market category (head-to-head, niche, new category)
6. Layer on relevant trends (timing justification)
7. Test with 10+ customer interviews
8. **Validation:** 7+ customers describe value unprompted

### Positioning Statement Template

```
FOR [target customer]
WHO [statement of need]
THE [product] IS A [category]
THAT [key benefit]
UNLIKE [competitive alternative]
OUR PRODUCT [primary differentiation]
```

### Value Proposition Formula

Template: `[Product] helps [Target Customer] [Achieve Goal] by [Unique Approach]`

Example: "Acme helps mid-market SaaS teams ship 2x faster by automating project workflows with AI"

### Messaging Hierarchy

| Level | Content | Example |
|-------|---------|---------|
| Headline | 5-7 words | "Ship faster with AI automation" |
| Subhead | 1 sentence | "Automate workflows so teams focus on what matters" |
| Benefits | 3-4 bullets | Speed, quality, collaboration, cost |
| Features | Supporting evidence | AI automation → 10 hrs/week saved |
| Proof | Social proof | Customer logos, stats, case studies |

---

## Competitive Intelligence

Build competitive knowledge base:

1. Identify tier 1 (direct), tier 2 (adjacent), tier 3 (status quo)
2. Sign up for competitor products (hands-on evaluation)
3. Monitor competitor websites, pricing, messaging
4. Analyze sales call recordings for competitor mentions
5. Read G2/Capterra reviews (pros and cons)
6. Track competitor job postings (roadmap signals)
7. Update battlecards monthly
8. **Validation:** Sales team uses battlecards in 80%+ competitive deals

### Competitive Tier Structure

| Tier | Definition | Examples |
|------|------------|----------|
| 1 | Direct competitor, same category | [Competitor A, B] |
| 2 | Adjacent solution, overlapping use case | [Alt Solution C, D] |
| 3 | Status quo (what they do today) | Spreadsheets, manual, in-house |

### Battlecard Template

```
COMPETITOR: [Name]
OVERVIEW: Founded [year], Funding [stage], Size [employees]

POSITIONING:
- They say: "[Their claim]"
- Reality: [Your assessment]

STRENGTHS:
1. [What they do well]
2. [What they do well]

WEAKNESSES:
1. [Where they fall short]
2. [Where they fall short]

OUR ADVANTAGES:
1. [Your advantage + evidence]
2. [Your advantage + evidence]

WHEN WE WIN:
- [Scenario where you win]

WHEN WE LOSE:
- [Scenario where they win]

TALK TRACK:
Objection: "[Common objection]"
Response: "[Your response]"
```

### Win/Loss Analysis

Track monthly:
- Win rate by competitor
- Top win reasons (product fit, ease of use, price)
- Top loss reasons (missing feature, price, relationship)
- Action items for product, sales, marketing

---

## Product Launch Planning

Plan launches by tier:

| Tier | Scope | Prep Time | Budget |
|------|-------|-----------|--------|
| 1 | New product, major feature | 6-8 weeks | $50-100k |
| 2 | Significant feature, integration | 3-4 weeks | $10-25k |
| 3 | Small improvement | 1 week | <$5k |

### Tier 1 Launch Workflow

Execute major product launch:

1. Kickoff meeting with Product, Marketing, Sales, CS
2. Define goals (pipeline $, MQLs, press coverage)
3. Develop positioning and messaging
4. Create sales enablement (deck, demo, battlecard)
5. Build campaign assets (landing page, emails, ads)
6. Train sales and CS teams
7. Execute launch day (press, email, ads, outbound)
8. Monitor and optimize for 30 days
9. **Validation:** Pipeline on track to goal by week 2

### Launch Day Checklist

- [ ] Press release distributed
- [ ] Email announcement sent
- [ ] Social media posts live
- [ ] Paid ads at full budget
- [ ] Sales outbound blitz launched
- [ ] In-app notification active
- [ ] Metrics monitored every 2 hours

### Launch Metrics

| Metric | Leading (Daily) | Lagging (Weekly) |
|--------|-----------------|------------------|
| Traffic | Landing page visitors | - |
| Engagement | Demo requests, signups | Feature adoption % |
| Pipeline | MQLs generated | SQLs, pipeline $ |
| Revenue | - | Deals closed, revenue |

---

## Sales Enablement

Equip sales team with PMM assets:

1. Create sales deck (15-20 slides, visual-first)
2. Build one-pagers (product, competitive, case study)
3. Develop demo script (30-45 min with discovery)
4. Write email templates (outreach, follow-up, closing)
5. Create ROI calculator (input costs, output savings)
6. Conduct monthly enablement calls
7. Deliver quarterly training (positioning, competitive)
8. **Validation:** Sales uses assets in 80%+ of opportunities

