From chaos to clarity: a practical guide to GTM Enablement

So, you’ve decided to tackle GTM (Go-to-Market) Enablement. Great choice! But where do you start? GTM Enablement isn’t just about sales - it’s about the entire customer journey, from the first touchpoint to retention and expansion. That means looking at the bigger picture and ensuring that every team involved is aligned and empowered.

If you’re thinking, “Sounds like a lot,” you’re right. But don’t worry, we’re breaking it down step by step.

Step 1: Start with the customer journey (The Bowtie Model)

GTM Enablement isn’t just about getting customers in the door - it’s about keeping them and growing their value over time. That’s why the bowtie model is your best friend. Unlike the classic sales funnel that ends at the deal closing, the bowtie recognizes that revenue is driven beyond the initial sale through adoption, retention, and expansion.

Your first task? Map out the customer journey. Identify every single touchpoint customers (and partners) have with your company - from marketing to sales, onboarding, support, and renewals.

Step 2: Conduct a data-driven audit

Once you have the customer journey mapped, it’s time for an audit. No, not the scary tax kind—the kind that helps you see what’s working and what’s broken.

Go through all existing processes, enablement materials, and customer interactions:

• Where are the biggest drop-offs in the journey?

• Are there inconsistencies in how different teams interact with customers and partners?

• Is there a disconnect between what marketing promises and what sales delivers? Between what sales sells and what customer experience supports?

• What data do you already have, and what’s missing?

A data-driven approach ensures that you’re making decisions based on facts, not assumptions.

Step 3: Talk to the teams (yes, all of them)

Numbers tell you part of the story, but people tell you the rest. Interview stakeholders across sales, marketing, customer experience, partnerships, and product to understand their perspectives. Ask them:

• What challenges do they face in their role?

• Where do they see friction points or gaps in our current customer journey?

• How aligned do they feel our processes are with customer expectations?

• What feedback do they get from prospects, customers, and partners?

• Where do they see gaps in enablement?

These conversations will uncover friction points and misalignments you might not see in the data.

Step 4: Build a GTM Enablement Framework

Now that you have both qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (data audit) insights, consolidate everything into a structured framework. A simple spreadsheet works wonders here:

Example of GTM Enablement Framework

This framework serves as your single source of truth and helps ensure alignment across teams.

Step 5: Define your action plan

Now comes the fun (and sometimes overwhelming) part - figuring out what to tackle first. But instead of throwing everything at the wall and hoping something sticks, you need to prioritize initiatives based on business impact.

Let’s say your GTM audit reveals low customer retention and a poor NPS due to misalignment between what Sales promises and what Post-Sales delivers. How can Enablement help?

1️⃣ Clarify customer expectations

• Align Sales, Marketing, and Post-Sales messaging so customers receive what was promised

• Train Sales on selling outcomes, not just features

2️⃣ Enable post-sales for a seamless experience

• Provide onboarding guides & success playbooks for consistent customer engagement

• Train CS & Support teams on handling common friction points proactively

• Introduce a certification program to standardize post-sales expertise

3️⃣ Refresher training for Sales

• Reinforce what Sales should and shouldn’t promise to set realistic expectations

• Bring in CX teams to share real customer challenges

Enablement isn’t just about helping Sales sell - it’s about ensuring the entire customer journey delivers on its promise.

Final Thoughts: Think Big, Start Small

GTM Enablement isn’t built overnight. Start with small wins, show impact, and build from there. The goal is to create a repeatable, scalable system that supports long-term business growth.

And hey, if it ever feels overwhelming, just remember: success in GTM Enablement isn’t about speed - it’s about taking the right steps in the right order. 😉