### Sales Deck Structure

| Slide | Content |
|-------|---------|
| 1-2 | Title, agenda |
| 3-4 | Company intro, problem statement |
| 5-7 | Solution, key benefits, demo |
| 8-10 | Differentiation, case study, pricing |
| 11-12 | Implementation, support, next steps |

### Demo Flow

```
1. Intro (2 min): Who we are, agenda
2. Discovery (5 min): Their needs, pain points
3. Demo (20 min): Product focused on their use case
4. Q&A (10 min): Objection handling
5. Next steps (3 min): Trial, POC, proposal
```

### Sales-Marketing Handoff

| Handoff | Frequency | Content |
|---------|-----------|---------|
| Weekly sync | 30 min | Win/loss, competitive, new assets |
| Monthly enablement | 60 min | Product updates, training |
| Quarterly review | Half-day | Results, strategy, planning |

---

## International Expansion

Enter new markets systematically:

1. Validate market demand (inbound leads, TAM analysis)
2. Localize website, pricing, legal
3. Establish sales coverage (hire or agency)
4. Adapt messaging for cultural fit
5. Build local partnerships and references
6. Launch localized campaigns
7. Monitor CAC and conversion by market
8. **Validation:** 3+ paying customers from market in first 90 days

### Market Priority (Series A)

| Market | Timeline | Budget % | Target ARR |
|--------|----------|----------|------------|
| US | Months 1-6 | 50% | $1M |
| UK | Months 4-9 | 20% | $500k |
| DACH | Months 7-12 | 15% | $300k |
| France | Months 10-15 | 10% | $200k |
| Canada | Months 7-12 | 5% | $100k |

### Localization Checklist

- [ ] Website translation (professional, not machine)
- [ ] Currency and pricing localized
- [ ] Local phone number and address
- [ ] Legal compliance (GDPR, PIPEDA)
- [ ] Local payment methods
- [ ] Sales coverage during local hours
- [ ] Local case studies and references

---

## Reference Documentation

### Positioning Frameworks

`references/positioning-frameworks.md` contains:

- April Dunford 5-step positioning process
- Geoffrey Moore positioning statement template
- Positioning validation interview protocol
- Competitive positioning map construction

### Launch Checklists

`references/launch-checklists.md` contains:

- Tier 1/2/3 launch checklists
- Week-by-week launch timeline
- Launch day runbook
- Post-launch metrics dashboard

### International GTM

`references/international-gtm.md` contains:

- US, UK, DACH, France, Canada playbooks
- Market-specific channel mix and messaging
- Localization requirements per market
- Entry timeline and budget allocation

### Messaging Templates

`references/messaging-templates.md` contains:

- Value proposition formulas
- Persona-specific messaging
- Competitive response scripts
- Objection handling templates
- Channel-specific copy (landing pages, emails, ads)

---

## PMM KPIs

| Metric | Target | Measurement |
|--------|--------|-------------|
| Product adoption | >40% in 90 days | Feature usage after launch |
| Win rate | >30% competitive | Deals won vs. competitors |
| Sales velocity | -20% YoY | Days from SQL to close |
| Deal size | +25% YoY | Average contract value |
| Launch pipeline | 3:1 ROMI | Pipeline $ : marketing spend |

---

## Quick Reference

### PMM Monthly Rhythm

| Week | Focus |
|------|-------|
| 1 | Review metrics, update battlecards |
| 2 | Create assets, publish content |
| 3 | Support launches, optimize campaigns |
| 4 | Monthly report, plan next month |

## Proactive Triggers

- **No documented positioning** → Without clear positioning, all marketing is guesswork.
- **Messaging differs across channels** → Inconsistent story confuses buyers.
- **No ICP defined** → Selling to everyone means selling to no one.
- **Competitor repositioning** → Market shift detected. Review your positioning.

## Output Artifacts

| When you ask for... | You get... |
|---------------------|------------|
| "Position my product" | Positioning framework (April Dunford method) with output |
| "GTM strategy" | Go-to-market plan with channels, messaging, and timeline |
| "Competitive positioning" | Positioning map with competitive gaps and opportunities |

## Communication

All output passes quality verification:
- Self-verify: source attribution, assumption audit, confidence scoring
- Output format: Bottom Line → What (with confidence) → Why → How to Act
- Results only. Every finding tagged: 🟢 verified, 🟡 medium, 🔴 assumed.

## Related Skills

- **marketing-context**: For capturing foundational positioning. PMM builds on this.
- **launch-strategy**: For executing product launches planned by PMM.
- **competitive-intel** (C-Suite): For strategic competitive intelligence.
- **cmo-advisor** (C-Suite): For marketing budget and growth model decisions.